This interview from 2019 featuring the brilliant Sally Deng is our last Muse’s Milk post.
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Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Sally Deng: I was born in Los Angeles and spent most of my life here. I always loved to draw and paint so after high school I applied to the Art Center College of Design. I was miraculously accepted and I’ve been following the trajectory set by that decision ever since.
MM When given an illustration assignment, where do you begin? Can you discuss your art making process?
SD: If it is for an assignment, my process is pretty straightforward—thumbnails and then final artwork. If I am making art for myself, I enjoy just “going for it” without a real clear idea of where the final will end up. Experimenting and trusting my instincts have often led to me creating some of my favorite pieces.
MM: What inspired Skyward? Is there something specific that sparked your interest in female pilots of WWII?
SD: I stumbled upon a black and white photo of Hazel Ying Lee, a female Chinese American pilot who flew during WWII. I didn’t know women were even allowed to fly for the government back then, much less a Chinese American woman. From there I just continued to accumulate more photos and stories of these US pilots. (I mean, how could I not?) Once my proposal to do a book was accepted, I extended my research to include female pilots from the UK and Russia.
MM: What do you want readers to know about you, as an artist and as a person?
SD: I’m sorry if I didn’t see your message on Instagram and I usually feel too awkward to respond a week after it was sent.
MM: Do you have advice for students trying to find their illustration style?
SD: Don’t just look at illustration for inspiration and don’t think of creating a “style”. Styles come and go, focus on making work you’ll like and a coherent voice will naturally emerge.
Incredible storyboard artist Yvonne Hsuan Ho might be new to the comics world, but it won’t be long before everyone knows her name and recognizes her personal, charming stories. Muse’s Milk is pleased to return from our hiatus with such an explementary artist and person.
“The night before I left New York, I got the storyboard test from We Bare Bears. They were looking for a revisionist, which was an apprentice job and less demanding. After so many fail attempts, I finally was able to get the job. And after a year as a revisionist, I got promoted to be a storyboard artist on the show.”
Muse's Milk: Tell us your story!
Yvonne Hsuan Ho: I was born and raised in Taiwan. Ever since I was a kid I loved to draw. My grandparents used to collect free ad papers or brochures from the streets so I could draw on the back of them. They don’t like to waste things, and that habit has influenced me ‘til today. I still save single side printed papers so I can draw on the back.
My mother worked as a civil servant for the cultural department of Taiwanese government, she got an opportunity to transfer to New York when I was in middle school. My English wasn’t that good back then, I didn’t fit in at all in the US public middle school. I thought I was going to get bullied, but some classmates noticed my drawings, and they would request art commissions from me, some even paid me. I think art saved me from being bullied. I went to high schools in both New York and Taiwan. Every time I transferred, the school made me start from the first year. I went to three high schools and was a freshman three times. I eventually got frustrated, quit high school and got a GED instead. Then I applied to School of Visual Arts, and came back to New York to study animation.
MM: How did you become a storyboard artist?
YHH: My partner and I made a thesis film together in our senior year and we put it online. The recruiter at Cartoon Network during that time, Megan, really liked our film, she contacted us and offered us a tour at CN. We started getting tests from various shows after we graduated. It was really hard at first, I got rejected by every show I tested for. While I was in New York, I worked at an independent animation studio called Augenblick. The job required me to work at a fast pace and be adaptable to different style, so it helped me improve in no time. I eventually decided to move to LA with or without a job offer. I was on the student visa and my time was running out, so it was a leap of faith sort of thing. The night before I left New York, I got the storyboard test from We Bare Bears. They were looking for a revisionist, which was an apprentice job and less demanding. After so many fail attempts, I finally was able to get the job. And after a year as a revisionist, I got promoted to be a storyboard artist on the show.
MM: Why is animation important to you personally? Did you consider another career path at any point?
YHH: I’ve always been fascinated by animation. I grew up watching Ghibli films, Cartoon Network, Disney and whatever animation programs they have on tv. When I was younger I wanted to be a manga artist or a writer, I didn’t think of animation as a real career until much later, but I did always know I would end up doing art. Animation is a little bit of everything. There’s the writing part, the drawing part, and the acting part. Even some video editing and messing around with sound/music. When I made films in school, I always loved how much I get to be in control of everything.
MM: What do you want readers to know about you?
YHH: When I’m not making storyboards I like to draw short comics. I just started making zines recently, and it was so much fun! I didn’t know there was a whole indie comic communities, and there are zine fests all year round. I usually post my short comics online, most of them are just about my day to day life. If you have never made a zine, you should try it! You can make it small and cheap so the stakes are really low, but it’s a good way to experiment with different styles and content!
If you are interested in beautiful, intricate art of the natural world, look no further. We are pleased to present incredible illustrations by the lovely Jessica Roux who kindly gives Muse’s Milk readers insight into her artistic career.
“I’ve moved around quite a bit, and I think that’s shaped a lot of my work. Moving to new places allows me to really experience different environments and see what grows there, metaphorically and physically!”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Jessica Roux: I’m a freelance illustrator based in Nashville, TN. I’m inspired by flora and fauna, and I use subdued colors and lots of detail and texture in my illustrations. I’ve worked with lots of different clients for a variety of markets, from Pottermore to the New Yorker, and I also create my own products and stationery line.
MM: What kind of projects bring you the most joy?
JR: I love any project that involves drawing animals! I’m passionate about the environment and preserving the natural world around us, so any time I get to focus on that is amazing.
MM: Is there an art form outside of illustration you want to pursue or experiment with?
JK: My husband is a luthier (Bonaventure Guitars), and he makes some really amazing guitars, so we’ve been talking about potentially collaborating next year! I’d love to do some wood burning or some sort of painting or drawing on a guitar or ukulele – plus it would be amazing to collaborate with someone I love and respect.
MM: Was there a particular challenge, art related or otherwise, that you feel was a pivotal to your growth as a creator?
JK: I’ve moved around quite a bit, and I think that’s shaped a lot of my work. Moving to new places allows me to really experience different environments and see what grows there, metaphorically and physically! I recently bought a house so I think I’m going to stay put for a while, since moving around every few years is exhausting, and I feel like I have a great community of illustrators and like-minded creatives here in Nashville.
