henri hovhanesyan

Henri has been an animation industry professional for over 25 years. His experience has been in both feature and series production. He started as a Production Intern in 1996 for Warner Bros. Feature Animation with the desire to become an Animator. Through this journey he realized his true ambition and talent in Production Management which has led to his current position as Animated Series Production Executive at Netflix.

How did you get started in the industry?

I started my career in the Animation Industry in 1996 as an intern at Warner Bros. Feature Animation on Quest for Camelot. This is where I met my mentor and great friend Sheldon Borenstein. He helped understand the industry through an artist’s and a producer’s point of view.

Soon after working as an intern on Quest for Camelot I was hired as a Production Assistant on Iron Giant directed by the great Brad Bird. It was on Iron Giant where I really got to see and understand how an animated feature gets made and how all the components come together in the final product. That's when I fell in love with animation and knew it was my calling. It was through the friendships I had made on this project that opened up opportunities to work for Sony, Universal Studios, Dreamworks and now at Netflix.

Henri with Jonathan Lacote — former Ambassador of France to Armenia — at the reAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival of Yerevan

What were some of the challenges of getting where you are today and how did you overcome them?

There were many challenges. The main challenge I had was not having a source of reference, no one to guide me and help map out the next steps of my career. I am the first one in my family who embarked into the entertainment industry, and thus had to find my own way by making mistakes and learning from them. I know there have been many Armenians pioneers in the animation industry before me in the US, but I felt like I needed to keep going to create a path for the future Armenian professionals.

What are some of the most valuable lessons that you have learned about this industry and wish you knew earlier?

There are many lessons I have learned in the last 25 years. The one that I wish I knew earlier is to freely speak up and share my own ideas and solutions. Many of us are brought up to put your head down, stay quiet and do a great job on the task given to you. I was afraid of overstepping my superiors and not disturbing the hierarchy.

It was not until years later I started to trust my instinct and not be afraid to start sharing my opinion. This opened up a whole new world for me, where I was sought out specifically for my feedback on solving challenging issues. I started to understand my value and position to have an influence on pipeline and workflow. I then started to create workflow presentations on more efficiencies and creative problem solving which got me recognized by the studio executives.

What is your advice for aspiring industry professionals? Some steps to take? Some mistakes to avoid? Effective strategies to move up the career ladder?

First, you have to have a passion for the work you are doing. You need to find yourself in an environment where you are not dreading to get up and go to work. That’s when it really starts being ‘fun!’

Trust your gut and speak up. It is okay to make mistakes, but make sure you learn from them and never make the same mistake twice.

Be kind and helpful to everyone in your path because you will run into them again. Do not rely on just your resume being great, it is all about word of mouth and your network that gets you the job you want.

I feel everyone moves up in their career at their own speed and everyone should pay their dues. Bring your best attitude and passion everyday. Take the initiative to ask for feedback to improve, don’t just wait for it. Challenge yourself and ask to cover responsibilities above your role to showcase your talent and ability.

What do you love the most about your job, and what is your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

I love the people I work with and interact with above all. I have been a part of great teams where we all step up to cover for each other during crunch time. My favorite project is still Iron Giant which opened up my eyes into the industry and kick-started my career.

What is your most memorable or the funniest work story?

Some of my most memorable moments were when the studio would have A-list celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Will Ferrell, David Spade and Angelina Jolie walking through the campus or had them sit in meetings with us. I even got to play ping pong with Jamie Foxx.

What is your most recent success and how did you accomplish it?

I had always wanted to find a way to have an impact on the Animation Industry in Armenia. This desire grew quickly after the 45-day war where only financial donations did not feel like enough. Through online channels channels, the owner of Popok Animation Studio in Gyumri — Agvan Khachatryan — reached out and we had many discussions over the current state of the industry and how it can be elevated to work with studios in Europe and the Americas.

Agvan let me know that there was an opportunity for him to have access to a few locations in Gyumri for an animation lab and school. Agvan had been successful before with similar programs, however they had limited resources and space.

Henri (third from right) speaking as a panelist during the 10th Anniversary reAnimania Festival

I shared this with Fred Tatlyan (known as @goliath.da.great on Instagram) who continues to be very involved with fundraising efforts to help Armenia since the 45 day war. Fred was able to amplify this opportunity which brought in MIASEEN (Maria Sarkisian) and MerHerosner (Vic Aslanyan & Mike Balian). I am happy to say that we were able to raise $35K for 15 professional grade computers. Additional funds and resources were made available by Popok Studio to ensure this lab becomes a reality. Agvan is putting the finishing touches to open in the very near future.

What is your biggest aspiration in this industry?

I aim to stay on the executive side of production toward being a head of a studio as my aspiration.

What would be the best way for the aspiring professionals to collaborate with you or simply reach out with a question?

LinkedIn is the best way to reach out to me. I am always available and will make the time to help in any way I can. I will gladly be available to be a mentor for anyone who is interested in the industry.