During a specialized session in the "Animation" conference

Spider-Man character designer tells a summary of his experience in the animation industry

John Nevarez during the highly popular specialty course. From the source

John Nevarez, the animator for the Oscar-winning film Coco, has brought his experience in the animation industry for more than 25 years in hits such as Spider-Man and Emoji and Baby Astro to the audience of the Sharjah Animation Conference.

This came in a specialized course entitled "My Journey in the Animation Industry" presented by the artist, who has worked for more than two decades with companies such as Disney, Pixar and Sony.

Nevarez pointed out that he began his career in the field of painting and then moved to design, before moving on to work on short and long films, in addition to a number of special projects in which he wrote a series of picture books, and explained how his passion and determination to succeed helped him seize any opportunity to work in this creative industry.

In response to a question about the films I like to work on the most, he said: "All of them, but the film (Coco) has a special place, it started with a dramatic film before it turned into a musical film, and when I watched the film I cried and felt proud that I was part of it, and I felt that it represents me and embodies my Mexican origins, I know this character that the whole world has become able to hear, understand and empathize with."

Nevarez stressed that the biggest mistake made by animators is to present one painting, no matter how beautiful, expressive and of high quality, one painting remains, which constitutes a starting point for the work and not the work itself, as the artist must think as the filmmaker thinks, and present several paintings for that character in different situations and situations that form a visual storytelling community even if it is not complete.

Nevarez introduced the audience to how to build a scene that is an opportunity to demonstrate the storytelling skills and the characters' journey to convince production companies.

Nevarez discussed the stages of his creative process and provided a set of tips, guidance and exercises for the participating artists and illustrators, including an exercise on five drawings built for a specific scene, to enhance visual storytelling skills, and moved on to exercise 20 paintings based on a specific drawing, and other exercises related to design and cinematic outlook, and the installation of image elements and techniques that inspire them to embark on their creative journeys into the world of animation.

John Nevarez:

"The film (Coco) has a special place and I feel proud to have been part of it because it represents me and embodies my Mexican origins."