A Dynamighty Conversation with: Robert Valley
Hey Dynamighties. It’s been so great to see people enjoying CounterSpy since we launched it. You guys know we released on iOS & Android right? :)
We thought it might be fun now that the launch craziness is behind us, to look back at some of the earlier development of the game. As a co-founder of Dynamighty and creative voice for CounterSpy, one of my privileges is that I was able to reach out and work with some really talented people, whose work I really admire. One person that has long been a huge inspiration for me has Robert Valley.
For those that don’t know, Robert Valley is an artist & animator that has a unique style. It’s a very bold style that has influenced a lot of the artists that I have worked with over the years. More recently, he was a major part of defining the amazing look of the Tron Animated Series. Before that, he helped shape the incredible Beatles Rock Band end sequence (one of my all time favorite game cinematics EVER). He also has an incredible series of semi-autobiographical books called Massive Swerve that you should totally hunt down and buy if you like what you see here.
So how did we end up working with Robert Valley on CounterSpy?
One of our biggest challenges early in development on CounterSpy, was that we didn’t have a character artist. We had Mark Holmes as Art Director, and Mark was shaping an amazing visual direction for the game with his graphic design, environment art & reference.
We cast around trying a few different people and I kept coming back to Robert Valley’s work. Something about the bold straights & the elongated proportions had an elegance Mark & I could see carrying over into our fiction.
I’m the kind of guy that is not afraid to track someone down and bother them if I want to work with them. After all, someone can only say no but they could also say yes! :) I got lucky in that I managed to get hold of Robert right as he was finishing his work on the Tron Animated series. So he was between gigs and also on a little road trip taking him through the Bay Area. So we met up for a beer and hit it off. He agreed to help us out for a few weeks to see if it would unlock us.
In sharing the work he did for us, you can see its quite different to where the project ended up. However, it helped us take a real step forward in visualizing the aesthetics and the shapes we were looking for. I loved the work he did for us and its never been shared before. A Robert Valley exclusive! :)
When we eventually brought in our talented Character Artist, Nathan Sisler, he was able to use Robert Valley’s art as an inspiration to jump off from, and shape it into his own stamp that was very unique and awesome. Sometimes it just takes a little push in the right direction and I’m so proud that this gave me the opportunity to work with one of my favorite artists.
Recently, I had an email chat with him about his experience with the project, as well as a bit about his process. I’m posting it here I hope some people enjoy this!
Tell us a little bit about your background and where you went to school
Vancouver BC, I went to a fine art school called Emily Carr and did a 3 year animation course.
What was your first 'real' job in the industry?
First job was at Colossal Pictures in San Francisco, a hockey commercial for ESPN.
What were the major turning points/influences that you attribute to the development of your style - at college? Or when you started working?
Turning points… hmm in those days it was Peter Chung (creator of Aeon Flux which Robert worked on), he taught me a lot about how to be less like me and more like him (in regards to drawing).
What's an early artistic influence you remember from your childhood, that inspired the moment where you thought "I don't know what this is but I want to do this"
My older bro used to feed that part of me, made me look at drawings, and really study them.
Were your parents generally supportive of your doodles & artistic obsessions?
What makes you excited to get up and go to work in the morning?
Just getting up early and going to work makes me excited about getting up and going to work. (endless feedback loop)
What is your morning routine as you get up and prepare for your work day?
Shower, coffee joint, email, photoshop, the earlier the better.
How much has music played a part in your life, and what is the music that moves you?
A huge part, i can't play it but i listen real good. I guess I am always trying to make the animation equivalent of what i feel when i hear music.
Do you like to work to music? (if so what)
I’ll play a song till its dead; that a really bad habit. I like lots of stuff.
Music has been such a big influence on my life and shaped the way I think about things. I was wondering if you had any specific tracks/lps/artists from back in the day that shaped you, as well as anything you've been listening to recently that you've been killing it with?
Well. I come from more of a Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd type direction.
The Pink Floyd Planetarium show here in Vancouver was made for kids. That definitely shaped me. The song 'sheep' on animals… that was a game changer.
Then of course I got on the electronic music bandwagon. I always preferred drum and bass, never knew the names of djs or songs. Lately I have come to rest somewhere between Trip Hop, and Cypress Hill. That sort of brings it back around again to Black Sabbath.
Do you have any methods you've developed to overcome when you hit a creative wall?
Not really, just have to get thru it.
You've moved around the globe a lot in your career. Is that something that you love to do? Or more a necessity of the work (go where the jobs are).
Yeah I go where the work is. That is harder now that I have a son. Lately I have been frequenting France.
How much do you think your traveling has shaped your work?
My work… I guess a lot. It rounds out my understanding and opens up some new shit.
What's a bit of advice for a young fledgling creative type that you wish someone had shared with you when you were a kid?
40 year grind, then do it some more.
Who are some of the artists out there working right now that excite you?
Alberto Mielgo (Tron, Beatles RockBand), Thorsten Hasenkamm, Viktor Kalvachev
When we approached you, we were nobodies, and it certainly wasn't for the money. What was it about CounterSpy that interested you enough to work on it?
You seemed like a nice fellow, so I thought why not. Something about the Scottish accent.
What elements did you key off when you were thinking about that mid-century espionage world?
Sean Connery, Goldfinger what else?
Your work has such a strong identity with its hard sharp lines. Which aspect of the work do you enjoy the most? Character, environments, comic panels, or animation?
I like all of it, bounce back and forth between book and animation. Thats where I want to be.
Do you like the mix of working alone and as part of a bigger team? How do you think the two feed off of each other?
Yeah, can't stay home all the time. I haven't worked on a team for a while. maybe its too late for me now.
The dance illustrations remind me a lot of old reggae/dancehall posters I used to see around London in the late 80s. Very primal. You've also mentioned before you enjoy that part of the world. What is it about London that you dig from a creative POV?
Yeah London, its a grind, nothing but good flavors going on in my head right now. San Francisco is like that too.
How is work going on Pear Cider & Cigarettes film (which is looking so rad by the way)? At your current pace when do you think you will be 'done'?
Next year, i feel like i am on the shrink's couch when I am working on that, so I should get off it soon.
Can we grab a beer next time you are in the Bay Area?