We made an interview with Cihan Kılıççıoğlu, who has been involved in important projects abroad, to witness his successes! Kılıççıoğlu, who has been involved in Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Robin, Tom and Jerry and many more projects, will inspire anyone who wants to enter or is in the industry! ✨
Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I studied Visual Communication Design at Sabancı University. I have worked in various advertising agencies and animation companies for nearly 10 years. Since 2017, I have been animating at Framestore in London.
When did you realize you were into animation?
I think I noticed it in college. We had a very good DVD collection at school. I remember watching Pixar movies back to back and being a fan. From the story to the design, the movement and acting of the characters, I was very interested. It was then that I did not look at the animated films with the eyes we watched as a child, and examined his craftsmanship and creativity.
You are a Visual Communication Design graduate. How did you switch to animation? How did you develop yourself?
One of the most important aspects of the Sabancı VCD department is; introduce you to many different ways in art and design. We received training on different subjects such as painting, 3D, motion graphics and corporate identity. Actually, all I wanted to do at that time was design and motion graphics, but over time I became interested in animation. I had the opportunity to try it out at school, with very rough lines. After graduation, his first job opportunity came from Rabarba, an advertising agency. I worked here for 2 years. I was mostly able to do design and some motion, but the animation stayed in my mind. I took a break to go to the military and met Sezgin Öztürk on the way back. With the training I received from him, I had the opportunity to learn animation more accurately and with its principles. This is how I got into my first animation job.
What project are you currently working on?
Now I'm working on Thor: Love and Thunder.
After working in Turkey for many years, you went to England. How was your application and acceptance process to Framestore?
It has always been my dream to work abroad in places that do the jobs I like. I even sent the animation assignments we made with Sezgin to companies. But I gained the real experience in the industry while working at Bad Cat Şerafettin. I started an application marathon again by making a demo of my work and personal work here. I've sent it to companies around the world. There were also those who did not answer and said that they liked it very much, but that they could not arrange a work permit. It was a great chance for me to be accepted from England, whose language I know and which is not far from Turkey. We interviewed by video call and I moved to London within 3-4 months after I was accepted.
How is working there different from Turkey, how does the system work?
I think the size of the project and the company is more important than the UK-Turkey difference. Especially projects such as Marvel movies are progressing with very tight deadlines, so a lot of effort and time is spent on planning. Preparation for animation is made by going through stages such as storyboard and post-viz. An interesting aspect of projects of this size is that they are divided among different companies. The character you will animate may have been designed by another company, and the movement style may have been determined. You try to make it compatible with what they do as much as possible, but to add something from yourself.
What was the most enjoyable job you've ever worked on, and why?
In fact, every job can be a very different experience and it is possible to learn and enjoy something new from all of them. I've worked on movies like Paddington 2, Tom & Jerry, and Avengers, and they all actually required a different animation approach. I think I enjoyed Avengers - Infinity War the most. It was the first Marvel movie I worked on, and it's still my favorite Avengers movie. I specifically worked on the Ebony Maw character. It is a great feeling to feel that you have contributed to a movie that you enjoy watching.
Which programs do you prefer most while working?
Currently we only use Autodesk Maya for animation work.
What advice do you have for those who want to improve themselves in the field of animation?
I think it's important to focus on your field. You have to spend a lot of time and effort to improve yourself. The education you receive is the basis of this, but you are the person who will continue to improve. Being able to look critically at your own work and identify your shortcomings paves the way for your progress.
