Today we’d like to introduce you to Ling Han.
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 learning animation?
I have been interested in animation since I was a child, but I never thought people could make a living out of it. As an undergraduate, I studied printmaking, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right career for me, then until my roommate introduced me a 3d software, 3Dmax, after creating a couple of pieces, I realized that’s my true passion. Then I spent two years self-teaching CG and eventually landed my first job as a rigger at Dr. Red Animation.
In 2018, during my time at Dr. Red Animation, I had the opportunity to work on The Little Zombie project. I was fully responsible for the rigging and animation of the special emojis created for WeChat. Within just four days of their release, over one hundred thousand of these emojis were sent, and as of April 2023, the cumulative total has reached 8.43 million.
After a year, I realized that I still really wanted to be an animator. To pursue my dream, I decided to come to the US to learn character animation professionally. After the study, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for EA and now Disney, two major companies in the animation and game industry. The journey has been rewarding and exciting, and I am proud of what I have learned and contributed to the industry.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into your animation story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As English is not my first language, I realized that studying and understanding animation is much more complex than I had originally thought at the very beginning. As a visual learner, I found it challenging to express my ideas and acting choices to my instructor/lead while studying/working. It was essential for me to understand their feedback fully, or else I would risk losing my job. To improve my communication skills, I forced myself to speak English as much as possible. Additionally, I practice and prepare my speaking before the review process to ensure that I can effectively communicate my work’s progress to the director.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As the founder of AnimDaily, a Chinese animation community within WeChat, I am responsible for managing and running the platform, which has attracted 3000+ followers, including professionals and animation students in the Chinese animation industry. At AnimDaily, we produce content such as animation analysis, covering topics like Body Mechanics, Acting Choices, and Composition, to share our knowledge with the community. I collaborate with my teammates frequently to improve our content and better serve our followers. Over the past two years, we have produced more than 340 articles.
Currently, I am directing an animated short film titled “Chain,” which involves more than 30 artists. I record feedback for our team members and work closely with StudioX, where Derek Flood and Michael Parks are supervising the production. I am also grateful for the support of project producer Tzu-Ying Ho, without whom this project would not have come this far.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
As the director of Chain, I must admit that this position has been more challenging than I initially thought, but I am making progress. Through this role, I am honing my soft skills, especially my communication skills, in terms of providing feedback and helping the team improve. I also feel privileged to be learning from my teammates, who have been doing a fantastic job.
As the founder of AnimDaily, a Chinese animation community within WeChat, I am in constant communication with my team to better serve our 3000+ followers. As a leader, I value transparency and consistent communication, which has kept me motivated and passionate about our community and animation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://liberiohan.wixsite.com/mysite-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linghan_anim/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ling-han-161165141/
Image Credits
The animation rig courtesy of the animschool.com
