Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Xu.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Chinese Canadian Storyboard Artist working in animation. I was lucky enough to be born to a family that is more or less artistic, and they introduced me to art and stories and the importance of them. They didn’t hold back on showing me films and comic books (no matter how traumatizing to children it can be…), and in that environment, visual storytelling became an intrinsic and inseparable part of myself.
Sometime during middle school, I watched “Tangled” when it came out, along with the behind-the-scenes documentary of the film. That’s when I discovered that movies, and specifically animated movies, didn’t just pop out of thin air! Actual people made them, and it’s a legitimate career path! It was such a revelation, and it was one of the main possibilities that I laid out for what I wanted to do with my life until it became the only possibility – by the end of high school, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
I recently graduated from Sheridan’s Animation program, and I’m currently working at Walt Disney Animation Studios as a Story Artist.
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?
All the problems seem so insignificant when I look back at them when they seemed like the end of the world back then. There are specific situations, such as wrist and elbow problems or the risk of not finding an internship during the co-op year of school, but I think overall, my biggest struggle has always been about expectations. A lot of it comes from myself: I am in the habit of giving myself a lot of pressure by setting high standards for what I wish to achieve and then beating myself up over it if I don’t end up with something that I 100% wanted. A large part of the problem also comes from outside opinions or what others want out of me. I know the saying is to stop caring about what other people think, but sometimes, when I stare at something that I’ve made for too long, I lose all perspective of its quality, and I have to rely on external feedback to judge. It is difficult the question of “did I do well?” “Do people like this?” “Are people disappointed?” have constantly plagued me. I am getting a bit better at dealing with expectations though! I think really focusing on enjoying the process is what helps the most.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Story artist is quite a strange job in my opinion, it involves a little bit of everything, from writing to drawing to acting to timing, a lot of thinking goes into every sequence, and it’s so terrifying and so difficult for me… At the start, I decided to specialize in it out of a certain competitiveness – seeing it as some kind of game boss to be defeated – but now, I don’t think I can ever defeat it, as there is always something more to learn and improve on. From watching and trying out many different kinds of story sequences, I found that I’m much more drawn to characters rather than worlds, and more small and personal themes rather than big and altruistic ones. As not politically correct as it sounds, I usually prefer the story where a selfish character makes a friend over a story where a martyr awakens the world to the dangers of global warming. I like subtle emotions and specificity, and I want to tell stories and experiences that are unique but also fundamental. I don’t know if I can do it yet, but it’s what I’m thriving for.
I guess I am still exploring many different styles and artistic identity, but I think in the end artists all become the melting pot of everything we like… I’ve noticed that it’s often much easier for a pair of outside eyes to identify an artist’s distinctive qualities instead of asking the artist themselves.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is currently my favourite book, but it changes quite often.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyamiao/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRbGtNolxCCItg572u7kBZA
- Other: https://linktr.ee/emilyamiao