MM: What do you want people to know about you?
JK: I’d love people to know that I have a very sweet dog, Molly, who is my inspiration and my joy.
If you don’t already know director Kim Nguyen, you will. This year alone she has been awarded a fellowship at the Fox Directors Lab as well as the 2018 Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program. The hilarious director has worked with just about every comedian/musician/actor you can think of, and we are looking forward to seeing what she creates next.
“I have had a lot of seemingly random jobs which really inform who I am as a director. I have been a pancake mascot, a greeter for the Gap, a hoagie maker, and a copywriter. I was a writer at MTV and transitioned into directing.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Kim Nguyen: I was born in Vietnam and grew up in Chicago. Lack of athletic ability prohibited me from joining The Bulls and The Bears, so I got into writing.
MM: What was your path to becoming a director?
KN: I have had a lot of seemingly random jobs which really inform who I am as a director. I have been a pancake mascot, a greeter for the Gap, a hoagie maker, and a copywriter. I was a writer at MTV and transitioned into directing.
MM: What project, if any, are you most proud of? What are you working on now?
KN: Projects that pop for me: A short film with Wyclef Jean which explored themes of immigration. A series of interviews with Pink which explored themes of social justice. A documentary I filmed with some of my best friends and family. A campaign I recently shot with John Cena that helped sick children. Currently, I just wrapped a campaign with Reese Witherspoon and am prepping a narrative short film.
MM: Is there anything you would like to add?
KN: I’d like to shout out some peeps who have been big supporters of mine. They are awesome and will now feel obligated to read this interview:
David Baldwin, Andy Carrigan, Jenny Grace, Eric Stevens, Kris Mathur, Seyi Peter-Thomas, Will Znidaric, Gail Mancuso, Tk Knowles, John O'Grady, and Moki Stevens.
MM: Do you have advice for writers and directors starting out?
If you aren’t already familiar with Chintis Lundgren’s art, buckle up. Her warm and cozy drawing style conceals wonderfully wacky social satire. Lundgren’s films have screened at Animafest Zagreb, Annecy, Fantoche, Ottawa Int. Animation Festival...And many, many more prestigious animation events. What we’re saying is, Lundgren is a genius when it comes to anthropomorphic animals.
“Finally, after a lot of time has passed it’s time to animate. I’ll listen to some audiobooks and draw quietly all day and night until a deadline induced mental breakdown arrives and then animate some more. And then it’s done. Time to drink some vodka and repeat.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Chintis Lundgren: I never planned to become an animator, all my life I just wanted to become a painter. And I did, for a while. But then I had a creative crisis, played around with animation just for fun, and somehow never went back to painting. Now I’m spending my days drawing drunk rabbits and hot muscular wolves.
MM: What was your first job?
CL: I was a waitress.
MM: How do you begin a film project? Walk us through your process.
CL: I start with a character. Sometimes the character turns up just from random doodling, sometimes I have an idea of a character and I just make some sketches to see what it would look like.
After I have a character I try to think what could happen to it and come up with a short premise. I run the idea by my co-writer, Draško Ivezić (also known as my boyfriend). If he doesn’t think it’s the most stupid idea ever, I’ll spend some time writing but also making some sketches on the side.
I’ll then present the script to Draško and after a million iterations and intense arguments we’ll have a script that makes kind of sense. Then I draw a storyboard and make an animatic out of it.
More arguing and frustration follows until the animatic starts to look like something a bystander might understand. We’ll show it to strangers whose judgment we trust and try to make the story make even more sense.
Finally, after a lot of time has passed it’s time to animate. I’ll listen to some audiobooks and draw quietly all day and night until a deadline induced mental breakdown arrives and then animate some more. And then it’s done. Time to drink some vodka and repeat.
MM: What are you working on now?
CL: I’m working on my next short called Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves. The main character in this film is Toomas, the sexy wolf plumber from “Manivald.” It should be ready by next spring if all goes according to plan.
MM: Just curious; it seems that part of your visual style is the distinct pink color palette. Do you have a reason for this?
I just really love monochrome colour compositions. Right now it’s all pink but next year, who knows, maybe it’ll be all blue or all green. I think Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves will be all purple gray.
Rebecca Milton is an accomplished Scottish art director who has worked on The Hitman's Bodyguard, Macbeth, The Imitation Game, and most recently The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. In our interview, Rebecca graciously offers our readers a glimpse of her artistic career.
“The project on hand is your life and the likes of Steven Spielberg or Barry Levinson demand this commitment since they too are giving all they have to their art and it is their name stamped across the picture a year later.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Rebecca Milton: I am a Scottish freelance architect and film art director currently living between the Cotswolds and west London with my partner and my little boy. I have always enjoyed a fairly diverse skill base; fine art, interiors, lighting design, film, and installation art - even through art college I would find alternative mediums to communicate and present my architectural ideas. Then when I heard about the work of an Art Department, I was already working as a qualified Architect but it seemed a really good fit for me. What appealed was the day to day and project to project diversity it brought, the variable contract lengths, wide range of locations, the idea of bringing to life a story and the potential reach your work can have to audiences around the world. Ultimately it was a way to introduce more variety and creativity into my life.
MM: Is there a production you are most proud of?
RM: I have been lucky to have worked with some of the worlds best Directors and Production Designers and am exceptionally proud of all the projects I have worked on. I think the most fun I’ve ever had recently was working on the film The Hitman’s Bodyguard. This was entirely down to the production designer and his team. I must have laughed every day on that film and it really didn't feel like work. The result was a genuinely funny movie which looked great and that we all enjoyed being part of. My most difficult project location was probably up on the Isle of Skye, where we shot Macbeth. We worked for days in harrowing conditions carrying rocks up a mountain to create a very simple stone plinth which was the base of a ceremonial burial fire in the scene. I was soaked and utterly broken, although the build looked great. On screen this was an extremely powerful moment but I think it lasted less than two seconds. There must be a lesson in there somewhere.
MM: Art directing a feature film is an enormous undertaking. Where do you begin on a project like Macbeth or The Imitation Game?
