The team at AnimAsians was heartbroken to hear the news that the South Asian fantasy series Boons and Curses wouldn't be moving forward at Netflix Animation Studios. We sat down with some of the writers and artists on the show for an inside look at what made this project so special, especially for South Asians in the industry. Tell us about the show and its original concept. Set in the South Asian inspired land of Maya, Boons and Curses follows a young girl, Rani, and cursed warrior-made-of-ghee, Baan, who must work together against the villainous Raj. This was a purely authentic South Asian animated series, not only on screen, but behind the scenes— cast, crew, and writers. It also was giving a first chance at joining industries for a lot of new voices. It had South Asian characters not just for the comedic relief, but as heroes! Unfortunately the show was canceled by Netflix Animation in April of 2022. Who were the crew involved in developing Boons and Curses? Meena Ramamurthy, Writer: I love writing authentic character driven comedy and dramedy. I especially have a passion for writing about women with wild ambitions, stories of friendship, and work that lives in the intersection of cultures. I believe sharing personal stories is one of the best tools we have to incite change. More: thefobandi.com Shaina Ghuraya, Writer: My style is bold, quirky, and unapologetic. I enjoy playing in the comedy and dramedy spaces, and am committed to showcasing intersectionality, particularly when it comes to disability. More: shainaghuraya.com Nabi Ali, Character Designer: I’m a Tamil Muslim kidlit illustrator and a character designer. I particularly enjoy researching the cultural backgrounds of characters, especially those based off of myths. I am also a hobbyist theological artist. What about this project made it stand out even from its early stages? Meena: We got the opportunity to show our culture has its own deep history and lore. With the model minority stereotype, you don’t often see South Asians as loud, impulsive, and adventurous. Our protagonist Rani was just that— she was grappling with growing up, but also bold enough to fail every episode. Shaina: I didn’t ever feel like we had to “play it safe” with our characters or storylines. We were given space to tell stories about dealing with your period as a South Asian girl who’s also trying to save the world, and even weaving in intergenerational trauma from a South Asian perspective. Nabi: I grew up watching and adoring Avatar: The Last Airbender but wanted something distinctively South Asian like it— Boons fulfilled my expectations and went above and beyond. I think it would be very special for South Asian kids to see themselves represented on screen like I wanted to see myself authentically represented in the shows I adored as a kid. How has being South Asian affected your work and how you navigate the industry? Nabi: People would hire me to freelance for a couple of weeks on their South Asian-themed projects (staffed largely by…well… white artists) and then let me go after I was done giving them the visuals they needed. I’ve walked into offices with my art pinned up on their walls as inspiration—yet they were hesitant to offer me a full-time job, or they’d be a little upset at how my designs didn’t fit into their version of what South Asians should look like. I particularly get asked a lot to lighten characters’ skin tones without any explanation as to why. I’m from Tamil Nadu and I can tell you, folks there do not look like the Bollywood models that exist in peoples’ fantasies! After a while of yearning for it and seeing it nowhere, I honestly just tried to find it on my own by burying myself in research about local folklore, particularly from southern India, and I made (and still make) a LOTTTT of original characters. What’s a highlight you can recall from the writer’s room on Boons and Curses? Shaina: We were breaking an episode where our protagonist Rani meets a “cooler older sister” persona, and Meena was like “What if Rani is on her period?” It added a whole new dimension, and I was fortunate enough to be able to write it. In order to make sure we were doing this topic justice, I led a Period Power Hour anyone in the crew could attend, and those who had experience dealing with periods were encouraged to share. It was a really powerful session, and so many people helped shape the episode. Meena: It was just liberating to have a dedicated time to talk about this in a room full of those who had similar experiences. It was something I wished I had when I got my first period. Whether we were hashing out plot or punching up dialogue, there was a sense that we were all there to protect our characters and make sure the representation felt authentic. More than that— telling inclusive stories can often mean putting a lot of yourself onto the page. What do you hope will happen next in this industry, and how can we work towards more and better representation? Shaina: We have to be unafraid of taking risks, and we need to be bold and strive for creating work that broadcasts perspectives that haven’t been seen before. Meena: We have to acknowledge that this isn’t a one show battle. Just because our show didn’t reach the next stage, we need to keep making space for other inclusive shows to have this opportunity. Successful representation requires Hollywood and our communities to invest in our stories for the long term. In what ways did Boons bring authenticity for South Asian culture? They hired as many South Asians in the industry as they could. Jay’s experience as an