Deborah Anderson
3D Modeler
Our conversation started early enough for the morning fog to linger in the Los Angeles sky, Deborah Anderson to mentally prepare to teach her class, and my cats to beg for playtime. With our minds fresh, we engaged in a rich virtual conversation, and Deborah really woke me up when she divulged the many places she’s lived, worked and thrived. Spoiler alert: Detroit, Rochester, Seoul, New Orleans and finally Los Angeles.
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Deborah shared her childhood with her twin brother. She did not mention any twin powers, but you never know. During high school, she found an immense respect for Walt Disney and Fred Rogers. She said, “Walt Disney set high standards, and you couldn’t talk back to him. But he would also give you the resources and support to meet those standards.” She believes that is what made The Walt Disney Company, the powerhouse it is today. Her admiration of Mister Rogers, and Fred Rogers Productions, was quite different than for Disney. She was inspired by his care and respect for children. The way he communicated and taught kids while entertaining them, was given such care and attention; “We (the world) did not deserve him,” she explained. Disney’s precision and intense business acumen, and Roger’s creative approach for children’s education, really stuck with her as she graduated with a B.S. in Film and Animation.
Pancakes - Deborah Anderson
Her childhood and adolescence was filled with influences that would impact her future career, but the landmark event that would chart her course was one of education. As an ambitious young woman in high school, Deborah took several (seven!) community college courses to expand her knowledge and interests of the world. It was her 3D animation course that grabbed her. Artistry merged with the technicality of 3D modeling checked every box in her creatively structured mind. With laser-focused ambition and a perfectly organized suitcase, Deborah marched forward on her animation career path, starting in Rochester, New York.
Deborah Anderson graduated tenth in her high school class and was accepted into Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), School of Film and Animation (SOFA). College cemented her passion for 3D modeling. Other forms of animation, like 2D, did not quite perk her interests, “All animation is tedious, it just depends on what type of tedious appeals to you,” she said. This author could not agree more.
Deborah took those notions with her to Gwangju, South Korea. With no knowledge of the Korean language, but all the vigor in the world for adventure and working with children, she taught English to middle and high school girls, for an entire year. This is exactly where her career began. Believe it or not, South Korea is the home to 120 animation studios, creating work for FOX, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and the Cartoon Network. Before leaving Korea, Deborah reached out to several animation studios for a tour. She was curious. She’d never been to a studio and she could not leave without scratching that 3D animation itch. After exploring and chatting with people at one of the studios, she found herself with a job proposition. They asked if she had a demo reel, “I don’t but I can,” she told them. In those four months, she grinded on creating a beautiful demo reel. That’s how she landed her first animation job with Digital eMation in Seoul. And what a job indeed! She worked on Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Batman: The Brave and The Bold, Scooby-Doo and The LeBrons. Ever heard of em’?
Moving from Seoul back to New Orleans, Deborah developed a part of her life that is arguably just as successful as her animation career, and inspirational to those it touches. She created the moniker, “BlkWmnAnimator,” (Black Woman Animator) and started talking to schools and offering workshops and classes to art programs. In 2017 she took her platform online, “This platform/YouTube Channel is all about exposure, and introducing kids at a young age to animation careers; I want to help more minorities get into the animation industry,” she said. Her YouTube channel is packed with compelling interviews, predominantly people of color, working in the animation industry. “There are fewer black people in animation, but more than we realize.”
When asked about her favorite interviews, her first laugh out loud mention was Matt Munn, a 3D animator at Blue Sky Studios (Unfortunately, parent organization Walt Disney Studios announced that Blue Sky would shut down in April 2021) “He kept me cracking up the whole time.” She also made friends with epic traditional animator Dan Haskett, who is someone anyone in animation would want to be friends with, according to Deborah. My name didn’t come up, but that’s okay because it was I who was interviewing her.
Her “BlkWmnAnimator” platform for black voices and the animation community at large is not just limited to YouTube. She excelled as a public speaker to schools and community organizations, diving into social action, while successfully balancing her professional career. In fact, while teaching kids about animation and becoming an expert on more and more 3D modeling programs, she turned to the Urban League of Louisiana Young Professionals - Greater New Orleans, serving as President for a two-year term. She can do it all.
In the fateful year of 2020, Deborah jumped on a plane to hit the big city of Los Angeles, bringing her experience, wisdom, and an awesome vocal platform. You may not remember what happened in the year 2020, but Deborah was unable to explore the City of Angels as planned. Thankfully though, it was her YouTube channel and The Creators Society that kept her engaged with people in the animation community. She was able to explore LA through hikes, instead of social events and the food culture. It is the Korean BBQ in Koreatown which I hope she experiences, once our city is safe again.
Deborah also teaches “Blender” to 9th and 10th graders at a charter school in Crenshaw, LA. “Blender'' is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software program used for creating animated films, motion graphics and many other visual effects.
She is currently learning “ZBrush'' and embracing her creative brain. Naturally, her mind works more methodically and analytical, making her an incredible 3D artist. Environment modeling and prop modeling is where she thrives. But “ZBrush'' is going to help her achieve another dream of creating 3D versions of kids dressed as adults. Think, the Kardashian - West children. She has developed quite the following on Pinterest from mothers who want to fashionably dress their kids.
Finally, asking for a few last words, Deborah said, “The advice I would give someone is to be properly prepared when trying to become a 3D modeler. Have a demo reel. If you need ideas for models to create, go search for concept artists on Behance, ArtStation and Instagram. That way you can show that you can take someone's 2D artwork and make it 3D.” She also mentioned that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Peanuts Movie, integrated 3D animation in an incredibly creative and artistic fashion. And if you’re looking for a 3D animated film that will tug at your heartstrings, Deborah also recommends Canvas, a moving short film about love and loss by a Pixar animator, on Netflix. You know what will really tug at my heartstrings? Those 3D versions of fashionably dressed kids. Can’t wait to see what you come up with Deborah Anderson.
