Rising Stars: Meet Praneetha Mazumdar of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Praneetha Mazumdar

Hi Praneetha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I realized the objective of my path during my early teenage when I was fascinated by fairy tales that have come true. As a person, I was not interested or enthusiastic about fairy tales with a prince carrying his princess on horseback and living happily ever after in a castle. However, I admired Disney’s unique and inspiring portrayal of characters and stories, where each element was given an exceptional personality. The art of narrating a story through context improvisation was extraordinary. My passion for art has been a significant driving force in my journey as an artist ever since then. I’ve started to explore the limits of creativity from my school days gradually progressing on each phase, and eventually establishing a career in animation and fine arts from enrolling at a prestigious academy to gaining experience at a startup in India. I dedicated years of hard work to come to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in animation and VFX. Following my graduation from NYFA last December, I began engaging in volunteer projects as I sought out full-time employment opportunities.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life without barriers leads to infirmity. We wouldn’t realize the competency and desire we uphold within unless obstacles are encountered. Life taught me valuable lessons while overcoming each hurdle. I feel more determined to handle a scenario by navigating through an unstable bridge without losing track. And making multiple mistakes on various occasions has resulted in gaining valuable insights into life. My focus and direction were retrieved by the guidance of my family and well-wishers when I stumbled upon a blunder. However, I have acknowledged that over time, circumstances and situations may evolve, presenting new challenges and obstacles to overcome. And we surely cannot rely on others when traveling along the path that we have chosen and committed for ourselves. As long as we maintain the belief in rising each time we stumble, challenges in life will always be fun.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am passionate about storytelling with virtual characters and representation beyond my imagination. Inspired by Disney movies and symphonies from childhood, I was constantly motivated by the teamwork and innovation they demonstrated back then by mastering their trademark and undertaking deadlines with limited technology. Following my graduation in India, I undertook a short-term course to acquire fundamental knowledge of animation principles and software, which prominently led to directing my career path in the industry. I subsequently worked as a Junior Animator at a startup to gain professional experience in production. To advance further, I pursued a master’s degree in 3D Animation and VFX from NYFA to jumpstart my career and graduated last December. At present, I am volunteering as an animator for gaming projects and animated short films intended for film festivals. Details of my most recent ongoing work are cited below:-

https://www.indiedb.com/games/the-lays-of-althas-sundered-order
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tomo-cafe/

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I can speak four languages. I learned to drive a car and got my license without having ridden a bicycle till now. I love watching and reading horror comedies more. And I love playing chess and even enjoy losing the match if it’s interesting and productive. I’ve mastered the game through my opponents learning strong moves from them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://praneethamazumdar.wixsite.com/website-1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/praneethamazumdar/?igsh=YzAwZjE1ZTI0Zg%3D%3D
• Other: https://www.behance.net/praneetmazumda1

Image Credits
‘Joe Darko’ and ‘David Schulenburg’, animator and producer of ‘a spider verse story’ in image 5.