Interview with Songyi Lee

I created a short animated film as my portfolio for applying to an animation position. The story is a romance between a man and a woman centered around the theme of a lottery.

The overall workflow was as follows: story development > character concept and sketches > storyboard > pre-visualization > character modeling in Maya > rigging > environment modeling > texturing in ZBrush > animation > lighting > rendering > compositing in After Effects.

I believe that the foundation is the most important part of any project. Thoroughly organizing the storyboard and pre-visualization before starting production can save time during the later stages and ultimately improve the quality of the portfolio. Even if the early stages feel tedious and you are eager to begin the actual production, I strongly recommend completing the foundational work as thoroughly as possible.

Another thing that may seem obvious, but which I learned the hard way, is the importance of file management. Always keep backups. I recommend backing up all your files in as many places as possible, such as your desktop, laptop, and external hard drives.

I would also advise against entering the lab without any preparation. I have seen several people come into the lab without a clear understanding of which field they wanted to pursue or what kind of portfolio they wanted to create, and end up wandering without direction.

Once you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and have started working in the lab, don't struggle alone when you encounter difficulties. Ask the instructors at the lab for advice and assistance.

I wasn't able to do this myself, but I also hope that you will get to know the people at the lab and enjoy working together. SFFS Lab was the place that helped give shape to what had once been a vague dream.

I received a great deal of help from Instructor Choi Sang-jae, and thanks to his support, I was able to complete Lucky Dream. Thank you, Teacher Choi, for always pushing me whenever my workflow slowed down or I became lazy!

After working in the lab for nearly a year, I became very attached to the place. Although it has been several months since I last set foot in the lab, completing my portfolio and writing this reflection makes me realize that I am truly leaving the lab, which leaves me with a lot of mixed feelings.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helped me along the way. I learned and gained so much during my time at the lab. I will always do my best to become a great animator. Thank you for everything!