RM: The creative process of designing a film is one which generally begins with lots of research and reference material. Especially on a period production. There are so many things you can take from reference not just in terms of history but also the human details. For example, when we were dressing Alan Turing’s Hut in Bletchley Park, one dressing element was to chain a tea mug to the radiator beside his desk. This was a small but historically accurate detail which we had read about. At the time mugs were sparse, and a cup of tea was very important when trying to win a war with mathematics. It can be little things like this that collectively add to the richness of a film set. Macbeth was much less historically locked so we had more creative freedom to draw reference from things like stretched waxed animal skin tents from North America, primitive art, religious iconography, world war one imagery and contemporary photography.
MM: What do you want readers to know about you, as an artist and as a person?
RM: I’m actually a fairly private person and I don't use any form of social media platforms other than my website which exists primarily as a job portfolio rather than a performance window to the world. I like to keep my head down and my circle small. I believe if you work hard and are good at what you do, then most things are possible. There used to be so much noise in my life, and I wasted a lot of energy on the wrong things. Its a huge cliche but last year I had a little boy and I feel he has helped in a big way to clarify whats important in life.
MM: Do you have advice for students looking to pursue film production?
RM: I never considered a career within the Art Department of the Film and TV Industry when leaving school, because I honestly didn't know they existed. It’s a relatively closed industry. I went to Architecture school and followed that path before crossing over. Interestingly though the original Art Directors in Hollywood were Architects, so the key skills are essentially the same. I made a contact through a friend and was lucky to find a way in through her. I took a holiday from a steady architecture position to do a week of work experience on a kids TV show. From there, I left my job and worked my way up through all the positions in the Art Department; Assistant, Graphic Designer, Standby Art Director, Assistant Art Director, Art Director. Starting in TV and slowly moving into Film.
If I were to do it over again, I’d still go down the architecture route but perhaps just do just three years follow by a post grad specialising in production design. Once you graduate it is hard to get your first break because you rely on word of mouth and are permanently marketing yourself, putting feelers out for any new projects starting up just to get experience. So a lot of it is about timing and luck. There is a harsh, survival of the fittest element to the industry. You have to be able to adapt quickly to change and there is no space for tardiness, mistakes or an inability to do the job. And there is little time for a personal life. The project on hand is your life and the likes of Steven Spielberg or Barry Levinson demand this commitment, since they too are giving all they have to their art and it is their name stamped across the picture a year later.
Susie Alegria is a San Francisco Bay Area art director and model maker. Her projects include Milk, San Andreas, Ant-Man, Steve Jobs, James and the Giant Peach and Diary of a Teenage Girl. And that’s just a snippet of her IMDb page. Soon you will see her art direction in the upcoming drama, Blindspotting. We hope you love her work as much as we do!
“I was the first in my family to get a college degree. I am a first generation American on my dad's side. He moved here from El Salvador with his family when he was 13.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Susie Alegria: I grew up in the Bay Area and went to college at the Academy of Art and then transferred to San Francisco State where I studied Design in Industry with a minor in graphic design. I was the first in my family to get a college degree. I am a first generation American on my dad's side. He moved here from El Salvador with his family when he was 13.
Working in film was a way to incorporate all my skills. It requires collaboration of artistic ideas and I really enjoy that aspect. Also, I love that things are constantly changing.
MM: What was your first industry job?
SA: My first job was Nightmare before Christmas as an intern. After a month I was offered a job as a PA for Set Construction and the model shop. This was an amazing project to work on and I met many people who have gone onto work at Pixar, Laika, Phil Tippets, ILM, and on multiple film projects. Many of these people have moved to LA and Portland.
MM: A lot of people think if you want to work in film, you need to be in Los Angeles. Did you ever feel the pressure to move?
SA: I was able to work in the Bay area on stop motion projects and then worked at ILM. When I made the transition to Film and Art Directing there was plenty of work and I did not feel the need to move. Then I had a child which kept me from moving. He is now 16 and I am open to the idea of working out of town.
MM: Can you tell us about your career in the Bay Area?
SA: I work as an Art Director but also Set Decorate on occasion, which I enjoy doing too. Working in the Bay area requires more varied skills in order to stay busy.
MM: Do you have a project you're most proud of?
SA: The film "Milk," which was an important story to tell.
MM: What do you want people to know about you, as an artist and as a person?
SA: I enjoy doing my own art work but do not have much time for it right now. I have been practicing yoga for 20 years on and off and I really enjoy hiking and spending time with family and friends. I try to balance it all but on a large long project it's a challenge.
I recently started a Bay area women in the art department group with 30 other women. I am very excited to expand our group so we can up the numbers of women in the Bay Area film and commercial art departments.
This is what I hope to obtain with this group: Reach Back. “It’s not enough to walk through the door of success if you’re not reaching back and pulling other people through the door with you,” said Michelle Obama.
Visual development artist Chrystin Garland (@ladygarland) is an extraordinary painter and a wonderfully creative storyteller well worth your time! Currently, Garland is working for Dreamworks Television Animation.
“I really enjoy creating playlists of songs that I feel match the mood of a particular piece I'm working on. Even if it's a germ of an idea, listening to themed music really helps me visualize what direction I could take a particular project. When all else fails, though, I just listen to the Hamilton cast recording on repeat.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Chrystin Garland: I'm a California based visual development artist, currently working at Dreamworks Television Animation. In the past, I've had the pleasure of working on several comics such as BOOM! Studio's Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems and Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series.
MM: Where do you find your inspiration? Is there a place you go or something you do to get into a creative headspace?
CG: It really varies from project to project. I really enjoy creating playlists of songs that I feel match the mood of a particular piece I'm working on. Even if it's a germ of an idea, listening to themed music really helps me visualize what direction I could take a particular project. When all else fails, though, I just listen to the Hamilton cast recording on repeat.
MM: Can you speak a bit about your Alice in Wonderland project?
CG: The Alice in Wonderland pieces were a part of Center Stage Gallery's Curiouser and Curiouser showcase. Curated by fellow artists Casey Robin and Alishea Gibson, each participant was asked to create pieces inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic children's book.