Indian-American also shone through in the way he led the project, and he and Jake were also committed to keep showcasing more authenticity by encouraging all of us to bring our own experiences to the table if we wanted to. South Asia isn’t made up of one group of people or culture— so the more perspectives, the merrier! It felt true to how we mix and mingle as the diaspora here. From a work environment standpoint, what was the culture of the project & crew like? We all exchanged helpful advice in a healthy environment, so I never felt too anxious to make friendly suggestions. Our more experienced crew members weren’t afraid to actually train us— Drake, our art director, and Tapan, our lead character designer, pushed our art to new levels and helped us keep our unique touches while still aligning with the show style. Most importantly, it felt like I was working with a bunch of friends. What does the project, and loss mean to you personally? It was like losing something precious I had helped make with this big, vibrant family. I think what I miss the most is being around my friends who creatively inspired me every single day. And it felt as if we as South Asians were being told our ideas won’t do well or are too big of a risk. How does Boons and Curses appeal to a wide audience? South Asia is the second-most populous region of the world, and besides that, we made sure the central themes of the story were things anyone could relate to, and we had characters of all ages and body types; there were hairy characters, disabled characters, characters of various complexions, queer characters, etc. We wanted to make sure anyone could see themselves in the Boons world.
Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team
This interview was conducted in September 2022. Alex Myung (@alexmyung) walks us through the production of his award-winning short film, “Arrival”! Alex, we're so glad you got to share this story with the world! So, first off, tell us little about yourself and what you do! Hi! I’m Alex Myung (he/him), a filmmaker working in the animation industry in LA! I directed “Arrival”; a short film about a young man struggling to come out to his mother and how it affects his relationship. “Arrival” has been shown in 20+ international festivals and viewed by over 4 million people on YouTube since it debuted in 2016! The film took over 3 years to complete and I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on it. What were some of the first steps you took in the process of making “Arrival”? I first set out to make sure that the story was given the most care and attention and that meant having someone to bounce ideas off of. My producer, Amy Benaroya, was incredibly important to that process. When a project is this personal, it’s easy to want to micromanage everything but she challenged story flaws and it’s better because of her. She kept me organized while also opening me up to new ideas. After we locked the writing/storyboards, I worked on backgrounds and the animation while we had the music composed. On larger productions, it’s hard to change things after you hit specific milestones, but we were able to keep it a very organic process since we weren’t beholden to a specific schedule. What did the process of working with a composer look like? Upright T-Rex of ‘Two Dots’ fame created the 13-piece sweeping original score essential to giving the characters voices in a dialogue-less movie. They started with rough compositions based on the animatic. We met near-weekly at the height of the production to identify areas where we could finesse timing and emotion. I also made sure I was flexible, letting them explore moods/sounds I couldn’t have imagined on my own. Now, at the final stretch of production, what were those last few steps you had to take? The final stages were a lot of tweaking and rewatching. I’ve probably seen this film hundreds of times and could re-board it shot by shot from memory. (Thanks to Shelley Low (@sheliloquy) for helping me ink this scene!) After wrapping the film, what were you hoping your key takeaways would be from the experience?
I went into the process hoping for growth; I had experienced a particularly devastating breakup at the time, so this was my version of dying my hair blonde (haha). I wanted to heal and find closure in something that felt unresolved. I wanted to transcend that moment in my life. I like to think I achieved that goal. I learned where I excel and where there’s still room for improvement. That’s what makes filmmaking really exciting to me; knowing I’ll come out a different person on the other side. Animation takes time and can be really frustrating. My skills developed as I was working— I kept wanting to redo things because I was getting better. But when I think about it, that’s what makes it so beautiful. I get to watch “Arrival” and literally see how I improved over three years. It’s such a gift and I feel honored to have experienced making this film. Stay up to date with me at www.alexmyung.com and @alexmyung on IG! Check out the finished film “Arrival” on YouTube. Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team This interview was conducted in October 2022. Meet Akshay Ravi, who has previously worked as a VFX Production Coordinator at Industrial Light & Magic and, as of 2024, currently works as a production coordinator at Blur Studios! Read on to learn about Akshay’s journey into the industry, the exciting (and difficult) parts of a production role, and some helpful advice for the future! So, first off, tell us a little bit about you and what you do!
