5 Fast with Ryan McDougal

We haven't done a 5 Fast interview in a little while (or any interview at all for that matter), but that all changes today!

Ryan McDougal has just completed his short film for the Vancouver Film School, and was gratious enough to not only share it with everyone here on Bleeding Pixels, but was also kind enough to answer 5 fast questions.

Take it away, Ryan!


1. Tell folks a bit about your reel. What are they going to see when they click that shiny "Play" button?

My reel is a short story about man named Wilt who faces a fork in the road (so to speak) and must make a decision as to whether or not to take a chance and move on with his life.


2. What's the one thing on the reel you're most proud of?

Though I have so much to learn, a smile comes to my face when I watch Wilt and actually believe that there are thoughts of doubt, nervousness and fear racing through his mind. I don't know that I accomplish this in every shot but feel that there are those moments when he seems so believable (at least in my biased eyes) that I feel he could easily be sitting next to me in a coffee shop reading a
newspaper.


3. What's the one thing on the reel you struggled the most with creating?

I think my answer to the previous question fits here as well. Making Wilt actually think in a believable (not necessarily real) fashion was the most difficult as I found it not simply a matter of mechanics, timing or proper posing. It came down to gobs and gobs (a technical term I use...) of reference and of acting out every scene, having others acting it out and paying random bums on the street to act it out (but that is a story for another time).


4. Why 3D Animation? What is it that appeals to you about this industry, and what made you head down this road in the first place?

When I was a kid and wore those full body spiderman pajamas with the plastic footy things that you could slide across the floor on, I was always up at 5:30 on Saturday mornings to watch any random cartooon. I guess I just never grew up since that time and throughout my life have had this passion for storytelling. Animating and 3d just fit right...


5. What would be your absolute dream job?

I'd love to work on features as I feel very enamored with storytelling and really want to be immersed in that experience so that I can continue to learn and grow. However, my advertising roots lure me to the variety and stylistic variance of places like Psyop, the MIll, and Studio AKA. I think what I admire most about these studios is that their artistic stye and animation spans such a large spectrum that I can't help but admire the talent and creativity that the artists there must posses. In the end, the idea of working somewhere where I am constantly pushed and challenged to become better than I ever thought possible is where I want to go.


Thanks for answering the questions, Ryan, and best of luck to you!

Below you'll find Ryan's short film, "Sonata," as well as a link to his website.

Ryan McDougal's Website