--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My early experiences in animation taught…" description: "\"My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.\" — Chris Meledandri" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg" --- # My early experiences in animation taught me that following… ![“My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.” quote by Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg) > “My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.” [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Following others in creative fields can stifle originality; personal vision is essential for innovation. **In simple terms:** Copying kills creativity. Key Takeaway Cultivate your own style. Themes creativity leadership originality Mood inspirational practical Type creative leadership When to use this quote - design projects - team leadership - creative brainstorming - career mentorship Key Concepts innovation personal branding Questions to Reflect On - Who inspires your creative process? - How can you differentiate your work? A Different Perspective Sometimes learning from others is necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animation/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) ## Related quotes > [Animation taught me to draw quickly and clearly and to communicate a character's feelings through his or her body language and facial expressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brosgol/animation-taught-me-to-draw-quickly-and-clearly-and-to-communicate-a/) [Vera Brosgol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brosgol/) > [“Most have no memory of self before their second birthday and, even then, the memories from around that time are fragmented and unconnected. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hood/most-have-no-memory-of-self-before-their-second-birthday-and-even/) [Bruce Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hood/) > [Early experiences convinced me that animals can and do have quite distinct personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/early-experiences-convinced-me-that-animals-can-and-do-have-quite/) [Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/) > [My own early experiences in war led me to suspect the value of discipline, even in that sphere where it is so often regarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/my-own-early-experiences-in-war-led-me-to-suspect-the-value-of/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [You have to love Dr. Seuss to take on the responsibility of conveying his work in animation or any medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/you-have-to-love-dr-seuss-to-take-on-the-responsibility-of-conveying/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [I've worked in animation for a long time. I started in Spain and I wanted to make feature films. That desire to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-garcia/i-ve-worked-in-animation-for-a-long-time-i-started-in-spain-and-i/) [Raul Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-garcia/) > [I took a lot of influences from Studio Ghibli, which is the Japanese animation studio that made 'Spirited Away' and 'Castle in the Sky.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hewlett/i-took-a-lot-of-influences-from-studio-ghibli-which-is-the-japanese/) [Jamie Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hewlett/) > [I was invited to join the MGM cartoon department. But if I'd started work in animation I'd have had to take a cut in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-was-invited-to-join-the-mgm-cartoon-department-but-if-i-d-started/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/to-this-day-i-over-prepare-i-draw-storyboards-for-every-scene-chicken/) [Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/) > [CGI has fully ruined car crashes. Because how can you be impressed with them now? When you watch them in the '70s, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/cgi-has-fully-ruined-car-crashes-because-how-can-you-be-impressed/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [In feature animation, cartoony or exaggerated animation is almost taboo. There is this precedent that if you do that kind of stuff people won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/in-feature-animation-cartoony-or-exaggerated-animation-is-almost/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [I was always tinkering around with stuff but nothing serious at the time. I was doing animations and drawing like crazy, but I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-vangaalen/i-was-always-tinkering-around-with-stuff-but-nothing-serious-at-the/) Chad VanGaalen > [What's unique about Disney Animation, many of the films have this perennial quality about them. They don't seem like old films, they still seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/what-s-unique-about-disney-animation-many-of-the-films-have-this/) [Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/) > [I was always into cartoons and animation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nonito-donaire/i-was-always-into-cartoons-and-animation/) [Nonito Donaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nonito-donaire/) > [If I'm doing a voice-over session, like animation or something, and I'm doing three different voices, you've gotta separate them. You've gotta find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/if-i-m-doing-a-voice-over-session-like-animation-or-something-and-i-m/) [Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/) ## More by Chris Meledandri > [Absolutely, you rise and fall based on your creative team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/absolutely-you-rise-and-fall-based-on-your-creative-team/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [This phenomenon with Betty White is so wonderfully amazing. In a world where ageism runs rampant, out of left field, all of a sudden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/this-phenomenon-with-betty-white-is-so-wonderfully-amazing-in-a-world/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [I have been very fortunate since 'Ice Age' to make movies that somehow charm audiences. I think that the key to it for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-have-been-very-fortunate-since-ice-age-to-make-movies-that-somehow/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [Embrace risk. The driving force behind our economic model at Illumination Mac Guff is designed to preserve the opportunity to take risk. Subvert the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/embrace-risk-the-driving-force-behind-our-economic-model-at/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [If you are not breaking rules and you are not taking risks, you are not going to end up with movies where there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/if-you-are-not-breaking-rules-and-you-are-not-taking-risks-you-are/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [Ted Geisel was trying to make a statement about awareness and personal responsibility. He was very clear about that. But the ideas and themes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/ted-geisel-was-trying-to-make-a-statement-about-awareness-and/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [My faith in my filmmaking changed on the heels of 'Titan.' It allowed me to pursue things that I previously would have questioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-faith-in-my-filmmaking-changed-on-the-heels-of-titan-it-allowed-me/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [I was pulled out of school for every moratorium day and every rally for a left-wing candidate... from Ed Koch in his heyday to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-was-pulled-out-of-school-for-every-moratorium-day-and-every-rally/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [You have to love Dr. Seuss to take on the responsibility of conveying his work in animation or any medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/you-have-to-love-dr-seuss-to-take-on-the-responsibility-of-conveying/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [Owning pets is as close to a universal phenomenon as, I think, anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/owning-pets-is-as-close-to-a-universal-phenomenon-as-i-think-anything/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [I have to understand how we are going to market the movie. We view marketing as an extension of content creation... Every time a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-have-to-understand-how-we-are-going-to-market-the-movie-we-view/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [What I worry about the most is the competition for young eyeballs. We have so many other competing forms of media. I don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/what-i-worry-about-the-most-is-the-competition-for-young-eyeballs-we/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [We start with strong characters and build the movie from there. That not to say we don't struggle with story - that's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/we-start-with-strong-characters-and-build-the-movie-from-there-that/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [Children succeed when grown-ups care about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/children-succeed-when-grown-ups-care-about-them/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [My experience is that there's absolutely a correlation between the enthusiasm within an animation studio for a given character and the enthusiasm the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-experience-is-that-there-s-absolutely-a-correlation-between-the/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) [Explore all 31 Chris Meledandri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) ## More Animation quotes > [If I'm doing a voice-over session, like animation or something, and I'm doing three different voices, you've gotta separate them. You've gotta find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/if-i-m-doing-a-voice-over-session-like-animation-or-something-and-i-m/) [Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/) > [I was always into cartoons and animation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nonito-donaire/i-was-always-into-cartoons-and-animation/) [Nonito Donaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nonito-donaire/) > [What's unique about Disney Animation, many of the films have this perennial quality about them. They don't seem like old films, they still seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/what-s-unique-about-disney-animation-many-of-the-films-have-this/) [Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/) > [I was always tinkering around with stuff but nothing serious at the time. I was doing animations and drawing like crazy, but I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-vangaalen/i-was-always-tinkering-around-with-stuff-but-nothing-serious-at-the/) Chad VanGaalen > [In feature animation, cartoony or exaggerated animation is almost taboo. There is this precedent that if you do that kind of stuff people won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/in-feature-animation-cartoony-or-exaggerated-animation-is-almost/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [CGI has fully ruined car crashes. Because how can you be impressed with them now? When you watch them in the '70s, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/cgi-has-fully-ruined-car-crashes-because-how-can-you-be-impressed/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/to-this-day-i-over-prepare-i-draw-storyboards-for-every-scene-chicken/) [Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/) > [I was invited to join the MGM cartoon department. But if I'd started work in animation I'd have had to take a cut in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-was-invited-to-join-the-mgm-cartoon-department-but-if-i-d-started/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I took a lot of influences from Studio Ghibli, which is the Japanese animation studio that made 'Spirited Away' and 'Castle in the Sky.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hewlett/i-took-a-lot-of-influences-from-studio-ghibli-which-is-the-japanese/) [Jamie Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hewlett/) > [I've worked in animation for a long time. I started in Spain and I wanted to make feature films. That desire to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-garcia/i-ve-worked-in-animation-for-a-long-time-i-started-in-spain-and-i/) [Raul Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-garcia/) > [If you were to look at an old 'Betty Boop' cartoon or an 'Out of the Ink Well' animation, there are many things about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-seibert/if-you-were-to-look-at-an-old-betty-boop-cartoon-or-an-out-of-the-ink/) [Fred Seibert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-seibert/) > [Animation has always been about technology. You can't have animation without technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wedge/animation-has-always-been-about-technology-you-can-t-have-animation/) [Chris Wedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wedge/) > [In a movie, it's often important to have aliens whose gestures and facial expressions can be 'read' by humans. And in the days before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-a-movie-it-s-often-important-to-have-aliens-whose-gestures-and/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Tigress is my alternate personality, especially with children. I love animation because you get to do things you don't normally get to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/tigress-is-my-alternate-personality-especially-with-children-i-love/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [With live-action I think we'd have lost the universal appeal of the Persepolis story. With live-action, it would have turned into a story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/with-live-action-i-think-we-d-have-lost-the-universal-appeal-of-the/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) [Browse all 837 Animation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Meledandri" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught-me-that-following-someone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught-me-that-following-someone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/chris-meledandri-20429_animation_my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught_1588764.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.” — Chris Meledandri", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Meledandri", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My early experiences in animation taught...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught-me-that-following-someone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught-me-that-following-someone/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```