James Johnston is a 3D animator that specializes in stylistic animation that mimics two dimensional imagery. He manages an animation-centric Youtube channel that holds over 18,000 subscribers and has garnered over 7 million views. Starting in 2018 in his basement in New Jersey, James started using the free open source software “Blender” to make models and digital sculptures. James eventually migrated towards making less static content, and taught himself how to animate in Blender by watching online tutorials on Youtube. James is heavily inspired by the over-the-top fight scenes found in eastern animated media. From the flow of the choreography to the power each impact frame holds, combat scenes are a guilty pleasure of James’s to not only watch, but to animate.
Most of his animations feature characters from a niche fighting game series called ‘Guilty Gear’, in which all of the characters are 3D models animated, modeled and textured to look and act in a way a 2D drawing would. It is through using these models that James has practiced refining his own stylized form of animation. Using colored 3D objects to act as smears, and animating without interpolation, James is able to make the 3D models appear as if they were drawn.
James believes that the visual art of animation is the most powerful form or storytelling. As such, it should easily evoke any possible emotion in its most intense form. James is a hard working individual that will not stop until he is finished and satisfied with his work. He will work day and night reworking a small chunk of keyframes to ensure his animations flow smooth as butter.
In his free time, James likes to compete in 5k races, play Guilty Gear, and fence. Currently he is attending his freshman year term at Drexel university getting a degree in animation and visual FX.