“All of us experience life in our own way, and we all have something we want to share. For me, animation just happened to be the medium that allows me to express myself. Beyond that, I simply love making films.” — Mike Nguyen, Director of My Little World

The Kickoff Moment: How My Little World Began

Mike: “I never sat there during my time in the industry dreaming of making this project. It just… happened. I kind of fell into it. It all started very innocently—as a little short film about children playing soccer. But then, it evolved into a feature. And at that point, I realized, well, it’s not really a sports film. Soccer is fun for 30 minutes, but it’s not going to hold up for an hour and a half. So, I started thinking about my childhood. Soccer was part of it, but really, it was about childhood itself.” 

Capturing Innocence on Screen: Why Our Childhood Matters

Mike: “I have such wonderful memories of growing up in Vietnam—the friendships I had were warm… Pure. So I thought, 'What if I could put the innocence I felt into a film?' Innocence is something granted to all of us—it’s beautiful when we’re little, but we don’t realize it. And because we don’t know how precious it is, it’s easily broken. Then we spend our whole lives trying to find it again. So I thought, ‘Well if I haven’t lost it yet—or at least, I don’t think I have—maybe I can capture it in this film.’ If I can put pure innocence into a film, then nothing can break it. Because once it’s in the film, it’s there forever.”

A World For Everyone: Crafting A Universal Setting 

Mike: “The film is set in a make-believe town in Southeast Asia. I didn’t want to set it specifically in Vietnam because I wanted it to feel universal—something that could speak to everyone. But everything in my life has found its way into the film. Growing up in America, adapting to new places—that feeling, too, became part of it. Everything I’ve experienced has shaped the film—not just the events but the emotions.”

​25 Years and Counting: The Indie Animation Odyssey

Mike: “Oh yeah… When I first started [in 2000], I never imagined I’d be working on it for more than 25 years. If I had worried about whether I could finish in three years or five years, maybe I wouldn’t have done it at all. Because if you start out focusing on all the obstacles, it can feel impossible. But for me, I just happened to fall into it. And because the subject matter is timeless, I knew I could take my time—and that it would still be okay.”

Fresh Eyes on a Timeless Vision: Building the Right Team

Mike: “Everyone who worked on the film had already graduated. My young friends—that’s what I call them. The reason I chose young friends instead of professional animators is because there’s a kind of freshness in them. Their innocence is still intact. Their way of doing things is new, not locked into a system. A professional might approach a scene [in] a certain way that is in line with the industry’s taste, but that approach didn’t fit the film. The film needed something more intuitive.”

Mike: “No matter how much contract work we took on, it wasn’t enough. Eventually, it just became me carrying it on my own. Now, whenever I have extra income, I bring in young friends to help. That’s how we’ve made it this far.” 

The Journey East: Finding New Roots in Korea

Mike: “Around 2010-2012, I realized I couldn’t continue making films in the U.S. because it was too expensive. My only other option was to return to the industry full-time, but I didn’t want that.
I chose Korea because I believed it would allow me to keep making films and spreading my love of animation at the same time. Also, while I was at CalArts, many young Korean students were coming in, and I felt a connection to them. Culturally, I was already familiar and comfortable with Korea since I’m from Asia as well. Korea felt like the best place for what I wanted to do.”

Drawing from Memory: Directing Through Personal Stories

Mike: “As a director, I give direction. And sometimes, that direction can be very straightforward. For example, I assigned a sequence to one of my young friends (but actually near my age)—his name is Kompin, a wonderful animator and director from Thailand.

I said, ‘In this sequence, the children go to the market to buy some dried fish. Then it starts raining, so they end up playing soccer in the rain.’

​Then he went on his way and brought his own childhood experiences into it. In Thailand, there are a lot of stray dogs. He chose to add that little element, and suddenly, the scene became something much stronger.” 

Mike: “Everyone brings their own personal experiences into the film. And they do it beautifully but with a need for adjustments. That’s where I come in. Like an assistant animator, I go in, refine their rough animation, and unify everyone into one cohesive look. And that’s what makes it special.” 

