‘Finding Dory’ Filipino animator shares experiences with Manila fans

“FINDING Dory” brings back the forgetful fish from “Finding Nemo.”

A Filipino animator who made it big in Hollywood via Disney-Pixar’s recent blockbuster shared his talent and experiences in Manila.

Paul Abadilla, one of the animators of the Disney-Pixar hit “Finding Dory,” went back to his roots and gave his Filipino fans a glimpse of how the forgetful blue fish and her friends in the movie were created.

The Filipino Pixar animator, now based in the United States, joined his family in Manila to watch the premiere screening of “Finding Dory” last Saturday.

“It’s great to be home to be with my family and I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to come back and share what we did for ‘Finding Dory.’ This is an unforgettable experience and I am very moved by the warm reception I’ve received so far,” said Abadilla.

Abadilla also took time out to conduct an animation workshop with around 250 animation students last Tuesday.

During the workshop, the sketch artist recalled the obstacles he had to hurdle before he made it big in the animation industry.

The Manila-born artist first joined Pixar Animation Studios as an intern in June 2008. Abadilla also trained with the Walt Disney Animation Studios as part of its visual development department.

After his Pixar internship, he continued as a sketch artist in several art departments there doing shading and set design on the feature films “Monsters University,” and Academy Award-winning films “Brave” and “Inside Out.”

Abadilla also worked on the short films “The Blue Umbrella,” Pixar’s first television special “Toy Story of TERROR!,” “LAVA,” the Academy Award-nominated “Sanjay’s Super Team” and most recently “Finding Dory.

As a sketch artist, Abadilla collaborates with film directors, production designers, art directors, and various technical departments to produce the best design solutions for various CG elements used in the film.

Abadilla moved to California when he was seven years old. He graduated from San Jose State University, summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in animation and illustration. JDJ/TVJ