My name is Akshay! I graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2020, where I got to double major in Media Arts and Practice, and Film and TV Production. I primarily focused on directing, producing, and editing in school, and while there, I fell in love with the act of helping foster the visions of people around me. Can you share with us a little about your journey starting out? In all honesty, I ended up in VFX by chance. I grew up in Illinois convinced, like every other Indian boy in my little suburb, that I wanted to go into engineering, law, or business— despite having spent my whole schooling excitedly pursuing roles in theater. It was a natural transition to pursue my real passion: storytelling. Production can be seen as a tedious role, dealing with all the logistics, but I found a lot of joy in building up the incredibly talented people around me, and when it came time to find a job, I not only found a lot of meaning in this, but I also felt that it was the best place for me to learn and grow as a storyteller. What makes a role in production unique from other roles in the pipeline? Production is amazing because you really get a deep insight into everything that goes into making a film or show. I work in VFX, and having been both a Production Assistant and a Production Coordinator, I’ve gotten the chance across both roles to interact with incredibly talented artists in various steps of the VFX pipeline. I also get a lot of high-level insight by working very closely with the Producers and VFX Supervisors on the shows I’ve been on. As someone whose first goal is to learn and grow as a storyteller, getting this kind of access is invaluable in understanding how to make content in an increasingly technology-oriented industry. What does a typical day as a production coordinator look like? Lots of meetings. JK. But seriously. As a Production Coordinator, I spend a lot of time chatting directly with my discipline supervisor, production, and the artists, and making sure that my department will be able to complete the work that we’ve been tasked. We have to be in accordance with the overall show schedule and with respect to client and internal priorities, as well as respond to client and internal needs as they arise. That might sound easy on paper (I thought so, at first), but the more you get into the show, the busier it gets. It’s like playing a game of Tetris, but instead of building blocks, it’s all the work needed to make sure my department delivers successfully on time, and that everything we need to do has been done. What are the most fun parts of your job? The best part of working in a VFX team is the camaraderie. In any creative space, you get very close with the people that you are in the trenches with, and it’s no different with VFX. Not only is the team that you work with just the most amazing people around, but you also just learn so much by being around people who are such experts in what they do. Some of the people I work with have been at this for decades, and getting to be in the same room as those people, learning what they have to offer, is just incredible. What is the most challenging part of your job? The most challenging part is definitely balancing out all the priorities that come our way. Coordinators are very hands-on with the department they work with and have to field questions from other departments, all sorts of meetings and correspondences, and everything to help keep the project on track, and it can definitely be challenging to find the balance and make sure that everything is being handled in the best way. What is an important lesson you learned early on in your career? I’m still early on in my career, and the lesson that I keep learning over and over again is that there’s always more to learn. First, I had to learn that when I’m overwhelmed, it’s okay to need to take a breath or slow down. Second, I learned just how important it is to just make sure to listen and pay attention— both for the sake of doing the job right (lol) and for the sake of just pure learning. This has lent itself to some of my biggest lessons on storytelling and the VFX process in my career. What advice would you give to someone aspiring to work in production? Be prepared to rise to the demands of the job, but remember that it’s a whole lot of fun. In production, you get to be in the epicenter of the whole process as an observer, and that’s not something you should take lightly; but the side effect of being in the epicenter is that people always ask you for things, and you have to brace yourself to be overwhelmed, and to not know things, and to accept growth— all of which are so okay. Most importantly: enjoy the ride! Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team by Ashley Wang
This interview was conducted in July 2023. Introduce yourself and tell us what you do, in AIA and your job! I am an artistic supervisor for the Creative Team in AIA. I’m responsible for reviewing work, designing mood boards, and organizing the color palettes for illustration. As a supervisor, I’ve also created the background style guide for our team. I’ve also continued my passion for mentorship from college through organized mentorship events with AIA. Outside of AIA, I work as a Game Artist at a small game studio specializing in illustration slicing. I also do a little bit of marketing, advertising, video editing, animation using a program called Spine 2D, background art, and some character and weapon concepts. I have a minor in computer science, which also helped my current responsibilities. Share a little bit about your journey. How did you get to where you are? I applied to the University of Michigan to learn 3D animation because I was inspired by Raj Brueggemann, an alumnus who’s now at Disney! However, I realized that more than 3D animation, I enjoyed painting backgrounds and designing character concepts. As I was preparing to break into animation, the pandemic hit. It was rough, but then a friend told me about an opportunity at a small game studio. He knew that I could paint and draw, so he told me those skills would easily translate to game art. Since I joined a smaller studio, there were many opportunities to explore skills I was interested in. You could say that breaking into the games industry was a complete accident! Can you tell us more about working in games and grappling with changing your ambitions, working on things you didn't expect to? I stayed away from the video game industry throughout college because I didn’t feel like I was represented or belonged. However, I realized that you have the power to make space for yourself—your work is as valid and valuable as anyone else's regardless of background. As for changing ambitions, it's disheartening when you pin all your hopes and worth into one thing, but my journey has made me realize you are so much more than just one type of product or idea. I stay motivated by imagining what my future could look like because I have limitless possibilities in both fields. Combining experiences that are unique to you is a great opportunity to develop your own identity as an artist. What advice would you give to your past self?
