Wit animation: what a cast of characters.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)

WHAT'S THEIR GIG?

Though it may sound like an insult calling a talented team of artists "characters," this particular team happens to specialize in the creation of 3D character animation. Headed up by Jeb Milne, founder/creative director/animation director, the Venice, CA-based Wit Animation studio (more like a boutique in its size and feel) has created a number of familiar faces, including one memorable TV spot for the McDonald's food chain that featured four African-American women enjoying one of the restaurant's new salads. The spot blended live-action with 3D animation and was so successful, says Milne, that Wit has been asked to produce a follow-up piece (see Milne's tutorial at studiomonthly.com/5213.html).

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Wit was also recently hired to produce a TV spot for Post's Fruity Pebbles cereal featuring the famous Flintstones characters where, for the first time, the company will be blending 2D with its signature 3D style.

THE COOL FACTOR

Milne's first job as an independent director/producer was in 1998, when he was asked to create a number of animated spots for the MTV Movie Awards. "It was a really lucky break I got from a friend of a friend," he says. "It was the first professional job I ever did, and what that did for me and for Wit was it enabled me to call up people and they would listen to me. That was huge. Once you've done something like that, it opens doors."

Rather than taking the more traveled path of working for several studios and then branching out on his own, Milne started his own company right from the start. There was a brief stint with an animation studio but Milne explains, "I was doing 3D environments and got bored very quickly. I knew I really wanted to be doing character work. That's what was exciting to me." Milne quit and taught himself how to do character animation. He created his own reel and started "hawking it around until somebody would hire me. But it's been difficult. I ...