Today we’d like to introduce you to Bao Er Ho.
Hi Bao, 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.
I started out as a dreamer in small town Kuching, Malaysia. I wanted to be an animator! There was little to no animation industry in Malaysia back then. So, I stepped out of my comfort zone into Singapore, Virgina and eventually to LA, where I got my first job as a previs animator, I had a lot of fun working in movies like Ad Astra (2019), Ford V Ferrari (2019), Moonfall (2022), to name a few for a good 3 years. And now, I am an animator at Arrivant, heavily involved in their exciting blockchain gaming franchise – Project Eluüne: StarGarden.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Animation was not a thing in my town when I first started to chase the dream. Trying to get into animation programs overseas was tough. There was one point in time I didn’t know where to start and didn’t know where I would end up at. The next struggle was to get a final animation job. I had started out as a pre-visualization artist. Previs happens pretty early in the filmmaking process. It requires quick turnarounds and therefore animations don’t need much detail or finesse. It has more emphasis on storytelling and cinematography. As much as I liked it, I had always wanted to work in finals animation. After my 9 to 7 work hours, I stayed at my computer animating, creating my final animation portfolio. Through some years and some recommendations from friends, I got my first final animation job at Arrivant! I am loving it!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been working on Project Eluüne: StarGarden for a few months now. It is fun and a valuable learning experience. A little bit about StarGaden – it is a team-based, auto-chess battler with RPG mechanics play-to-own game. The story of StarGarden is set in a sci-fi fantasy universe with amazing beautiful dangerous creatures. I have the absolute pleasure to animate these creachies! Working with Craig McPherson (head of Production), JT James (Principal Game Systems Designer), and Derek Pastuszek (Chief Story Architect), we come up with the attacks, special abilities, and personalities of these fascinating creachies based on their domain and backstory. We aim to showcase these fun personalities and cool attacks in hopes that players will feel more connected to them, piquing their curiosity to learn more about the lore of StarGarden.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Aiman Samat! He is a talented VFX artist and filmmaker. He currently works at Ingenuity Studios. Some of his VFX work is featured in Solos (2021), Young Rock (2021), The Boys (2020) to name a few. On the side, he has a YouTube channel where he directed short films and an Instagram account where he does short VFX bits. I worked with him on a few of those side projects as an animator. His quirky style makes it fun, and his clear vision constantly pushes me to learn more. He had put our cat; Wayne in the Godzilla Vs. Kong trailer, and it is one of my favorite videos on the internet! He is just a hardworking, creative person who is passionate about his work. I am proud of him, and I can’t wait to see what he is going to do next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fionahobaoer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_fionaho_/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/baoerho
Image Credits
Arrivant
