Reel Works at Blue Sky Studio
Nine Reel Works Student visited Blue Sky Studio, an Academy Award-winning feature animation studio in Greenwich, Connecticut. Students took a bus up from New York, gratefully provided by our partner The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Robert Calvo, Computer Graphics Supervisor, spoke about how animated films are created. His presentation taught students how different departments work together from beginning to end to produce animated films. Some films created at Blue Sky Studio include Ferdinand, Ice Age, and Robots. Students also got a tour of the modeling room where they heard from Sculptor Vicki Saulls. They got to walk-through the animators’ wing and watched another presentation that showed works-in-progress. Finally, students were able to connect one-on-one with Blue Sky employees over lunch where they heard testimonials from employees about how they got to their place in their careers. 
The trip was inspiring to our young filmmakers and helped them really start to think about their future: “This trip helped me discover that my dreams of working in art and animation aren’t as far-fetched as I thought nor is there one way to get where I want to be. Can’t wait to come back for another and see the remodeled space.” - Amya Williams, Spring Documentary Lab 2018“As a young person thinking about her future, the tour provided me with a sense of relief of what I could possibly do with my future. I got a lot of good feedback and heard stories that really motivate me to try and pursue a career in animation. Thank you for the tour.” - Jada Hairston, Spring Documentary Lab 2018“This is a once in a lifetime experience. It was my first time seeing all the work that goes behind animation films. In the past, I thought that animation films were somewhat hard, but now I understand all the work that goes behind a film. Thank you for this tour.” - Anthony Chan, Fall Documentary Lab 2018Thank you Blue Skys Studio and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for making this field trip possible!