He’s square, he’s spongy, and he’s very, very happy. Did you know SpongeBob SquarePants turned 10 this summer? Makes you feel old, doesn’t it. You’ll have watched the show, bought the t-shirt, and, yes, sung the song. SpongeBob is a cultural phenomenon, a modern animation icon. Today, from the comfort of our nursing home rocking chair, we bring you a behind the scenes look, in a special under the sea interview with Storyboard Director Luke Brookshier. Enjoy, you whipper snappers.
How did you get started at Nickelodeon?
I was working on a pilot for a cartoon I had helped create. While the show wasn’t green lit for production it did help me to get a position of Storyboard Director on Spongebob. The style of the pilot was very squash and stretch and slapstick filled. So it was very good training for Spongebob.
What’s your workplace like?
Nickelodeon is a bit different than other cartoon studios. For one thing it’s a friendly place. We have art shows each month, ping-pong championships, and every Halloween each show creates it’s own haunted house. The look of the studio is unusual too. The entire studio is very colorful and even the cubicles are orange purple or green. Even the elevator is a purple cylinder and the stairs look like a giant Nickelodeon slime slide.
Front view of the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, CA. Photo credit: Rick Wilson/Nickelodeon
How many people work there?
There are approximately 50 people who work on Spongebob in the studio itself. Also there is an entire team of animators, painters and colorists who work in South Korea. And there are about the same number for every other production being made here at Nickelodeon.
How are the teams structured? How does an episode come together?
Spongebob is structured differently than most cartoons. We have two types of writing positions. A team of 5 outline and premise writers creates the initial story lines. From there each outline goes to a storyboard director team who flesh out the story, draw a thumbnail storyboard and write dialogue. Unlike most television animation the thumbnail storyboard functions as the script. Once the story is approved the actors record the dialogue and songs, (if any). From there the storyboard team takes the thumbnail board and puts the characters on model and adjusts the composition. Once the board is cleaned up an animatic is put together with dialogue to check that the story flows properly. When everything in the story is working well together it the animation directors time out each scene and action. Simultaneously the design teams create models for any new characters, props and backgrounds. Also the art director, color stylists and background painters determine the color for every background, scene, prop and character. Once the story and designs are completed the production team works like mad to get everything in order and copies made to ship to the overseas animation studio in South Korea. They animate by hand every scene, color every cel (on computer nowadays), paint backgrounds and send everything back to the studio here in Burbank California. Then each show is edited, the music soundtrack is laid in and any last minute changes are made. And voila an eleven-minute cartoon is born. Simple eh? (I’m sure I’ve missed a number of steps.)
Is it difficult not being in the same space as the animators?
It can be. But the studio in Korea has been doing this for decades now and it works pretty well. My friend at another studio encountered an interesting cultural translation problem. The script called for the characters to be ‘armed to the teeth.’ Unfortunately the overseas studio took it literally. The characters had guns and weaponry sprouting from every molar in their mouth.
You have a really visual way of building stories - tell us more about that?
SpongeBob is written differently than many television shows. We don’t have standard scripts. Episodes start with a two-page outline that the storyboard director takes and fleshes out into a full episode with gags and dialogue and sometimes adjusts the plot to work more visually. It’s done much like cartoons were done back in the early days of animation.
Left to right: Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick, Squidward. Photo credit: Nickelodeon
Where do you find inspiration?
From every silly person who cuts me off in traffic or the couple sitting across from me at the coffee shop. From movies, books and songs. I guess I get inspiration from everything and everyone I’ve ever encountered.
What qualities do you think someone in your position needs?
Mainly an ability to see, to really look around at the people and the world we live in. Instead of just being annoyed by a cranky old coot in line at the market or the loud obnoxious kid running around the restaurant. Cartoonists see what makes that person interesting and odd. It helps to have a bit of a skewed view of things. In other words you’ve got to pay attention and be a bit loony.
Oh and you’ve got to be able to make funny drawings, tell a good story, have a knowledge of composition, some acting skills and the ability to illustrate that acting onto the characters in the story. And somehow you’ve got to keep all of that inside your brain without going bonkers. …We make terrible house pets.
What do you love about your job?
It’s great to spend my days coming up with goofy jokes and sketching silly drawings.
What frustrates you?
Having to draw and write at the same time can burn you out. It’s tricky to come into work and tell yourself, “Okay be funny today.” At times it just doesn’t come no matter how hard you stare at that blank piece of paper…
Do you get time to work on your own projects?
Like a sabbatical? Well we do have a hiatus of three weeks to a month between seasons, or series as you say in Europe. That and there’s always weekends.
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