CTN Spotlight on ... David!

CTNX: Hello David, it's a pleasure to speak with you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

DP: I'm David Perry, or Dave, or one old lady in a nursing home used to call me Jordache for some reason. Like the jeans. Anyway, I'm an illustrator and writer out of Indianapolis, trying to work my way into the animation industry. It's a long distance relationship, but I'm working to close the gap and come out to Burbank.

CTNX: When and how did your relationship with CTN begin?

DP: I was in the National Student Exchange Program with IUPUI (Indianapolis) and came out to Los Angeles for a semester to study creative writing at CSU-Northridge. While there, I went trekking for any and all opportunities to show my face around the animation industry, and CTN-X sounded like the perfect opportunity to do so. So, I hiked up my britches and made a good name for myself among the volunteer staff by coming in early, staying late, and going anywhere they needed me, beyond the particular position as a booth buddy. I think work ethic is what gets you in. Also, have a sense of humor.

CTNX: What have your positions been with CTNX and what have you learned most from your experience working with CTN?

DP: I only had the opportunity to work with CTN-X the one time, because I don't live in or near Burbank, but that position as booth buddy was extremely rewarding. I've often said to friends and family that volunteering for CTN-X has been the single most enlightening and significant event of my life as an illustrator. It showed me that there are so many incredible illustrators, many much better than myself, and that I had much more to learn and work on if I wanted to compete in the field. So again, I hiked up my britches and when I came back to Indy, I hit the books. My illustration skills before and after CTN-X are night and day, and I'm unspeakably grateful for the opportunity I had to work with the Creative Talent Network.

CTNX: What are your ultimate career goals?

DP: I, like everyone else in animation, want my own animated series. That's the ultimate goal, but there's much to learn before then, and gaining the trust of industry professionals is a must. I want to be the lead writer for the show, which is called Mallory Bash and is currently run as a web comic. Did I just plug that? I think I just plugged that. Every day I'm hustlin'. A lot of illustrators and writers have this goal, but I think it's important to understand how the industry works from the business end and down to what the stresses of each position are, so you know how to balance quality, efficiency, and morale. Plus, you know, people should LIKE your idea first, and want to work on it with you.

CTNX: How does working with CTN help you meet those goals? 

DP: Man, how doesn't it? You get resources out the tooter, you get to meet incredible, passionate people, and you get free portfolio reviews from industry professionals. More importantly, though, you get to see artists who are infuriatingly better than you, and you get to wallow in your own apoplexy and struggle as an artist. But you mustn't fear. Fear is the mind killer. CTN is all about community, and there are so many artists to see and talk to, so many ideas in which to indulge, and everyone likes to support each other.

CTNX: What have you learned most from your experience working with CTN? 

DP: Patience, haha. Absolutely, it's patience. Before CTN-X, I was told I was a patient, prolific cartoonist by family and friends. But I wasn't. CTN-X was an opportunity to draw my eyes across so many illustrators, so many people with ideas and dreams, and I'm just this one little guy with one little cartoon. It's humbling and empowering at the same time. You love that other people are on the same little road as you, but you're also a squeaky little voice trying to shout at titans. You've got to sit down in your own obscurity and work. Work until it's good, then work until it's great, then work until it's perfect, then work more because it can never be perfect.

CTNX: What do you look forward to most in the coming years regarding your career?

DP: Growth as an illustrator, as a writer, and as a person. I think a lot of people are intimated by the industry because it's show-business. It's where the shrewd meet the creative and battle it out for a chance to make something fun, significant, and profitable. I think it's important to stop and ask yourself what you're sacrificing, and don't lie to yourself. Nobody wants to become a shill, but I know I'll have to be flexible, to compromise, and all the while try to hold on to myself. I'm hoping to get in as a storyboard artist or writer, so that's my focus for the next few years.

CTNX: It was a pleasure to talk with you David!