While approaching this series, I was really inspired by the dazzling 1978 film, The Wiz, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. This film took such incredibly bold strokes in their retelling of The Wizard of Oz. From the all black cast, to the disco themed Emerald City, nothing felt like a regurgitation of the 1939 classic with Judy Garland, which was quite refreshing. Despite these changes, The Wiz, at it's heart, was still a tale about Dorothy trying to find her way home in a strange new world. This concept really gave me permission to push the boundaries of what Wonderland could look like, and who Alice could be.
MM: What are you working on now?
CG: I've been painting backgrounds for a couple of upcoming Netflix series, She-Ra and Harvey Street Kids. Please look forward to it!
MM: Is there anything you would like to add?
CG: If you're an artist, don't forget to take breaks and do some stretches! Your back and joints will thank you later.
Sam Kallis is a longtime Los Angeles local working in the animation industry. The Art Center alumni has been an artist at Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Television Animation, and Penguin Random House. Currently she is an art director at Dreamworks. We are lucky to have Sam share her wisdom with us!
“People are way too preoccupied with feeling "ready" - being ready for something is overrated. Nothing that I've done that was of any consequence were things that I could ever fully prepare for. That's life. We work without a net here. And besides, failure is a friend and a teacher - one you'll never get to know it if you don't take any chances.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Sam Kallis: I actually grew up in a family of artists right here in Los Angeles. I was always surrounded by art and art supplies. It is something of a "family business" - my mom was a photographer, my dad a documentary film maker, my grandparents on both sides were painters, and my paternal grandfather and great-grandfather were art directors for film. So, when I declared at a relatively young age that I wanted to be an artist, I was taken very seriously in this dream. My family supported me, enrolled me in classes, nurtured my talent. No one ever questioned if becoming an artist were financially feasible, because they all had managed to make a living doing art and saw no reason why, with hard work, I couldn't also be successful.
MM: You have worked on countless TV shows, feature films, and books. Do you have a project you are particularly proud of?
SK: I love every project I've worked on for different reasons - some, like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, introduced me to some of my closest friends, some, like Gravity Falls or Spongebob Square Pants, challenged me artistically, some, like my time Art Directing Home: Adventures with Tip and Oh, challenged me to hone my skills as a manager. I would say, however, that the work I'm doing now as an Art Director in the development department at DreamWorks has been some of the most exciting of my career. And it has been the first time that I've gotten to really take the helm of a project and bring my personal vision to life. I'm really excited for what the future might bring here.
MM: What do you want people to take away from your art?
SK: My work is all about storytelling. I see my work as an extension of the writer's pen - my hope is that when people look at my work, they see the story.
MM: As an art director, what do you look for in a portfolio?
SK: Ah! The million dollar question... I am always, always looking for storytellers. I don't care about style or skill as much as I care about your ability to create a world and characters who are so undeniable that I can't ever question the premise of their reality. I want to feel that the world you've created exists beyond the borders of the page or screen. I can teach style, I can teach skill (to a certain extent), but I can't teach someone to have a unique point of view - to be a storyteller. Obviously I look for a certain level of quality and draftsmanship in the work, but what I'm really looking for is - are you creating work that tells a story, or are you just creating pretty pictures? I would rather hire the better storyteller than the better draftsperson.
MM: Is there anything we didn’t ask that you would like the audience to know?
SK: After I graduated from school, it took me almost a year and a half of constantly applying to studios before I got my first in-house gig (so don't give up!). During that time, I was debating moving from being close to school to being close to the general area where the studios are located, even though I didn't have a job yet. It was then that my mom told me something that has shaped my worldview and changed my life. She said: "Sometimes you have to shake up the universe."
This taught me that being in motion is better than being stagnant, that you have to move toward your dreams before being given permission to do so. Don't wait for someone to hand you what you want, start generating that forward momentum on your own. Always say "yes" to every opportunity and don't worry about whether or not you're "ready." People are way too preoccupied with feeling "ready" - being ready for something is overrated. Nothing that I've done that was of any consequence were things that I could ever fully prepare for. That's life. We work without a net here. And besides, failure is a friend and a teacher - one you'll never get to know it if you don't take any chances. Good luck!
Have you seen Isle of Dogs yet? How about Fantastic Mr. Fox? Corpse Bride? If you have seen any of these wonderful movies, then you have seen Angela’s handwork. Angela Kiely has worked on all of these animations, and many more notable films. Kiely has a mastery over everything from make-up art to model making, and most recently she was the lead painter on Isle of Dogs. We are thrilled to share our interview with her!
“There are lots of gaps between jobs and sometimes that can feel disheartening, but if it's really what you want to do, you can make it happen.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Angela Kiely: I always loved drawing and making things as a kid, but as a teenager I stopped and was more into music and going out than creating. I always knew I would do something art-related as a career though. I couldn't imagine anything else. I studied Illustration and Animation at university in Manchester (UK) before finding work at an animation studio - Cosgrove Hall Films, that sadly no-longer exists, and completely fell in love with stop-motion animation. From that moment on, that was all I wanted to do. I've since worked as a model-maker and painter for animated kids tv-shows including 'Bob the Builder' and 'Pingu' to full length films such as 'Corpse Bride,' 'Coraline' and the recent 'Isle of Dogs' among others.
MM: You have done everything from special effects makeup to model making; do you have a favorite medium?
AK: I started working in live action films as a make-up artist, as there was not enough work to be full time working in stop-motion, breaks between films can be very long - and I wanted to try other creative fields. They are both very different though. I couldn't say if I preferred one over the other as it really depends on the job and the people you are working with, as well as the atmosphere. That for me is such an important part of a job - the working environment.
MM: What did being the lead painter on Isle of Dogs entail?
AK: There was a team of 4 of us in the painting department with occasional help from others at extra busy times. It was my job to organise our department and the workload and make sure we were managing to capture the look of the characters faithfully in the very strict time constraints we had.
On this job I think I learned not to be restricted by your own limitations, based on what you have done before. Working on a project with a director as imaginative and visionary as Wes Anderson, meant that we all had to go beyond what techniques we had previously used, to achieve his unique and very distinctive style.
MM: Is there a project you’re most proud of?
