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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

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.

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.