M.S.: Klasky Csupo have a very specific look, do you worry about style?

R.L.: In a portfolio we look for a wide range in styles, because, at this studio, not only is our style very different from other large studios, but the way we have our TV production model set up is different. You might be drawing on Rugrats on Monday and then drawing on Rocket Power the next week. Even though they’re slightly similar, there are differences. In a portfolio you have to be able to show that you can draw in a wide range of styles, and that you can draw quickly and with a strong line.

M.S.: How would you describe the look of Klasky Csupo animation?

R.L.: I think it’s quirky. I think it’s very identifiable. I mean you can certainly turn on your TV, and if you’re looking at something coming out of Klasky Csupo, you would know it right away. We’re definitely heavily influenced by eastern European artistic sensibilities. Obviously that influence comes from Gabor Csupo who’s Hungarian, and we also have a lot of eastern Europeans working at the studio. We love that kind of different style that they bring to the table.

M.S.: So what’s the best way for someone to approach Klasky for work?

R.L.: The best way is through our recruitment department. Unlike other studios, we are not a corporate-run studio. We’re an artist studio. We don’t have terribly strenuous rules about how often you can put your portfolio or reel in, although we encourage people to submit no more than once every six months, since that is a reasonable amount of time for an artist to show progress. You can submit your portfolio any day, Monday through Friday, and we will take a look at it and give you some feedback. At least you’ll be in the system.

A lot of times people think, “Well great, I submitted my portfolio to a studio and nothing came of it,” and they just give up, which is ridiculous. It’s an ongoing process. If you’re an artist, you’re always growing. If you’re doing your work and drawing every day, your portfolio will show that growth. If you’re a beginner and you really want to be in this industry, you should be walking around with a sketchbook. Drawing well is like playing a musical instrument — with practice you can always get better. And it is a lifelong craft.

The Klasky Csupo building on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, California.

M.S.: When people drop off portfolios, is there ever an in-person interview first, or is it just a drop-off.

R.L.: No, the first step is to drop off the portfolio. If we are interested in your work after checking out your portfolio, we may meet with you at that point. Once or twice a week, depending on how busy we are, we look at the portfolios that have come in. We get anywhere from 200 to 400 portfolios a month. We take those portfolios and, from them, choose 20 to 30 of the best artists, the people that we feel would be a good fit with Klasky Csupo, and who can also bring something a little different and innovative to the table.

Then we have a review board that meets once a month, and that basically is comprised of all of the producers and directors from every division of our studio: feature, television, Internet, commercial and our record label. Someone comes over from each division and checks out the artists, even if we’re not hiring at that time. It’s just a way for everyone to keep in touch with the amazing art that is coming to our studio, and we receive incredible portfolios here.

M.S.: You look for more than just animators?

R.L.: Yes, we’re looking for everybody. In television we look for strong storyboard artists, character designers and background designers. We’re famous at Klasky Csupo for growing our own talent. We promote heavily from within. Most of our directors came up from working as a board artist or a BG [background] designer or a character designer on television. They understand how all those jobs work and how it all comes together, and they make great directors. Plus they know the Klasky style. They’ve been doing if for years, and they just know it. They can immediately see whether or not that board is right, how that’s going to play out for a Klasky show.

In feature we look for character layout, BG design, and BG layout. We love to hire animators to do character layout for us because of the way we produce our features. Our character layout artists are really doing a lot of animation. We love people that come from a strong animation/animator background.