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Rising Stars
Rona Liu Production Designer, Turning Red, Pixar Age: 34 Birthplace: NanChang, China School: Art Center College of Design First time I knew I wanted to work in animation: I’ve been captivated by the magic of animation since I first saw The Little Mermaid as a young girl and would spend weekend mornings pausing each frame and drawing them. I have always loved drawing but didn’t know that animation was a career option until I was in college. What I love about my job: I’m excited every morning thinking about the amazing friends at work I get to collaborate with. While working on Turning Red, there’d be moments I’d feel emotional just thinking about how beautiful and fresh the final film is going to look. And the end result is truly fantastic because of how well we
all worked together. Toughest part of my job: The majority of Turning Red was made with us working from home. Every person was affected by the pandemic and was juggling something uniquely to them. We worked hard finding new ways of collaborating and connecting over Zoom. The thing that benefitted us was the fact that so many of us have worked together for years, and we had the trust and bond to get us through this challenge. Animation role models: Our director, Domee Shi! I’m in awe of her vision and her boldness. I cannot wait to see how she inspires a new generation of filmmakers. Favorite animations growing up: Sailor Moon, SpongeBob, all of the Disney Renaissance films. Turning Red and Ratatouille are two of my favorite Pixar films. Best career advice: Take all of the portfolio criteria with a grain of salt and put in the work that inspires and excites you. Because if you’re excited, then others will see and feel your excitement, too.
Juston Gordon-Montgomery Creator, Untitled New Show, Cartoon Network/HBO Max (details are hush-hush!) Age: 30 Birthplace: Los Angeles School: Otis College of Art and Design First animation job: Production intern at Film Roman What I love about my job: The creative freedom at my current job is particularly gratifying. The biggest challenge: I donʼt feel like any one thing is the ‘biggestʼ challenge. Everything is challenging to some degree,
you just hope you can be flexible enough to navigate it. Animation influences and idols: Nineties and early 2000s Disney and Pixar probably had the biggest influence and impact on me growing up. Fave show growing up: Seinfeld. Best career advice: Bet on yourself! Future plans: I’ve been fortunate enough to have a show I pitched get greenlit at Cartoon Network Studios. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and I’ll be writing and showrunning on that for the foreseeable future.
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april 22
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