Over the summer, Senior Kristie Song enrolled in an intensive arts program in animation at the California Institute of Arts. With a daring mindset, Song dove into art that would soon become her greatest passion. After finishing the program, one of her animations was ultimately featured in a Calarts video.
The summer program took place at the school’s campus in Valencia. To be accepted, Song filled out a long application and submitted a piece of her artwork to the CalArts Community Arts Partnership. She spent three weeks, from June 22 to July 9, practicing animation through mini projects and drawing sessions.
Projects included methods such as stop motion and pixelation, while art sessions focused on figure drawing. In the drawing sessions, a model posed for the students, who had to create sketches under certain time limits. Various poses aside, there was also a large selection of lighting used to provide students with a diverse experience.
“Figure drawing was really challenging, because you had to continuously adapt to a situation where the time limits keep changing,” Song said. “I feel like before the program, I kept it simple and drew what I liked—now, I know that art is spontaneous.”
Throughout the program, Song focused primarily on character animation. For her final project, Song chose a different approach and created an experimental animation—a display of abstract art—that featured eyes, vibrant colors, and morphing effects. A month and a half later, CalArtsCAP posted a YouTube video showcasing the animations of those who participated in the program.
“Kristie didn’t come in with any animation experience,” Student Instructor Ms. Renee Faundo said. “A lot of artists come into animation not knowing that it’s a very separate skill from drawing. I was really surprised as to how quickly she was able to grasp the process.”
Prior to the program, Song had no experience with animation and was accustomed to traditional visual arts like drawing and painting. Although she was still learning, it was evident that she had a talent for animation.
“She took the time to sign up for the class and come to it every day—for a young artist that can take a lot of courage,” Student Instructor Mr. Jack Turpin said. “When you make and present artwork, you’re basically putting your least filtered self out there for just whoever to see and it can definitely be scary and uncomfortable.”
Her instructors also noticed the effort and bravery Song dedicated to learning while she was in the program by stepping out of her comfort zone to try something new. Through her experience, Song hopes to inspire others to cross their boundaries and take the time to discover what they truly enjoy—just as she had the chance to do.
“It really was one of the best experiences of my life. I was around such interesting, artistically gifted people,” Song said. “It was intimidating at first, but towards the end, I really felt connected and comfortable with the people in the program.”
TCHS School Newspaper