MEET OUR TEAM / RENCONTRER NOTRE EQUIPE - Eric Bent
INTRODUCING ERIC BENT
ANIMATOR, PLANT LOVER AND TALENTED SHOWRUNNER
Eric Bent is a very familiar face at Spectrum Productions! Not only was he one of the stellar hosts on our very first season of Spectrum Live, but he is a current member of our Board of Directors, and has been a Producer and Animator for Spectrum since 2014. You'll hear him before you see him as his voice carries throughout the studio! He's always down to direct anything from animated shorts to live action films, and has a signature drawing style you might recognize from You Can Dance . Eric's ability to draw anything you can imagine with a stylus and pad has been a real benefit here at Spectrum and I wanted to find out where his love for animation began!
What did you do before you got into animating?
Well, my first job was as a Groundskeeper at a golf course back in my hometown of Gatineau Quebec. I loved all the greenspace to run around in there and I hiked everywhere. I also did some other odd jobs like working at a temp agency and had a lot of freelance gigs.
What made you want to get into filmmaking, and animating specifically?
I always liked to draw, and then at some point I got interested in movies. I thought with animation I could draw the characters just the way I wanted and combine two great interests of mine: drawing and moviemaking! I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier…
Eric, Cameron and Dan accidentally wearing the same colour!
I know you've been a part of Spectrum for a while. How long have you been working with the studio for?
Since 2013! I met Dan and Liam when I was organizing a film festival dedicated to movies centered around autism, disabilities and other causes. They showed some of the films they made at the studio, like Beethoven Octopus. When I first walked in it made quite an impression on me; I was grateful that there was a place that made stories about people like me! At the time [Dan and Liam] had just quit their jobs to focus full-time on Spectrum and were talking about doing some pretty ambitious plans that we're still working on today!
Eric leading a group in 2015
Wow, that's been so long! I'm glad you've been working with us for so long, you've done some amazing stuff!
What film has inspired you the most?
There's never just one! I take bits of inspiration from a lot of movies I watch, like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, old classics like King Kong and Seven Samurai, and the animated movies from Studio Ghibli.
That's so epic! What do you enjoy other than movies?
Eric and Hunter in 2018 promoting Spectrum Live
I love to make alternative music and play guitar specifically. I also love drawing and painting. Since I had a garden at my family's when I was little, I love taking care of plants. Also getting out to hike and seeing my niece and nephew!
Wow, how sweet! You have done so much at the studio and I can't wait to see what you and your team create in Spectrum Live this season!
This is Eric's second time working on Spectrum Live, an online variety show created, curated and hosted by people on the autism spectrum and broadcast from Spectrum's Montreal studio. If you want to contribute to the show you can send your pitches for segments or any short films you have to Eric and the rest of the Spectrum Live team here!
