Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiyoon Nam.
Hi Kiyoon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My passion for films as a kid was my only context for visual storytelling. I’ve always loved animations and watching movies I was way too young to be watching. However, creativity and art were not something I thought of as a marketable skills or interests. Not knowing what to do after high school, I applied to college for film; I thought I had wanted to be a cinematographer. But within the first week of college, I had heard about a major called Motion Design, where they applied the storytelling techniques from films, as well as animation and graphic design principals. I knew instantly that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a visual storyteller, but with motion design I could free myself from the technical obstacles of being on set and create visuals that could convey a story in an abstract way; I switched majors and never looked back. In 2017 during my junior year, I was extended a summer internship offer from a motion design studio called Imaginary Forces (Mad Men, Stranger Things, Black Flags, Netflix Logo Animation) out here in LA. That summer I worked on the title sequence for a STARZ TV show called Counterpart, which we went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design in 2018. IF (Imaginary Forces) and I agreed to a standing offer for a staff position for me to return once I graduated in 2018, to which I worked with them for 3.5 years on multiple TV titles, network rebrands, and streaming platform content until my recent employment at an agency called Sid Lee, where I am currently staff.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was an extremely bumpy road, which I am grateful for in hindsight. Due to many personal and financial reasons, finishing college became a struggle; as many distractions and obstacles crept into my life. I was supposed to graduate with the class of 2016 but eventually graduated in 2018. After some failed classes and drop outs, I was completely lost as to what my next was. I was feeling creatively burned out, and was second guessing my choices of pursuing this as my career. I decided that instead of school I would do an internship to try to regain some kind of direction in my life. in 2016 I was offered a Fall/Winter internship from a studio called SPILLT in Denver, Colorado. The people there were great and showed me a lot of the inner workings of a studio, and how the business was more about your relationships with people than anything; an invaluable lesson I think that is difficult to learn in a school environment. My original intention was to stay in Denver, work my ass off to secure a job offer and not return to school. Although SPILLT was gracious enough to offer me a job, I decided towards the end of my internship that I should finish what I had started, I was worried that if I had not, I would create a trend of that kind of habit. I still struggle with my confidence as an artist and creative burnout to this day, but the hardships I faced during those few years have equipped me to be able to come to grips in moments like that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am primarily a 3D artist and compositor, professionally. However I don’t enjoy putting myself in a box in terms of style or execution, I enjoy experimenting and mixing media. I make an effort to not follow trends with my personal work, which is what I take the most pride in, and enjoy making the most. Music is THE biggest inspiration to me, hearing a part of a song or musical piece, in general, gets my imagination going more than anything. I make whatever I’m feeling in the moment, and if I can’t capture that emotion within a certain timeframe, I usually will scrap the project; because expressing my genuine experience through visuals is what is most important to me, if the moment or emotion becomes forced then I will not feel like it’s not worth sharing with the people that care enough to look at my art.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Unfortunately, my professional portfolio and website are currently under construction and being updated. However, I am active on my Instagram @_knam_ which is where I post my personal work and some professional work, as well as a bit of my personal life. And for business or professional inquiries I can be reached at: [email protected]
Pricing:
- $650 Freelance Day Rate
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _knam_
- Other: https://vimeo.com/knam
Image Credits
Personal photo by Ethan Early
