Is Work From Home The Future? California’s Animation Artists Discuss Their Hopes For Post-Pandemic Working Practices

Mikel Wellington, character designer on Wendell and Wild and My Dad the Bounty Hunter:

While there does seem to be a lot of support for a hybrid approach, the responses to Gutierrez’s question are interesting for how varied they are. We’ve reproduced tweets from leading artists below (with their permission). They reveal that people’s preferences can be conditioned by a range of factors, from union affiliation to the kind of work they do…

Sabrina Alberghetti, shorts director, storyboard artist at Disney Television Animation:
I would love to have an option: Work from home for a few weeks, come in for a few weeks. The problem with us union people, is that we HAVE to be in the LA area. Wondering if the union will change/have to change with all this happening, since we’ve proven it works.

How do you feel about physical studios? Share your thoughts in the comments, and look for continuing coverage of this topic on Cartoon Brew.
— Henrique Jardim (@henriiscrap) February 28, 2021

LA Anim friends, once kids go back to school and we’re all used to working and making things from home, why go back to a physical studio? And lose all that time and energy driving LA traffic? A year into this and it makes no sense to me to go back to the old ways. What say you?
Michael Ruocco, storyboard supervisor on The Cuphead Show!, storyboard artist on Looney Tunes shorts:

— Michael Ruocco (@AGuyWhoDraws) February 28, 2021

Needless to say, this discussion is being had around the world, as a year of restrictions forces a paradigm shift in our views of work. Case in point: a recent Twitter debate prompted by Jorge Gutierrez, director of The Book of Life and creator of Netflix’s forthcoming Maya and the Three. Addressing L.A.’s animation industry, Gutierrez asked why anyone would want to go back to the studio in the future:
LA commutes take the joy out of the job. Let the studio buildings turn to dust! We’ve proven we can live in Hawaii and make the same stuff. Until drone-taxis happen let’s stay home and create! pic.twitter.com/3aQP1K0Iwl

I think writing over zoom goes a lot slower, and makes it harder to learn and reach a creative hivemind. The benefits are great, but I think a hybrid would be nicer – as a writer, not being able to pop into an artists office to kick around ideas together has def been a bummer

Not to mention, when I was working in-studio everyday, I didn’t necessarily want to socialize EVERYDAY. Some days I just wanted to have my headphones on and eat lunch alone. By doing half in half out, I can see us all being more extroverted on the days we come in!
— Jorge R. Gutierrez (@mexopolis) February 28, 2021

— Jorge R. Gutierrez (@mexopolis) March 1, 2021

i just like the idea of being around other creatives and in a creative space. I feel like working from home is such an isolating experience. To me, having the dedicated environment to do that is great. Plus, space in LA is hard to come by so it’s nice to have that separation.
Matt Jones, storyboard artist:

Last month, we spoke to Tom Box, co-founder of major U.K. animation studio Blue Zoo, about the future of working. Box told us of his vision for a post-pandemic hybrid model that will combine studio and remote work, freeing staff to live further from the city. As he puts it, Blue Zoo, a long-time pillar of the London animation industry, “is no longer really a London-based company.”

My output since Covid has easily been halfed, and there’s nothing to really motivate nor inspire me while in my own solitary bubble. I’m also probably one of the few people who actually enjoy commuting since it acts as a warm up/cool down during my day.
— Mikel Wellington (@MikelWellington) February 28, 2021

Henrique Jardim, director at Titmouse:

— Jorge R. Gutierrez (@mexopolis) February 28, 2021
I got back 10 to 12 hours/energy a week wasted in LA traffic.

After receiving a flurry of replies from industry artists, Gutierrez concluded in a later tweet that the general mood was in favor of a flexible hybrid model, like the one Box described to us:
— ben mekler (@benmekler) February 28, 2021