Meet Hansjeet Duggal: Animation Director & Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hansjeet Duggal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hansjeet, why did you pursue a creative career?
One major factor in pursuing a creative career is my parents ~ my Mother is a photographer and my father is an interior designer. In addition to it, I think it’s your career that chooses you instead of you choosing a career. I grew up watching Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Dexter’s Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack all the classic animation cartoons, I would draw them all, I was eight years old then I think and that’s when I started drawing a lot. I didn’t know then what animation is or how it’s done but I would enjoy drawing cartoon characters. It was only when I turned 18 I realized what animation is and how it’s done and during that time I got my first job in animation as an inbetweener. Drawing cartoons and bringing an object to life lead me to pursue animation & editing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Drawing/Sketching for oneself is one thing, but doing the same under a deadline, meeting the industry standard, and adding your own style takes some considerable work. The Thing with Animation is all about the acting; the drawing skill has to be secondary. As an animator, we need to focus more on acting rather than worrying about our drawing if it’s beautiful or not. To improve my animation skills, I had to study acting a lot and study human anatomy, so I know how a human body works. Also, I had to learn to tell a story; I learned it by drawing a lot. I used to draw at least 200 sketches a day and had done that for five straight years to get a little good at it and not worry about it while I’m animation and focus on acting or the character. I have saved all of my sketchbooks since 2008, and are all lying in my wardrobe; some of them are here with me in LA, and the rest are at home in India. These days I only draw about 50 sketches a day along with one detailed watercolor painting. In all other mediums, your consciousness interprets the medium. In Virtual Reality (VR), your consciousness is the medium. I specialize in stories told through Virtual Reality using animation and have been doing it for the past six years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I will take them to Burritos La Palma in Orange County ~ they have the best burritos in the United States. Followed by the UNderground Tunnels of Los Angeles with the next stop to The Echo Park Time Travel, which will take us to El Matador State Beach. After a brief stop, it will be the European-style alley ~ St. Vincent’s Court. Getting a cup of cappuccino from there will be Amir’s Garden near Griffith Park. The day will end with the visit to The Chandelier Tree in Silver Lake. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Nanaji (Maternal Grandfather) is the first one who deserves all the credit; he is the one who taught me everything, my brave and encouraging Mother who has stood up for me every time. My mentors Anoop Mohanty, Vibhuti Pandya, Bidyot Jyoti Baruah, Gautam Goswami, Jeffery Stanzler, Eric Young, Pamela Martin, Paul Seydor, have contributed to the development of my craft.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7772734/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hansjeetduggal/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansjeetduggal

Other: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/a-dialogue-with-the-past-529510 https://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?cat=2&id=7080 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/chandigarh-boy-makes-a-mark-at-brussels-belgium-with-his-world-war-ii-themed-german-project/articleshow/62553111.cms