Life & Work with Wren Petkov of Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wren Petkov.

Wren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
While growing up in sunny Sofia, Bulgaria I was always roping friends into making tiny films with me. I always loved drawing, but I never really thought you could do that and be a filmmaker. Of course I’d watched all the classics growing up, but it never clicked that animation was something a person could actually do until a family friend lent us his bootleg DVD of Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo! It made our tiny television screen come to life in a way I’d never seen before, and I knew I wanted to spend my life trying to make something like that.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Graduating high school at the height of the pandemic & moving across continents to start film school was maybe the hardest and most formative stretch of my life! Watching the totally different narratives that emerged during that time, and the ways people reacted to those stories – the way narrative can isolate us, or be the thing that makes us feel connected & like we’re a part of something larger. I felt so alone through much of that experience, and while I eventually found community, it really shaped who I am and what I want to do with my work. Of all the mediums of art, I think film is the most powerful – the “Empathy Machine”, and all that, right?

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Storyboard Artist in the animation industry, and an aspiring director! Most of my work is with independent studios, helping directors and writers translate their scripts into storyboards and animatics. I basically do the rough sketches of a film before the animation team builds it out! It’s my favorite part of the pipeline, because you’re the first person on a project to make decisions about camera, acting, & setting, and your decisions can really shape a film for the better or worse. When I’m not boarding, I’m developing personal projects to pitch to studios or produce independently! The one I’m proudest of is my graduation film, “You’ve Got This, Allie!”.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something I think people are usually surprised to learn about me (maybe because of my unusual name), is my diverse background – being an artist with Armenian/Persian heritage! Because so much of our culture has only been passed on through family stories, I feel a strong sense of duty in my work to make people’s lives better, not than just entertain. Stories can be so powerful, and I want mine to leave a positive impact on the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://storyfieldnotes.substack.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrebsart/