Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeongmin Koo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeongmin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve been painting since I was young, when I couldn’t remember exactly. If you show even a small picture to your parents or friends, you will like it or pay attention to it. After seeing people’s reactions, I was also excited and wanted to draw more. But of course I didn’t know that I’m going to pursue that as my future career. I had many dreams before I was 15. I wanted to be a Taekwondo player, a baseball player, and a robotics engineer. However, the fun and passion to work hard for them did not last long. So I was thinking about what job I really like and can last for a long time, and I vaguely decided that I wanted to work in the animation industry, thinking about the past when I liked animated films. I prepared a portfolio to go to a high school that specializes in animation, but it failed. Curiously, however, I was not discouraged by the results. Actually, my passion for animation grew up, if anything. Eventually, I came to a university in America and learned animation. In my 2nd year at school while I was studying animation in general, I was most interested in storyboards that can deliver many stories with a few rough sketches. Then I realized, “This is what I want to continue to do.” And even now, as a filmmaker, I still think storyboards are the medium that can best convey my stories and intentions to the audience.

Jeongmin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is Jeongmin Koo, also go by Jemi, and I’m a storyboard artist/filmmaker based in United States. From a young age, I had a lot of interest and excitement in movies and drawings. Because of this, while other peers were still contemplating their dreams, I could easily determine my career path. Inspired by American animations like Disney and Pixar, I developed a deep longing to create movies just like those talented individuals. After graduating from high school, I crossed over to the United States and attended college. In my sophomore year, among the various fields within animation, I found the greatest joy in storyboarding. After completing college in the spring of 2022, I have been working as a storyboard artist in the animation industry for about two years now.

Storyboarding is the process of creating a rough blueprint, through visual sketches, of how a film will be visually presented to the audience before it is actually made. As all production work is based on the storyboard, it holds a significant role in the early stages of film production. So, my job is to visualize written stories from scripts to my clients. All stories begin as thoughts and are then written down. As for myself, I interpret those written words or scripts into images. Sometimes, within the scripts, there are passages that are ambiguous or too vague to visualize. In those instances, I fill in those gaps by using my imagination to create and draw the missing elements of the story.

Subjectively, I’m not entirely sure what I excel at the most when it comes to storyboarding. However, one unique characteristic that others often mention about my work is that it imparts hopeful and positive messages/emotions to people. My artwork tends to resonate strongly with viewers, bringing joy and comfort when they are happy and solace when they are sad. Through my works, people have found reflections on life, and they gain positivity and hope. Interestingly, observing these reactions from others also helps me understand the meaning of my own life a little better, as someone who creates animations in this world, I also feel a responsibility within here.

My profession is as a storyboard artist, but I consider myself a filmmaker. While participating in projects and communicating with people through films is enjoyable, I have a stronger desire to create short animations where I can directly share my own stories and thoughts with others. To achieve this, I consistently use social media platforms such as Instagram, where I share illustrations and occasional short animated clips. Furthermore, I am working on separate short animations as well. Although connecting with people online is rewarding, I find greater appeal in facing people’s reactions firsthand in a movie theater.

The current short animation I’m working on is titled “Tree.” It was inspired by some of the sad experiences I’ve been through. The work is nearing completion, and I can’t wait to present it to audiences in theaters as soon as possible. Additionally, I’m brainstorming ideas for my next short film, and I also want to create a scenario for this project. I can’t wait to work on my next film and show it to them.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding moments for me as an artist are when I communicate with people through my artworks and discover a sense of joy in understanding my own existence. When I was younger, I was very introverted and shy. Both of my parents were working, and my older sibling had to focus on school, so I spent a lot of time alone at home. During those times, my sketchbook and crayons became my closest friends. As I didn’t know how to make friends easily, I often spent my time drawing at school as well. One day, my teacher saw my drawings and showed them to my classmates. They started discussing what stories my drawings might have and how cool they looked. At first, I felt extremely embarrassed and shy, but during the break, my classmates with curiosity and interest in my drawings gathered around and talked to me first. In that moment, I experienced an indescribable happiness.

Later, when I decided to pursue animation as my dream, those positive memories strongly influenced my career choice. Until now, working as a storyboard artist in the animation industry, the reason remains the same. Art connects my introverted self with the world. When people appreciate my artwork and connect with me through it, I truly feel needed like an artist who belongs and is valued in this society.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I believe this lesson is one of the most essential for artists, and it extends beyond art to other fields or aspects of our lives. Honestly, I’m still striving to uphold this belief myself. It is about “not being swayed by others’ judgments and opinions and staying true to myself.”

Before choosing art as my profession, my parents hoped that I would pursue a typical university education and eventually have a regular job after graduation. They knew I enjoyed drawing, but they considered it merely a hobby. I also saw it that way and reluctantly studied for the regular university entrance exams. I couldn’t escape competition as I had to study the same subjects as my friends. In a competitive society where good grades lead to better schools and better jobs, comparing yourself with others might seem natural. However, for me, this competition and comparison were incredibly painful and difficult to endure. Moreover, it was even harder because I couldn’t do what I loved the most, drawing.

Eventually, I chose animation as my career path, but that didn’t mean competition and comparison were over. Getting into college was a competition, there was competition within the college, and after graduation, there was competition for getting a job. However, all of these were not driven or instigated by others; they were the result of my own competitiveness and comparisons that I had been conscious of since I was young. I wanted to be better than others and hoped to excel. Being Korean, I also compared my age with my peers in college, especially when I had to serve in the military for two years in the middle of my college life.

Viewing everything as a competition, I ended up with low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. Looking back, I realize that such competitiveness played a role in shaping me into the artist I am today. On the other hand, I also feel that I lost a lot about myself in the process. If I could speak to my past self, I would advise to believe in myself and build inner strength. Presently, I’m striving not to conform to others’ standards of success but to live a life that satisfies and makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jemikoo.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemi_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeongmin-jemi-koo-ba8860167/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQryyLBN6TRGK74NJtJ_VZA