Interview with Minwoo Park

Hello, my name is Park Min-woo from Class 117.

For my portfolio, I chose Yoda, the iconic character from the Star Wars series, as my main concept because it has always been one of my favorite franchises. As I explored Yoda's personality and characteristics, I came up with an interesting story idea: "What if Yoda lost the Force?" Without the Force, Yoda would simply be an elderly man, and I built my storyboard around the situations he would experience in that condition.

After my storyboard was approved, I began sculpting the character in ZBrush. Once the sculpt was complete, I created the topology and refined the sculpt again, completing the entire modeling process in ZBrush. After finishing the model, I developed a subsurface scattering (SSS) shader to achieve realistic skin.

Next, I tested natural poses through rigging and moved on to character setup. I actually rebuilt the setup three different times, and by the end of the project, I joked that I had become a "setup master." One of the most important parts of the project was creating facial animation using blend shapes, which allowed me to bring the character to life. Once the animation was complete, I recreated the lighting based on reference footage I had shot and rendered the final images. The final compositing and visual effects were completed in Adobe After Effects.

The advice I want to share the most is: "Don't be impatient."

Like many others, I graduated from a university outside Seoul and moved here alone to study. There were times when I wondered why everyone else seemed to be getting jobs while I was still working on my portfolio. I questioned whether I would ever finish. But just as the earliest flower is not always the most beautiful, everyone blooms in their own season. I hope you can trust your own timing and stay focused on your portfolio.

From a production standpoint, my biggest advice is to prepare your concept and storyboard as thoroughly as possible.

During a Lucasfilm seminar, I learned that many overseas studios spend more than one-third of a project's production schedule on pre-production. That shows just how important the concept, storyboard, and previs are. If those are well prepared, you're much less likely to make major changes later in production. As a personal tip, I also recommend completing your live-action reference shoot and previs before starting animation.

The workshop is not only a place to learn but also a place to build lasting relationships. Don't focus only on your own portfolio—get to know the people around you. Those connections may become even more valuable than the portfolio itself.

To me, the SF Workshop is like a dungeon. Entering it can be intimidating, but the rewards and the growth you gain after completing it are well worth it. And, of course, it's always better to enter with a good party by your side.

Personally, I faced many challenges throughout my journey, but thanks to my classmates and friends at the workshop, those experiences have become wonderful memories.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank Instructor Choi Sang-jae, who guided me from the very beginning; Instructor Jo Guk-hyun, who encouraged me during the Digital Artwork course; Instructor Kim Sung-jun, who taught me so much at the research lab and the academy; Instructor Kang Seok-woo, who was always there whenever I ran into technical problems; as well as the director, managers, and all of the instructors at SF Film School.

I'll come back after achieving success.

Go, SF Film School!