Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Hanjialin Bao.
Hi Amber, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am a Chinese storyboard artist based in Los Angeles, California. I have loved to draw since I was a child and have been professionally learning and practicing drawing since high school. After getting my undergrad degree in Graphic Design in China, I moved to the United States to further pursue my dream in Art and Drawing and earned my MFA degree from CSULB, where I luckily met with my mentor, who got me into storyboarding and the film industry, and I have since then fell in love with this word and found my calling in storyboarding.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say my journey is not “smooth” because I think I am very lucky to have discovered this field and found my passion in it comparatively early and been able to work and build my career in this field since then. With that said, I do want to say what makes it more difficult for me is that I mostly need to learn everything about storyboarding by myself and gradually improve my skills during the process of working in the field.
Although I have always been passionate about drawing, I still chose Graphic Design as my major in both my Bachelor’s and Master’s education for the sake of a “more secure career opportunity.” But during my studies, I found myself confused and lost in what I was looking for in my life and future until I found peace again in drawing. So, along with regular full-time schoolwork in Graphic Design, I practice sketches whenever I have time to improve my drawing skills, which I would say, even though really tiring at times, was really fulfilling because it was solely out of my passion and love and with no concrete job-related objectives. At the time, I had never even heard of this job called “storyboarding” to be honest, therefore I would always say I am very lucky to have found it as a way to realize my dream of doing what I love as a profession many years later, which not many people get to do.
During my post-graduate study at CSULB, I took a storyboard class for one semester where I only learned the basics about the storyboard and barely anything about the industry. But later, seeming like fate, while working full time as a graphic designer in an advertisement company, I got some contracted storyboarding jobs, which opened a small door for me to the field. So, during COVID, I found a job as an assistant for a storyboard artist. This work opportunity really professionally introduced me to the world of storyboarding, and it gave me the chance to learn directly while working with the professional (my boss). I learned to understand the script and treatments with his roughed-out storyboard and taught myself camera language with books and YouTube videos.
It’s hard to start as an outsider, and even now I can’t say that I have mastered the knowledge of storyboards. It would be a long way to go, and I will keep going.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a seasoned storyboard artist based in Los Angeles, California, with a distinguished portfolio featuring projects for esteemed clients such as Benz, HUAWEI, NBA2K, HONKAI STAR RAIL, VALORANT, and various other high-profile advertising endeavors. Renowned for my adeptness in orchestrating film rhythm, meticulous scheduling, and the nuanced depiction of dynamic elements, my storyboards excel in capturing and enhancing the intended atmosphere and visual narrative envisioned for each cinematic production.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Be patient and not only focus on the immediate gains and losses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hanjialinbao.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amber_baoo/?img_index=1
