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This interview was conducted in October 2021.  We are so excited to peek into the world of Sabine Belofsky and her journey from the Philippines to Pixar. Keep reading about her career path, thoughts on representation, where she plans on taking our industry, and some tips for you as you traverse through animation. A BIG thank you to @sabinebelofsky for chatting with us and for providing all the beautiful art! We are so lucky to have gotten the chance to speak with you and can’t wait to see what you do. So, first off, tell us about yourself!
Hello, I’m Sabine Belofsky, I’m an illustrator and concept artist born and raised in the Philippines and now based in Oakland, California. Currently I work at Steel Wool Studios making fun video games, in the past I have also briefly worked in film and freelance illustration. I enjoy chasing fun projects and am always excited to see what’s next! What did your journey starting out in the industry look like? I always loved to draw and was always on YouTube looking for art tutorials and often caught drawing in class. As soon as I found out that there were jobs where you could draw for a living making games and movies, I knew that’s exactly what I wanted to do! Luckily, my parents were supportive in my decision to become an artist and I’m incredibly grateful for their support. In 2016, I moved to the US to attend art school in California and chased every opportunity possible while I was there— I took classes outside of my college courses, volunteered at events just to get experience, and applied to anything that interested me despite many rejections. One of the opportunities I was lucky enough to be a part of was the Women in Animation Mentorship program— it helped me grow both as an artist and as a person learning from all these amazing women. It opened doors to future opportunities like my internship at Pixar in 2019 and other freelance jobs. Towards the end of my time in college, I got the opportunity to work at Steel Wool Studios as a concept artist where I work today alongside some amazing people, quite literally living my childhood dream! What obstacles did you experience in moving from the Philippines to the US? One of the challenges for me, especially when I first moved to the US, was establishing a sense of home. I’m very white passing— so growing up in the Philippines I was always assumed to be a tourist/foreigner by others. I had a hard time feeling at home because of it, especially as a kid that didn’t look like the rest of my family— it’s a strange feeling to have always been seen as a foreigner in your home country. However, in the US I was automatically assumed to be American. I “blended in'' yet I was experiencing culture shock and struggling trying to live on my own for the first time in a new country. Despite not feeling the most at home in the Philippines, it was my only source of familiarity in a new place— I only realized and appreciated that after I moved and now I wish I had stood up for myself and my identity while I was still there. Though I’m still refining that sense of home for myself today, I now consider both places to be home for me. Why do you think BIPOC representation should be prioritized in media today? People who are mixed are often caught in between worlds and even sometimes questioned when sharing their heritage. Representation in the media often validates a feeling and identity, so seeing yourself in media gives you a sense of belonging like you or anyone like you could be part of any story without feeling out of place. People with mixed heritage and ethnicity are often invalidated and questioned about their experiences, representation can not only help normalize the experiences of mixed people but can also teach others about them too. Entertainment is meant for everyone, and so everyone should be able to see themselves represented in the things they watch and play. How do you feel about the current state of BIPOC representation in the industry? I’m very happy to see inclusivity playing a more important part in animation. It’s not perfect by any means, but progress takes time and it’s great to see the effort being put into making it better. I feel that we need more POC in leadership roles and more original stories written for POC instead of recasting old stories that weren’t originally written for POC in mind. Despite slow progress, the change is already exciting to see and I’m hopeful for the future of animation. Any parting words of advice for our readers? If I could do anything differently, I would have been a lot kinder to myself. I struggled a lot mentally because of how much pressure I placed on myself throughout this journey. Especially during school, I used my anxiety as a motivator and it led to a lot of harmful habits that I’m still unlearning today. Be kind to yourself and take care of your body, that way you can keep making art for a long time! Writers: Jordan (@deadswampsofsadness) | Point Person: Gaby, AIA Team Comments are closed.
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