Today we’d like to introduce you to Steffany Rodriguez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It feels like it has been a very long journey getting here today. I have been working in the industry for 4+ years now and I still have moments where it hits me that I am working my dream job.
Like many artists, working in animation had been a dream of mine since I was a kid. The first movie that inspired me to want to work in this field was “The Prince of Egypt.” The storytelling, music and visuals are so powerful and still stand today as one of the most visually stunning animated films of all time. My journey to get to where I am today has been filled with a lot of obstacles and self-doubt, but when I had a full-circle moment after getting my first job in the industry, I knew that the best decision I could have made was not ever giving up.
Between taking my first art class in 4th grade to getting my first job I ended up going on a few detours. My parents encouraged my love of art until it came time for college applications. Like many parents, they were unsure about the stability of the art industry and encouraged me to pursue a more steady, reliable field. So I ended up attending UC Riverside as a chemistry major to pursue forensics, but later switched to anthropology. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt like animation was still calling to me. I even briefly worked at Disneyland hoping to get my foot in the door. Nope. Not even close. But, it was a great experience for a shy college student like me. After a few years I finally decided to pursue animation more seriously and not stop until I made it.
I took several classes around LA which ultimately led me to Art Center College of Design. Classes at Art Center were truly as difficult as they were rumored to be. It was an intense experience. Towards the end of my time there I took a background design and paint class taught by the legendary Mike Humphries and loved it. It ended up being a great decision because when I was a teacher’s assistant for one of my instructors, Barry Jackson, he used to look at my homework from that class and give me feedback. When Barry started art directing on a show called “Victor & Valentino” at Cartoon Network, he brought me on as a background painter. This is when I had my full-circle moment. Barry had worked on the “Prince of Egypt.” Not only that, but the show centered around Mesoamerican mythology and lore and since UCR didn’t have a forensics anthropology program but were widely known for archaeology and cultural anthropology, the majority of my classes centered around Mesoamerican history! Maybe these were just small coincidences but I like to think otherwise.
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 definitely has not been a smooth road. I commuted fifty miles one-way three times a week during off-season/during school and then worked full time during peak seasons when I was attending UCR and working at Disneyland. It was very difficult, it was draining, and I didn’t get anywhere close to a foot in the door like I thought I would. When I had to switch majors at UCR (math is very hard), I thought it was a sign to apply to their arts program. However, at the time the art department wasn’t accepting new students. It was defeating at first, but later I realized it was meant to be. When I finally did end up going to art school it was scary and so difficult sometimes I thought I didn’t belong there and I wanted to give up many, many times. I worked extra hard to submit scholarship portfolios each term and even worked for extra money since I already had one set of loans from attending UCR and then more once I started attending Art Center. I also used to be extremely shy. I was less so when I started working at Disneyland but I reverted back to shyness a bit when at Art Center. I used to force myself to go to networking and social events by myself so that I was forced to talk to people. It was stressful and difficult on a personal level, but it’s much easier now and I have made a lot of great friends and connections this way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a background artist for TV animation but also work in visual development as well. I am most known for painting and am very much a ‘shape’ person. I really enjoy designing environments and playing with color and light. Since my first job at Cartoon Network I have worked for Warner Bros., SpinMaster, Pat&Mike Prod. and most recently Netflix Animation. I am most proud that I didn’t give up on this dream and that I learned a lot about myself and grew so much, personally and professionally throughout this journey. I think I was lucky in that I had a lot of support from friends and family, but in the end it was me who had to put in the work and practice, networking, and just do my best and hope it would work out. I think that all of my past experiences leading up to now have helped me become adaptable and a good problem-solver.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I enjoy trying or learning new things or going new places (or even old places!) I am not extremely adventurous or anything but I do enjoy traveling or going to unique experiences if I can. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family and my cat Olive. And finally, I just enjoy my work! It makes me happy to be fortunate enough to enjoy what I do and hopefully, I am able to do it for a long time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.steffrodart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steffrodart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffany-rodriguez
