Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Reicher.
Ben, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started when I was a wee lad in Pittsburgh. My whole life I was obsessed with the arts. I made a few dozen 20-page comic books, 20 five-minute stop motion films, and over 20 five-minute computer generated films. These films and comics were mostly based on a superhero named Valor Cat (Originally Cat-man, but I realized Cat-Man was taken). I also was a very active thespian in middle school through college. In high school I was one of 2 leads in “Inherit The Wind”, and the lead in the musical “South Pacific”. I am very thankful to my parents and grandparents for their undying support along the way!
I ultimately chose animation as my chosen art form because it was like a gazebo for all the arts in one: photography, sculpture, paintings, music, sound design, theater, acting, singing, story, theatrical lighting, etc.
In High School I was an intern at the Carnegie Mellon Motion capture lab, then the computer graphics lab, then Disney Research Imagineering. Through all this, my mentor was Moshe Mahler. I can’t thank him enough for letting me into this environment where I could learn and grow!! It was here that I heard about Calarts from my coworker Elyse Kelly. Since I found out, there was an animation school founded by Walt Disney my mission became very clear.
I sent in a portfolio of 2D and 3D content on DVDs. I also sent several red/blue 3D glasses to view the 3D content on. I made about ten films at Calarts and got into about 40 film festivals. I met a lot of amazing artists and friends who I am lucky to have in my life. I even met my current girlfriend there! The teachers and students I met ultimately shaped me into the artist/person I am today. I couldn’t have done any of it without them!!
Since college, I was a CG supervisor for a Cartoon Network Pilot for a year. I worked at Encyclopedia Pictura owned by the amazing Isaiah Saxon and Sean Hellfritsch!
Since then I have worked in VFX at various companies. I was very fortunate to help on pre-visualization for movies such as Jumanji, Venom, Call of the Wild, Goosebumps 2, Detective Pikachu, and several more I can’t yet talk about haha.
I recently started my own company called Valor Cat Studios. Right now I am using it as an engine to make my own films. I am trying to grow it into a place where I can give other artists a chance to grow and thrive like myself. I would love to make it into a way of paying it forward!
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not. There is no smooth road. The only way we achieve our goals is from throwing things at the wall until they finally stick. Not a year goes by that I am not faced with the weight of painful rejection, criticism, and personal struggle. I was stubborn about my goals but flexible in my means of acquiring my goals.
Financial struggles, personal loss, and feelings like you’re not good enough are all very real day-to-day hurdles. Look at it like a garden. Some seeds you plant may never grow. Some plants grow big and beautiful only to be eaten by rodents and insects. The whole garden could even burn down. All you can do is continue to plant as many seeds as possible, and I promise there will be vibrant life growing in your future.
My grandfather recently passed away, and from a very young age, he taught me about the meaning of life. He was obsessed with Voltaire and his book Candide. Candide went on a long, arduous journey to seek the meaning of life. He was even mortally wounded along the way. At the end of his journey, he found a man who lived a very happy life tending to his own garden. Candide concluded that this was the answer he sought; tend to your garden.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Valor Cat Studios is my garden. It is an LA-based animation studio. Right now I am working in VFX to help buy more seeds, but hopefully one day there will be enough plants in the garden to produce its own seeds. As a company, I am most proud of the films we make and the talents we attract. What sets us apart from others is our distinct visual style and our unique sense of storytelling. We strive for original content.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The rent and overall cost of living here is outlandishly expensive. That will be one of your biggest struggles. Another will be traffic. It is exceptionally bad here. There are other animation scenes elsewhere, but I am mostly interested in LA. This is where it all started. Most of my friends and contacts live here. Your network is your strongest asset. Always keep it on your mind and remind it how much it means to you! It takes a village!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.valorcatstudios.com
- Email: ben@valorcatstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valorcatstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valorcatstudios/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValorCatStudios
- Other: Check out the trailer for our upcoming film!: https://youtu.be/LdTZRzjTtJ8
Image Credit:
Studio logo by animator Erica Estrada
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