Mentor/Mentee Interview: Pam Prostarr and Roxie Zagar
At Mainframe Studios, aspiring young artists are taken under the wing of a studio veteran as part of the rigorous Facilities Production Assistant program, a springboard for launching careers in the Vancouver animation scene and abroad. In this series of behind-the-scenes interviews, meet the mentors seeking out rising talent and the mentees climbing the ranks.
Pam, the Mentor: My name is Pamela Prostarr and I’ve been at Mainframe Studios since 2002. I started as a designer and then I worked my way up on several projects, up to art director, and I’m currently directing a project right now.
Roxie, the Mentee: My name is Roxie. I’m from Colorado in the United States but I ended up in Vancouver at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. I graduated about a year and a half ago and when I heard about the FPA program at Mainframe I just jumped at the chance, went through the whole program, and then was able to start working with Pam as a junior designer.
And how did you two get into animation?
Pam: For me, I just always loved drawing. It was something I’ve always been drawn towards.
Roxie: “Drawn” towards.
[both laugh]
Roxie: Same, I’ve been drawing since I was really a little kid. I went to school and tried a couple different things: I studied International Studies and Japanese language, and then I tried doing fine art. I went from being a server full time to drawing full time, it’s just incredible.
That’s the dream! For anyone who doesn’t exactly know what the FPA program looks like, could you walk me through a day in the life?
Roxie: It’s a foot in the door at Mainframe. We start out as a studio assistant helping productions wherever they need: moving artists around, setting up computers, cleaning kitchens, less glorious tasks. The FPA’s keep this building running.
Pam: In her spare time I would assign her props and give her mentorship on them, saying it has to match a certain style and a certain color palette and work with certain character scales. Her first few props actually went right into production.
Roxie: I got lucky.
Pam: Well, you’re talented, you’re very talented.
Pam, did you have any mentors when you started out?
Pam: I had a mentor but it was for color design. That’s sort of what I got into and fell in love with. It wasn’t quite like [the FPA] program. I think this program is great because you get to see what you’re jumping into before you land on the studio floor.
Roxie: And to feel it out first. I was going to try storyboarding and I did one storyboard test and kind of… fell on my face.
Pam: I went to animation school thinking I’d be an animator but I did not like that at all! I’m all about the color and drawing.
What do you get out of having a mentee?
Pam: It’s about giving a designer a chance to break in. Attitude is such a huge thing, it’s really all animation is: being positive. You’re going to have client notes, you’re going to have director notes, you’re going to have art director notes. It’s a big process sometimes so teaching people that it’s a collaborative thing is a really big part of it, too.
Do you find that process enriching for your own work as you’re reminded of what it was like to struggle with those things as a younger artist?
Pam: Not even the struggling, but the enthusiasm and excitement the younger designers have- they bring in a new eye to it. So it’s a huge breath of fresh air.
Were any moments especially rewarding for both of you?
Roxie: Just getting to see the final version of the props that I did. Seeing the turnaround modeled, it looks amazing-
Pam: Exactly like the drawing!
Roxie: It’s so cool to be able to see how many different artists brought it to life, and to point at something and say “I did this and I did it with the team and the show is on Netflix now.”
What are your thoughts on finding supportive female mentors and leaders in the industry?
Roxie: It’s inspiring to meet someone like Pam who’s made her way through her career, doing exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. Being able to see someone so successful just adds an extra bit of sparkle, because it really is inspiring, right?
Pam: I remember back when I started, too, I did have a lot of connections that got me into it, and it’s all about that- who you meet and a good attitude.
Roxie: And that’s what’s great about the FPA program. I didn’t really know anybody currently working in production, so the FPA program was pretty much the only foot in the door that I could find that wasn’t based on knowing somebody. Now I feel like I know lots of people because I was able to get to know everyone in the studio and I feel a lot better connected because of this program.
Interview by Andie Newell, photo by Michael Douglas. Learn more about Mainframe here, or flip through Roxie’s portfolio here.
Thanks to Andie for this great write-up on Pam, Roxie, Mainframe (our Vancouver sister studio), and the Facilities Production Assistant program.
