Scott Sackett

Meet Scott Sackett

Creative/Animation Director at Exceptional Minds
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About Scott

About Scott

Mentor of 2D Animation

Scott's background has been that of an animator and storyboard artist working on both feature and TV animation. Currently, he is working as a Supervising Director at Exceptional Minds Studios in Sherman Oaks California, training and guiding aspiring artists on the spectrum to work on and produce professional quality content for real-world jobs.

  

Scott's work

Credits include Curious George, The Wild Thornberrys, The Lionhearts, Pinky and the Brain, Thumbelina, and Tom and Jerry: The Movie, to name a few.

Curious George
Ozzy and Drix
The Wild Thornberrys
Pinky and the Brain

Q&A with Scott

Which city are you currently based in?

Glendale, California, USA

What did your pathway into the industry look like?

My animation career began as a film major at Columbia College in Chicago. After Graduating with my BA, I was accepted in the Classical Animation program at the esteemed Sheridan College in Toronto. After college, I worked for a short time at a small studio on animated commercials before moving to California, where I landed my first job on an animated feature film at Bluth Studios Animation.

I worked on Troll in Central Park and Thumbelina, then moved on to Rich Studios and the film The Swan Princess. I continued to work in animation at many commercial studios, but then my love of story and
the challenge of crafting story and pictures, and my ability to contribute ideas and gags, led me down the road of storyboarding.

I have subsequently worked as a storyboard artist at Universal Studios, Warner Bros, and Hyperion on such titles as Curious George, Ozzy and Drix, Baby Looney Toons, Pinky and the Brain, and Space Jam.

What has been the best experience of your career so far?
The most rewarding time of my career was storyboarding on the TV show Pinky and the Brain for Warner Bros TV Animation. It was my first time as a full-time storyboard artist and working for a really great and dynamic crew. Learned to love the challenge of getting projects done on a tight deadline.
What’s your advice for your students?

I believe the greatest resource for young artists is each other. Stay in contact and relish the opportunity to network from your group. Always be open to watching and learning from each other. Stay humble.

Learn animation from industry pros 

3D Animation Essentials

3D Animation Essentials

3 months - Beginner

Learn 3D animation basics for beginners! Start with the essentials, including the 12 Principles of Animation, character rigs and posing, then animate your first walk cycle using industry tools.
2D Animator Specialization

2D Animator Specialization

9 months - Advanced

Study advanced aspects of 2D animation and create compelling characters, expressive acting and FX animation. Increase your technical skills and build a polished portfolio with mentor support.
3D Animator Specialization

3D Animator Specialization

9 months - Advanced

Master complex character animation techniques to create impressive 3D scenes. You’ll also focus on portfolio preparation and career development with your industry mentor to help you get job-ready.
2D Animation Essentials

2D Animation Essentials

3 months - Beginner

Learn 2D animation basics. This short course covers hand-drawn-style animation, the 12 Principles of Animation, and classic exercises like the bouncing ball and walk cycle led by industry artists.
<b><br>2D Animation</br></b>Bachelor of Digital Art


2D Animation
Bachelor of Digital Art

24 months - Beginner to Advanced

Master the industry tools and techniques to pursue a career in 2D animation. Breathe life and personality into your creations and delve deep into production pipelines and creative workflows.
<b> <br>3D Animation</br></b>Bachelor of Animation & VFX


3D Animation
Bachelor of Animation & VFX

24 months - Beginner to Advanced

Discover how to bring your digital characters and creatures to life for film and games. Build your 3D animation skills from beginner to advanced and discover key production pipelines and processes.
2D Animation Foundations

2D Animation Foundations

9 months - Beginner to Intermediate

Build your 2D animation foundations using both modern and traditional animation workflows to create animations from scratch. Receive guidance from industry pros who’ve worked on iconic cartoons.
3D Animation Foundations

3D Animation Foundations

9 months - Beginner to Intermediate

Forge foundational 3D animation skills taught by industry experts. Learn to make your 3D characters walk, talk, and interact with their environment as you build your understanding of body mechanics.
2D FX Animation Course

2D FX Animation Course

1.5 months - Intermediate

Master the art of hand-drawn 2D animated effects—including flames, gasses, liquids, magic, and more—from initial design to final rendering, guided by an industry expert.
2D Storyboarding Course

2D Storyboarding Course

3 months - Intermediate

Master the essential tools of storyboarding for character-driven dialogue & drama scenes and create fully realized storyboards with guidance from industry pros.
How do you stay creative outside of work?
I am active with various hobbies and volunteering in my children’s schools. Have enjoyed creating logos, cartoon characters, editing school newsletters, and yearbooks. Also kept creative by helping several clients bring their children's books and stories to print by designing the cover art, illustrating the chapters, and in some cases, doing the entire layout in Adobe InDesign and readying it for print.
What excites you most about the future of animation?
I am always inspired and excited to see what new people coming into the industry are doing  and what their inspiration is. Great to see new personal styles and stories. Also amazed how technology has evolved to allow one to create a professional animated film (2D or 3D) from start to finish on your laptop or tablet!

Learn more about Scott's experience on his website, see his work on ArtStation, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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