We are Playgrounds: In Motion Event

I was able to attend the In Motion event this September. It’s an event dedicated to animation of all types. There were guest talks from Aaron Blaise, Patrick Okeef, and Anna Ginsburg. There were also talks from The Line studio and Studio AKA.

This is considered my first time attending an animation event, so it was my first time seeing the animation industry in the UK. I was both amazed and nervous, but overall I think it boosted my motivation and excitement for work.

The talks included many interesting topics, showcasing works, and experiences. But the number one talk that stuck with me was from Studio AKA. The representative mentioned an advice that stuck with me, which is the idea of taking on boring jobs. Personally, I’ve always thought about animation as fun projects that go worldwide and gain the interest of many people, but what I miss on is the steps that are needed before reaching this one. Taking on boring jobs in the animation industry comes with benefits, and that is spreading your reputation first.

The representative for Studio AKA also talked about passion projects, and that it’s okay for them to take years in production. He talked about his experience with his own passion project called Picatopia. It’s inspiring to see the long process of a project that grew into a real official one.

Patrick Okeef also gave a talk about his process on Spiderverse, what stuck with me the most is the importance of primary research. With almost everything being on the internet these days, we often forget how important it is to go out by ourselves to get the references we need. So, I think this point really opened my eyes to the significance of finding your own reference.