We were lucky to catch up with Andy Bialk recently and have shared our conversation below.
Andy, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
The youth! Specifically my daughters and my students at CalArts. When they’re not posting fan art (which I also love), the majority of their work feels authentic, honest and whimsical. What I mean is, I feel like I’m witnessing their drawings and concepts tell a story, their own personal story in real time and it’s very exciting! While the the older and more seasoned professionals have a higher skill set and produce beautifully executed designs and paintings, their work feels safe, more academic, technical and often lacks that personal, vulnerable voice and sensibility that the younger artists are so eager to share in their work. I love listening to my students describe the story behind their characters, story, scenes and films and learning about why they make their artistic decisions whether I agree with their vision or not. They are incredibly passionate and their enthusiasm is genuine which inspires me to continue to push my work, move away from my comfort zone and remain as optimistic as ever!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Sure thing… I’m super focused on my career, always open to collaborate with colleagues/studios as a Creative Lead, Character Designer, Vis Dev Artist, Art Director in Development and/or on the next exciting project, Animated Feature, TV series, theme park, games or app. Also working on personal projects creating story pitches/bibles, writing/illustrating children’s books, graphic design as well as continuing my passion for teaching at CalArts & other Art Schools. Lately I’ve been having fun playing with Character Modeling using Blender, Spline.
What is special about what I do? I love connecting and working with creative, clever people… artists, writers, production teams and execs. None of us could do what we love without being part of a passionate, committed team. Everyone has a voice that should be heard, no matter their title or experience, everyone matters. I learned this while at Hanna-Barbera working on Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Dexter’s Laboratory” driving past the guard booth everyday, waving to Bobby, Head of Security, receiving an interoffice envelope from Rinaldo, Head of the Mail Room to shaking hands with Bill Hanna & Joe Barbera outside during Birthday celebrations … and from each of those connections is a story, a memory or funny situation which becomes part of our story, experience to share with others via script or funny gag.
Super excited about wrapping my 17th Animated Feature Film “Under The Boardwalk” beautifully Directed by David Soren with Paramount Animation now available on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. Also feeling so proud of the concept & production design work I did for the wonderfully talented team at Wild Canary Animation on their animation test, storybook/children’s book “Jedi Training” & s1 of Lucasfilm/Disney Jr’s absolutely charming “Young Jedi Adventures” now airing on Disney+. Since then I’ve been working in Development on a number of confidential projects for Nickelodeon, WB, CNS and a few others.
Currently working in Development with ShadowMachine/Mattel Films on the “Bob the Builder” Animated Feature. The film will star Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, In The Heights, Hamilton, The Bad Guys), who also produces alongside Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico of the Academy Award-winning animated film, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” and production studio ShadowMachine. Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions have joined to co-produce. Felipe Vargas is attached to write. Can’t wait for this one to begin production!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Do good work 2. Hit your deadline
3. Be pleasant
By good work I mean, your job is to “wow” your Art Director and/or the studio execs. Don’t “phone” it in! Push yourself but also be realistic with the understanding that there’s always gonna be somebody “better” and more experienced than you and that’s fine as long as you are working to improve your skills everyday. Remember, you are early in your career as a young artist with so much growth ahead of you and will learn new tricks or techniques everyday, producing stronger work over time.
Be on-time just means, don’t be late! Last thing you want is to have a studio label you as the artist who doesn’t meet their deadlines. If you really want to impress them… turn it in a day or two early and give them more than what they asked!
Be nice! Nobody wants to work with a grump or someone who’s always complaining or a cocky artist no matter how good they are. I like working with artists who are pleasant, listen, take direction, address notes and are flexible with their style. Follow through with a polite email and always say, “thank you for the opportunity!”
Some quick advice for the newbies:
The question I get asked a lot from my students is “what helps you stand apart from other artists?” Having a point of view in your work is everything! Develop a unique perspective to your work, push personality and acting and produce drawings that feel alive, even when drawing in another style. Yes, versatility is just as important but having a strong personal voice in your work is what will help you stand out from the rest.
The best way to improve is to take risks by going outside your comfort zone. Try many different styles, techniques, and disciplines. Put your screens down, stop looking at other peoples drawings on IG & draw from life, sketch, paint everyday, observe and soak it in. You are a reflection of life and that’s what we want to see in your work!
Finally, for my Character Designers out there … it’s Character before Design! Don’t stress over the visual look & style. That will unfold over time. What is your character’s story? Write up a backstory if there isn’t one. Also, leave yourself open to personal and artistic growth. Don’t feel you need to nail the design with every assignment. Just keep working at it, push yourself to get closer, knowing you have the room to continue to develop and refine your craft. You got this!
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
The Animation Industry is in a temporary slump right now, lots of artists are out of work so I think it’s extremely important in today’s climate to be as well rounded as possible. That way if there’s no Character Design jobs coming up, you should be able to hop into another role like Storyboarding or Visual Development, BG paint, clean-up, Modeling, Animation … from Feature to TV to theme parks to video games. Keep all options open and if you’re still not being hired, focus on your personal projects. Write a script or treatment, create a pitch bible, illustrate a children’s book or graphic novel. Don’t just sit and wait, you have to stay creatively active. Make art, work on your own solo show… pick up a paint brush and produce work!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andybialk.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andybialk/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-bialk-814211b/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/andybialk
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080528/ https://www.artstation.com/andybialk3
Image Credits
Robert Lacko
