Interview with Jein Choi

The story is about an iron horse that appears in a dark forest, becomes startled after hearing a wolf howl, and runs away. The production process followed this order: storyboard → modeling → texturing → rigging → animation → lighting → rendering → compositing → color correction and editing.

I think it is best to decide as early as possible which field you want to pursue and create a portfolio that clearly showcases your strengths in that area. It is also helpful to look at many portfolios created by other artists in the same field.

I focused on animation, but I became too ambitious about the overall visual quality of the video, which resulted in a somewhat unfocused portfolio, and I regret that a little. At the time, I didn't really understand what an animation portfolio was supposed to look like... I actually saw a proper animation portfolio for the first time in the middle of my own project.

Also, the longer the production takes, the more mentally exhausting it becomes. To shorten the production period, I recommend deciding on your specific field before entering the lab, preparing a storyboard in advance without trying to take on too much, and getting feedback from your instructor regularly throughout the process.

If possible, I recommend coming into the lab with your storyboard reasonably well developed. The quality and completeness of the storyboard can have a significant impact on the overall production time. And don't be too ambitious. I hope you create a portfolio that is realistic and manageable for you.

I think this was a place that helped me realize the level of skill I was actually capable of achieving. I learned a lot during the regular classes, but I was also able to learn many things in the lab.

Rather than working alone at home, coming to the academy, talking with my classmates and seniors, motivating each other, and sharing information made the lab feel like an atelier where I could enjoy working alongside others.

And, most importantly, there were the instructors! Whenever I had a problem or got stuck, I could ask them and immediately get help solving it. Having reliable instructors always there beside me gave me a great sense of reassurance.

My original plan was to finish in four or five months, but somehow it turned into nine months... It really feels like the time passed incredibly quickly. The lab is basically a time machine.

There were many trials and errors, as well as plenty of moments of panic, but I believe those experiences will help me grow even further.

I am a little disappointed that the final result doesn't look quite like a typical animation portfolio, but since I gave it my best, I am still satisfied with the result. It is also amazing to realize how much I have improved.

And to all the instructors whom I constantly bothered with all kinds of questions... thank you so much for patiently answering every single one of them.