Check Out Annie Han’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Han.

Hi Annie, 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’m originally from the UK and I spent my pre-art life in London, where I used to work in an entirely different industry. As a kid I always drew, and learnt a great deal from my brother who was more or less the only artistic person in my family. I found my joy in it again as an adult (and during the pandemic as well, which was a productive time…) and made a career switch and now I’m in LA! It was a long journey of up and down, but I’ve had some amazing opportunities since moving here and fulfilling dreams I had when I first started pursuing this. I watched Zootopia by myself as an adult in my room during lockdown and decided I wanted to be a part of making films like that – and just a few years later I got to spend an amazing summer in that studio learning from those very artists. Dedicating myself to drawing and studying films has been so rewarding and a big change from the academic and ‘left brain’ environment I grew up in – I originally attended Oxford University which was all medieval buildings and gothic libraries, but since coming to LA my new world is cartoons and palm trees!

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?
I feel like so few artists’ journeys have been smooth! But looking back, I think I had so much luck and support that made the whole experience so memorable. I think my decision to switch careers after starting out in a different industry felt like a risky one, and I spent many a day worrying about the opportunity cost and lost time from that switch – moving countries and going back to school put a lot of pressure on making this work, but I definitely don’t have any regrets. I also feel the road to improvement hasn’t been an even one at all, and I spent so much time hacking away at trying to improve and level up without getting anywhere, and then suddenly out of nowhere all the advice and feedback from mentors would suddenly click. It was easy to despair at the idea of ever reaching my artistic goals, but I realised consistency and steady work helps a lot with this.

Early on I also struggled with adapting to a new creative environment. Coming from a very traditional and academic British world, I initially felt out of place among all the wonderful and whacky creatives in this industry, but I quickly came to see that all stories and outlooks are welcome and can be an asset to your storytelling!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialise in storyboarding for animation, which is a craft I really love – I particularly enjoy adventure or comedy stories with a fun twist. I’ve made several different stories during my time as a student and I like experimenting with different genres or settings to challenge myself. During my internship, I grew a huge amount by tackling areas I had very little experience in at the time – both drawing animals and action boarding. I learnt so much through pushing myself so I’m definitely proud of what I put into that experience, and it’s helped me improve a lot since then!

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Ooh good question, I’d definitely say keep drilling your craft and foundation but find a way to make it as fun as possible too. Study the films you enjoy watching but study them as well as you can, watch everything and find your voice through fun and experimentation. When I started out I felt so uncertain about the future but I wish I knew to keep your belief and confidence alive and you never know how far you can go! Not losing sight of your goal and staying consistent in pursuing it and learning along the way can open opportunities you didn’t even think of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anniehanart.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniehannibal/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-q-han/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@anniehannibal_

Image Credits
All images by Annie Han