We had the good fortune of connecting with Charles J. Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charles J., what’s the end goal, career-wise?
My current goal is to establish myself as a storyboard artist in Film/Streaming Animation within the next 5-10 years as a versatile storyteller with a signature flavor and personality to my work. I want to take this further into directing when the opportunity arises (and possibly go out on my own if the opportunity isn’t within the straight path of a major studio). I’ve been developing characters for animation since childhood, so I’ve got plenty of material to work with. This is somewhat far down the line, so I’m more focused on my immediate goals of heading back to California following my recent internship with Pixar Animation Studios. Los Angeles is likely where I’ll land my first role on a production, and that’s what drives me right now.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I’m passionate about entertainment and making a viewer feel an escape from their own reality. I love boarding for broad comedy and intense action because I feel those are the biggest displays of energy and dynamism that the human condition can express. Whenever a project offers that dynamic energy, I tend to be drawn to the material. From an early age I was drawn to influences that projected this feeling. I was enthralled with cartoon antics of Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, and the comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. I have also adored superhero’s my whole life. I was obsessed with Buzz Lightyear, Batman: The Animated Series, and the comic books of Jack Kirby. These influences are still present in the work I’ve made all through school and to today. My most recent film “The Dapper Dynamo” was my senior thesis at California College of the Arts (CCA). The film is a love letter to the super-hero cartoons of the 1960’s, being true to its limited animation style and melodramatic writing. I directed, storyboarded, co-wrote, and produced the film on my own, doing all the character drawings, backgrounds, and all other visual elements.

The challenges of a Storyboard Artist can be overwhelming at times, but also end up being what keeps the role exciting. What sets the craft apart from other fields is the pace of invention. Whether in T.V. or Film, You’re given script pages sometimes, but other times it’s a few sentences that you have to take from an idea to something believable, exciting, and having to fit smoothly within a larger work. The need to juggle so many different skill sets to make this work is very daunting, and oftentimes I can freeze before I jump into it. I had the rare opportunity of being a part of the Pixar Animation Studios internship program this summer within the Story Department. A lot of my weaknesses both in drawing and storytelling were defined to me, and my comfort zone in working was challenged. This experience was one I’ll never forget, and has truly prepared me to break out in the industry.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A dear friend of mine that I owe a lot of respect and thanks. Ethan Gathman, (an up and coming editor and director), is a childhood friend I grew up with in our neighborhood of Beverly in Chicago, Illinois. It’s almost uncanny how paths have paralleled each other in such a positive way. He’s a creative engine that’s been laser focused on producing his own live action short films that sent him on the path to Ringling College of Art & Design, and now a big move to L.A. I played a major role in almost all of his films he made in Chicago, and he’s contributed screenwriting and his own likeness to be the basis for the villain in my Senior Thesis Film, The Dapper Dynamo. We’ve really encouraged each other through the years, and I see us doing great work together in the future.

Website: https://charlesmiller.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @c.bird_studios

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-miller-storyboard/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4D9vbz483o

Other: Website Password: Pixarinternwork22

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.