"The most disgusting thing is ill — mannered children": confessions of professional animators

No one sees their faces while working, but they see everyone and notice everything. These are animators — people who work in life-size dolls in the form of sausages or popular cartoon characters on holidays or in shopping centers. How much a ninja turtle weighs, why animators don't drink water even in the heat, how children and adults react to them-representatives of this, as it turned out, difficult profession told about this and many other things.

About salary and work

Mostly young people come here. For students, this is an excellent part-time job. Of course, you can't earn a lot as an animator. This is a hobby, but not a profitable profession. In a large shopping center on weekends and on holidays, you can earn a thousand rubles in three hours. And in general, everything depends on the employer: if this is a permanent job in an agency, then, of course, the salary will be larger. If this is a job as a promoter in a suit, then even in the heat, very little money can come out.

In fact, animators are actors who should entertain visitors regardless of their age, social status and other things. We must give pleasure and joy. The main audience is, of course, children. They believe in magic, and with us the dream comes to life.

Unlike the office, where you get acquainted with the team and eventually already know everyone, here you interact with strangers every day, take pictures, play. Most of all, by the way, the Chinese like to be photographed with life-size dolls.

Of course, when you work in the heat, you sweat a lot, there's nothing you can do about it. Suits are sent to the dry cleaners as needed, then they dry for a day. If the costumes are used for greeting programs, then after two or three performances they go to the laundry, since the programs are long, even for five hours, and people sweat inside. Lighter suits are washed twice a month.

In general, it has never happened that you had to wear a very dirty or unpleasant-smelling suit. Only sometimes there are dusty ones, if they are rarely used.

Costumes are stored indoors, in the same place where animators change clothes. It is impossible for outsiders to enter there.It's easy to take off, but put on…

In the heat, animators faint

It is very difficult to be inside the doll. You are wearing a suit and a big head, the body is made of foam, in which it is difficult to breathe. In the heat or in a stuffy room, it is very, very difficult to work, it happened that they fainted. So the animator needs good physical training.

If a program is planned, we try to postpone it in time so that we don't go out in the heat, or hold an event indoors. I'm thirsty, but I can't drink too much water — so as not to run to the toilet.

It's hard to breathe in a suit. The air enters through the mesh, usually its location depends on the size of the suit. Somewhere it is at the level of the character's mouth, and somewhere at the level of the eyes. In general, it's great — you see everyone, but no one sees you. Children often try to look into this grid to see the person inside. It's the same as pulling Santa Claus by the beard on a holiday.

About ill-mannered children and adults

The most disgusting thing in the work of an animator is not heavy costumes and sweat, but ill-mannered children. Once a child pulled a wolf by the tail, and it fell off. Then I ran after the wolf for a long time, stroking it so that it wouldn't hurt. Those who are older cause more problems. Teenagers of 14-15 years mocked, filmed on video. They say, " look, I'm such a good fellow, I fucked over a man who works in a suit." They posted photos on Instagram, put offensive hashtags. Then you look at this photo, at the captions and think: I would like to find it and tear off my head.

And sometimes it happened that mothers behaved ill-mannered. They react negatively when you try to talk to a child, to interact in some way. The woman immediately thinks that you want to offer the baby something like advertising, offend. It begins: "Get away from my child, what right do you have to molest my child!?" and all in this spirit.

Most popular, of course, are modern characters. The marshal from the "Puppy Patrol" is simply a delight for children. In winter, the snowman Olaf from the "Cold Heart" is very popular, he comes out almost every day. They also react very well to the old characters, they run around to the same Wolf with the Hare from " Well, wait!", they shout: "Wolf, eat the hare" "or vice versa," Don't eat it! " And it would seem that an old cartoon. There are new characters that you don't even know yourself anymore.

I want children to believe in a fairy tale. And they believe — both at 9 and 12 years old. They see a huge cat in boots, and imagine that he is real. You rejoice with them, you dance, you do not notice the weight of the costume. You give others joy and become happier yourself. I believe that anyone who does not like this profession, who does not want to share positive emotions and is not able to open up to people, despite any salary, would not be able to work as an animator.

Animators in heavy costumes lose weight

Each animator has his own favorite costume. But the unloved ones are most often the same for everyone. We determine by weight. For example, a Ninja Turtle. Usually the costumes are made of foam, but this one is very realistic, but silicone. It weighs 35 kilograms, you can work in it for a couple of hours — and you lose weight yourself. The girls also work in other suits, but they simply can't do it in this one. Another costume that is least liked among us is squirrels. Too voluminous — and the tail is heavy, and the frame. But there is no choice: what suit was given according to the schedule, you go in it.

A funny case was: people constantly confused a wolf with a cat. They tried to call me "kitty-kitty". In general, you need to get used to the role, even if the face is not visible. If you work in a Wolf costume from "Well, wait!" - the gait is appropriate, "boorish". And if you are Mickey Mouse, then all gestures are soft.

The simplest costume I've ever seen is snakes. Just a cylindrical shape that a person puts on himself, attaches his head on top — and that's it.