Meet Megan Arceno of Van Nuys

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Arceno.

Hi Megan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My face was always plastered to the television when I was growing up, watching cartoons and 2D animated movies. Spongebob, Fairly Odd Parents, Mulan, and Spirited Away, played on repeat in our house. The hand-drawn quality of these cartoons, characterized by weighted outlines and vibrant colors, visually intrigued me. So inspired, I didn’t even realize I was teaching myself drawing fundamentals every time I replicated the iconic characters in my sketchbooks. Over time, my curiosity for visual storytelling blossomed into a passion as I began creating short cartoon strips using my own characters and stories. Others began to see my artistic sensibilities and, in school, I was often tasked with making our group projects look pretty for display.

I knew I loved art but I didn’t know how to go about pursuing it as a career, especially when the pandemic hit while I was still in high school, which threw a whole new curveball into my creatively inspired dreams. For a variety of reasons, it made the most sense for me to begin at a local community college, Santa Monica College (SMC), where I pursued Studio Art. SMC also offered animation classes, which allowed me the opportunity to take an extra year and earn a certificate in Animation Foundation. From there, I was able to transfer into the Animation department at Otis College of Art and Design. While at Otis, one of my most influential mentors, Austin Hyde, introduced me to Motion Design – a type of animation more focused on typography and graphic design as opposed to traditional Disney-style character animation. I soon realized this was the type of art I wanted to continue doing. In the second semester of my junior year, I was able to switch my major to Motion Design, and also graduate a year after – which was only a few months ago in the Spring of 2026. On this precipice of my life as I look into the future, I am excited to see how I will continue growing, finding new inspiration , improving my technical skills, creating, and learning as I pursue a career in Motion Design.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a first gen, Filipina-American, it definitely was a difficult choice to become an artist. To pursue anything other than a medical career in my family, immediately labeled me a black sheep. I always felt a cultural pressure to fulfill the “American Dream”, and in my family that meant I needed to pick a career that guaranteed financial success, which also meant picking a stereotypically “safe” career. Becoming a nurse was especially encouraged. My family was one of the many Filipino families that feared the dreaded fate of the “starving artist”, a preconception rampant in much of the community I grew up in. “Keep art your hobby and choose a smart career” was a phrase I heard often, starting from a very young age. It was a sentiment that plagued many of my Filipino peers who also enjoyed the arts, but who were ultimately discouraged and pivoted back to the “safe” route; most of them became nurses in an effort to satisfy their parents and ensure their financial futures.

However, I knew I wasn’t going to be happy if I didn’t do something I wasn’t passionate about. Plus I’ve now witnessed many cautionary tales of peers who chose the “safe” path, became nurses, hated their careers, and quit. So, instead, I continuously worked hard and overachieved, showing my family that no matter what I decided to do, I was always going to give it my all and do my best to make it work. Gradually, they recognized my ambition and accepted that I was going to be in the art industry no matter what. In the end, they have become some of my biggest supporters.

A large part of my recent growth has come from realizing that my family’s fears and their harsh expectations were because they wanted the best for me, especially since we didn’t have a lot growing up. Being immigrants, they had to assimilate to American culture while also relying on what they learned back home. Nursing was —as still is— emphasized as a worthy, safe, and honorable career path in Filipino culture. I can’t blame them entirely for their experiences or the conclusions they (and many in our culture) made in the aftermath, because it was all they knew. With time and lots of internal work, I now harbor empathy for my family—and myself, while also being able to separate myself from their preconceived ideas of how the world works.

As of now, I am carving my own path and dismantling generational cycles. I strive to be the representation that I didn’t have growing up, and inspire young brown girls to do what might feel taboo and scary: to make art, to pursue their passion, and to be truly happy. We —and our voices and creative contributions— deserve to be seen and heard too.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a Junior Motion Designer, I work most closely in Adobe After Effects and Cinema4D. I am continuing to hone in on my special niche, so experimenting with various media and assets to create unique visual systems has been extremely fun. I do both 2D and 3D animation, and love combining the two mediums when I have the chance. Some projects I’ve done include: title sequences for trailers, product advertisements, vector character animation, and sports broadcast graphics. I want to continue to learn as much as I can and diversify my craft.

Recently, I finished an internship at Two Fresh Creative, a sports graphics studio based in LA. We created a Spec Graphics Package for “NBA on CBS Sports.” Typically studios would hire freelance designers and animators to work on a specific part in the graphics package. However, to get the full experience, the other interns and I went through the entire production pipeline, from ideation to final product. We first designed style frames reflecting CBS’ brand identity and went through multiple iterations until we received approval. After a couple of weeks, we animated the style frames to create the transitions, player cards, and match up interstitials. Finally, we composed the assets on top of footage and presented it to everyone. My favorite part of the entire experience was collaborating with multiple talented artists and feeling inspired.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
As cliche as it may sound, I truly wouldn’t have been able to pursue art if it weren’t for the love and support from my immediate support system. I am grateful for my friends and family who have been my rocks and continued to motivate me to keep pushing, putting one foot in front of the other, even when they didn’t understand the kind of work I was doing. I am especially appreciative of my family since I know how much it’s taken for them to be part of my support system. For them to change their beliefs and trust in me and my choice to pursue this career, it often gives me the extra boost when I’m feeling tired or stuck.

Secondly, I am so grateful for Amy Cheng and the rest of the people at Two Fresh Creative. Amy was a ray of positivity and an integral part in helping me start my career as a Motion Designer. Additionally, the community of talented artists at Two Fresh not only taught me the technicalities of Motion Design, but showed me the positive impact of community and collaboration when working on big projects. The kindness and support I felt from everyone helped me grow immensely as an artist.

Finally, I am eternally thankful for my cousin Kim Dimaunahan and her husband Austin Hyde. They were the ones who introduced me to Motion Design in the first place. And, long before anyone else in my family, they were the first to actively encourage me to pursue the arts. They helped me through school and offered me space when I was exhausted from commuting from the valley and Otis’ campus in West LA. They have provided me with so many opportunities and so much support, they helped little Megan accomplish her dream of being an artist. And, for all of that and more, I can never thank them enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meganarceno.myportfolio.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marceno/