Today we’d like to introduce you to Caress Reeves.
Hi Caress, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up I was always fascinated with animation. I drew and wrote my own stories all of the time, and was delighted by the idea I could do that for a real job as an adult.
The route I took to get where I am now is unusual for someone with a job in the animation industry. I graduated valedictorian from my high school, rejected a Harvard admission, and instead went to Pomona College to study Media Studies and art. I was born in California but spent most of my life in the deep south. Coming back felt like I was finally home. After graduating from Pomona in 2012, I attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts. I got an MFA from the Department of Animation and Digital Arts. While there, I focused on the representation of Black people in animation throughout the history its history, and completed a short film for my thesis that’s related to the subject, titled “Mothership Opera.”
I loved 2D animation–that being animation that was hand-drawn. I wanted a job on a 2D film or television show after graduating. But a friend I went to school with recommended me for a job that put me on an unexpected path: It was visual effects and compositing for stop-motion animation. Which at the time I knew little to nothing about. I was thrown in the deep-end of the professional animation world, which as a recent graduate was unforgiving and at times cruel. But all the while I learned the importance of compositing for animation projects. I was the thing during post-production that made sure all of the animation elements came together. The thing that adds lighting, and shadow, and effects in such a beautiful way that it radically transforms the original animation. The thing that cleans up the mistakes of all of the artists who came before you. To most even working in animation it’s a mysterious job role: we don’t hand-draw (usually) on projects, but we can adjust hand drawn animation. We don’t do initial color design or storyboards, but we design the final look of an animated scene with lighting, atmosphere, background adjustment, color correction…the list goes on.
During 2020 when the covid epidemic took place, my career took an unexpected turn. I was recommended for a 2D compositing position by a former classmate at Titmouse, Inc. The studio primarily produces 2D animated content, which was what I had dreamed of delving into since I was a kid. That job, which turned out to be an animated segment that appears in the show WandaVision, helped launch me into the more exclusive arena that is 2D animation in the modern age. I worked on shows such as Pantheon, Common Side Effects, and currently I’m a compositor on the show The Mighty Nein.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s funny to think back to how as a child I was extremely academically gifted, but I decided to go into an artistic field when I was more or less an “okay” artist. All artists go through periods of imposter syndrome, but for myself, I lived in that mindset for over a decade after becoming an adult. Usually being the only black woman on a production crew also amplified feelings of being an “outsider” in this field. It’s not particularly diverse. Animation is also a field where the quality of your work can be judged immediately: you either get color, composition, design, and movement, or you don’t. In more recent years, on the job training for any career field basically disappeared, and the same was for animation. So I experienced a lot of trial and error with little room for forgiveness. There was a huge learning curve for many years until my skills reached a level I was pleased with. The animation field is also incredibly small and insular: 99% of the projects I have worked on have been from a friend or colleague recommending me for the role. Breaking into this field was excruciatingly difficult at times.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently I am a compositor for 2D digital animation. This mainly involves using software such as Toon Boom Harmony and After Effects. It’s a unique blend of technical know-how and artistry, where mathematical expressions can be important for bringing a scene together just as much as blending modes and effects.
As a compositor I receive animation that’s already complete, and combine it digitally with any backgrounds and effects completed by a multitude of artists who worked earlier in the animation pipeline. Sometimes the animation gets updated, and I have to replace it before the final edit. Sometimes I retime, recolor, and add lighting to animated scenes at the direction of the supervisor. It’s a job of constant adjustment and tweaking, but it also allows the freedom to set the “mood” or “look” of a scene. If your average person looked at an animation scene before and after compositing took place, they would immediately see there is a radical amount of work done before something reaches television or theaters they never even considered.
I am most proud of working on the shows I see deeply affected people in real life. After the show Pantheon finally released, it moved me to see hundreds of people online debating the story and it’s themes, as well as recollecting moments that were emotionally moving. Sometimes people would point out specific elements I designed in the show, which filled me with a feeling that’s hard to describe to anyone who isn’t an artist. It’s magical to see someone completely outside of yourself recognize and appreciate something you did, without them ever knowing you.
While working on the first season of Common Side Effects, a show that released in 2024, I immediately knew I was working on something revolutionary in the animation space. The style and subject matter was adult, but not crude. It was funny, but never crass. And it was so, so smart. After it released, I was filled with so much joy seeing others witness the culmination of all of our work, and similarly be blown away by it. Animation is often categorized as something either for children or adult comedy. Working on projects that break that mold is incredibly satisfying.
I believe my academic background, my love for writing, and my cultural background sets me apart from many in the animation field. I mostly get to apply these talents to personal projects, but I think my presence is often refreshing for others when I join a team.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If you can, find a mentor. Also this field is shrinking every day because of economic and political pressures outside of our control, so it can be very disheartening when it can take a very long time to get your first job. I wouldn’t recommend this path for anyone unless you feel there’s absolutely nothing else you’d be even 5% motivated doing instead. Stability is rare, but rewarding. I wish I had someone kind to tell me this path was going to be hard when starting out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caressreeves.com/VFX-Reel
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caress-reeves-84301174/
Image Credits
Marvel Studios, Titmouse. Inc, Green Street Pictures
