Editorial: Have You Told Them You Love Them?
You are an animator. I am an animator. And chances are pretty good that we’re both human beings as well. Guess what? So are the masters who create the fantastic works you go to the theater (or your living room TV, or your computer) to see. Some of them have come and gone, but many are still out there working on what’s next. Have you told them how you feel?
The truth is we all love hearing that our work has touched someone’s life. After all, most of the time we create for others, not for ourselves. We don’t craft a beautiful animation and hide it away so no one else can enjoy it. We share, hoping what we’ve done will help someone else experience what we did when we created it.
The next time you see a film (or maybe you’ve just seen one) that has an animated scene you really admire, why not try to contact the animator(s) who worked on it? Imagine if you were in their shoes: You just spent years perfecting as best as you could a scene that has your heart and soul in its movements. Suddenly a letter arrives at your door from someone who recognizes all the effort you put in, and truly appreciates it. Really, as animators, we know better than anyone the huge amount of work it takes to make something great in an animation. Think about how outstanding it would feel to hear from a fan of that work!
You may not hear back. Animators are busy people, as I’m sure you know from being one. Still, it’s good to know you acknowledged the effort of another animator, another human being, like you. And who knows? Maybe one day an envelope will appear in your mailbox from someone who adores your work just as much.
Don’t put it off, why not write it right now? It will only take a moment and you can really make a difference to someone you’re inspired by.
I once recieved a letter from a young animator who was 10 years old. He wanted to know how I made movies. It was a great feeling to see the next generation of animators springing up! I wrote back and told him to keep working hard. I wonder what ever happened to him? Well he was young, so I’m sure his plans for a career changed many times from writting that letter.
Of course this was all twenty odd years ago. These days everyone just uses emailing. I’m still partial to stamped letters in the mail, though!
I’m a big proponent for good old snail mail too, granman! You’re not alone in that. Something about e-cards just isn’t the same as tearing open an envelope. 🙂
I know I’d just like it if someone emailed me saying they liked my work. I think I’ll give this a shot…
Aaaaw, what a brilliant idea! I must try this since if it was me receiving letters I would absolutely love it. Feels good thanking someone and getting thanks back. 🙂
how do you know where to send the letter to?
Many animators have a blog where you can get contact information from. Some might even have their own company and a business website. If you know the studio where the animator is currently working at you could also send it there.
You might also try a librarian if a library is nearby. They have terrific methods for finding contact information for people that sometimes you’d never even think of!