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Wayne Unten
Wayne Unten
01:09

Wayne Unten

Walt Disney Studios

Los Angeles, CA USA

"Sometimes, the job is stressful, but you'll find that there's a reason why you're doing what you're doing."

Career Roadmap

Wayne's work combines: Film, Technology, and Being Creative

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Day In The Life

Animator

I am an animator and creator bringing life to characters for Disney films like "Frozen" and "Tangled".

My Day to Day

As a character animator, I help tell a story by way of creating a believable character performance and the illusion that the character I am animating has thoughts, feelings, and a personality. I work with a lot of modeling, rigging and animation techniques. As an animation supervisor, I work with the animation crew to help bring the directors’ vision of the characters to the screen.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

When I was studying animation in college, at times I was scared at the thought that I wouldn't get the job I wanted, or no matter how hard I studied, there wouldn't be a job available for me. My advice is to follow your passion, because it's worth it. Have faith that the choices you make toward your goal will lead you closer to what you ultimately want to be professionally.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects

    California State University-Fullerton

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    Touts the value of taking a variety of classes in school; says that acting, 3-D design classes informed his animation down the line.

  • 2.

    For some time, he'd work on a construction site during the day, then painstakingly animate his reel at night.

  • 3.

    Even after he got his job at Disney, he became the best by working all day, then going home at night and studying new techniques.

  • 4.

    Went through a period where he questioned what he was doing, why he was putting two years of work into a two-minute payoff.

  • 5.

    Saw a video showing a soldier reuniting with his family and going to see an animated movie; his purpose became clear.

  • 6.

    Says that although the "value" of his work has been questioned, making an audience laugh or cry is the best feeling in the world.

  • 7.

    Knowing something he created has the potential to make such an impact is what keeps him going when he has to work long hours.

  • 8.

    Says the characters he creates are like his children; making the most realistic, true characters possible is really a labor of love for him.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Myself:

    This isn't what I want to do, but it's to hard to change.

  • How I responded:

    I was originally a graphic design major and I knew I wanted to do something in the arts, but I quickly realized that this wasn't it. I had to work up a lot of courage to tell my parents that I not only wanted to switch my major, but I wanted to go to a different school as well. It was terrifying and I knew it was going to be hard, but I just did it because I knew deep down that it would work out. Switching to animation was the best decision.