YORKTOWN — John Dixon, a 22-year-old York County native studying animation at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennesee, was looking for a way to make some extra cash after returning home for the summer when his mother suggested creating digital caricatures for people around town.
Dixon said he has had a lifelong passion for animation, recalling his childhood memories associated with art.
“Art was always a way of expressing how I felt. It was a way for me to get a lot of stories that were stuck in my head out so people could see what I was thinking about. To this day, that’s pretty much my motivation with how I am as an artist,” Dixon said.
Dixon is hoping to put the money he earns toward entering the Lipscomb University 5 Minute Film Festival. Held annually year during the spring semester, students work on films throughout the fall semester and apply to have their film included. Outside judges in the film, television, and animation industries choose the winners.
“Animation, to me and many other creative people, is very underappreciated. A lot of people think that it’s mostly for children because most of the animation movies being released are geared towards family. That could not be further from the truth, animation is art. You can use art to do many different things,” Dixon said.
Dixon is looking for folks in the Historic Triangle to create digital caricatures of, adding for $15, he can create a completely customized digital caricature that can be used for announcements, social media graphics, and more.
“The money I make through this project would be going towards submitting my film into the festival. If the film works out really well and wins a couple of awards at the 5 Minute Film Festival, maybe I will look into submitting it into other festivals around the country,” Dixon said.
Dixon said participating in the film festival would be a launchpad opportunity for him as he ultimately wants to establish a career for himself in the world of animation.
“There is so much potential in the world of animation. There is so much you can create that live-action just can’t. I’m hoping that people can see the talent that went into this film. Hopefully, they can hire me and all the people that are working with me on my short film,” Dixon said.
Dixon attributes much of his success to his mentors and professors, many of whom have worked for the likes of Disney and Universal.
“I really owe a big shoutout to a lot of people that helped me get this far and pursue my career in animation. My professors at Lipscomb — John Pomeroy, Tony Bancroft, Tom Bancroft — are some of the best in the business. A famous animator I really admire is Don Bluth, he made some of the best animated films and I learned a lot from him when I took his online courses in 2019 and 2020,” Dixon said.
Dixon takes orders through his Instagram, Facebook, and via email.