Today we’d like to introduce you to GiAnna Ligammari.
Hi GiAnna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi, I’m GiAnna but everyone in LA calls me GiA. I’m a visual storyteller who loves horror, drag, absurdism, and comedy. I grew up in niagara falls, ny. not much going on there, to be honest. (The nature is nice!) i went to university for animation and illustration at suny fredonia. i’ve loved the internet and networking with artists online since a very young age. (maybe too young!) i honestly think it’s what got me into the industry, though. those online connections. In 2016 i had an internship at titmouse, and made a lot of friends there. after a small break back home, i landed my first job as a story revisionist on the angry birds movie 2. ever since then there’s been an escalation of my career like a speed train. i worked on show after show, even stronger so in the pandemic. it came to a jarring halt around mid 2023… which has been exceedingly difficult considering the great momentum i had in an industry i loved very much. even still, my proudest achievement so far has been creating and producing my own short with cartoon network. hopefully some day people can see the hard work everyone put in from the cartoon cartoons program.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
it’s never been a smooth road, per say. i feel like the people i met along the way- especially those who taught me how important paying forward your skills and knowledge are to everyone in the animation industry- those are the people are who made the road less bumpy. my biggest struggle is how, post-strikes and negotiations, i just cannot seem to find consistent work like i used to. if i do, its a really cool project that gets cancelled 6 months in. it’s very demoralizing and stressful. i am scrappy so i keep the fire in me alive about it. i’m very proud of what i’ve accomplished so far. i want to stick around so i can keep learning from amazing people and incredible teams, even when it’s hard…
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
i think my work comes from this desire to preserve what it felt like to draw as a kid. i went to a fine arts school so i have the technical skills in my head, but i also have younger me in my head, and she wants to draw things that bring her joy. i had someone tell me my work looked “juvenile on purpose” before. i actually took it as a compliment because i really do try to preserve the playfulness of being so in love with what you’re drawing that your imagination races faster than your hands. my shape language is graphic, my lines are wobbly, everything is done to honor little gia. i can pull out some cool tricks with perspective or whatever to elevate her ideas, but she’s always the boss. a very bossy 12 year old, i may add.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
i’m sure many people can relate to coming here from a smaller city. i’ve always been inspired to stretch in new directions for adventure. there’s still so much i don’t even know about in LA. i thrive when i explore new subcultures. It’s is vibrant, breathing, and as a community we come together making new possibilities from all different cultural backgrounds. I’ve always felt like animation people know how to pay it forward to new artists breaking in, because someone did the same for them once. i am constantly learning and refreshing my world views here. If I had to critique anything, well, i wish the city stayed up later. 10 years here and i still can’t get over how a lot of late night spots either never existed or vanished after pandemic. i miss coffee shops i could go work at all ridiculous hours. for instance, crave cafe had great late hours when i first moved here. me and my bright eyed bushy tailed animation friends would go there all the time to get good at our craft. bourgeoise pig was also so cool and had the weirdest hours but that made it so damn special. i found it as an intern in my first months living here. Now cafes have time limits of how long you’re allowed to sit there. So in response to that, I curate a lot of group projects with my peers. I also host a lot of get togethers for artists in publicly available spaces. We should be taking up space! Go to the burbank town center and sit on one of the 350 lounge chairs and draw with your friends!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.virtualgia.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/virtualgia.zip
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gialigammari/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@virtualGI4
- Other: https://linktr.ee/virtualgia
Image Credits
@fourpercentvision, artist portrait
