Ryan Nimtz: Artist Interview Report

Cory Loftis

Cory Loftis is a character designer and visual development artist based in California.  He got his start in the entertainment industry doing character design for Rhythm and Hues, as well as doing character design for companies like Cox Communications.  More recently, he’s worked in video games, like Wildstar, a massively multiplayer online game for Carbine Studios.  After a number of years there, he left to work for Disney Animation, where he's done character design and visual development for major animated movies like Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen.

In my interview with Loftis, he stated that when he got his start in the industry, it was mainly through sharing his portfolio with people (being before the internet was as viable a tool as it is now), who then went on to share with other people.  In his words, “I benefitted from a lot of very friendly people.”

His schooling experience was varied.  He studied naval architecture and marine engineering and later went on to study 2-D Character Animation for a few semesters at Laguna College of Art and Design.  He left without a degree, but of the experience he said, “I only stayed a few semesters, but the information I learned was invaluable.”

Loftis offered some insights into the entertainment industry.  Detailing his work in visual development for Wildstar, he said, “I worked on almost every aspect of that game.  I designed characters and creatures, armor and weapons, vehicles, buildings, props, dungeons, marketing art, UI...I even designed the game's logo.  It was so much fun being able to work on such varied tasks, it kept me fresh.”  When working during the development of Wreck-It Ralph, he designed an equally impressive amount of important characters, settings, and props, like Wynchel and Duncan, otherwise known as “the donut cops,” the character Vanellope’s racing cart, as well as the tower in the movie’s game “Hero’s Duty.”

Of the entertainment industry, he said that working in video games and in movies were two completely different things, but that they are similar, though, in a number of ways.  Loftis explained, “I love the collaborative atmosphere of both.  I love everyone rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done.”  Contrasting that, he stated, “The problem I have always had with my career and both companies is the same...there are no rights and wrongs when it comes to art, only opinions.  It can be frustrating to have your career or just your day-to-day tasks ruled by opinion.  On the amazing occasion that a team shares opinions, it's magical.”

When the topic of work ethic and freelance work came up, he said, “I don't do any work outside of Disney unless it’s for myself.  I believe that to be truly great at your job, you really have to invest yourself.  Not putting in lots of overtime or anything like that, but staying focused and really channeling your energies to one common goal.  He did, however, offer his philosophy on freelance work, saying, “I think of an hourly wage I would need to survive if I worked a 40 hour work week.  I then look at how long the job will take me.  If a client wants a cover and I know that's going to take 20 hours, that's half my week.  So I better make sure that I charge at least half of what I would need to survive for the week.  The tough part is being honest with where you stand in the artist community.”  He went on, warning, “Don't kid yourself about your ability.  It will make things harder for you.”

Talking about designs across the industry, Loftis stated that some of his favorites were in Blizzard games and other games like Pikmin, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and Ni No Kuni.  Some of his favorite designs in movies are How To Train Your Dragon, Spirited Away, and Sleeping Beauty.

Talking with Cory about art was a great opportunity.  I was able to learn and gain a good amount of insight into the entertainment industry, and what it’s like working in it.  It was also a relief to learn, through my interview and also through my personal interactions with him at CTN, that professional artists are capable of being very nice people, and that their advice is extremely valuable.  Cory is a huge inspiration for me, and talking with him gave me hope and motivation to work hard and accomplish my own professional goals.