Long Story Short ★ with PATRICIA ROSS

What was it about Ireland that drew this amazing talent to Study Animation?

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California native, Patricia Ross blends whimsy and solid artistry to deliver meaningful and humorous stories time-and-again. Join us as we sit down to talk with her today.

BTP: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you decided to pursue your career as a creative storyteller.

I am from the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, and I live in San Francisco now. I come from a large family of storytellers, very funny people. We would sit around after dinner and stories would be told, often stories we’d all heard hundreds of times, but we didn’t care. To this day when I’m with friends, I find myself doing it, and then I wonder if the audience is enjoying it as much as I am! There’s nothing I enjoy more than going out in the world, collecting reportage, and then telling it to people whose company I enjoy.

BTP: I'm right there with you. My grandfather and his brother were great storytellers and inspired me to pursue it, albeit visually. Were there other artists or people in your family as well who followed a similar path in storytelling?

No, they all have houses and retirement plans, though :) I have one brother who easily could have been a professional artist, he's 11 years older than me, and as a kid I was very influenced by the life drawings he brought home from junior college. He likes to paint landscapes, also. He has a really nice naturally loose line quality/painting style that I really responded to my whole life. I think he finds the prospect of what I do for a 'living' stressful and terrifying, and he's right!

BTP: Who was your first advocate or earliest mentor that helped in your pursuits?

I didn’t really have one.

BTP: So left to your own devices did you sketch, draw, make films, study animation? Like how did you keep that creative fire burning?

Yes, I was constantly drawing on scrap paper as a child, making little flip books, that sort of thing. Did you ever do that thing where you make a two frame flip book with a piece of folded notebook paper and a pencil rolled up in the top layer? I only remembered this recently, but the subject matter was always a stick man getting crapped on by a bird flying overhead. We were highly entertained! I was also really influenced by the classic Disney films, that's all I ever wanted to do, was 'that'. I think I was a fairly precocious child, because I have a very vague memory of calling Disney on the phone and telling them I wanted to work there. I would guess I was 5 at the most.

 BTP: When you originally set out to study and learn, when did your learning take place and what resources did you have available to you?

My whole life I wanted to be an artist working in animation, but in NorCal we didn’t have an animation program in any colleges at the time, so I did an Illustration degree, and later, studied animation in Ireland. I also went on to learn 3D character animation, but Story is the perfect storm of all of these disciplines, as I can utilize things I learned in illustration and animation. So none of it was wasted time.

BTP: Ireland? That's a long way to go to learn about animation! How did that come about and what was attractive about studying overseas?

Ireland is my favorite place on the planet. Any opportunity to be there is taken without hesitation. I was aware of the Sheridan Animation Program in Canada, and somehow I learned there was a college in Dublin that was based on that curriculum. I moved there in '98, did the first year of the course, but then I got a job in a small Dublin studio early in the 2nd year so I quit. I lived in Dublin a total of 2 years, but I work with Irish studios to this day. My determination to go back and stay is my number one dream situation.

BTP: When compared to your early work experience do you feel like you were well-educated to step into a role or was there a larger divide between school and actual pipeline production?

No, I kind of learned Storyboarding on the job. There weren’t really any courses at the time, or books. I think it’s kind of only in the last few years that industry people are teaching workshops as a side hustle.

BTP: As creatives we tend to have personal goals or aspirations for ourselves. What are yours and what does achieving that look like in the next 5 to 10 years?

I used to have directorial aspirations, but I only want to work on short form projects. I have several short things I’ve written that are really funny and meaningful to me. So, I want to finish them.

BTP: Short form has definitely found its legs I feel with streaming platforms. The Love, Death + Robots series has been a welcome change and such a great showcase for talent. What are some of your favorite short form stories and what makes them so?

My favorite short form things tend to be either really hilarious or really moving. I always have the goal of doing projects where I get to test the shortest amount of time it takes to get a good laugh, move someone, or surprise someone. AND I prefer projects to NOT have dialogue.

One favorite is this from BirdBox and my most recent favorite thing ever is this one from Uncommon/Kim Gehrig.

These are polar opposites in terms of themes/vibes, but they are both incredible in terms of 'didn't see THAT coming!' I wish I'd been a part of either one. (Kim Gehrig, if you are reading this-AMAZING!!! And can I work with you some day??)

BTP: What are your biggest fears in your career currently and what are you doing to keep those in check?

Full disclosure, keeping a roof over my head and keeping food in the fridge has become a nonstop battle in the last two years. I’m not sure I am always successful at keeping them in check, but I must be doing something right because I’m still alive. I still want to be a Story Artist, I don’t ever want to do anything else. I care deeply about the craft of visual storytelling, so I keep creating my own projects while I’m waiting for someone to pay me for it.

BTP: It certainly takes a lot of effort to keep the hustle going and it sounds like you haven't lost sight of your personal works, which is great. All things being equal would you prefer working on staff at a studio or freelancing in today's current climate, and why?

I have had the experience of working full time in house at various places, and while some of it was great, I have also had toxic experiences that I would not relive for any amount of money, no way in hell. My main interest now is earning enough to sustain life, which is not a lot to ask for, but these days, it apparently is. If someone wanted me to work in-house, I would be happy for the opportunity. Freelancing is extremely difficult because of its sporadic nature, the self-employment taxes, no benefits, no 401K. But not having to deal with any toxicity in the workplace is MAGIC.

BTP: Describe the perfect day for yourself. Comparatively, what would be the perfect workday?

My perfect day would be to get up early and go for a long bike ride, have a snack and a cup of tea at my favorite cafe, then cycle back home. Hot shower, more tea, a day spent in Sonoma tasting wine or a hike somewhere beautiful by the sea. Then a beautiful meal, and more wine and music and wine :) My perfect workday would be to be handed a new script accompanied by all the reference materials and director’s notes in order to set me up for success. Then I would read the script, making notes and doing tons of thumbnail drawings on the script, being as funny as possible. There’s nothing I love more than expressive thumbnail sketches!

BTP: HELL, YES! I think this is one of my favorite answers so far. You hit all the right points about being SET UP FOR SUCCESS. I love that.  Since Lance is native to California, what's your top picks for a White and Red wine?

Oh, so many delightful wines!!! This year I discovered Ken Wright Pinot, it's gorgeous. In white wine, I love all offerings by La Crema and pretty much any Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma.

BTP: What advice would you give to your younger self regarding your life’s path thus far?

Draw more. And then draw more. Draw loosely and with a pen and get confident with your linework. Don’t put yourself down, and don’t waste time with toxic people in the workplace. Leave them at the office when you go. And start saving and never stop so you can have something for the downtimes. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

BTP: That's fantastic advice that I think even my older self needed to hear. Thanks so much for doing this, Patricia.  We really appreciate your contribution to the conversation.

BTP: Where can people find out more about your work and get in touch with you to make something great! 

My portfolio is online at www.pmross.com and I'm on LinkedIn. No social media other than LinkedIn though. Thank you for the chat!