Fine Arts 'draws' up plans to hire animation prof

It's no fantasia. Fine Arts Department Undergraduate Chairwoman Julie Saecker-Schneider is heading a nationwide search to find a full-time junior professor who will teach Ivy League cartooning. "We're interested in creators," said Saecker-Schneider, describing the ideal candidate for the animation professorship. "The person we hope to hire will be trained in traditional animation and digital animation." The new position is one of three tenure-track appointments that the Fine Arts Department hopes to make by early April. The department is also recruiting two junior faculty members to teach painting and sculpture classes. According to Saecker-Schneider, the new animation professor will teach introductory courses to undergraduates, taking students through the production process from basic storyboarding to actual character drawing. The professor will also be affiliated with the interdisciplinary Digital Media Design program and will integrate three-dimensional computer imaging with more traditional, hand-drawn techniques. Although Penn has offered animation classes before, the Fine Arts Department has never had a full-time professor in the subject. In the past, either part-time instructors were used or the course was simply not offered despite huge student interest. "We had to cancel two [animation] courses because we couldn't find an instructor," Saecker-Schneider said. "And every one we've had has been packed." According to Dan McLaughlin, an animation professor at the University of California at Los Angeles' film school, the academic field has also grown in recent years. "It's no longer Saturday morning cartoons," he said, pointing out that animation professors have their own academic conferences and professional specialties. "We give papers on The Simpsons, z-axis animation and early sound in film." Even Disney has hired academics to teach its animation. Walt Disney Archive Director Dave Smith said the studio has brought in animation professors to help its artists develop their technique. "[Animation professors] can look at cartoons, look at action, look at draping and speak from an artistic point of view," Smith said. But hiring an animation professor is far from Mickey Mouse. While candidates must hold a Master's of Fine Arts degree and have advanced computer programming knowledge, Saecker-Schneider said that they are also looking for someone with production experience. Unlike most faculty searches, the Fine Arts Department has sent out a general casting call to Hollywood, as well as the country's top art schools. Besides placing advertisements in national publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Saecker-Schneider said the search committee has contacted animators at major studios like Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic. "Having feature film experience would be wonderful," she said, although she noted that it would be more likely to get someone who has done work on shorter, animated films. "Maybe we'll get someone who has worked on television shows like The Simpsons or Futurama." The chance of attracting a big-name animator to Penn, though, remains slim. "We can't compete pricewise," Saecker-Schneider conceded. "The demand out in the real world is so great and the pay is so good that why would [someone] want to teach a class." "And Penn versus the Academy Awards," she later added. "Which would you choose?"