What are you looking forward to in the future? I think it would be great to develop my skills in my gaming-animation niche and a unique voice and style as an artist. And, it’s kind of a pipe dream, but I think it would be so fun to work on a production at a different company outside of the USA—like in Japan, for example. Artists I follow on Twitter have worked outside of the USA, and they inspire me to one day be a part of different productions across countries. To learn more about Deeya’s work, visit www.deeyachaturvedi.com! Writers: Gaby (@gabmaybe) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team 🎉ANNOUNCING: The AIA 2024 Animation Industry Immersive Lab! 🎉
We’re excited to reveal our first-ever Production Program, an intensive and immersive week designed to equip emerging Asian animation talent with the skills and experience needed to thrive in the professional animation industry. Through a combination of hands-on workshops and industry production exposure, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest topics in the animation industry and how to sustain a creative career in an ever-evolving landscape. During this week-long intensive program, you will: 🎬 Produce a polished 2D animated short film from concept to completion 🎨 Gain hands-on animation production experience 💻 Collaborate virtually with industry experts and mentors 🤝 Expand your connections within the animation community This program is perfect for you if: ✅ You're an AIA member ✅ You have some experience making animated films ✅ You're excited to challenge yourself creatively with a team of collaborators 📅 SAVE THE DATE: Applications open May 6. Visit bit.ly/aia-immersivelab to learn more! Mark your calendars, spread the word, and level up your animation career with the AIA Immersive Lab! 🚀✨ Interested in learning more? See here for more information: https://www.asiansinanimation.org/production.html Special thanks to the volunteers who worked on this post: Katrina Aruta, Bianca Bancolita, Clair Huang, Kaitlyn Chen, Gaby de la Cruz, Ashley Whang, Saira Umar, Benjamin Arnold, Sarah Liu Joshua Kwan shared with us their experience breaking into animation and what they got to learn in their last role as Production Coordinator at Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. Congratulations to Joshua as they transition into their new role as a Coordinator on the Content Advisement team at the Walt Disney Studios with the RISE division (Representation, Inclusion Strategies, & Engagement). First off, can you tell us a bit about your past role at Lucasfilm, Animation, Ltd.?
