Artist Spotlight Christine Park
Welcome to the Neuland Artist Spotlight where we interview our talented artists so you can learn more about them and their story. This month we had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Christine Park. Christine is based out of Los Angeles, California and graduated from Art Center in 2020 with a BASc in Entertainment Design. She has worked with various studios such as DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, and Gaumont.
What were some inspirations that led you to pursue a career in animation?
“Growing up I was heavily inspired by books. I loved the different books I would read and the ways different mediums interpreted these stories. One of the most beloved stories I adored as a child was a book-turned-short film called Doggy Poo. It had so much heart for such a simple and silly concept and resonated with me as a child.
It actually wasn't until way later though that I learned about the possibility of the career path of art in film when I saw a Korean documentary about concept art with my parents.”
What are some practices or sources of inspiration that help maintain your creative spark and keep you motivated?
“Recently, I've found more fulfillment in spending time with the people I love and nurturing these relationships. I find that drawing blindly or without others around tends to exhaust me now and I strongly believe that the stronger my connection with others the stronger my stories and my ability to create is.”
For those aspiring to establish themselves in the world of animation, what advice would you give based on your journey and experiences?
“Personally, from experience, I'd laser focus on developing the mental skills for the craft. The drawing skills are definitely important but the ability to critically analyze the work you create and the things you consume on a regular basis is so important.
One of the best skill sets I learned from my experience was the ability to differentiate between a person's narrative vs. the process and journey that person used in creating their work (in other words analyze the work, not the artist). I believe this made me a stronger designer but also gave me the liberation to have better agency over my creativity and prevented me from being reactionary.“
What direction do you see animation heading in the next five years?
“I feel it's been hard to say as of lately. With the coming AI and the heavy capitalization of the art world, I can see this becoming implemented in the workplace, for better and for worse. Despite these changes, I believe there are people who strongly believe in what they do and have consistently fought for acknowledgment on behalf of animation. I'd like to believe that the majority of people making these projects and stories will want to maintain the human-centric process.
I feel we've hit a good milestone with current technological development to match unique art styles and still have them feasible for commercial productions. From my own observation, I can see things getting drawn back a little bit and more focused on refining what we've learned as well as deeper inclusion of filmmaking fundamentals.”
Can you share a hobby that you're particularly passionate about? What draws you to this activity?
“I got really into trashy horror games or cute cozy games like Stardew Valley and Ooblets during the pandemic. I've also recently picked up crochet, thrifting, and plant care. Since work tends to deplete a good portion of my energy and focus, I like to end my days with mindless tasks and give my brain a little break.”
