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Celebrating a Year of Growth, Creativity, & Community: Asians in Animations 2024 Year-End Round-Up12/20/2024
 As we close out another remarkable year at Asians in Animation (AIA), we extend our deepest gratitude to every member, volunteer, partner, and mentor who helped us continue our mission of amplifying Asian voices in the global animation industry. In 2024, our fourth year as an organization, our non-profit is proud to solidify ourselves as a high-impact platform that provides unparalleled professional development and production experience for next-generation Asian animation talent. Nurturing New Voices Through Production Programs
Building on this success, we introduced the Asians in Animation Pilot Pre-Production Program (4P) in September 2024. From October 2024 to May 2025, a growing crew of 36 creatives will take an original AIA-produced series concept through the entire pre-production pipeline. Writing, visual development, and casting will be completed by January, with storyboarding following in the spring. The 4P is on track to deliver a production-ready animatic that will exemplify the innovation and cultural richness at the core of AIA’s values. Expanding Opportunities for Professional Growth
A Thriving Global Community
Warm Holiday Wishes & Gratitude From the Immersive Lab to the 4P and beyond, the year's accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. Thank you for believing in our vision, investing your time and talents, and sharing in the joy of creative collaboration. As we gather with loved ones and celebrate the holidays, let’s also celebrate the creative spark that brings us together. We are energizing the industry with our collective spirit, cultural vibrancy, and unwavering dedication to shaping a more inclusive future in animation. Happy Holidays, everyone! With warm regards, The Asians in Animation Team    REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/AIA-Workshops
For questions, don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected]. Graphics: Phoebe Pang (@phoebepang321) | Point Person: Gaby de la Cruz (@gabmaybe), Ashley Whang (@whangashley) | Communications: Benjamin Arnold (@benarnoldart), Sarah Liu (@a.zuii) This interview was conducted in March 2021.  Meet our friend, Catherine Chen! She is a Chinese-American filmmaker, writer, and board artist. Learn about her Student Academy Award Semi-Finalist of a film, “Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Dragon”, and how she writes a TV pilot. Thanks for walking us through your work, Catherine! Visit her at @catherinechen.tv and say hello! And if you’re looking for the full video for her script outline walkthrough, head over to Catherine’s Instagram! First off, tell us about yourself! My name is Catherine Chen, and I’m a filmmaker from Florida. I just finished directing “Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster”, a film about a girl, her pet turtle, and the hurricane. It recently became a Student Academy Award Semi-finalist and won awards at major film festivals. I’m going to walk you through the making of our film! What were the most difficult parts of making “Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster”? Storyboarding and writing this film were most difficult! My editor was very patient and stayed with me through so many revisions.
Now that you’ve wrapped on “Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster”, what’s your next project? I’m still searching! Right now, I’ve written some original pilots, and made some storyboards. Brainstorming that next film, and hope to make it soon!  To stay up to date and check out my other work, follow me on Instagram at @catherinechen.tv.
Watch the award-winning “Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster” on YouTube. And, take a listen to the brilliant work of her composers, Aki Cao and Emiliano Mazzenga, whose score made this film come alive! Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team   WORKSHOP REGISTRATION: bit.ly/AIA-Workshops
For questions, don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected]. Graphics: Phoebe Pang (@phoebepang321) | Point Person: Gaby de la Cruz (@gabmaybe), Ashley Whang (@whangashley) This interview was conducted in April 2021.  Meet our friend, Princess Bizares! She’s a background artist by day and a book illustrator by night! Keep reading to go behind the scenes of Bahay Kubo, a Filipino folk song and, now, an illustrated bilingual children’s book! Thank you Princess for walking us through your work! We’re so excited for your book. 💗 Say hi to Princess over at @ambitiousfish on Instagram! First off, tell us about yourself! Kamusta! My name is Princess Bizares and I’m a painter/illustrator born in the Philippines and raised in SoCal. I work in TV animation and most recently finished illustrating a children’s book featuring “Bahay Kubo”, a Filipino folk song written by Felipe Padilla de Leon, about a nipa hut and the vegetables that grow around it. What did the process of creating your book Bahay Kubo look like? Shift through the slides for all steps to Princess's process: Check out her finished book at: tinyurl.com/BahayKuboBook! And, stay updated with the rest of her work via her website: ambitiousfish.com! Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) |