AK: My favourite make-up job so far has been 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' It was such a fun atmosphere, and we were doing such creative make-ups every day with a really amazing crew. Every day I felt excited to be on set. I really couldn't say a favourite stop-motion job as each one has been special in a different way. They take so long to make (at least 2 years) so each film is quite a chunk of your life and holds its own memories. The first film I worked on 'Corpse Bride' made me feel very proud as it was my first big job and I created the paint treatment for Emily - the main character - I love seeing other people's interpretations of her in cosplay and halloween costumes to this day.
MM: Can you say what you are working on now?
AK: I'm currently doing commercial work for advertising projects and hoping to carve out some time to start doing some of my own work. I'm always working on other people's projects, so I would really love to find some time to experiment and see what may come of trying my own thing.
MM: Do you have advice for artists trying to get their foot in the door?
AK: I would say that it's so important to be a team player and a generally helpful and easy person to be around. I think that is more important than your creative skills really. Film hours are so long, so you want to be around good people. You can learn and improve on a job, but first of all you need to be the kind of person that will make the experience easier.
I think resilience is also an important quality. There are lots of gaps between jobs and sometimes that can feel disheartening, but if it's really what you want to do, you can make it happen. The great thing is there is lots of animation companies springing up all over the world - so there are more and more opportunities to gain experience.
While studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, Emily Ann Hoffman was introduced to stop motion, marking a pivotal moment in her art career. In a short amount of time Emily has gone from student to professional, screening at Sundance, Slamdance and LA Film Festival (to name a few). Emily was kind enough to take a break from her screenwriting to answer some burning questions.
“Accidental pregnancy is a tale as old of time and most heterosexual couples have experienced, if not at least thought about, a birth control mishap at one point or another. Yet I still found myself and my female friends whispering, giggling and crying about these experiences behind closed doors. I wanted to share a story about these common discussions and shed light on the physical and emotional burdens of these experiences on women, while recognizing the humor and difficulty these decisions entail.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Emily Ann Hoffman: I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. I painted, drew, and crafted my entire life. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design to study illustration. While I loved my classes, I never felt I was properly able to tell the stories I wanted to tell through illustration. When I took an animation class my junior year I felt a lightbulb go off. I realized animation and filmmaking was the perfect blend of storytelling and art-making I’d been yearning for. I made a short stop-motion film my senior year with Ariel Noltimier Strauss (The Emily & Ariel Show) and it ended up screening on a small festival circuit. Being surrounded and inspired by independent film sparked my desire to pursue that field. In 2016 I became an Emerging Artist Fellow with the Jacob Burns Film Center where I wrote and directed two short films: Ok, Call Me Back and Nevada. Ok, Call Me Back was awarded a Sundance Ignite fellowship in 2017, and 2018 will be spent developing my first feature film under the mentorship of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program.
MM: Congratulations on your latest film screening at Sundance! What was the inspiration for your most recent animation, Nevada?
EAH: Thank you! It has been a dream come true. Nevada was inspired by personal and shared experiences of having to take Plan B/emergency contraceptives. Accidental pregnancy is a tale as old of time and most heterosexual couples have experienced, if not at least thought about, a birth control mishap at one point or another. Yet I still found myself and my female friends whispering, giggling and crying about these experiences behind closed doors. I wanted to share a story about these common discussions and shed light on the physical and emotional burdens of these experiences on women, while recognizing the humor and difficulty these decisions entail.
MM: Can you discuss your process? Do you take a traditional approach and start with a script, or do you work more experimentally and improvise?
EAH: I think it depends on the project! As I work towards larger-scale projects, I’ve been taking more of a traditional approach. I usually starts with some journaling or stream-of-conscious writing, while simultaneously collecting aesthetic inspiration. Then I hone those elements into a proper script, while aesthetics become production design. Then I’ll create a storyboard and cast my crew and actors. From there, I dive right into production. When working on animation, I’ll have just spent about a month fabricating puppets and sets. After recording voice actors I’ll begin animating. For live-action, I’ll call on many generous friends to help with a few long shoot days and be immensely impressed with the talent and collaboration of my team. After catching up on sleep, post production usually involves a lot of editing and additional animation on my end, while outsourcing sound design, music composition and coloring. To stay sane during these longer projects, I try to keep writing/making other small projects, and I genuinely enjoy improvised making in between longer hauls of work.
MM: What are you working on now?
EAH: I’m currently in post-production on a new short film called Bug Bite, a mixed live-action and animated comedy about three unique women — a millennial, a talk-show host, and a bed bug — who’s stories all align as they fight toxic masculinity and bed bugs. This short will act as a proof of concept for a feature film I’m writing in the same theme.
MM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
EAH: Value creative friendships and call on those friends for collaboration and inspiration! I’ve felt so lucky to have developed relationships with so many talented and inspiring artists in the last year and I can’t emphasize enough how valuable it’s been to work and grow together. And besides looking at your friends work, go out and see as much art as possible! I love finding myself unable to stop thinking about something I saw a day, a month, or a year ago. It almost always finds a way of pervading my subconscious and informing my own work.
Maria Ramos is an editorial illustrator currently teaching at the European Design Institute. There are few artists with as distinct a style and witty a personality. If you need a happy, creative pick me up, this is it!
“People who, no matter the field they belong to, have learnt how to break the rules. They find new ways of doing things. Those rules must be broken. They don’t really exist.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Maria Ramos: I was born in Spain and I studied Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca. I specialized in Illustration in Madrid, where I am living at the moment. I began working on fanzines and going to self-publishing fairs. I have learned more at those fairs than at university! One of the memories I have from my university days is of men with big bellies who attended classes on few occasions.
I rarely self-publish now. I work for editorials and I try to attend some comic festivals when I can.
I combine my job as an illustrator with teaching. I teach Illustration at the European Design Institute in Madrid.
MM: What are your goals as an artist? What makes you want to create?
MR: I think that I have the need to tell stories through images. I have ideas and little obsessions in my mind that I need to tell in the way of story. The [audience] can be either children or adults. I am also interested in the language itself, playing with it.
MM: Who are your biggest inspirations?
MR: People who, no matter the field they belong to, have learnt how to break the rules. They find new ways of doing things. Those rules must be broken. They don’t really exist. We have not been born with them. The art or the comic, for instance, are not static concepts. They are concepts that are being modeled and evolve with time. They acquire new values and meanings. This thinking helps me to have self-confidence and not to doubt.