I was most recently a Production Coordinator at Lucasfilm, Animation, Ltd. (LAL) in a galaxy far, far away. LAL is built to support multiple projects at once: for example, I worked on The Bad Batch series and Tales of the Jedi shorts simultaneously. You can catch both on Disney Plus as of October 2022! While I started as the assets production assistant, I was asked to step into the production coordinator role a year in, where I provided administrative and production support to two executive producers: the Vice President of Animation Production and the Supervising Director. My position was multifaceted and I wore many hats daily. The role allowed me to be involved in all stages of the production pipeline, with tasks like setting up our writer's conferences, helping take notes in script discussions, and supporting the Emmys submission process to name a few. Additionally, I got to shadow and learn in a variety of production meetings like record sessions, music reviews, full colors with our Executive Creative Director, and QC sessions in our review theater. I helped track all milestones and prepared a weekly update to our President in partnership with physical production. This dynamic role taught me how a show is made from a producer's, executive's, and creative's perspective. Can you share with us a little about your journey? In senior year of high school, I took an English course titled "Construction of the Self'' - and one of the units examined the origin of fairytales. I'll never forget reading different versions of Cinderella around the globe, and coming to recognize that the one most folks think of is Disney's 1950 animated classic. As I moved through college analyzing media and the power of storytelling, I realized that I did not want to just be a viewer or consumer- I wanted to be in the room with the folks making these creative decisions on stories that globally impact our culture and society. I graduated from a small liberal arts college (woo SLACs!) with a major in psychology & a minor in educational studies and women's & gender studies. After college, I did the Disney College Program in Anaheim and was assigned the Star Wars gift shop! In some ways it definitely felt like the Force guided me to Lucasfilm… What was your early career starting out in the industry like? It was difficult for me to find my start and pivot into the industry, but I stayed resilient in the journey. That's partly why I wanted to help create AIA, so others could have the community I wish I had at the start of my journey. I am forever grateful to the Universal Animation team who took a chance on me and gave me my first role. I was the sole PA supporting all departments on two Curious George feature films. Even though I knew I was ultimately interested in creative development, I started in production management to learn more about how our favorite animated content is made - I've learned from execs how important it is to understand how creative notes can affect morale and impact the production pipeline. You can have ideas but if you can't get it made, then what's the point? What advice would you give your younger self? #1 - Animation is for everyone! Everyone will have their own unique story and journey - do not compare yourself to others, it is the thief of joy! Your own unique skill set and perspective will set you apart (It was actually a pleasant surprise how many executives valued my psychology background! Producers can be like therapists at times for sure...) There are many niches within the industry that could be the perfect fit for you! #2 - Make friends! (even remotely) I met the 3 other AIA founders, Lexie, Olivia, and Brandon during shelter in place and we became friends remotely! My desire to connect with folks + bring people together helped create this community, organically! People in animation don't bite - and are very down to earth, fun, and helpful - Please pay it forward when you can too! It is so inspiring to see the Rise Up Animation community for example have such a great mentorship program and it was very rewarding for us founders to lead an incredible WIA mentorship circle of 10 mentees on breaking into production management last year <3 #3 - Don’t be shy! Reach out to folks you admire or want to learn from for a 30 min "Meet and Greet" (check out our resources on how to handle these professionally). Some of my personal creative role models are Jenn Lee, Pete Docter, and Domee Shi! I would also love to collaborate with Stefani Germanotta aka Lady Gaga lol on an animated feature musical someday. Manifesting and speaking into existence! Thank you for reading a bit about my journey so far in animation! I'm currently in the Content Advisement team at the Walt Disney Studios with the RISE division (Representation, Inclusion Strategies, & Engagement), where we give creative notes on all studio projects with a focus on telling stories authentically and inclusively. Writers: Jordan (@deadlyswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team Wei Li is a Chinese Canadian comic artist, filmmaker, and storyboard artist. For his work on Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego, Li received a Daytime Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Storyboarding. He has also contributed to shows for Dreamworks Animation, PBS, and Netflix. We are so thrilled to have spoken to him regarding his debut film Tehura, which challenges the pervasive orientalist objectification of Tahitian women through the lens of its protagonist, a Tahitian dancer trying to reclaim her body and identity in front of a tourist audience. Your website mentions how the people of Tahiti encouraged you to make this film. Why is it important to have representation in media and how can we further advocate that in the spaces we share?