Keeping the Spark: Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers

Mike: “I think it starts with love—your love for wanting to do it. You have something meaningful to say, and that should come first. There’s an idea you think about, and you get excited, thinking, Oh, this is great! But then, three days later, you lose interest. That’s a sign it wasn’t the right idea.
And [you also need to] get along well with the people you work with. Sometimes I think working together is harder than making the film itself. Maybe the film isn’t as difficult as just figuring out how to work together. But if you find the right friends, the right team, it’s beautiful.”

Mike: “Think of people as elements—chemical elements. We interact, and that changes the chemistry of whatever we’re creating. The Beatles were four guys. But four guys with just the right chemistry. Take one away, and it’s no longer The Beatles. They said that themselves. And I truly believe that. So, make sure the chemistry is right. Or else? Trouble.” 

No End In Sight? The Road Ahead for My Little World

Mike: “Oh, well. I’d like to know that as well. Right now, the film is about 30 minutes long, cleaned up. Cleanup animation is the most time-consuming part of production. So yeah... maybe 10 more years.”

Interviewers: “10 more years?!”

Mike: “Well, [fewer] years if some funding comes. But I think I can get there without much budget. That would put me in my seventies!” 

A Love Letter to Childhood: Wrapping Up the Story

Mike: “If I can put pure innocence into a film, then nothing can break it. Because once it’s in the film, it’s there forever.”

Meet Patradol “Dodo” Kitcharoen, a storyboard artist whose love for cartoons led him from Bangkok to Los Angeles. Armed with an MFA in Animation and Digital Arts from the University of Southern California and early experience from Thailand, Dodo now storyboards for Disney TV Animation. Along the way, he’s learned how to balance big-picture storytelling, personal growth, and the inevitable challenges that come with a career in animation.

Dodo: “The Monk Studio was my first job, so I was mostly trained by people there, and it was a lot of learning. Most of the projects were 3D, so I did a lot of storyboards for 3D animation back then, but now I mostly work for 2D TV shows, so the pipeline is a lot different.

Dodo: “The other main difference would be the scale of work, because at The Monk, as a storyboard artist, you might have to pick up a lot of shows and work on multiple projects…On the other hand with most studios here in the US, you usually are responsible for one particular show or project until you roll off to another.

Dodo: “Cartoons were a big part that made childhood fun and happy, so now that I am in the industry, I want to do something similar and create something that gives children what I had when I was their age... They don't have to grow up doing animation, but they can grow up with something that they can look back at, like, “I watched this as a kid, and it makes me happy every time I think about it.

Dodo: “Storyboarding can give me the big-picture ideas while also touching on directing, staging, composing shots, writing, and editing.”

Dodo: “Thumbnail days are a lot of thinking. I usually make “quick-thumbs” where I throw my ideas out quickly. I like doing that in the morning because I feel the most bright and productive. After lunch, I will do tie-downs of the thumbnails, so they are clearer and more ready to be looked at. Clean-up days are pretty much the same, which is lots of drawing and making the approved thumbnails look presentable.”

Dodo: “One of the biggest challenges…is we usually compare ourselves to other artists, especially when we are new to the industry,... sometimes it can make you doubt whether you meet an expectation or if you are at the level you are supposed to be at your job and that can make you overstressed and eventually leads to… getting burned out.”

Dodo: “Having a life outside of work is crucial. If your hobby is still drawing and making art, I would recommend balancing a full-time job and the time you work on your passion project…”

“To be a storyteller, you will need to have a story to tell, and you get that by living your life.”

Dodo: “Breaking in is one of the toughest parts of the job. It requires not only skills but also knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time… but what we can do is be ready for when the time comes."

Dodo: “To stand out, get to know yourself: know what kind of artist you are, know what kind of art you like, and know your strengths and weaknesses...when you start to know more about yourself, you will know your niche, and the clearer your path is going to be…” 

“There will always be someone who is just that good, but I don’t really think that anyone can be better at being you than you.”

Dodo: “I personally want to see more great animated content for Thai audiences. [Not just] purely entertaining or… to sell a lot of toys, but… actual great content… that makes their day better, even just a little or make them feel related [and seen] when they see certain characters in [a] show. [That is what] I am rooting for and aspiring to be a part of creating.”

Dodo: “At the end of the day, we are making something fun for people and I think we, as the creator, might as well be having fun doing it.”