MM: Is there anything you want the audience to know about you?
MR: I would like to work in the animation world. I have ideas of different projects but I do not know which path I need to follow. I come from the editorial world and I not sure about the following steps.
Looking through Nooree Kim’s art is a surefire way to put yourself in a good mood. Her work is upbeat and positive, just like her. Nooree has worked on Adventure Time and is now on We Bare Bears! Plus, she is working on sculpting her own art toys which are sure to be A++.
“It’s easy to get lost in the mechanics and motions of life or school, and it will show in your creative output. I’m still learning on my path, I hope to be lucky enough to experience great things and share them through my art.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Nooree Kim: My parents wanted to provide my brother and I with a good education so when I was about 4, my family immigrated from Seoul, Korea to Toronto, Canada. That’s when I started watching western TV and I discovered the show ‘Art Attack’. It had opened up my eyes to the world of arts and crafts. You could definitely say that Art Attack was the beginning of my path in art (thanks Neil!).
I started taking art more seriously when I began art high school. There I was exposed to many different branches of art, including animation. I really wanted get into the animation program at Sheridan college, but I wasn’t accepted the first time around. That was probably a good thing since it made me realize what I was lacking and what I needed to improve on. The next time I applied, I was accepted, and so launched my start in the Animation industry.
MM: Who or what are your biggest creative influences?
NK: Ah, such a hard question to answer! I’m thankful to be surrounded by such talented friends. I’m inspired by their passion to pursue personal projects, aside from their full-time work. The internet, specifically Instagram and Tumblr, has also made it so easy to connect with and be inspired by artists around the world.
Currently, I am in the process of making my own art toys, so seeing other artists molding and casting process has really inspired me to refine my own process. I’ve been following a lot of sculptors and art toy makers including the talented Andrea Blasich. I took a sculpting/ molding and casting workshop with him over the summer and it renewed my love for sculpting.
MM: What do you hope people will take away from the work you create?
NK: I hope that when people see my work, that they can relate to my experiences and that my sense of humor will leave them feeling happier and feeling refreshed. It’s what I aspire to share the most in my work. I usually create series of mini comics, which are on my blog, that recount my experiences being in a long distance relationship, living away from home, and other day to day growing pains.
MM: Do you have advice for women who want to work in animation?
NK: One of the things I’ve observed through the years is that you don’t necessarily have to go to college to get into the animation industry, or have a successful animation career. My time at school for animation was valuable and I learned a lot from my professors, but what I feel has helped me the most was being surrounded by friends who are equally in love with art and animation. Being in the right environment and surrounding yourself with other passionate artists can help propel you to a great career. You have to be familiar with what you need as an artist to continuously be inspired, and to be motivated to constantly create— Whether that environment is at a steady school curriculum or if it is just being amidst a group of talented and supportive artists is up to you.
MM: Is there anything you would like to add?
NK: It’s probably such a common thing that every artist ever interviewed has said, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to live and experience life. It determines what you truly want to express, and helps shape the personality/identity in your work. In my experience, as an animation student, I struggled with being able to figure out my own artistic identity because of the competitive situations that school had posed. Though I had made leaps and bounds with my technical art skills, and understanding the animation pipeline, I had become fixated on competition and the grading structure that I lost direction with what I wanted to express in my art. It was only after I graduated and began to experience life that I realized my creativity flourished better. It’s easy to get lost in the mechanics and motions of life or school, and it will show in your creative output. I’m still learning on my path, I hope to be lucky enough to experience great things and share them through my art.
Mylissa Fitzsimmons is a writer, director, and producer working in LA. After her youth as a feral child, sneaking into horror movies and scrambling through creek beds, she found her way to photography and then to film. Her recent short film That Party That One Night just won the Audience Choice award at the Film Invasion LA festival!
“I started shooting super 8 movies when a teacher taught a class about filmmaking using super 8 . That is pretty much my extent of film school. The same teacher also really encouraged me to stay behind the camera and make documentaries and short film. It’s true what they say about good teachers, they change your life. This one changed mine. I shot my first short films and short documentaries in High school and pretty much my love of all things film started then.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Mylissa Fitzsimmons: I grew up in Moab, Utah till the age of 13. Growing up in Moab allowed me to be a feral child who spent most of her days swimming in creek beds and scrambling over large red rocks. There was this amazing drive in theater where we could sit atop the the trailer and watch a movie at night, the sound coming through all the car radios . There was this little movie theater that would play movies all day. During the 80’s they would show horror films all day and I would sneak in the back door and hide behind the curtain till the movies would start . It would be night time by the time I left. Watching horror films all day was simultaneously the best and worst thing a 10 year old could do. I saw E.T. , Empire Strikes Back, Nightmare On Elm Street at that theater. Years later when I went back and the theater was being turned into some persons house and they had ripped out the whole inside and all the movie chairs where sitting in the sun being thrown out. I was walking amongst them and I found the chair where I had carved my name into, “Mylissa was here.I watched ET.” It had all the carving marks for each time I saw it...22 times! I asked the man if I could have the chair since it was being thrown out. It’s one of my most favorite things I own. Years later the drive in was torn down to make way for some Condo’s. Every time I go back a house or trailer park I lived in is gone to make way for more condo’s or hotels. It breaks my heart that my childhood is disappearing. But I still love the creeks and red rock beauty on Moab.
After Utah we moved to Salem, Oregon and I remember thinking at the time that this was the big city. Anyone who has been to Salem know this to be the exact opposite. In high school I got more into photography after my grandpa encouraged me to pick up a camera to document life. I started out by shooting what I knew, which was skateboarding and punk rock bands. I used to sell the photos to make money to buy more film. I started shooting super 8 movies when a teacher taught a class about filmmaking using super 8 . That is pretty much my extent of film school. The same teacher also really encouraged me to stay behind the camera and make documentaries and short film. It’s true what they say about good teachers, they change your life. This one changed mine. I shot my first short films and short documentaries in High school and pretty much my love of all things film started then. I didn’t realize that it could be a job.It was just something I did as an outlet to express myself when I had something to say or to tell stories I thought were interesting. I still think the same way.
