‘I am not an animator, I animate’: Larry Whitaker presents at Oklahoma Christian

Larry Whitaker, animator, director, and the founder of Ghost Train Pictures, presented at Oklahoma Christian University on Feb. 28.

He kicked off his presentation with a three minute animated short featuring Drako, a flying lizard animated and voiced by Whitaker himself, before plunging into a story about his career to date.

“You’ve definitely seen the stuff I’ve worked on in the past,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of work for all major studios with one exception: I have never worked for Pixar. For every other major studio that’s out there in Hollywood, I’ve done something. Most of my career was spent at Warner Bros and doing Disney work, but I’m also very entrepreneurial and I’ve had my own studio for years.”

During his early employment, Whitaker bounced between several animation companies and trained under some big names such as Andreas Deja (animator and designer of Jafar from Aladdin).

“I had the opportunity to learn from the very very best, not just in the world, but in history,” Whitaker said. “Not everybody gets that opportunity. I can tell you right now, looking back, God opened the door.”

He continuously attributed his success and career advancement to the Lord, claiming God is responsible for his success. He talked about how God used him to reach others at the various places he has worked.

“There are people who would never darken the doorstep of a church building, but God put me there. I know that I have planted seeds.”

Whitaker discussed how he does not find his identity in his work, but in his faith.

“I am not an animator, I animate. I am not a director, I direct. I am Larry, a Christian who makes a whole lot of mistakes and I will continue to do so,” he said. “I have had to learn that my being an artist and a filmmaker is separate from me and who I am. Through it all, the only thing that has remained constant is God.”

His father taught him he would never stop learning, and Whitaker repeated that lesson several times in his presentation.

“He was always taking tests,” he said. “As a fireman, he was always having to take time to learn the new equipment and train his team. The difference between what my dad did and what I do is what I do doesn’t risk anyone’s life except my own depending on how many hours I work.”

When prompted by an audience member to share advice for budding young animators, he once again stressed the importance of lifelong learning.

“Do not take anything for granted, and learn everything you can,” he said. “Do not think for a moment, ‘I’ve learned it, and now I can go do it!’ You’re going to have to continue to learn through your entire career.”

His portfolio and presentation impressed Autumn Godknecht, a Gaming and Animation major attending his presentation.

“My overall impression of his talk was great,” she said. “I have seen most of the work he has done so it was cool to see the parts of the movies he got to work on. He had my attention throughout the whole presentation.”

The lessons about how learning never stops and how God was involved in his career resonated with her.

“My favorite part of the whole presentation is probably how he talked about how you never stop learning new things throughout the animation industry,” she said. “Another one of my favorite things that he had talked about was how he had struggled throughout working on projects at times and how God helped him through those tough times.”

Godknecht found his story encouraging, and will use what she has learned to push even harder towards her goals.

“His story has inspired me by knowing that even experienced animators still struggle at times, so when I feel like I am struggling on a project, I am not the only one. Knowing that even professional animators struggle from time to time makes me feel like I am not alone. His story only made me want to work harder.”