Meet David Blanc, our cool Smoke Online Editor! When he's not belting out rock ballads at the Brown Bag karaoke party, you'll find him in the edit suites, making sure the animations are all in sync! We chatted with him for a few minutes to discuss how he got into animation, and what Smoke is really all about!

How did you get into animation?

I remember being quite young when a distant cousin of mine showed me how you could edit footage together with a bunch of VHS recorders connected to a vision mixer.

I totally caught the bug then but it took years for me to actually follow this path. Sometime in 2008 after working in the MI industry for years, I decided it was time to do something I was passionate about so I went to study TV & Video production.

How long have you worked in the animation industry?

I started working in post production in 2009 and I joined Brown Bag Films in 2013, so I guess technically I’ve only worked in the animation industry for a year.

What’s your current role and what does it involve?

I am an online editor. An online editor is usually the last person to do visual “alterations” to a show before it gets shipped to the broadcaster.

The main focus of my role is to apply finishing touches: colour grading, last minute fixes, applying and finessing transitions, some basic compositing and effects, adding credits and texted elements.

Once this is all done I master the show onto a HDCAM-SR tape and send it to the QC department for a final check before shipping.

What are your biggest influences/inspirations?

In the movie realm: Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, David Fincher and the Coen Brothers to name but a few and of course pretty much anything by Pixar!

I also love comic books like Sin City by Frank Miller, Preacher by Ennis & Dillon, Lone Wolf and Cub by Koike & Kojima and the list goes on and on…

What’s your favourite tool to use and why?

I’m currently using a software called Smoke by Autodesk and it has a really powerful paint tool which is my “go-to” tool for fixing shots rapidly.

What advice would you give someone considering getting into animation?

I have a background in broadcast and post production rather than animation but I think some pieces of advice are transferrable, outside of the obvious “hone” your skills and know your software etc…

I found that having good interpersonal skills was extremely important, in an industry where you are constantly working for producers or collaborating with directors, art directors, editors, etc… being flexible and pleasant goes a long way.

What do you like most about working in animation?

I really enjoy working in environment where I am surrounded by so many talented artists, it’s good for the old soul and spirit! 

To be honest working on children’s animation is quite a fun way to make a living, even when under pressure, we still do laugh a lot throughout the day.

I just recently started working on Henry Hugglemonster, this stuff is off the wall, totally insane, in the best possible way, my kind of humour!

What’s been the most challenging thing about working in animation?

Adapting to high levels of productivity, we pretty much have to finish 2 x 11 minute programs every week no matter what, I’m not sure the public realise how much work goes into a single 11 minute show!

Outside of animation what are you most passionate about?

I’m crazy about music.

Are you interested in getting into animation? Keep an eye on our Behind-the-Scenes and Tutorials pages for more interviews, #TopTips and #AMAs!