Tahiti is often reduced to a ‘paradise’ where ‘ beautiful noble savages’ dance for the enjoyment of outsiders. This is the orientalist lens we have imposed upon it globally. Tehura is my attempt at understanding the beauty that Tahitian dancers see in their own dance, rather than the one we’ve imposed. My attempt is only a flawed peak into that beauty. Only through more diverse representation of experiences and perspectives, would we have the privilege of glimpsing into the profound richness of what we humans call ‘beauty’. Before I consider advocating for representation, in any kind of discussion, I try to direct questions that hopefully open the floor to less heard voices. Then I just try to listen. And sometimes I fail at this. I also try to remind myself that to advocate for someone is a gift. An honor bestowed with great trust. A trust that we have to earn first. What kind of message did you want to share by having your titular character share a name with the painting of Paul Gaugin’s adolescent wife? It was my way of turning Gauguin’s orientalist work on its head. The submissive wife now becomes the subversive and powerful dancer, defiant against the centuries of subsequent objectification of Tahiti that followed Gauguin’s wake. How did your perception of the “male gaze” and “invasive tourism” change after having gone to Tahiti and creating this film? In what ways did those themes influence Tehura? Having grown up in very patriarchal societies, I too was ingrained with the male gaze that fantasized and objectified women. Working on this story gifted me with the imperative to interrogate and challenge all of that within myself. It’s not easy and the work is never finished but I think my ‘gaze’ is much healthier today. Prior to creating the film, the thought of going to Tahiti never occurred to me as I was never drawn to the typical ‘invasive’ tourist experiences. However, my experience of Tahiti was anything but typical. It was one of the most enriching experiences in my life. I received the warmest embrace by a culture in which art is embedded in the community, and inspiration flows from a spirit of generosity. I learned from them what it truly means to be in community. Since then, I have taken on community building as an art form in my personal life. Ultimately, these experiences didn’t just influence Tehura, they became the core themes of the film. To someone attempting to create something representing or inspired by another culture, how would you define the line between appreciation and appropriation? Firstly, we must recognize that the line between appreciation and appropriation is most of the time a very blurry one. No matter how well-intended you are, how respectful you think you are, there is always a chance someone thinks you are appropriating. And they might be right. Face this blurriness and accept that any work we create may be flawed. However, flaws can be invaluable if we can humble ourselves enough to engage in the potentially meaningful conversations that the flaws may create. I hope I can do this for the flaws in Tehura. Secondly, approach a project with the willingness to relinquish it if you do not feel like you have the support of the people of the culture. Did any themes from Tehura relate to your journey as an artist? Like many, my passion for art began with the deep drive to express something meaningful. But the path to being an artist is often clouded with the perceived requirements of honing one’s skills or pursuing validation from the industry. On this path, we often lose touch with what ignited our passion in the first place. In this sense, the themes in Tehura of returning to our roots, of reconnecting with our authentic voice to express what truly matters to us, is something I try to remind myself of everyday. Could you explain your filmmaking process? Each project ideally deserves its own process but for me, there are two essential questions that I ask before embarking on any project. The first is “Is this project worth my commitment?” It’s a yes only if the project is overflowing with questions that challenge my understanding of life. The second question is “What does this project need?” I would design the process to answer this question. In the case of Tehura, the filmmaking process did not truly begin until I traveled to Tahiti. At which point, I built my process around what was being shared by the Tahitian dance community. What were some emotional and physical challenges that you faced and how did you overcome them? Is there anything from this process that you will take into future film projects? Animating a whole short film while working full-time can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. At one point, I learned to draw with my non-dominant hand because I developed tendonitis in my dominant hand. Eventually I had a burnout and realized I had to take better care of myself. I began practicing yoga and taking dance classes. I came to realize that having joy in life is paramount to any challenging pursuits. Instead of dedicating every moment to completing my next project, I now allow myself to find joy in my daily life. How do you hope this film will influence the current generation? I don’t have such high hopes to be honest. It’s not because I am pessimistic or humble. It is because I find no use in having hopes for something outside of my control. Besides, what the current generation will create will likely be a lot more surprising and interesting than what we can predictably hope for. Any advice you’d like to give to those who are trying to get into animation? Getting into the industry is all about demonstrating a certain level of proficiency in artistic skills. Achieving that proficiency level simply requires time and persistence. There’s no way around it. It might feel grueling at times, but I’ve seen persistence transform the slowest learners into professionals. If your younger self saw your work now, what do you think he’d say? I often forget to take the time to cherish how far I’ve come, so I very much appreciate the moment this question is asking me to take. He would say, “You did it. You’ve become the artist I want to be.” But of course, the artist I want to become now feels as grand as ever. Writers: Jordan (@deadlyswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team Looking for feedback on your work and portfolio? Join us for Warrior Art Camp’s Portfolio Review Session! Warrior Art Camp Founders Kayleigh Ma and Angela Sung will lead an intro and Q&A session before we open to portfolio reviews. Get feedback on your work from industry professionals as they share their combined experience! This portfolio review will be focused on BG design/paint as well as VisDev. Saturday, Dec 2th @10:00AM PT RSVP by November 29th at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 to ensure we receive your portfolio! About the Hosts
Everything you need to know about breaking into story and getting in the Writers Room! Join Catherine Chen, a Showrunner's Assistant at Nickelodeon, to discuss the ins and outs of writing for animation, including pitching tips, detailed story structure, addressing notes and feedback, and more! Open to all, and highly recommended for new students or early grads who are interested in pursing a career in writing for animation! Saturday, December 2nd @11AM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the Speaker
Looking to get feedback on your pitching skills? Join us for a pitching-focused workshop where you'll have the chance to practice pitching in front of an audience and receive feedback! Open to everyone of all levels of experience, and highly recommended for those interested in being a Director or Storyboarder! Saturday, December 2nd @6 PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostsKaitlin is a Chinese-American 3D animator and the Events Assistant at here at AIA. They graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 3D Animation and Visual Effects and have worked for studios such as Framestore, Hornet, HOPR, PDA.NYC, Jabimation and Free Range VFX.
