Today we’d like to introduce you to Chen Zhang.
Hi Chen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in a small city in southwestern China, and my hometown is a city named after a flower, a truly beautiful place called Panzhihua. My father loved buying me animated movies when I was a kid, so I developed a deep love for animation from a very early age. From Snow White to Sleeping Beauty, from Japanese anime to Disney classics, these were my constant companions throughout my entire childhood. As I grew older, my parents both hoped that I would secure a stable and respectable job, something along the lines of a government official, teacher, doctor, or lawyer. Even though I didn’t major in my beloved field of animation during college, my dream of working in animation never faded away.
After I graduated from college, I had a heartfelt conversation with my parents. I expressed my desire to pursue a career in the field I was passionate about, even though it wasn’t related to my academic major. I also mentioned my dream of going to the United States to chase my animation dreams, as my favorite animation companies were located there. After some thoughtful consideration, my parents agreed and said they were willing to support me in pursuing the dream I’ve had since childhood. I am truly grateful for my parents’ understanding and support. Since then, I worked diligently to prepare for various study abroad applications and language exams. I was incredibly fortunate to have been accepted into the graduate program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Changing majors midway was not an easy journey. At the outset, I had no knowledge of CG at all. It took me a considerable amount of time, dedication, and self-discovery before I gradually began to grasp the basics. I have interned at a small family game studio and worked as a 3D artist at an interior design company. During my internship at another small film and television company, I had the fortune of encountering a lead and supervisor who provided me with invaluable guidance and assistance. These experiences may not be glamorous, but I understand that as long as I don’t give up, I will continue to progress step by step. I am determined to fulfill the dreams I hold in my heart.
The world of 3D is incredibly colorful and profound. When I first ventured into the realm of 3D, I started as a 3D animator. However, I soon realized that it wasn’t my forte. By a stroke of luck, I stumbled upon modeling, shading, and lighting, and it dawned on me that this was the direction I truly loved and excelled in. And that’s when I truly began my journey into 3D modeling.
In the year of 2019, a pivotal turning point occurred in my life. When I found out that Blue Sky Animation Studios was offering summer internships, I was thrilled. I was determined to create a piece that matched their animation style and submit it before the deadline. Prior to this opportunity, I didn’t have any work that closely matched their style. After meticulous preparation and hard work, I finally submitted my demo reel with a mix of excitement and anxiety. For the next period, I anxiously awaited their response. When I received their invitation for an interview, I was incredibly excited. It felt like the closest I had ever been to realizing my dream, like my dream was finally drawing near. I was extremely honored to secure the summer internship opportunity as an environment modeling artist at their studio. For me, it was the most wonderful summer ever. Even to this day, although the studio may no longer exist, I remain immensely grateful to them for giving me that opportunity. It was this chance that helped me truly start working towards my dream, and I will forever carry that gratitude in my heart. Since then, I feel like I’ve truly stepped into this industry in a meaningful way.
In late 2019, I received a life-changing phone call from Pixar. It was the HR department offering me an opportunity to interview for a 2020 winter internship. It was truly surreal the opportunity to interview with Pixar! It’s the company I’ve always dreamt of, the one I grew up watching, and one of my absolute favorite animation studios. I was so excited that I could hardly believe it was real. It went very smoothly, and I joined Pixar as a sets modeler, which was an incredibly wonderful period of my life. At Pixar, I had the opportunity to work on two animated films: “Luca” and “Lightyear.” However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted everything. I believe it was a particularly challenging period for everyone. Subsequently, for certain reasons, I found myself at Sony Pictures Imageworks studio, where I had the opportunity to be a part of my favorite superhero animation project, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Following that, I moved on to my current studio, Walt Disney Animation Studios.
My journey has indeed been filled with many obstacles, but it’s precisely because of these challenges that I can deeply empathize with the difficulties faced by anyone studying abroad. Adversities bring us hardships and trials, but they also help us forge our armor, make us stronger, and provide the motivation to keep moving forward without giving up.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being in a foreign country where English isn’t my native language, I’ve had to confront not only language barriers but also the challenges of switching majors. Initially, these courses seemed extremely complex and hard to grasp. Moreover, being far away from home has made me deeply miss my parents and family. Many holidays passed without the opportunity to spend them together because I needed to focus on school assignments and work on my demo reel while applying for internships and job opportunities. I’m driven by my childhood dream to become a skilled animator and create outstanding animations. For a foreigner, pursuing one’s dreams in a foreign land is undoubtedly a challenging endeavor. I understand that realizing one’s dreams often demands sacrifices and dedication, so I don’t complain about these challenges. Instead, I’m grateful for all these experiences because they’ve shaped the person I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently working as an environment modeler at Walt Disney Animation Studios, responsible for creating models other than characters, including but not limited to props, sets, terrains, vegetation, set dressing, etc. I have a deep passion for every project I’ve been involved in and thoroughly enjoy the process of contributing to them. So far, the animated projects I’ve participated in include “Spies in Disguise,” “Luca,” “Lightyear,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” I take pride in every project I’ve been a part of, I’m proud of my team, and most importantly, I’m proud of myself. I consider myself a fairly ordinary animation film professional, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s the challenges I’ve faced along the way that have shaped who I am today. I really enjoy exploring different styles of artwork, from traditional oil painting to contemporary art, from traditional clay sculpture to ZBrush CG sculpting, and from stylized to realistic representations. These various artistic styles always inspire me. I’m not one to easily give up; I have resilience. This is both my expectation for myself and what I consider a valuable asset. Additionally, because of my background as an international student, I’m very willing to help others who, like me, are studying abroad. At the same time, I am skilled at multitasking. It’s not uncommon in my line of work to have several tasks with approaching deadlines simultaneously. During these moments, I feel excited to tackle these challenges, and at the same time, I ensure that I complete all tasks effectively.
I’m deeply enthusiastic about both character modeling and environment modeling. I hold a contrary opinion to the widely-held belief that character modeling is inherently more advanced or challenging than environment modeling. In my perspective, character modeling goes beyond precise anatomical and proportional representation; it’s also about conveying the character’s personality and background, infusing them with a story and vitality that enables them to connect with the audience emotionally. Environment modeling, on the other hand, not only involves providing the audience with artistic design and visual guidance but also requires contemplating the potential stories within the scene. What kind of creatures inhabit this space? What are their habits and behaviors? Elements such as vegetation, soil, climate, and land area all have an impact on a scene. It’s a process where multiple elements interact and influence each other. Therefore, I believe scene modeling entails a more complex consideration of factors compared to character modeling, and its challenges are distinct.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe that my journey has been a series of risk-taking endeavors. From the moment I decided to leave China and study animation in the United States, this journey has been filled with the unknown and various challenges. Culture, language, the expensive tuition, missing my parents, and starting to learn CG animation from scratch – these are all challenges I’ve encountered in my journey of studying in the United States. I was unsure where the future will lead me, and I couldn’t even be certain if I’ll succeed or find a job to support myself. I made the decision to abandon my college major and pursue my passion and dreams, and it has been the best decision I’ve ever made, even though this journey has been filled with twists and hardships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chenzhang3d.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superc.zhang/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superchenz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chen-zhang-54622926/
- Other: https://www.artstation.com/superchenz
Image Credits
Cowgirl concept art by Pernille Orum White hair silver thief concept art by Junq Jeon White long hair girl holding flowers, concept art by Jingwen Sun Demon girl concept art by Yuka Soemy Muffin girl concept art by Woo Kim