MM: What was the process of making That Party That One Night? Can you speak about your process conceptually as well as the logistical planning aspect?
MF: That Party That One Night is inspired by my love of growing up on John Hughes films. Molly Ringwald was my Queen and I had always wanted to make a coming age story. The short is a proof of concept film for a feature that is loosely based on me and my friends in High School. Its about that last week of school and every seems to have a plan for their future except this girl. She has always been this socially awkward girl who didn’t quite fit in and just really wants it all to be over with. She gets pressured into going to a party where she gets ditched by her friends but ends up in a parking lot with the boy she’s had a crush on for years. I basically had this scene in the feature that I couldn’t get to work within the context of the film but I kept going back to this memory and this night . So I sat down and wrote it as a short because I felt that it must be something if I keep thinking about it.
I ended up getting this micro budget grant from The Bureau of Creative Works to make it. Since I had just finished the script days before I got the grant I hadn’t really thought about making it. But I had this grant so I just went for it. The budget was super small and I basically begged friends to work for lower rates and borrowed whatever props and locations I could. I'm also part of the Los Angeles Women’s Film Collective so I leaned on all these wonderful ladies to help me find talent and crew and resources. Along with some funds from a good friend that I’ve known since age 14 who saw something in the film he liked and kicked in the extra funding to make it work. I only had 2 days to shoot it and a bare bones crew. But we all came together really fast and were able to get it done.
The whole film from start (writing it) to finish (festival premiere) took 3 1/2 weeks. It is kind of insane to do to work at that speed. I wouldn’t do it again. I mean we edited this film in 4 days editor, Jaffe Zinn and myself got real sick and we had 102 fevers and chills and were up till 4 am editing for 3 nights straight in my back studio. Then I'd get up and help my kids get ready for school, sleep for a few hours and then get back to work. Part of the reason we did it that way was because we went to edit the film and had to get a trial editing program and only had free use for 5 days. So we just said fuck it and went for it. We made it work and we only sacrificed our health for a week, HA! I also tend to work really fast on projects. I just don’t think you need to spend months or have big budgets on a short films.
MM: What are you working on now?
MF: I recently won the Sun Valley Short Film Lab with a short film script I wrote called , Who Decides, about who decides when its your time to die. I just finished shooting that film.
MM: Is there anything else you would like to add? Advice for women in the arts? Festival tips?
MF: I’m not sure I have any advice that hasn’t already been said already, especially for women. Female artists are amazing,we’re killing it everyday and its inspiring. I like to ask myself, Who am I? What do I have to say? How do I want to say it? And then I just go out and do that.If you’re doing it for any other reasons then whatever you produce won’t be authentic and you’re doing yourself and others a great disservice.
As far as festivals go…know that festivals are just one of many tools in your toolshed.There are many ways to get a film seen. Research, make a plan, don’t spend all your money on submissions and know that rejections and acceptances don’t mean what you think they mean. Also,just go to a festival as an audience person, watch movies. This might be your only chance to see all these amazing films being made that you might not see otherwise…especially short films.
Wenting Li lives in Toronto where she illustrates vibrant pieces that are thick with layers of color and expansive, solid figures. She has also been known to work in ceramics, and bakes extravagant cakes, too! We were invited to have a slice- we'd have invited you too, but it’s hard to share...
“I’ve heard art school isn’t necessary, but I think it really shaped me into who I am today. So go to art school if you can, but be realistic and cautious because it can be a big investment, especially if you go to school in America, and even commercial art is not necessarily a route that offers return on investment. But also don’t feel chained to a school once you get there – my first school was not for me, and art school isn’t for everyone either. “
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Wenting Li: When I was younger my favourite things were drawing elaborate imaginary scenes onto scrap computer paper, and reading novels nonstop. I didn’t pursue art actively (my immigrant parents thought being an artist was about on par with my early ambition of growing up and becoming a cat), but once I found out what illustration was in college I dropped out to go to art school & haven’t looked back. I’m still discovering things about images & the world in general, and being surprised all the time which can be unsettling but is never boring.
MM: Is there a "dream project" you would like to work on?
WL: My career has barely begun, there are so many! There are a lot of editorial clients I’d love to work with in future (I have a spreadsheet), and personal projects I want to make time for, and skills I didn’t pick up in art school but want to learn... And I want to make sure I follow the work, in an increasingly digital world. If younger me were to answer this question though, it would 100% be to illustrate a book cover. And I would add, particularly something by Rebecca Stead, or a short story collection, or for Tor.com!
MM: What do you want people to know about you, as an artist and as a person?
WL: I’m still figuring out how to be an artist & a person – I’m very curious about everything, and worried about how we’re collectively destroying our planet & also how unkind we are to one another but especially to those who are different from ourselves, and I make a lot of mistakes all the time. I also love baking elaborate cakes! You should come over & have a slice.
MM: Do you have advice for readers aspiring to be freelance illustrators? Where do you begin?
WL: This is probably very different for everyone – I’ve heard art school isn’t necessary, but I think it really shaped me into who I am today. So go to art school if you can, but be realistic and cautious because it can be a big investment, especially if you go to school in America, and even commercial art is not necessarily a route that offers return on investment. But also don’t feel chained to a school once you get there – my first school was not for me, and art school isn’t for everyone either.
Don’t be complacent. Take advantage of the resources, your peers, the diversity of classes across disciplines, your instructors. Go to talks, go to gallery openings and talk to people even if it’s a little bit hard to leave the house or open your mouth, explore widely, start cold emailing art directors before you graduate, take strangers whose work you love out to coffee (illustrators/ creatives tend to be incredibly open & generous with their time), be nice, be hungry, ask questions, do research, make spreadsheets. When I was just starting to learn about illustration I also found Sam Weber’s podcast, Your Dreams My Nightmares a good place to start though this is by no means the only/authoritative illustration podcast out there.
MM: Can you say what you are working on now?
WL: Right now I’m working on a few editorial jobs, and waiting to hear back from some bigger clients – fingers crossed. If they don’t get back I’ll be using any extra time to pack for a move into the damp mouth of hell (tiny sliver-windowed basement in the city – thanks to a horror-obsessed childhood friend I can't get it out of my head that basements are the devil's doorway).
