Meet Elly-janneth Mora of Lancaster, California

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elly-janneth Mora

Hi Elly-Janneth, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
A major factor that comes into play when trying to pin down where my passion comes from would definitely be my family, they are the reason I am the way I am for the most part. Growing up I recall having this fascination with animation from the very start, I grew up with three VHS tapes that I would watch on repeat and rewind to very specific scenes at the age of 5 with this admiration on just HOW did they make still images do that for years. As time went on I recall my parents saving up to get a larger TV for the living room. They called it “Elly’s Cine”(Elly’s movie theater) where I would make small tickets with seat numbers, including the time and what film we were watching that week and act like a server, definitely a core memory of mine. For years 1-2 times every week we would have family movie nights and just watch animated films with some snacks no matter how busy they all were they would do their best to give me a couple hours of their time. I like to believe that was the moment where I truly fell in love with films. It’s a narrative in its own , but for many it allows people to come together and share small moments even if it’s for a limited amount of time it’s precious in all honesty.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved drawing. I would never leave my house without my sketchbook. I would be content hiding in a corner to draw at socials. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew that I loved creating and keeping my mind busy. It wasn’t until I was around 9 years old where I discovered that animation was a career path and one can actually get paid to create films. I recall the moment exactly where my brain switched. My family found a copy of How to Train your Dragon in one of those flea markets in Mexico when we were visiting my grandmother. It was poorly recorded and in Castilian Spanish, but I instantly fell in love. It made me realize that films at its core is a collaborative narrative, showing their story not only in the visuals, but music alike and then you have the voice actors within, mini me was losing her mind. It’s this concept of pulling so many different beautiful existing art forms and ways of storytelling that are so powerful on their own, but when combined together they can create this like out of world experience it’s beautiful, 9 year old me was a determined stubborn child who fell in love instantly. Ever since then I would just try to find ways to improve my skills. I would pause films to figure them out, borrow stacks of “how to draw “ books from the school library, and just observe life for years. But at the end of the day the question always comes up when it comes to wanting to make art a lifelong career and whether it was realistic and sustainable in the long run.

Coming from a small town in the Mojave Desert there aren’t as many resources nor opportunities for many things let alone many other artists to ask for advice at the time, most people just stay in the area after highschool in some cases a small few go to college and make it out, others go on their own journeys. Animation at the end of the day never really seemed like a realistic possibility for me especially as the eldest daughter and first in my entire family to go the college route. I was genuinely conflicted between pursuing a dream that was shunned by others or going in a safe direction where I knew I can help my family and be able to stand my own ground financially, where job opportunities will always be open. For the majority of high school I set aside my desire for animation and went head on into engineering. My high school actually specialized in engineering opportunities and had direct connections with Northrup Gruman as well as NASA, a perk about living in the Mojave desert so I decided to take advantage of what I had in front of me. I even had the opportunity to compete internationally in Queensland, Australia in the UAV Challenge in 2018 at the age of 16, we got first and second place that year against 10+ other countries from across the world. We were given recognition from LA County and the Californian Government, at this point my brain was split into a million pieces of what to focus on after high school. I had an advantage when it came to the field, it felt like the path of engineering was served on a silver platter for me to a certain extent. As grateful as I was, the spark was never there so I let destiny take its shot on what direction I should go in. I applied for many different colleges that specified in robotics and aerospace engineering, I only applied to ONE school for art and that was Cal-State Fullerton, funny enough I was accepted to CSUF.

In all honesty if it wasn’t for the very long conversation I had with my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am. They supported me and pushed me in a direction where I myself was filled with doubt and hesitation. If it wasn’t for their assurance and support I would not be studying what I truly love and attend Fullerton. They’re words stick with me in every small thing I do, every late project or assignment; every drawing I create; every animated film I watch; every hesitation or moment of doubt I have. “ You only live once, if you don’t jump now when you’re young you will meet a point where you can never come back and you will live asking yourself .. what if.. What would have happened if I would’ve done this instead”. Since then I tend to jump head on into the majority of my uncertainties. There are many things one can’t control, but one can control the amount of work they put into their desires, how they go about every day, and how they think before making decisions.

Now going into my fifth year as an Entertainment Art & Animation Major at CSUF, I’ve never been more content or excited to keep working on what I love, just putting in 120% in everything I do. I’ve met some amazing beautiful people who share the same aspirations and passion to grow as creators, they inspire me everyday to become a better version of myself on a daily basis and have created this community of support that I’m forever grateful for.

I’ve had the amazing honor and privilege to be involved with the Pencil Mileage Club as an Event Coordinator Specialist for two years where I was able to connect members to speakers, host social events, and educational opportunities. Even the chance to get in touch with some of my idols and bring in speakers for our members to have the opportunity to expand their resources and knowledge, my favorite part will always be when they get the opportunity to go up to them and you can see that spark of inspiration come back at the end of events. PMC has been a major part of my college experience that has brought in so many amazing people into my life and I will forever be grateful and in awe moving forward. Now entering my last year it’s crazy to believe that I will be leading the club’s 28th year as President alongside an amazing team this academic year.

