Anchored Yet Buoyed
Written by: Matthew Perrin Resident Ghost Writer
If you’ve been following the blog, you know that the medical conventions of autumn and spring make this our busiest season here at Ghost Productions. This year, the influx of projects coincides with an influx of new talent. Continuing this trend, we’re happy to announce the hiring of animator Rachel Anchors.
Not unlike that of Bret Farley, Rachel’s arrival here at Ghost Productions was preceded by years of coast-to-coast travel. Born in Maryland and raised on Disney films, Rachel dreamed of becoming a traditional animator from age 8. She nurtured that dream over the successive years by attending numerous creative summer camps and an art-centered high school, all of which prepared her to complete her B.F.A. at the California Institute of the Arts. This was a major milestone in the pursuit of Rachel’s lifelong career goal, for Cal Arts was founded by Walt Disney, and remains one of his greatest legacies to the arts. Over the years, the school has produced several alumni who have profoundly influenced the field of animation, most notably Tim Burton.
After college, Rachel returned home to Maryland, where she sought to refine and enhance her skills through the online Animation Mentor program, which is taught by industry insiders from such studios as Pixar and Blue Sky. Armed with a new confidence in her artistic skills and driven by a desire to put them to work, Rachel was drawn back to California by better job prospects. There, she began teaching herself computer animation by learning Adobe Flash while working at Animax Entertainment. Between stints at other studios, including Digital Tap, Rachel scored an opportunity to work on a major theatrical production, “Arthur Christmas,” for Sony Pictures Animation. In the meantime, Rachel met her future husband, then later moved with him to Minnesota when he began attending a graduate program in public health at the U of M.
Early in her career, Rachel became aware of medical animation and was intrigued by the possibility of creating art that could empower and educate practitioners and patients. So when Rachel learned about Ghost Productions from a friend at Flurry Studios, she was prompt in contacting us. Beyond the positive ethical implications, Rachel is now eager to learn the technical specifics of medical animation. In turn, she is excited to apply her extensive knowledge of character animation and narrative storytelling to the many productions that we are now creating in those areas.
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