Talking with Bob Pettitt
Throughout this quarter I think that there has been a real emphasis on and attention given to the importance of networking. I met a guy a few years ago by the name of Bob Pettitt and it turns out further down the road, that I’m offering to buy him lunch in exchange for the opportunity to sit down and ask him a few questions about what he does and how he got there.
Another very interesting multi-talented individual who as a creative person is constantly changing, growing, and using his knowledge and experience to better himself. He began his career as a freelance illustrator and did oil paintings, CD and VHS covers, and posters among other things.
In the early 90’s he started doing freelance design work for Turner. By the mid 90’s he began to see a shift and he recognized that computers were taking away the need for illustrators. With the new technology it became easier for anyone to create and he decided to make the jump into television- as he says he saw many other illustrators do at the time.
He had a history and a relationship already established with Turner so they hired him as a Senior Designer. He eventually became Art Director and held that position for about six years. He now has a yearly contract with the Cartoon Network where he has been working on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force television show as well as the movie.
Throughout the course of the discussion it came up several times how important it is to network, make connections with people, and learn how to communicate and work well with others. Most of the work that is done is because of a collaborative effort. It’s people bringing their different strengths and talents together.
We talked about how the world of marketing and mass communication is changing and growing into all of these alternate platforms that didn’t exist previously. We also discussed the difference between creating something and getting paid for it once versus creating something that you can get paid for over and over again. There are obvious examples like authors and musicians, but he also brought up House Industries and their fonts and how they want to take a percentage from their use. Typography is another huge topic in itself, but he believes it to be one of the most valuable aspects of his education.
I really enjoyed the excuse to sit down and talk with Bob and he thought it was such a great idea to have us do these interviews. He was very encouraging and offered to possibly set up studio tours at Turner or The Cartoon Network in the fall. I think that would be a great opportunity for anyone interested to get a behind the scenes view of what goes on.
