Norman Rockwell Museum: How did you get into this field? 

Blue Sky Studios Animators in their 'Treehouse' Workspace, 2011. Back row: Nick Bruno and Jeff Gabor. Front Row: Paul Downs, Peter Paquette, and Scott Carroll. ™ & ©2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Nick Bruno: Growing up, I always loved to watch movies and how they were made with my Dad. In 1991, he took me to see Terminator 2. When we walked out of that movie the two of us were blown away by the special effects. I remember saying to him that I wish I could do that for a living, and I will never forget his response: “Why don’t you?”  It’s funny how such a simple question can really change your life. At the age of eleven, if your Dad believes in it, so do you. So it was then that I decided I wanted to pursue a career in animation/special effects. 

In college I studied illustration and fine arts at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and then went on to receive my Master’s at New York University (NYU) in computer graphics and animation. It wasn’t until 2005, during my Master’s studies at NYU, that I caught my big break. Mike Walling, an animator from Blue Sky Studios, came to NYU to give a lecture. Like most starry-eyed students, after his lecture I begged him to look at my reel. After my review, we got to talking and we really hit it off.  I remember walking with him all the way back to Grand Central Station, talking about all things animation. Before Mike boarded his train, he told me that he would like to mentor me. It was the beginning of a relationship that eventually got me into Blue Sky Studios. As if that wasn’t amazing enough, the moment was extra special because as Mike was giving me the good news, I saw my Dad watching us from a far. You see, most days my Dad would meet me after class and ride the train home with me. 

Norman Rockwell Museum: What are the differences between 3D animation and traditional animation?

Nick Bruno: Traditional (hand-drawn) and 3D animation strive to do the same thing, and that is to create the illusion of life. All of the same methods and principles are used, and both require a keen artistic eye, strong imagination, and the ability to communicate feeling.  The biggest difference is the tools used to do so. In traditional animation, the animator will use a pencil and stacks of animation paper. In 3D animation, instead of drawing the character frame-by-frame, the animator will manipulate a three-dimensional puppet in the computer.    

Norman Rockwell Museum: How would you advise a young person interested in becoming an animator?  

Nick Bruno:The best advice I could a young person interested in becoming an animator is to enjoy and experience life. That can mean anything from playing wiffle ball with your best buds, to experiencing the rise and fall of your first relationship. As an animator it will be your responsibility to create the illusion of life, and in order to do that honestly, you have to live one.  

Norman Rockwell Museum: Could you tell us the story behind your imaginative workspace? 

Nick Bruno:When my best animator buds, Pete Paquette, Paul Downs, Scott Carroll and I, found out that we would be sitting next to each other, we knew we had to do something special.  

We wanted to come up with something fun, and inspiring. We entertained many ideas, but only one stood out…a TREEHOUSE. All boys grow up wishing they had a treehouse, and some are even lucky enough to have one. None of us had, but we all shared the same stories of trying to build one. The idea of a treehouse became a symbol of a simpler time—a time in our lives where we had no responsibilities, and we were fueled by a wild imagination, a piqued curiosity, and of course, the need to cause a bit of trouble. It only made sense that now, in our adult years, we had both the knowledge and the funds to finally build one, and so we did. So each day we walk into our tribute to childhood, and I’m pretty sure that each one of us would have made the twelve-year-old versions of ourselves proud.