Meet Squanch Presents: Connor Charron!

HEY! YOU clicked on this? FINALLY. YOU FINALLY DID IT. Jeez, I really thought you were going to miss out on this absolutely epic blog post for a second there. That would suck, right? Can you imagine? Here is a totally awesome technical animator at your grimy fingertips answering the world’s burning questions free of charge. Your decision to not scroll past this blog post will forever have a positive impact on your future. Congratulations.

Take a seat and prepare your eyeballs because we’re about to launch into uncharted ‘Meet Squanch’ territory.

You ready?

The one and only CONNOR CHARRON has entered the digital sqaunchosphere; read his words below!

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Connor Charron, Technical Animator

What do you do here at Squanch?

As a Technical Animator, I am the go-between for art and animation. I am responsible for creating and maintaining control rigs for all of our characters. This requires constant communication with our character artists to make sure our characters are appropriate for rigging. As well as talking to animation to make sure the rigs perform up to our standards and make the animator's job as easy as possible. When I’m not doing that, I also script custom tools for myself and animation to speed up our pipeline.

What got you into the industry?

I’m sure this is a cliche at this point, but I’ve been playing games for as long as I can remember. The thought of being a part of something so creative was something I always wanted to do. The chance to work in the gaming industry is what drove my decision to go to college. But I also wanted to keep my options open for my career. Looking into other industries like film and advertising. It wasn’t until I got a job at an advertising agency that I realized that I was not able to be as creative or passionate as I wanted to be. That’s when I put all my focus on getting into the industry, and I was able to land my position here at Squanch (with the help of many people along the way).

What is one of the best things about being a technical animator?

Since all of our characters here at Squanch are so unique, each one I work on is a brand new challenge of how to rig and/or animate them. I get to solve these with creative solutions that give so much satisfaction when completed. Seeing your work come to life by the amazing animation team is the best part of the job.

What is one of your favorite games of all time?

This is not an easy question to answer since there have been so many amazing titles over the years. Although, if I had to pick one it would have to be Neverwinter Nights (2002) by BioWare. This was one of the first games that I was invested in the story of. Not only was it an amazing story, but it also helped develop my love for Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy. I can safely say this game is part of the reason I am who I am today. 

What’s your favorite time of the year?

Since I am the kind of person to get cold and hot quite easily. I find that spring or fall are the best times. Not too hot, not too cold. 

Are you good at keeping plants alive?

To be honest I am not sure. My partner is very good at it though, so I let her handle all things plants around the house.

If you were part of an awesome 80s cover band, who would you be covering?

This is another tough question. I could throw a dart at a wall with 100 different bands on it and not be disappointed. But I think the right answer here has to be Queen.

What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

After working through most of college at a New York style pizza place there is only one answer to this question, and that is the New York style pizza. Of course, growing up in Western New York State you can't beat a good buffalo chicken pizza with a side of blue cheese either. 

What advice would you give other technical animators out there?

For anyone who is looking to become a Technical Animator, or trying to get into the industry. I will say this: Always be hungry to learn new skills and ways of doing things. In such a technically-driven industry, things are changing extremely fast, and the more you can keep up with the better prepared you will be to succeed.

Is there anything else we should know?

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote, “There are a million ways to do something in Maya, but only five hundred thousand of them are a bad idea.” -Unknown