We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Fred Bode Iii. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Fred below.
Fred, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
From my belief that what we do as artists and creators is a special gift. Whether its creating a piece of art, developing a product or toy or creating a live attraction , we have the ability TOUCH . Thru memories ,emotions or a feeling of escape . To for one moment in time make people feel thru the story we tell by what we create with authenticity, honesty and passion for our craft.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
After over 25 years in the studio world I have transitioned a bit into themed entertainment. Along with academy award winning hollywood film director Joe Johnston , Emmy award nominated TV producer and TEA award recipent David Kenneth and award winning imagineering architect Brad Mac Donald to form IRON APE.in collaboration with ILM studios. We are a group dedicated to original content ,story telling and IP development for themed entertainment via live entertainment, themed attractions and media development globally.
I still keep the juices flowing with artwork for original and studio IP development support for WB, disney,universal etc.
when the opportunity arises I love to speak and mentor to upcoming students of our craft one on one or thru schools etc. Wherever and whenever I can help to teach, inspire and motivate the next generation of story tellers.
My latest passion project was to help fellow WB and Sony pictures dear friend and collaborator Michael Piekoff by illustrating a book (available on amazon)dedicated to his late father Elliot. It is collection of sayings and memories showing michaels love and memories of his dad. it was such an expression of love and was so authentic , i just couldnt say no to such a heart felt and authentic project.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
* PATIENCE
* BELIEF IN THAT. WHAT YOU DO IS IMPORTANT
* COLLABORATION BY SURROUNDING YOURSELF AND LEARNING FROM THOSE WHO ARE AS PASSIONATE AND
BETTER THAN YOU
PATIENCE…. I was told once by a very well known animator that “We all have about 10,000 really bad drawings inside of each of us……get them out now”. meaning….draw, draw ,draw. Fluency and master of craft is a journey , not a sprint. it takes dedication and perseverance .
BELIEF…… That what we offer as artists and storytellers has meaning and is needed in this world. it is a gift that we must pass on to the very best of our abilities regardless of what others say.
COLLABORATION………No artist ever truly works in a vacuum . We are all inspired by those people ,places and experiences around us. Embrace that .Whether it is with other artists, musicians, authors or just friends . Learn from others experiences the ways to success and to avoid the pitfalls. Surround yourself with collaborators who are more skilled than you, have a different vision or different technique and …..LEARN. then , PASS ITON.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The book was HARRY POTTER. my involvement in developing artwork and collaboration with JK for that property taught me to trust my instincts and be brave. Reading that first book and drawing what I saw in my mind from the written word , and then to have that be successful gave me so much courage. it was also an example to me of how very important the story telling, that human “touch” and connection was.
my parents were also so very important to who and what i am today as they saw in me the need to create and they supported whatever road that journey would take me down.
Contact Info:
- Website: Bode.fredc@gmail.com
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/fredbode
Image Credits
Fred Bode
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
