Casey Gonzalez - Creators First Spotlight
Casey Gonzalez shares a look behind the scenes at FredFilms, discusses the importance of vulnerability in creativity and the inspiration parenthood provides.
I owe so much to Casey. I was lucky enough to have her as my supervisor when I started as an intern at Frederator, and now have the privilege to be developing shows right along side her at FredFilms!
Having Casey in my corner for my entire professional career has been such a gift. I’m so grateful for her guidance and advice as both my mentor and my friend. She is wicked accomplished and has a deep wealth of knowledge from working in almost every part of the storytelling industry!
I remember discovering First Second's Science Comics series and being excited to tell Casey about them only for her to tell me "Oh, you know I started that series during my time at First Second." She has done so much and I'm excited to be there too as she keeps doing more!
-Flip Sarta
So tell us about yourself. What’s your story?
I’ve been a ravenous consumer of media since I was a kid. I can find something to love in just about every genre and medium. Books, comics, movies, radio, music, YouTube explainers, video games, mind-numbing mobile games—you name it, I have indulged in it.
I started my career in publishing working mostly on comics. I fell in love with collaborating closely with artists and writers, helping them bring their ideas into the world. I noticed that many of my favorite creators were exploring animation and I decided to do the same. I eventually landed a job at Frederator, which kicked off a decade of working for the legendary Fred Seibert. After a stint at Crunchyroll, I joined Fred again to lead development at FredFilms. I’m so grateful to get to do what I do. Thanks Fred!
Outside of my work at FredFilms, I’m a writer and crafter. I’m always working on some sort of craft project—usually something I can do while watching way too much TV!!
Why do you want to tell stories?
I think storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have as humans. It’s how we build connections with one another. That's fundamentally what I think storytelling is—a connection to our shared history. Whether it's a handprint on the wall of a cave that says, “I was here,” or a creation myth passed down over millennia. Stories have this inherent power and value. Now more than ever it is vital to share what we're experiencing with each other and to document it for future generations, and that's what drives me to tell stories.
How do you go about telling stories?
I get ideas spontaneously, just reacting to things I see or experience, but when I'm actually sitting down to write a story I find the scaffolding to be really important. A well-structured story can almost write itself.
I also like to get to know my characters really well. Anyone who has worked with me will know that I'm a stickler for detail. I think the best characters blend the universal—traits anyone can relate to—with the specific—things that only this character could experience, and that only one person could write. Personal experiences really come through in those vivid, wonderful details.
How do you take a story from the seed of an idea to a fully developed story?
Describing the beginning of a story as a seed is really apt, because it takes a lot of nurturing and care. It’s a balance of being disciplined and being gentle with yourself.
One thing that I try to do in my personal work, and that I work on with our creators, too, is stepping away from any shame. Making art can be a very vulnerable act. In fact, I think you have to be vulnerable to make great art. So I often remind myself and the folks I work with that we have to be kind to ourselves as we're creating! A first draft doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, a tenth draft doesn't have to be perfect. Shaping a story is like cutting away at a block of clay. You can't just do it all in one motion. It's a lot of repetitive action, revisiting and revising.
I think one of the best things you can do if you're stuck on a story is put it to the side, and take a short break or go on a walk. If you need a longer break, take a week off and indulge in another medium, like music or movies or something that's totally different from what you're working on, and see where you find inspiration and then go back to it.
What’s something you do that people might not realize about your work?
I think what I do is made possible by what makes Fred Films so special. We get to be very hands-on and deeply collaborative with our creators. I work closely with creators on everything from writing their first scripts to preparing them to present their work—especially if that’s outside their comfort zone.
Building relationships based on mutual respect and trust is central to my work. From the outside looking in, my role might seem invisible—and I want it to be. My job is to help creators express themselves in the best possible way without overshadowing their voice or vision.
What is an unexpected source of inspiration in your day-to-day life?
I’m going to sound like the typical new parent, but watching my daughter learn about the world is incredible. That vulnerability that I talked about artists having to access, that is the vulnerable state that all children live in all the time. There's a reason that we are so drawn to childhood. There is a reason that nostalgia has such a powerful hold on us. Children live in what’s called the “absorbent mind” stage up until around age six, where they take in information effortlessly and without judgment. That mindset is so intrinsic to the creative process. I think every adult taps into that childlike state when they create, but seeing it firsthand in my daughter is amazing—and, of course, very inspiring.
Our motto here is creator first, original always. Who is the creator or what's an original you’ve been into lately?
I just watched Psycho Goreman, which was really fun, like a mix of Power Rangers and Gremlins. I’ve also been enjoying playing Animal Well!
Creators First: Spotlights is a new interview series in which we interview creators about their lives, their work, and what they love! Stay tuned for more from artists, writers, musicians, comics creators, executives, and other friends of FredFilms!
Thanks for reading and Fred Still Loves You!
Truly inspiring and uplifting! Hopefully one day I’ll be working alongside Casey and Flip!
Casey and Flip are two of the most creative folks I know. Loved this interview you guys!