Marika Makaroff is the producer and the founder of Gutsy Media, a media group dedicated to creating meaningful content (but, you know, in fun ways). Under the leadership of Makaroff, who is the acting Executive Producer/Creative Director, Gutsy is creating an adaptation of Tove Jansson's cherished Moomin series, and we can't wait to see it!
“I wanted to work with a company that has the same values that I have - after working with the biggest media houses in the world I felt that this was just the right time to create my own company.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Marika Makaroff: I started my career in media working with radio documentaries in Finnish public Broadcaster YLE. I have always loved to tell stories that have a true impact to the audience, so for the last 20 years I have worked both in high class entertainment and drama, producing and creating new shows for international broadcasters.
I also love to work with creative teams and find the right people for each production. Right now I have a privilege to work with a wonderful Moomin team that includes the Oscar winning director Steve Box, and Bafta- and Emmy winning producer John Woolley among others.
For me the creative challenge is always to think new, be true to the story and produce with the highest quality.
I love the whole creative process from idea to the execution, so that the promise we make to the channels at early stage is kept all the way.
MM: How did you decide to create your own studio?
Marika: I wanted to work with a company that has the same values that I have - after working with the biggest media houses in the world I felt that this was just the right time to create my own company. Now we have actually 3 companies; Gutsy Media that is working with a global peace movement, Gutsy Animations working with the Moomin series, and Gutsy UK in Bristol, working with our British team.
MM: Congratulations on your upcoming Moomin adaption! How true to the original do you plan to be? What unexpected challenges, if any, have you had to overcome?
Marika: Thank you! It is amazing production and we have a huge responsibility since we have the rights to produce Moomin TV series for the next 20 years! The biggest challenge for us is to honour Tove Jansson´s original spirit in the Moomin stories and still bring the stories up to date. Our ambition is to do a prime time drama animation that is targeted to the wide co-viewing family audience - that is a true challenge but I have been really happy about what we have done so far.
MM: Do you have advice for emerging artists?
Marika: I think that you have to be really true to yourself - do what is right for your mind and heart.
MM: Is there anything you want the audience to know about you?
Marika: One weird detail, every now and then I have taken my guitar during summertime and played as a street musician. It is a good way to meet new people and it keeps you really humble…
Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator whose earnest and dreamy comics have inspired many, and led to her publishing three books before she graduated school! Now a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, she is living in Berlin and working on comics full time.
“So much of my work is autobiography and even my fiction is full of layers of myself, and it feels like I already give a lot to my audience, to the world in general. And that can lead to this very warped thing, which I’m guilty of doing myself, where when you read a person's body of work you really feel like you know them. When in reality you know their work, not the person.”
Muse’s Milk: Tell us your story.
Tillie Walden: Sure, let’s see. I grew up in New Jersey and Texas and started making comics in High School. After HS I went to the Center for Cartoon Studies to pursue comics making (a regular 4-year art college didn’t feel like the right path to me), and graduated from there. While in school I published 3 books with the London based Avery Hill Publishing, and also started on the comic that would become my upcoming graphic memoir Spinning with First Second. Now I make comics full time, and am currently living/working in Berlin, Germany. Because, well, why not.
MM: How do you plan out your comics? How much pre production do you go through before inking?
TW: I’m not a planner. I am a planner when it comes to my actual life, but in comics, not so much. There’s often little to no planning before I get going on a project. Often I don’t even know what a characters looks like until I start drawing them in the final art! That being said, there is still a process. I’ll occasionally make lists that bullet point ideas or concepts I’d like to include in the story. And I’ll always take my time bordering out my pages with my ruler and a pencil. But outside of that, I basically just pick up a page and a pen and go for it. I like to ink without penciling beforehand, I find it much more fun.
I have a process image for you - and here’s the story behind it. In the summer before my second year at CCS, I got in touch with Avery Hill Publishing (who I had just finished my first book with) and told them I had an idea for a new story. Rather then explain the idea, I just sat down with a stack of printer paper and quickly drew out a rough version of the whole book in an afternoon. They read it, they loved it, and that became my second book I Love This Part. I’ll attach some of the images from that raw version I drew!
MM: Do you have a piece you are most proud of?
TW: That’s such an interesting question to me, because in a way I’m proud of everything I’ve done, and every piece and every comic means something different to me. But I’ll try and get less philosophical and answer your question. I’d probably have to go with Spinning, the graphic memoir I did that is coming out later this year. It’s not that this book feels superior or even significantly more advanced than anything else I’ve done, I’m just proud of the sheer fact that I finished it. It was endlessly and tirelessly emotional to make that book, to the point where there were times where I would just cry while I drew. And goddammit, I’m proud I finished it. I’m proud I made it.
MM: Are there other art forms you have considered pursing? For instance, do you think you would ever turn to storyboarding? Or maybe woodblock printing comics? I'm certain you can do anything.
TW: You’re too kind! I’ve done some storyboarding and a surprising amount of printmaking (I had a lovely printmaking teacher, makes all the difference.) But when I think about other art forms that I’d like to pursue I tend to move very far from comics. I’m interested in song writing and composition (I play cello and guitar) and I think I’d enjoy making music. I’m also sort of fascinated with directing films, not that that is anything that I really know anything about. But it’s sort of a quiet, curious dream of mine.
MM: What do you want people to know about you, as an artist and as a person?
TW: Oh that’s hard! Is it strange that my inclination is to answer.. that.. I don’t really want people to know anything more about me? So much of my work is autobiography and even my fiction is full of layers of myself, and it feels like I already give a lot to my audience, to the world in general. And that can lead to this very warped thing, which I’m guilty of doing myself, where when you read a person's body of work you really feel like you know them. When in reality you know their work, not the person. Two different things entirely, in my mind. I guess what I’d want people to know is that my comics are my job, my passion, and what I share with the world. But they aren’t me, and I doubt I’ll ever feel differently.
MM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
TW: I’m reading Harry Potter for the first time (very behind my generation) and it’s very exciting. I somehow managed to be so disconnected from my fellow children that I never heard any spoilers, so it’s all new to me. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but I hope Harry is ok in the end!