Josh Alvarez is a self-taught visual development artist from New York currently working on his portfolio and developing his skills as an artist with the hope to breaking in next year! He works with AIA to volunteer with online and offline community events like this year's career summit or even more recently the AIA meet-up in New York City! Join Storyboard Artist Vivian Le and Director Leslie Park to learn how to navigate teamwork in the world of animation. We'll cover topics such as how to give and ask for feedback, how to manage assignment loads and work, how to improve communication with your fellow artists, peers and even superiors, and how to be the best teammate possible! Highly recommended for recent grads and those new to the industry, but everyone is welcome! Sunday, December 3rd @4PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the SpeakersLet's get stuff done, together! Join us for a virtual co-working session to work on whatever you'd like - need to update your portfolio? Want to finish a story outline? Just need some space to plan the rest of your week? Come hang out and we'll work together! Monday, Dec 4th @4 PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostSophia is an External Relations Events Assistant with AIA. She helps coordinate AIA's virtual events and is working on breaking into production management!
Let's start our week right, together! This space is a working session to discuss your accomplishments and focus on your goals for the next week - everyone is welcome! Monday, December 4th @6:30PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostAmiel is a storyboard artist based out of Los Angeles, CA and serves as one of the Coordinators for the Membership Team at Asians in Animation. He currently works as a photo editor while breaking in to the industry.
Join us for an exclusive behind the scenes look at the animated short, STARLING, winner of this year's Best Animated Short at the Tribeca Film Festival! Created by Director and Story Artist at Pixar Mitra Shahidi and Production Designer and former Pixar Character Designer Celine You as part of the Pixar Co-Op Film Program, this event will be an in depth look at the making of an indie animated short, followed by a Q&A opportunity. This event is highly recommended for anyone interested in creating their own indie films! Tuesday, December 5th @6PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the Speakers
Join Global Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Sony Pictures Entertainment Laura Bourne for an interactive workshop on recruiting tips and best practices, where you can get your burning questions answered about the application process and anything on your mind! This talk will be geared to current students, recent grads, and those looking to break in, but all are welcome to join. Tuesday, Dec 5th @7PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the Speaker
This is an in depth look at navigating early career roles for animation! Let's define success together and tackle common concerns like how to make a good first impression, how to cultivate professional relationships, and what to prep as you roll off and search for your next production. This will be a great overview on succeeding at a studio! Highly recommended for our early career members and recent grads, but all are welcome to come! Wednesday, December 6th @11 AM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostKim Quach is the ever-so-eager helping hand of the Creative Team. With recent experiences at Nickelodeon Animation as an Artist Management Intern and mentorship with Women in Animation, she’s had an exciting look into studio structures and production workflows. She continues to foster community throughout different corners of the industry, and lends support in creating safe spaces for learning and growth.
Get an insider scoop and Q&A opportunity to ask everything you've ever wanted to know about being a filmmaker and showcasing within film festivals with Director Dan Snaddon! Dan's films have won the International Emmy Kids Award for Best Animation 2020 and been nominated for 3 BAFTA Young People and Children's award nominations. With his latest project for Magic Light Pictures and BBC One, THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS, Daniel will discuss what it was like working on his most recent film project and what inspired him. Highly recommended for aspiring and current indie filmmakers, although everyone is welcome! Wednesday, December 6th @12PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the Speaker
Don't miss this in-depth look at the incredible art of NIMONA featuring Production Designer and Character Art Director Aidan Sugano! We'll go behind the scenes to see how the unique techno-medieval world and style of NIMONA was developed and brought to life, followed by an exclusive Q&A opportunity afterwards. Highly recommended for those interested in design, art directing and visual development! Thursday, December 7 @5PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the Speaker
This is an in-depth training course to prepare current and future Production Assistants for the ins and outs of 2D episodic production. Along with Nickelodeon Production Assistant Katie Dizon, we'll go over every step of the production pipeline, take a look at the typical tasks expected of a PA and discuss best practices for production management. Highly recommended for students and recent grads looking to break into Production, and for current PAs looking to switch from 3D episodic or feature to 2D! Thursday, December 7th @6PM PT RSVP @bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostKatie Dizon is the External Relations Director at Asians in Animation. An aspiring Producer, Katie currently works as a Production Assistant at Nickelodeon Animation on the upcoming series, TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. She was previously on ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, the first short to be green-lit for series from Nickelodeon's Intergalactic Shorts Program.
