Check Out Arina Andriushchenko’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arina Andriushchenko.

Hi Arina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Originally I’m from Sochi, Russia. In Russia, we have eleven grades of school, but I finished only ten because I was able to pass two years in one. After graduating from high school, I could not figure out my path for a very long time. At school, I was very passionate about the natural sciences, especially chemistry and biology. My teachers and relatives saw me as a promising doctor or scientist. I could see that either. However, in addition to school, I graduated from art school and have an incomplete musical education. Being an artistic person, I performed at various stages, wrote music for some promising bands, and also wrote a few soundtracks for films. Nevertheless, I thought it was a just hobby, even if it brought me some minimal income.

After high school, I did not listen to my desire to be an artist. I chose the path of medicine. I went to cold and snowy Moscow, which was another challenge for a person who lived the whole life in the southern region. I cannot say that I regret it. Overall, it helped me to develop myself as an adult person. In the modern world, knowledge of medicine is extremely helpful. However, getting my medical education, I felt like my artistic personality was locked away. I felt betrayed by myself. I started writing stories, mainly about this feeling of being locked up and how easy it was to be a child, how great and carefree it was. In the third year of study, I realized that I could no longer continue and even decided to change the institute to a literary one, but I did not dare. I did not believe that anyone would like my art. I sold one of my soundtracks for a feature film that became pretty popular in Russia, but I still did not believe in my artistic work.

And then it turned out that very famous Russian writers Tatyana Tolstaya and Maria Golovanivskaya organized courses called “Horoshiy Text” for people who are interested in creative writing. The members were competitively selected. I submitted my works on the last day of submission. More precisely, my mother insisted that I submit my work. I was chosen for both poetry and prose. I could not believe it. For the first time in my life, I felt some kind of recognition. Life in Moscow has ceased to be as miserable as it seemed to me at first. I found my circle of friends and got into the society of people with whom I became interested. I allowed my artistic nature to take off the shackles. I got so inspired by this feeling that wrote a story that got publication in the “Interview” magazine. The main editor of the “Interview Russia” magazine Aliona Doletskaya found my story good enough for publication. I was more than proud. I was stunned.

At that moment, I realized that I probably made a mistake in my time with the choice of profession. I was not ready for this decision. I tried myself in science, got higher education in a medical field, but still wasn’t happy. A year after graduation, I was deeply depressed, as I did not know what to do next. Seeing my suffering, my mother suggested that I look for a university abroad. I have reviewed many universities and colleges in Europe, Great Britain, and the United States. I thought I wanted to go for creative writing or screenwriting. To make sure that screenwriting is the right choice for me, I took a course “Story” by Robert McKee. After attending the course, I realized that I had no other road, and I had to go to Los Angeles. I chose New York Film Academy, and I was not mistaken. I am very grateful to the Academy, and I believe that this was the most correct choice in my life.

I entered the New York Film Academy as a screenwriter. I was delighted with Los Angeles, with the atmosphere at the university, with what we learn by doing. I visited the grave of my favorite writer, Ray Bradbury. I am very sorry that I did not have a chance to meet him alive. But I will mention Ray Bradbury’s contribution to my story later. I started studying screenwriting and noticed that I mostly write for comics, animation, and computer games. This was my main focus and interest. I came to the head of the department and asked if it was possible to make a profile course that would be dedicated to these fields. The head of the screenwriting department told me that if that’s what I’m interested in, then I should consider transferring to the department of 3D animation and visual effects. I discussed this decision with the head of the animation department, and we collectively decided that I should transfer. I did not bring my academic drawings to the United States, but I had a whole album of various anime sketches, as well as miniatures that I sculpted for DnD. That was enough to give me an animation shot. I would like to say that my knowledge of anatomy as a surgeon played a big role here. I believe that it was this combination of scientific knowledge and artistic talent that allowed me to transfer. I completed my extra education at UCLA as a game writer or if you wish a narrative designer because I had a desire and was lucky to be an adviser on some mythological elements in a AAA game. I was noticed by my dearest teachers Misha Klein and Tony Candelaria at the academy and I was honored to get into production. My talents as a surgeon and sculptor were essential in Stop Motion. I was invited as a set dresser, sculptor, and model maker. The world of animation amazed me.

And at that moment, I remembered Ray Bradbury and his best friend Ray Harryhausen. Who would have thought that I would actually follow the path of my favorite writer? This year the short film “The Vandal” with elements of Stop Motion animation, which I worked on, will be presented at the Cannes Film Festival this summer. I was also involved in the creation of advertisements for the Borderlands 3 game, Westworld Event for Dish TV, and a project for Trolli US. I found myself in a field that I as a schoolgirl, could not even imagine. I love Stop Motion, but I see how my passion for computer games absorbs me more and more. I am very interested in visual effects, especially environmental effects, and I also have a huge interest in game engines. I would like to see myself as a part of the team working on computer games. I am graduating from the New York Film Academy this summer semester and looking forward to becoming a full-fledged member of the team of artists working on a major game, animation, or film. I am sure that my difficult path and a large number of talents will help in the development of the industry and I will be able to make a great contribution as a scientist and artist.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road to art was as thorny as possible. It was a journey from self-rejection to becoming a very promising artist. It seems to me that the main problem with which I am struggling to this day is the inability to focus on one thing. I am a very versatile person, and I am fascinated by a lot. I am easily captured by something new, and I find the strength to achieve a certain success in one field or another. I am very fortunate to have been able to work on the Moondiver project for NASA, as well as discover the world of visual effects and games, as this is the combination of scientific and artistic, which I think is closest to the ideal that I envision. Now I realized that sometimes you don’t need to choose one thing, you just need to choose something that could combine all your talents. Of course, it’s hard to be far from home and not to be a native speaker, but it seems to me that this is no longer a problem. I consider myself a citizen of the world and I want to ensure that all borders are open for me. Moreover, with such excellent technology as the Internet, the world is open to communication. I was born in the 20th century, so I believe that our generation is engaging in a fascinating journey through time. Our world is fast-changing, and I am very happy to live and observe these changes.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I said, I am a multi-instrumentalist. My abilities include music composing, art illustration, creative writing, and screenwriting, as well as animation and game creation.

I write music in different genres, but I prefer soundtracks. I have experience in creating tracks for films and video games. However, I do not consider this to be the main direction in my creative work.

I create illustrations mainly for various projects, but I can also illustrate a book or make storyboards, for example, as I did for Cadillac advertisements. Also, I create sculptures and miniatures, which can be important for pre-visualization or set design. And also, I can create puppets for Stop Motion animation. Also, I can use Maya and ZBrush to sculpt a character in 3D.

However, my main focus is on 3D animation and VFX. I know a lot about the animation production process. My main focus is environmental art, lighting, and effects. In general, I am very interested in creating meteorological effects in games. Also, I can be helpful in narrative design for narrative-focused games. You can learn more about everything that I made on my website. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to learn more.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Ability to learn fast and improve. Also, the ability to work in a team and independent. I take a very responsible approach to solving the problem and do my best to present my skills in the best possible way. My friends jokingly call me a Renaissance woman, but they have a point. I would be interested in working on VR, AR or/and AI projects or medical imaging. In general, the more art intersects with science, the more involved I am at work. I love challenging tasks, which are puzzles for my brain. I love that.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://arinapsyche.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychewitch

Image Credits:
On pictures with me are: Aliona Doletskaya, Dean DeBlois, Robert McKee, the Missing Link LAIKA studios’ puppet, Anomalisa 3D printed heads in Starburns Industry Studio. Some pictures were made by Nathan Hacker and Diana Anpilohova.