Ryan Kehoe

2D Animation
Class of 2011
Hometown: Burlington, VT

Why did you choose RMCAD?

I came to RMCAD because I had attended a much larger university and I was sick of being lost in a crowd. I decided that a warmer climate and smaller, more intimate classes would be a better fit for me. It's nice to leave a class at the end of the semester and have your professor still remember your name when you return.

What has been your favorite class so far and why?

My favorite class would have to have been Creative Visualization with Mark Hubley. I am constantly writing down fragments of ideas in hopes that someday they will coalesce into a good story. Even though it kicked my butt at times, Creative Viz gave me the discipline and the knowledge to properly condense and present my ideas.

Which Liberal Studies or Foundation Studies classes did you find the most surprising or useful?

I was surprised to see how well I fared in Art History at the end of the semester. When I took it at [my previous] university, it was in a giant lecture setting with no TAs, so there was little to no chance of actually getting help from the professor, and she would not discuss the work as much as dictate it to us. I found in a much smaller setting, discussion of the work not only takes place, but greatly aids my ability to retain the information. I would say Art History is the most influential [Liberal Studies] course I have taken as it is one of the classes which I find applies to everything in life. You have to now where you've been to know where you're going.

What did your favorite professor do to earn your respect or admiration?

Mark Hubley's knowledge of the industry and general enthusiasm behind the ideas you pitch in class earned my respect for him. I found it really motivating when pitching my thumbnails that he would get involved with the story you were telling and really try to see it from your point of view and problem-solve with you. It made it easier to put the extra effort in and pull an all-nighter or two to get the final storyboards done. The fact that I pushed through and finished fleshing out the ideas I pitched influenced my work tremendously. Animating on my own is a much less daunting task now that I know how to properly organize the workload.

How has RMCAD prepared you for what you want to do when you graduate?

The animation industry is fiercely competitive and you have to be able to do more than just draw well to make headway in the industry. I think that RMCAD has the right resources to help me succeed. The professors are all weathered veterans, some of whom own their own studios. The faculty and Techbar are constantly keeping up on the new technology to help us stay on the cutting edge when we graduate, and there are ample opportunities to submit work in the festival circuit living in Denver—whether it be Sundance, Tromadance, or the Denver Film Festival.

How would you describe the students who attend RMCAD?

The student body at RMCAD is great compared to that of the university where I previously studied. I remember in one of my upper-level bio classes [at the university], I was sitting next to a girl with whom I had toughed out the foundations courses. I had drawn an alien I wanted to turn into a flash animation, and had turned to her to tell her a joke about it. I was completely snubbed as she was too self-conscious to talk about drooling aliens menacing people with sticks, lest she be thought of as a nerd. At RMCAD, it is a completely different environment. In my Creative Viz class, I remember I had to draw one of my favorite animated characters for an assignment—I drew Tetsuo from Akira. When I presented my drawings, so many people had things to say about how they liked Akira and similar movies that we became sidetracked for almost an hour—even Mark was in on it. That was when I knew this school was for me.

What do you like about living in Denver/Colorado?

The sun. I love the sun. You don't really see it in Vermont—it is like London, USA—always cloudy and raining or humid. In my opinion, I really think that Denver is a nearly perfect city. It's in a beautiful climate surrounded by wilderness, and it's big, but not so big you can't afford to live here like it is in New York.

How has your life changed since enrolling at RMCAD?

I have had to develop a greater sense of responsibility now that the comfort net of home is 1,500 miles away. Specific to RMCAD, it is amazing the difference being passionate about my major has made in regards to my investment in courses. When I was at the university, I left with a pretty average GPA. Since attending RMCAD, it has jumped almost a full point. I don't mind spending the hours in the lab or the all-nighters finishing a project, because I am passionate about what I am working on.

What would you want a prospective student to know about RMCAD?

There is going to be some competition among your peers when you first start out as a freshman—you go from being the best artist in your high school to the bottom of the food chain pretty quickly Don't let these things discourage you. Focus on your art, and befriend the best artists in your classes that you could learn from, and push your work forward. Work hard during the semester because the resources are there—it is up to you to take advantage of them.