Today we’d like to introduce you to Ankita Panda.
Hi Ankita, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m an animator/Motion designer based in LA, originally from India. I came to LA in 2017 for grad school at USC’s animation program and have been working, freelancing and living in LA since. I started animating in 2014 when I was in India. I worked in Film, TV broadcast and advertising in Mumbai, making short animated films on the side. Presently I am working as an animator/motion designer at Mediamonks LA. I am also a 2D and 3D motion graphics freelancer and have just started my own design store – BLANK__IT – to sell my artwork on sustainable, recycled cotton blankets.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have always been lucky enough to be supported by family, friends and colleagues throughout all my creative endeavors. The only major challenge I have faced in my academic and professional career – is moving so far away from home to be able to be creatively fulfilled. Sometimes its gets hard to not see family or visit home for a straight couple of years.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an animator and designer. I focus on motion design and editing for 2D and 3D media for a variety of platforms – such as commercials, social media, projection, live events, etc. My work can be found at ankitapanda.com and @ankitap1994 on Instagram. I recently worked on a docuseries for HBO Max called Heaven’s Gate. Prior to that, I have worked for multiple motion design and projection shows for the Getty Museum and Getty villa. I was also funded by the Fox fellowship to make a film – Pause, Play, Repeat – that has been screened at a number of festivals internationally. This is also the project I am most proud of since I was able to learn a lot – creatively and technically – while directing and animating this film.
Currently, I have started my own store called ‘BLANK__IT’ – an initiative that demonstrates my strong passion for geometric art and pattern making. With elegant design and quality products at its core, BLANK__IT focuses on featuring unique, vibrant artwork woven onto sustainably produced blankets. This is the website. – www.blankit.store and Instagram handle – @blank__it. Apart from my passion for design and animation – I think what sets me apart from others is my versatility and quick learning abilities. I am able to adapt and work through a number of styles, can learn technical tools pretty quick and can deliver for a variety of platforms. Since I like working on short-form animation projects, I am able to understand the production process for different workflows and can easily work and collaborate with a team. I also really believe that – time is money – and I aim to work effectively as well as efficiently. Growing up in an extremely competitive environment in India, the shift to LA has been pretty easy to adjust to!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important thing when it comes to success- is creating and delivering quality work on time. Efficiency is as important as being effective and I think ensuring quality along with punctuality is what I think has enabled me to succeed so far.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ankitapanda.com
- Instagram: @ankitap1994. and @blank__it
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ankita.panda.161
- Other: www.blankit.com
