The very first
thing I want to make clear is that I absolutely respect artists. They bring to life incredible worlds that
sometimes can't be possible any other way.
I wasn't gifted with great drawing abilities, but I love animation. As far back as my teen years, I knew I wanted
to write for it.
The thing was,
growing up I thought being an artist, writer, or actor was the only jobs in
animation, more specifically that writers and actors were the ONLY non-artist
jobs in animation. Let me tell you,
that's totally false. There's still the need for people behind the scenes to
control the flow of all this creative work, from production assistants and
coordinators, to checkers and timers, and voice and casting directors. Also, despite getting a degree in
live-action television, it didn't occur to me the amount of post-production
personnel needed in animation too.
Through a writer
friend I made as a teen, and some of her friends in turn, I got connected for
my first animation job as a Production Assistant on Jumanji for
what is now Sony Pictures Family Entertainment. There, I began to see firsthand all the possibilities, and soon
became a Production Supervisor (Coordinator) on Extreme Ghostbusters. In my heart, though, I knew I wanted to be a
writer. So after a year of working at
Sony, I left working firsthand in animation to attend the University of
California Los Angeles Extension and get a Professional Certificate in
Screenwriting.
Yet, I never
strayed completely from the field. I
consulted on creating the official starmap for Voltron: The Third
Dimension. In 2000, I joined
the convention circuit, making my debut moderating a panel on "Careers in
Animation" for San Diego ComiCon.
Also, through a class in animation scriptwriting I took at UCLA
Extension, I began to see that longevity in the industry could often hinge on
being more than just one thing. I began
to miss the industry, but had a couple quarters left of my education.
That feeling led
to me approaching a site called Suite101.com in early 2001 about starting a monthly
column on Animation Writing and Production, geared to spreading the word about
the possibilities for non-artists in the field. They responded positively and for almost a year, I wrote 400-800
word articles for them on the business.
The goal is to have them all archived at this site, along with new
information from time to time.
In late 2001,
after the completion of my education at University of California Los Angeles
Extension, I took the position of a Production Coordinator on Nickelodeon's Invader
Zim. This began to seriously
cramp the time I could devote to Suite101.
That, coupled with a change of direction at Suite101.com in early 2002,
led me to part ways with the site.
Little did I know that not much later, Invader Zim would
have its order cut back and I'd find myself unemployed after only six months on
the show. At that point, I resumed
doing my monthly column with a site geared specifically to the animation
industry called Digital Media
FX, and continue
to write about the possibilities even as I've struggled to find them and begin
my graduate studies at California State University, Fullerton, in Mass
Communications.
I will not put rose-colored
glasses on it; the animation industry in 2003 is a very tough place. It may be months or years before I work
directly in the industry again at a staff job.
Along the way, I am determined to keep my foot in it as I have and to
bring you what the possibilities are so you can be ready to face the challenges
now or prepare for the future, if this is truly where your passion leads. There are no times like the lean ones to
test your devotion, it seems.
But even in the
lean times, miracles do happen. In
early 2003, Japanese company Milky Cartoon Ltd. hired me to write three scripts
and co-write two 11-minute scripts (the latter with my longtime personal and
sometimes creative partner, Kevin Paul Shaw Broden) for a series slated to
debut in Japan this Fall and hopefully will eventually make its way
internationally. Right now, I can't
legally tell you the title due to a non-disclosure agreement but will when I
can. It's been an incredible experience
and the fulfillment of a longtime dream.
If for some reason it never happens again, I'm incredibly grateful that
it came true after not giving up for so many years... my goal, however, is to
stay involved in the business as long as I am able.
It is very much
my dream to continue to publicize and promote the opportunities for non-artists
in animation, so that others may be informed, of both the joys and the
dangers. In the wake of the passing of
my mentor from Eastern Washington University, Dr. David Terwische, whose
guidance (though in live-action work) strengthened me as both a writer and able
to cope with a changing industry, this passion burns stronger than ever. That's why I created this site as part of
that overall goal. In case there isn't
any other outlet where I can further this message, there will always be a home
base, as well as a home page for any related forums
My goals right
now are to provide new information on this site as I can (monthly or bi-monthly
mini-commentaries, whatever is possible), appear on panels ComiCon yearly as they will accept me,
speak at other conventions as time permits and they welcome me. While I do have the Facebook prescence, my current commitments have not yet allowed me to utilize it as fully as
I would have liked. In 2010, the mission expanded to bring my fan-to-pro past full circle as AOL retired my Shannon Muir's Voltron Pages the same weekend I appeared at LosCon in 2009. As of March 2010, by fan demand, Shannon Muir's Voltron Pages joins the family of Shannon Muir's Animated Insights pages.
I look forward
to the journey.
Last
Updated: October 7, 2006