Gobelins Short Film Screening and Networking with AIA India - Featuring Poornima Subramaniam11/30/2023
Together with the AIA India community, come enjoy an exclusive screening of Gobelins’ short film, RIOT DOLL, followed by a Q&A with Director Poornima Subramaniam about her filmmaking process behind the project. Be sure to bring all your questions about first-time filmmaking, and join the other attendees in a post-talk networking session! RIOT DOLL follows a young delivery girl navigating a society engulfed by war-induced hatred in Moscow. Friday, Dec 8th @4:30AM PT 6pm IST (India) 6:30pm BST (Bangladesh) 7:30pm WIB (W. Indonesia) 8:30pm CST (China) 9:30pm JST (Japan, Seoul) RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the GuestPoornima Subramaniam is a story enthusiast, 2D animator and designer based in Paris. She loves to tell stories with a strong point of view but also do silly animations like a grandma being blown away. A recent graduate of Gobelins Paris, she has worked on the festival opener for the Annecy Film Festival 2022 and is ready to promote her Graduation short film, RIOT DOLL, as a director!
Join filmmaker Adnan Hussain and how to best highlight indigenous cultures and collaborate with indigenous artists! Adnan will share stories such as working with Sindhi Jogis on GUL, adapting Sufi poetry and Rajasthani puppetry, and working with Uyghur activists and musicians. This talk is intended for all storytellers seeking innovative approaches to incorporate culture, human rights, and traditional art forms into animation - all are welcome! Saturday, Dec 9th @11AM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the SpeakerAdnan Hussain is a filmmaker working in animation who blends technology, human rights, and culture in his animations. His varied projects range from Sufi poetry inspired puppet films to 8 bit-Bollywood mashups to VFX and animation for Marvel, Disney and Sony. Discover his work at http://www.madguru.com.
Come take some time to work on artwork, spruce up that portfolio and get started on your goals in an open, casual setting with other Asians in Animation members! Open to all who just want some dedicated space to work on a project - we hope to see you there! Saturday, Dec 9th @6PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostMaggie Chen is a junior toy/collectibles designer who designs figures of licensed characters. Within AIA, she is the Portfolio and Art Working Session Coordinator and takes great pride in making spaces for people to work on their projects together.
Take some time to reflect on this week's accomplishments and set your goals for the next week in this dedicated space - let's start next week ready to learn, grow and make the most of everything! This space is open to all - we hope to see you there! Sunday, Dec 10th @2PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the HostOriginally from Orlando, Florida, Sara Marigomen grew up watching and loving animated stories. She is currently at Steamroller Animation, and she volunteers as the Director of Communications at Asians in Animation. She loves supporting fellow creatives and exploring new organization and productivity practices. Beyond the world of animated storytelling, she likes to do puzzles and wants to learn how to crochet and to speak a second language.
Calling all the aspiring filmmakers - step into the world of indie filmmaking with storyboard artists Vivian Le and Jingqi Zhang! We'll discuss everything from how the filmmaking pipeline turns an idea into a completed film to how to submit your finished work to festivals. This talk is for open everyone and anyone who wants to make a film of their own! Sunday, Dec 10th @4PM PT RSVP at bit.ly/AIACareerSummit2023 About the SpeakersAbout Legends AnimatedLegends Animated is a 501c3 nonprofit animation company that provides collaborative opportunities to create independent animation that is both engaging and impactful. It does so through fiscally sponsoring independent productions of members within the animation community, partnering with other 501c3 orgs and public institutions for animated co-productions, as well as offering capacity support to animation organizations and events. For more details feel free to visit https://linktr.ee/legendsanimated
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