Meet Christian Maize | 2D FX Animator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Maize and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Regarding work and production: genuine effort, passion, and going an extra step.

Those values are what I think are potential key factors in pushing skills and projects to next-level results, but I think they also aid in changing perspective for the better when looking back at past jobs. There are numerous projects that I’ve looked back on and not been personally satisfied with how they turned out, usually thinking “I could have done this part better” or similar. But in some of those cases, if I can also say “At the time, I gave a genuine effort and tried my absolute best,” then that makes a difference.

That’s that not to say doing this turns everything around and suddenly I’m happy with the results- the outcome is still the outcome, and it’s also just as important to learn from the experience and try to improve. But it can help me look back with a more positive view regarding ones that just didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped.

Outside of work ethic: I’m not sure if it’s a value by name, but I highly appreciate genuine friendship. The things people do, however big or small, that let you know that they care.

What this has meant for myself, especially in the past few years, is actively and sincerely figuring out how to be a better friend. It’s something I’ve been trying to better understand and be more intentional about. In particular, I think 2020 onwards in many ways lead to an overall boost in careless words, actions, and straight-up vitriol in all directions, and it really hurt to see things unfold in such a way. To counter that in my own life and circles, I’ve tried to become more deliberate, thoughtful, and hopefully edifying with my words and actions. I still very much slip up, but I think I’ve also gotten better at pausing, catching myself, and re-considering what, how, or why, I was about to say or do something.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a 2D FX Animator currently working full time for Blue Mammoth Games. My specialties are dynamic and wild FX of all kinds, from explosions, to electricity, to energy blasts, gusts of wind… all of it. I got my start posting some simple animated GIFs online, and the whole journey started from there.

I had always liked to draw my favorite cartoon characters, but didn’t think much of it until around my mid-to-late-teens. At some point during that time, I started thinking more intentionally about my own drawing abilities and qualities, and actively started looking for ways to improve. This mainly included going on the internet and searching for various blogs and drawing advice, haha.

Around the same time, I got a Nintendo DSi, which featured a free downloadable animation software, titled Flipnote Studio. The moment I got my hands on that software was absolutely when everything began to click, despite not realizing it. I still didn’t know I actually wanted to fully pursue being an animator as a career, but regardless I wanted to try animating anything and everything- from exaggerated Looney Tunes-esque cartoons, to the more action-inspired stuff I was witnessing in the anime I was also into at the time.

Sometime afterwards, my parents got me my first computer drawing tablet (a USB plug-in, no screen or anything), and I continued to focus even more on both art and animation. Meaning: following blogs, guides, references, and frame-by-frame studies. I would still even print out different frames of scenes from cartoons and do draw-overs with pencils to analyze and figure out construction and forms. This was incredibly helpful, and honestly I was hooked to the process.

Because of this, I actually don’t think I had a singular moment where I thought “Yeah, I really want to do animation for a career,” because it was almost like an innate knowing by this point. Like, I didn’t have to conciously realize it, I just *knew* it was what I wanted to do.

Nobody told me I couldn’t do it, so I just did it. As I continued studying and discovering more about animation and so many different animators, I’d also came across success stories of animators who had only ever just posted their work online, got noticed and hired by studios that launched their careers, and I genuinely saw no reason why I couldn’t do the same. It really just boiled down to me, thinking:

“I see other people out here doing the same thing, with similar stories, and with similar learning processes, and they’re finding success- so why can’t I? There’s no reason why I can’t put myself out there and join them”

So… I made a Tumblr blog to try and do exactly that, haha. I did it *entirely* hoping that eventually I’d just get noticed someday. I think it was probably a couple of years of posting to that Tumblr blog, but in an absolutely wild way, it ended up working out- and rapidly, too. I remember my literal second freelance job ever being animating FX for a cartoon pilot produced for Nickelodeon. The connections and good word resulting from just that one project resulted in a generally steady stream of projects. Before long, more freelance work from various studios, and subsequently even more wild connections gradually hit my inbox, and things were off and rolling.

The hardest part in all of this was balancing both school and freelance work. When things started to really pick up with 2D freelancing, I was also a full time college student going to school for 3D animation. Any time that I wasn’t attending class or doing classwork, I was spending working those freelance jobs, or on 2D personal work. I was definitely pushed to my workload limits, but at the same time it was also worth it: both just to see what I could physically manage, as well as to take advantage of the opportunities to get more in the industry.

If there’s one thing that I’d like anybody reading this to take away, it’s that there really isn’t anything holding anybody back from learning just about anything these days. In my case, there were so many learning sources, free software, and general ways to study even back then, that I can’t imagine how much better it is now. And I think this holds true for probably many other fields, in the arts or not.

Additionally, if any highschool or college student is reading this and has an interest in any artistic field, I’d want to stress the importance of finding time outside of class (and any art class projects) to go the extra step and also work on your own personal creations. That’s where I think the most fun and honestly the best work happens.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d recommend checking out if any cool performances or concerts are playing at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta. It’s a bit tucked away, and the cozy, medium size of the auditorium means pretty much every seat has a great view.

If you’re near Alpharetta, I’d also suggest stopping by Avalon for some food and entertainment- there are often live bands playing in the open plaza, and anybody is welcome to sit and enjoy. For food, I’m a fan of Antico Pizza located in the same plaza: that one is a go-to for hanging out, and was actually one of the very first food spots I was introduced to when I moved down here myself, haha.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, my truly amazing parents, Robert and Felicia- for the values they instilled in me, the beautiful family environment they created, and how from day one, they have always supported me in my endeavors in any and every possible way they could. I sincerely can not be more grateful to have been blessed with parents like them.

My wonderful siblings: Robby, Marcie, Rachel, and Joshua- I can’t express how much I love all of y’all, and whenever we’re apart, I always look forward to the next time we’ll all get together again.

All of my extended family (with a special shoutout to my Aunt Debbie!)

My church family back in Texas.

All of my college friends- I’m incredibly grateful to have gotten to meet so many awesome people, and made some good friends for life.

Jake Ganz, for being one of the very first people who took a chance and reached out to me with some amazing freelancing opportunities when I was just starting out, legit truly kickstarting my career.

Trés Swygert, for not only being such a great supporter in my early days of blog posting online, but also going further and taking the time to become a good friend in general.

My amazing coworkers at BMG, for the massive support they’ve been ever since day one of moving to Georgia. They’re all incredibly skilled and talented, and I’m continually inspired and encouraged every time I see what they’re creating.

And, of course: Jesus, absolutely

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