U.S.-based Filipino animator Ronnie del Carmen, 63, never imagined that he'd make it big as a filmmaker behind world-famous animated movies like Inside Out (2015) and Up (2009).
A graduate of Fine Arts at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), he recalled how he used to have a career in advertising back in the Philippines.
"Well, first, I didn't think that I was going to go and study in UST and go to making movies in the U.S. You don't dream like that when you're me," he said in an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
Ronnie continued, "Most of the time, I feel like I want to be able to be hired so that somebody can pay me, right?
"If I can draw for a living in Manila, mostly it's like I wanted to work in an advertising agency.
"Being an artist in an advertising agency, I was hired as an art director because I can draw, I can do comps for ads. That was it, right?"
But even then, Ronnie was already fascinated with storytelling.
Smiling, Ronnie added, "I watched movies my whole life. I want to watch movies. I love stories. I love reading. I love writing.
"I just don't dream of becoming someone who makes movies."
Then Ronnie moved to the U.S. in 1989.
His foray into animation began when he worked as a a storyboard artist for different animated TV series, including Warner Bros.' Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) and Freakazoid! (1996).
Later on, he worked as a story supervisor for Dreamworks' animated movie Prince of Egypt (1998).
Ronnie went on to say that animation was something he learned from scratch.
"When I migrated to the U.S, I just want a paying drawing job.
"But I fell into animation. And by falling into animation, I meant that I don't want to work in animation because I know nothing about it. Don't hire me because I know zero.
"But somebody hired me. Somebody took a chance on hiring me in animation. And I learned on the job by doing it.
"I made all the right mistakes. I made many of them. But I kept getting better."
It was through the people he met and the experience itself in making stories come to life that he finally found his niché in the world of animated movies.
Ronnie elaborated, "And not only that, it made me realize that I like storytelling more than just drawing.
"Storytelling is very powerful. Drawing is powerful on its own.
"But being a storyteller means that you can convey emotions and journeys that a single image can't do.
"You have to tell an entire arc of a character's story. And I got hooked on that one."
It was in Pixar where he landed more opportunities to create movies that resonate with an international audience.
He worked as story supervisor for hit animated movie Finding Nemo (2003), head of story for Up (2009), and co-director and co-writer for Inside Out (2015).
In 2016, Inside Out won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, and Ronnie got nominated for Best Original Screenplay for the same animated movie.
Talking about the key to his success, Ronnie pointed out, "I think that if you focus on something that you enjoy and love, you get better at it. And that's what happened to me.
"I got lucky that I got to do something that I enjoyed doing. And I know that's very general, but that's what happened."
PEP.ph interviewed Ronnie via Zoom last June 7, 2023, for the launch of the newest animated film feature Elemental.
ronnie del carmen as VOICE TALENT FOR ELEMENTAL
As an artist, Ronnie discovered that he can also wear the hat of a voice talent in Elemental, which is his first major stint in the field of acting.
Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, Elemental is now showing in Philippine theaters.
In the movie, Ronnie plays the role of Bernie, a self-made immigrant in Element City, where Earth, Fire, Water, and Air elements live together.
Bernie owns a store which he wishes to pass on to his daughter Ember, who mirrors his fiery nature as a fire element.
He is not just the voice of authority in his family, but he is also very strict and strong-willed when it comes to his expectations on how he wants Ember to run the family business.
Conflict arises when Ember falls in love with Wade, a go-with-the flow water element. Their friendship paves the way for her to discover her hidden talent and that she doesn't want to follow in her father's footsteps as a store owner after all.
Mending differences in a father-daughter relationship, as well as the love story between Ember and Wade who come from different elements, are the things to watch for in Elemental.
ON AUTHENTICITY IN MAKING THE BEST FILMS
Asked about being part of a movie that conveys how family relationships define how people make choices in life, Ronnie says that Elemental is actually a very personal story of the movie's director director Peter Sohn.
"The one in Elemental is very, very close to Pete's own, and him being a father, and being a son, those kinds of emotions," says Ronnie, referring to how Sohn's late parents were Korean immigrants in the U.S.
"We work on those things. Pete's own have worked very hard to convey the most authentic version of the story that he lived.
"And the way that we make movies is that we try as many of these as we can and see which ones actually connect to an audience."
Ronnie went on to say that making movies that shine light to human nature, differences, and emotions that people take for granted in day-to-day life is a big challenge.
But what makes it resonate to the audience, he said, is when it comes from authentic experiences of the creators themselves.
The 63-year-old animator explained: "We sometimes feel that we're right about something and then you play it for people and it doesn't work.
"So, you try again and you try again. But you need something to start with and you use your own life as kind of the first place to start.
"Because you're a human being, you've gone through and experienced and felt certain things.
"You want to write and create something that other human beings can relate to. That's how that starts.
"And if it lands, that means you did it right.
"And the way that you find out is that you watch an audience feel these emotions that you intended for them to feel."
ON NEVER GIVING UP ON STORYTELLING
Is there a formula to success in making animated films?
Ronnie underlined, "It's not easy. It's not an exact science.
"But I think that we've learned that by repeating and trying many times.
"We don't give up when we get the first answer. We try and look for the best answer."
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