Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Sasaki.
Emily, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m an animation major about to graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design here in Georgia, however, originally I’m from Denver, Colorado. Growing up, I had a very scientific family. Both my parents are in scientific professions as well as my older brother, and I thought I would be the same way. But I started writing a book in eighth grade and I’d like to say that’s really where everything started. From there, I started drawing things for my book and designed locations, the characters, creatures, anything I could think of. Eventually, the book fell off my radar but the drawing kept growing. Eight years later, I just finished an internship with Disney as a creative producer. I worked on storyboards, designs and production assistance while I was there. I had gotten there by competing in a design competition with a few friends, where we actually made it to the finals out in LA. That was a whirlwind of interviews, tours and the actual competing part. My internship there though gave me an eye-opening experience as to how crazy production can actually be. I learned a lot about myself and the industry over the summer. My time at SCAD has also been equally crazy and gratifying. I’m about to wrap up my team’s film “Murder of Crows” as the producer and head of layout. I’ve wrapped quite a few films while I was here and have played in a lot of sandboxes; first as a character designer, then as a layout/background artist (which I still do a lot of the time), and then as a visual development/story artist. I’ve worn a lot of hats here, and have loved a little or a lot of each over the years. Moving forward, I’m not sure what my future holds, but I am looking forward to taking some time to relax with my family, before charging forward.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey is just beginning but one of the most difficult things I’ve struggled with has been recent. Even though my internship with Disney over the summer was a dream, it proved to me just how crazy production can be. Especially when you’re at the bottom of the ladder, for the time being, Being in LA was a dream too, but it definitely has a way of emptying your pockets. I had a lot of strain over the summer trying to figure out my own way in a world that my professors and mentors had always warned me about. Its a world built from steel, with lots of talent to go around, and it was very easy to get swept up in it all. It was different from anything I had ever experienced before… the only thing I could compare it to was being a freshman in high school.
Back then, I thought I was swimming with big fish when in reality, they were just tadpoles. This summer was the first time I was swimming with the real deal. I couldn’t catch my breath before I was swept up again. I had to realize just how much more was out there, and how much growth I still had ahead of me. And I’ve always been one to embrace growth but this seemed so daunting to me at the time, it still resonates with me today. It was a struggle to find my own voice when I felt like a very small cog in a very large machine. But it gave me the motivation to power upwards, to breath and just take it all in. It gave me some insight into something no professor could ever prepare me for: real life. I took last summer and turned it into a focused senior year. I knew what I had to work on, I had a path that would make me stronger moving forward. And I’ve worked hard to wring everything out that I could from my last year here. I know I’ll miss the safety and the collaboration of being in school, but a part of me is telling me to go all in. And I’ve learned to go with my gut.
What else should we know about your work and what you are currently focused on?
As a freelance visual development artist, I work on a variety of projects, mostly animation based. I focus on the environment and prop design, creating spaces and objects for film. I also storyboard out ideas, which is one of the first steps in a film’s process. I decide how things will look, how they’ll move, the framing, what the background will be for a shot. I’m the head of layout/background painting as well, I love doing that. It’s also something most people in my industry don’t like. I like the control it gives me and the chance to work in detail. I decorate a scene and if I do my job well, people either won’t notice my work, or they’ll go “wow, that’s my favorite shot,” because the shot I dressed and painted did just what it was supposed to and make a scene or a character feel good to its viewer. It’s a fresh and stimulating way of spending the day that has me looking forward every morning. Each film comes with its own set of rules, its own look, and message. My job as the designer is to navigate those rules and capture that look and message in one beautiful blend. I like telling people what I do. I’m proud of it. The moment I decided to pursue it, I knew my life was not going to be a quiet one. But that’s what I wanted.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Even though I’m not in Atlanta directly, I am working with people based there and have been there quite a lot over the past four years. I’ve done very touristy things, I’ve done not very touristy things, and would like to think I’ve seen enough to know about how the city feels. I am a city person, I’ve always enjoyed walking downtown, with all the crazy sights (and smells) that come with it. What I like about Atlanta most though… is probably the diversity of it. From the people to the food, to the buildings, its a mesh of old and new, bright and dulled by time. I’ve been to a lot of cities but none of them blend the lush scenery and cutting modernity like Atlanta. It feels like a place where everyone can find their home, something to love. I’ve seen it prepping for a hurricane, I’ve seen it during Pride. I’ve seen it on a regular old day. And every time, that blend comes out crazier and more diverse. I love it. And what I like least is harder… can I say how far it is from the coast? Because being from Colorado, I really love being close to the coast. If I could pick up Atlanta and smack it right on the coast, it’d be even more amazing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilysasaki.com
- Phone: 720-940-5255
- Email: esasaki97@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sasakisketches/
Image Credit:
Disney Imagineering (only the group photo)
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