Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Tolchinsky.
Hi Zach, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A lot of my creative influence and drive originated from my family. My grandmother especially, encouraged me from a young age to try everything there was to do in art. As a kid, I was drawn to any material that I could reshape and any tool that would help me make something new. She encouraged my exploration by taking me to art classes and operas. Whether it was sculpture or theater, I was supported by my family to try new art forms out and pursue them if they excited me. I eventually focused in on theater, and for college, I went on to earn my BA in acting and playwriting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It was during my time in university that I saw the film Coraline and was just awestruck by the craft and artistry. I wanted to be a part of it but really didn’t think that was a job you could get.
I was growing frustrated with the limitations of the stage, and because I was so inspired by the work of Henry Selick, I started making puppets and stop-motion animated films in my spare time. This creative exploration was just for fun until gradually my work started to get noticed at school. It was when people started asking me to make puppets for their projects that I realized where my true passion was, and that a career in animation might be possible. The work I was doing in animation and puppet fabrication led to a paid fabrication job before I had even graduated from school. Which was not only surprising but extremely encouraging. I did a few jobs with live puppeteering but quickly discovered stop-motion fabrication was where I wanted to be. For about four years, I bounced around, working at a handful of studios as an intern, trying to learn as much as I could. Eventually, I was hired to make puppets for a show called Super Mansion, and from that point on the work never stopped. I would move from the puppet department to the art department and then back again. In a short period of time, my portfolio grew exponentially but I always felt something was missing.
Around 2016, I decided it was time to make personal work again and limit my time working within the studio system. It was risky, but I knew I needed to change the pattern. I started my own production company called Wood Goblin Studios and returned to making animated shorts. My first film after stepping back from studio work was “The Forbidden Zone” and it had a wonderfully successful run on the festival track. With that level of attention, I was able to secure enough funding to make my first live-action short film, which goes into production later this year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A friend of mine put the struggle so many stop-motion artists face eloquently when they said “I never thought after 10 years of doing this, that I would still need to remind people that I exist and would like to work.” Even though I’ve had an amazing career so far and have made so many things I’m proud of, when each job ends, it feels like starting my career over. This common artistic cycle has really encouraged me to pursue my own goals and to not be too concerned anymore with the industry itself. In some ways, it’s still hard to find work, but in other ways, I’m getting the results I wanted and am proud of where I’m headed. Each year I produce a few commercial spots with Wood Goblin Studios and write and direct my own work alongside them. Has it been a smooth road? Not at all. But it’s been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling and I wouldn’t change anything about it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Wood Goblin Studios?
Wood Goblin Studios was created so I could take on freelance work in animation and miniatures. We specialize in hand-made stop-motion animated films and puppets. Early on, I started getting clients like Katy Perry and Nintendo who both wanted puppets for special projects. I think I was able to land the contracts because I was so small and independent at the time, with very little overhead. In the last few years, we’ve grown from just making the puppets to producing full projects from pre-production through to post. At Wood Goblin, we specialize in workshopping the client’s ideas for the project, writing out the story, storyboarding to their specifications, fabricating everything in-house, and then animating it. It’s been fantastic to grow the company and hire more of my friends to work with me.
I take great joy in creating a safe place for my peers. If I can provide artists with a rate that takes care of them, and hours that aren’t 12-hour days, then I feel like I’m creating something powerful for them and the clients we’re building for.
Film deadlines can be very stressful, and I do everything I can to limit that stress for me and my team. At Wood Goblin Studios, I always put the artists first so the client can get the best work possible. It’s worked so far and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last couple of years. If you need gorgeous hand-made stop-motion animation, puppets, miniatures or just a consultation, we’re here to help!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love living in Los Angeles! I love going to Dodgers games, the Hollywood Bowl and I especially love that I can find any material I need at any time. Because of the film industry, I can get the most obscure prop or specialized type of silicone any time I need it! It helps tremendously that the people who can make anything are also in this city. Folks who specialize in miniature hair styling or tiny handmade costumes. LA is where artists thrive and I love being part of this community. Honestly, the only thing I dislike about LA is the cost. It can be disheartening that in the 12 years, I’ve lived here, the cost of living has practically doubled. At times, it can definitely feel like the city doesn’t want you here, but the people always do and that makes up for it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zachtolchinsky.com
- Instagram: wood_goblin_fabrication
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tolchinsky-86098b67
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ztolchinsky
Image Credits
Photo of Zach Tolchinsky taken by Patrick Hammer
