Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Orlandi Fernandes.
Gabriela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2016, I graduated in Architecture and started to work at house development and art installation layouts. After two years, I was still feeling unfulfilled at my job. With a little push from my dad, I decided to apply to a Master’s in Animation, my deepest passion, and I was accepted at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I moved to Atlanta in 2019, and I worked hard for three years to complete the program and learn as much as I could. My final project, a student short film together with my Master’s thesis, was a long process on which I enhanced my skills on the 3D Animation workflow especially on team collaboration. During this last year, I have been working on animation short film productions as a freelance artist and teaching traditional and digital art at Art 365, a studio for children and adults located in Marietta, as I discovered that inspiring young artists the same passion for Art that I have brings me great satisfaction!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any road that is worth taking is smooth…All of us have obstacles along the way in order to pursue our dreams, no matter what they are! For me, it has definitely been a challenge to live abroad, away from my family and friends and far from home, even though it made me grow as a person and as a self-sufficient adult. Furthermore, I think being an artist is a challenge in itself as we work hard to improve our skills, to learn multiple software, to break into the industry, and to always stay up to date with multiple connections inside the business. Nevertheless, I believe these struggles shape who we are and always push us forward to a better version of ourselves!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When I get involved into a 3D short film production, I always open myself up to work on multiple parts of the pipeline in order to get the film done on a certain deadline. It usually starts with pre-production: A script that develops into storyboards together with concept art for environment, character, and art direction that shape styles, color, and form for the film. Afterward, we move into production, where assets are modeled, the characters are prepared for animation – a process called rigging – and then we animate it. After texturing and lighting, the last part is post-production, where final adjustments and compositing happen. Of course the process is much more complex, but this is a short summary of the whole workflow! As a 3D Generalist, I work on almost every part of this process. I also work as a Concept Artist and storyboarder. I guess being versatile and adaptable are good skills that set artists apart for sure. I think that what I am most proud of is my final Student film! It was a bold production that ended up nominated to several short film awards, that brought a lot of connections and great friends and gave those involved the opportunity to learn and grow as a 3D Artists.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am always up for collaboration projects! I have a LinkedIn profile where I connect with a lot of different people! Animation is definitely about teamwork, and I think every artist who wants to start a project or has an idea to pitch should reach out to other artists in order to build a diverse team that can help an idea grow into a collective mindset, on which a project can reach its full potential with the best possible final result.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gabiofernandes.co
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabi-o-fernandes-762521b7/
Image Credits
Art Direction: Denise Anger and Tammy Le/ Character Design: Àgnes Omnus
