Today we’d like to introduce you to Yeri Lee.
Yeri, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was always an art kid pretty much like every other artist everywhere. I loved drawing and animated films, but I never took art seriously until midway through high school when I realized I just wanted to do something related to TV or movie production. I only applied to three art schools– the only ones with foundation year because that was how unsure I was about what kind of art I even wanted to pursue. I went to Otis college of Art and Design, originally to study product design because I wanted to design for amusement parks like Universal Studios and Disneyland. But I ended up choosing to learn Motion Graphics, which was a very new field of art to me. All I knew was that you can do everything and anything in Motion Graphics, and I was really drawn to that idea.
Has it been a smooth road?
I worked really hard, but I honestly believe luck played a big part of my career. I purposefully took harder, senior classes to get ahead of the game. I was never really competitive or passionate in education, but I think art brings out a different side of me. I genuinely wanted to be the best. I took a class with an instructor who co-owned a motion graphics studio, and I guess he really liked my work so without even telling me, he streamlined my work to his studio. I got a summer internship in sophomore year of college, and that’s how I believe my career started. I loved working with the team there and ended up working basically full-time with school on the side. That helped me a lot because I learned everything I know now from working. School essentially became a side-gig instead. I met my mentors and made connections even before I knew I was building a career. And this all happened because I took the right class at the right time.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I work as a Motion Graphics Designer. I was at Brand New School, where I met amazing people who taught and trained me. I think the team made me feel very secure and safe, but I recently left to join another studio called Laundry TV. The team here is super encouraging and fun so I am just grateful to consistently join great teams. My mentor is an amazing artist. What she has inspired me when I first started was that she has made herself so valuable to the team by being a generalist, meaning she can illustrate, graphic design, 3D design, etc. So I try my best to be like her. And thankfully, so far, I’ve been told I am a versatile and flexible designer. I want to keep working to be better at that. Design is always going to be a challenge as it should be. As artists, I think it is important for us to stay eager to learn and improve.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love most about Los Angeles is its diverse culture. I think it is the best city for artists. I grew up in a small city in the bay area so people were not the most creative there. The opposite, really. So when I first moved to Los Angeles, I realized there are so many different aspects and cultures that exist in the world AND should be celebrated. What I like least about the city is maybe the beaches? One thing I am very proud of NorCal is the beaches. They are just a lot cleaner. I honestly can’t think of many things I don’t like about LA.
Contact Info:
- Website: yerilee.com
- Email: [email protected]
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