During my college experience I’ve also had the opportunity to Co-found an Indie Animation Studio with some of my closest friends back in 2022, Pending Animation Studios. Within our studio I was able to experience the pipeline first hand and found my true calling within animation production. I fell into a management position as I organized the project’s timelines, production guides, file naming and submissions within the google drive, and helped our departments stay on schedule. I truly feel like I’m in my element and appreciate the team’s faith in me to keep stuff going for them behind the scenes. Animation’s collaborative aspect always won me over from the very start, but being able to see how interactive and team driven films truly are behind the scenes made any form of doubt and hesitation vanish into the abyss. I knew that I made the right decision and I have no ounce of regret on the path I chose. Two years later, our team grew exponentially and we are currently working on our second short film. It truly is like a second family and I can’t wait to see where our future takes us.

This summer I even had the opportunity to study abroad in the heart of Renaissance art, Florence,Italy for a month. A life changing experience is to say the least. It changed my perspective on how influential art truly is across the world dating back hundreds of years. How the appreciation of creation is something that has been around, almost as if it’s part of being human in this world. I met some amazing people who would always be open to drawing at a cafe after a long day, where we would come across some unique people many would peek over to see what we drew, sometimes we would form conversations with strangers whom we would draw, and in some cases we would get approached by curious people who would ask about our work. Art has no language barrier it’s kind of a language of its own that whether it’s visuals or music and that’s something that is truly beautiful.

Now I just hope to continue moving forward and see what other experiences await me on this path. Making sure to follow my instinct and tackle any obstacles with the best intention. Focusing on being a good supportive guide for this academic year and being ready to continue to put in 120% in everything I do.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
During my time of being split in two directions between engineering and art was definitely a moment that had me against the corner. Once I decided to gear towards the animation path in my mind it felt like an opportunity I couldn’t mess up. Being first gen and having family look up to you, as you choose a path that can be a little skeptical put a lot of pressure when I first started. How do you pay a sacrifice that big and earn an opportunity that’s given to you with endless support from your family? In my mind, I could only offer to put in every ounce of work and dedication and hopefully, I’ll end up on the right path. 

My first year of college was in 2020 when the pandemic was at its peak so there were many uncertainties in various aspects. When it came to finding a balance, my hours would blur very easily the first two years to the point where I would stare at my screen for 15+ hours a day, wouldn’t take care of myself mentally, and just would work nonstop for days on end. I rarely left my room and was just always working. I think at a certain point my brain did a switch after a family dinner while we discussed my dad’s work habits and it made me take a step back to reflect my own habits, I really am my father’s daughter.  After that, we both try our best to create a balance between working and spending time to take it all in. There’s a limit in life to what you can and can’t control, you can control what you prioritize and what you do with your time even if that means setting a couple of things to the side. I prioritize allowing myself to enjoy small moments, of course, at the end of the day my workaholic habits will forever be there and I love being productive. But I don’t mind going out for coffee with friends to draw for a while or watching a movie with my family for a 2 hours, at the end of the day there will be moments that you can never return to, time is limited.

My piece of advice for my fellow workaholics, your work does not go unnoticed. But life will always move forward and time will always be your best friend and your worst enemy so you have to work alongside it. It’s important to allow yourself to enjoy small moments, take breaks, and prioritize living. It’s just finding a balance that works for you.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am Head of Production and co-founder of an Indie Animation Studio called Pending Animation Studios alongside two of my closest friends. It was founded back in December 2022 with the intention of working in a collaborative environment to have hands-on experience with the animation pipeline and allow our members to experience meeting deadlines, communicating, and being assigned tasks geared towards creating a short film. At the moment we are a team of 30+ members, genuinely have been like a huge family. I help manage the overall production of our film, this includes the stuff most people don’t see when they think of animation. Such as the production timeline and guide, naming file guides, organizing and hosting both member/coordinator meetings to make sure we are on track or if any adjustments need to be made, sending emails, adjusting the Google Drive so it’s easy to navigate for the team and just checking in with our coordinators to make sure each department is on track and so on. I honestly fell in love with the production aspect through pending, from a young age I’ve always been fascinated by how films are created and the overall collaborative aspect that comes with filmmaking, from a production stand view you get to witness it behind the scenes and see all the gears shifting and everything falling into place so beautifully through teamwork, its just so fascinating.

Aside from the management position within pending I also enjoy creating background layouts and boarding personal projects. But when given the chance I prefer to spend my days out drawing from life whether its people or architecture with simple black ink and paper, it’s an excuse to just observe for the purpose of capturing.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I always like to believe things happen for a reason, there are cases when one doesn’t have the opportunity to experience something or things just unfortunately line up. There will always be situations that are out of our control and it’s important to take into account the amount of things one can control. If something doesn’t work out, figure out why and how to improve, and learn from opportunities, but also from missed opportunities. Focusing on the things one can manage within their decisions and hopefully at the end of the day in the long run it’s all worth it. I like to believe that if all the doors are closed, then try jumping in through a window, getting in is a possibility but having the energy and patience to keep looking is to each their own. Just not losing sight of the goal and being willing to continue moving foward and wanting to become the best version of oneself to get there. Being open-minded when things don’t go as planned and being flexible so one can adjust for what’s next even if it’s not exactly what one had envisioned from the beginning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ejmsarte.wixsite.com/ejmsart
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejmsart/