Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Edward Rocha, Artist and Animation Producer, Founder of The Wolf and the Forest and Co-founder of Made Up People.
Hi, Great to have you with us today! Please introduce yourself and tell us about what it is that you do.
I am an Australian/Chilean 2D Animation Producer with over 10 years of experience in the field. Founder of The Wolf and the Forest and Made Up People. Working for an array of companies and studios throughout the years that have to lead us to focus on education through our characters and stories.
Please tell us more about your journey.
I was born in Australia but moved to Chile at 7 years of age, where I lived for 15 years, I finished high school and moved on to study Design, but as a Third world child, I never felt part of the culture that made it very hard to communicate with my classmates and friends as I grew into adulthood.
So the best way for me to communicate became through images and got known throughout high school and then University as the “Comicbook guy,” with a never-ending battle with my introversion.
What I found at a very young age was that I was a great observer and could create engaging characters based on people around me, which made my stories very relatable.
For years I pursued storytelling as a way to pour my heart out and creating fictitious worlds to escape to.
This was when I discovered travel in my late 20’s, and for 7 years, I explored many different countries and cultures in search of stories and memories to live from and mirror them onto my work.
Currently, I am residing in Bali, Indonesia, as the pandemic stirs chaos around us. Still escaping into the little worlds, we create at The Wolf and the Forest.
The Wolf and the Forest came to be in 2009 when I was looking back at children’s books and wanted my business to have a name that eluded back at these books I used to escape to when I was a child. Something I want my clients to feel when they interact with us and decide to work with us. Encouraging adventure, diversity, and conservation. We provide 2D explainer videos that bridge the gap between the client and their audience, allowing them to convert and interact with them in a more dynamic way.
Please tell us more about ‘Made Up People.’
Made Up People is a family affair. A business built with my brother, who is an Architect. We provide 2D animation and illustration with 3D architectural visualization. We explore spaces and the stories that these spaces create. The client then uses these within their marketing pipeline. We value small mundane parts of life, family, community, and diversity.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
Success is like beauty. It’s in the eye of the beholder. Success for me means having a life rich in memories and experiences. Being humble and genuine with the people that surround you. Love your family and protect those who are closest to you. Your business will follow since much of how you feel will impact how you work.
I also love my work, and it does not feel like work. I have felt lucky enough to have made a life out of visual storytelling and have been able to travel the world and experience it so I can translate it back into animation and illustration.
Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?
You can also visit our website thewolfandtheforest.com or madeuppeople.com.
You can follow my journey on both Instagram handles – Personal @gypsygekko and Professional @thewolfandtheforest.
Thank you so much, Edward, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!