Saying James Rumpf is a kid at heart would be a vast understatement. But his
success comes from his unique ability to combine that child-like sense of wonder
with cutting-edge media, and a touch of educational know-how that really sets
him apart. Cartoons “are a safe escape,” says James. “Cartoons are the only
things that make my mind turn to wonder” and are “an entrance into another
world where there are no worries”.
James' creation, Cartoongems.com is an online collection of educational ebooks,
shorts and characters for kids—all designed to help educate children (with a
partial focus on autistic children). His cartoons are designed to capture and
captivate the incredible imagination of children while using their own creativity to
enhance their learning processes.
James' list of works include the lovable Adventures of Professor Beetoven--'the
Ambassador of Intelligence, and the more-recent Dotcomers.
We recently got the opportunity to speak with James about his passion,
experiences and qualities he considers critical in today's animation industry:
What is your firm's focus within animation and what led your firm to
have such a focus?
Our focus is on smaller shorts--animations that are 5 minutes or less.
Fill in the blank: The future of animation is _________.
Limited to mobile devices.
What are the best aspects about working in the animation field?
The best thing is definitely that if you make animations that people like you can
become an over-night success in the industry.
Among your firm's achievements, which one(s) are you the most proud
of?
Our proudest accomplishment to date is our Dotcomers series:
cartoongems.com/dotcomers/
What skills/qualities does your firm seek out when hiring new
employees?
The skill that we require the most and seek out in new hires is Flash Animation
skills.
What particular schools, if any, does your firm recruit new hires from? If
none, where do you recruit new hires?
We don't recruit from any schools in particular, we find our new hires from
internet searches and through word of mouth and online animation sites.
What advice would you give to aspiring animators?
To have an extremely broad portfolio of animations.
What were your most challenging projects, and why?
The most difficult one was making the Dotcomers Video Trailer; the difficulty
came in making the flash animation real and life-like.
What kind of education did it take to get you where you are today?
I HAVE NO FORMAL EDUCATION IN ANIMATION. I am just a guy who created
some really cool cartoon characters and now have a following for them
on Cartoongems.com.
Could you share with us your best story about working in the animation
industry.
The best thing that has happened to me, thus far, is that the Dotcomers video
trailer that was made in 2008 was picked up and is to be developed soon and will
be released in 2012.
Has the trend of outsourcing animation overseas affected your firm, and
have you been tempted to hire overseas animators to cut cost?
We proudly use only U.S.-based Animators.
Do you think that there is an increasing or decreasing demand for
animators overall? Why?
I think that it is increasing because the cost of Flash Animation is becoming more
and more affordable.
Check out more interviews at Animation Career Review's Interview Series.