Life & Work with Ron Myrick of Sherman Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Myrick.

Hi Ron, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My career started over fifty years ago when the art of animation was primarily done domestically here in America. Since that time I’ve been through many changes and yet I’m happy to say I’m still professionally standing. Throughout my career, I have honed my skills in overseeing creative projects from conception to execution, ensuring that the final product aligns with the vision while inspiring creativity and innovation within the team. I thrive in dynamic environments where I can mentor creative professionals, fostering a collaborative atmosphere that promotes high-quality work.
At my previous positions, I successfully led various projects that pushed creative boundaries and engaged audiences.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many challenges.

1) When I started animation was seasonal. That meant you worked on a production for 6 to 8 months, and when it was done you were laid off.

2) Animation was one of the first industries to face the outsourcing of its work.

3) There were 2 strikes caused by the outsourcing issue, as well as a voice-over actor strike. 4) in the early 80’s, animation began leaving the country, the next challenge was to figure out what to do when your work is sent out of the country. There are others we can discuss later.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
One way I learned to survive when production was being sent abroad was to start my own freelance/subcontracting studio. This meant long hours of being an employee by day and an employer during nights and weekends. I worked for no less than two and often three or four studios throughout the year. This hard grind started in the 80’s and has continued into the 2000’s although currently I don’t have any projects in production.

I specialize in storytelling most of all. I no longer animate or design characters. Nevertheless, I’m very good at collaborating with my artists and communicating the creative vision to them.

I’m very proud of the first series I directed, entitled THE ADDAMS FAMILY, for the ABC network. In the past few years, I’ve directed several series that can be seen on NETFLIX that I’m proud of. The titles are, 1) How To Be a Tyrant 2) How To Be a Cult Leader 3) How To Be a Mob Boss. I also directed and supervised three movies for MATTEL that stream on NETFLIX.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like what I feel is most common about living in LA and or the valley, which is the weather. I also like the variety of environments we have in Cali. We are only two or three hours from the ocean, the mountains, or the desert.

What I like least about our city is the unhoused situation and the high cost of living.