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

Erin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you’ve thought about whether to sign with an agent or manager?

I started my creative career pretty soon after graduating from college, getting a job in the animation industry as a 2D animator. But I wish I started investing in myself as a professional earlier in my career. I stayed in the poor student mindset for a while where I didn’t pay for my professional website or software subscriptions I needed, thinking that I MUST find the cheapest way possible to survive. As a result, I didn’t look into getting a manager for a long time because I thought it was an extra cost to my expenses when really, getting a rep is so helpful for furthering your career. Having a team manage all the communications lets me focus on my craft, and I’m able to do what I like doing and get better at my craft. I have never been a good negotiator, so having my manager is mentally comforting for me. Most storyboard artists in the industry tend to find jobs by word of mouth and it definitely does work. But I highly recommend everyone to consider getting an agent because you get to have a team who has your best interest in mind, and you are able to expand your creative circle through the agency!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After finishing my degree at the California Institute of the Arts, I first got into the animation industry as a 2D animator working on a lyrics music video. I worked on Niall Horan’s “This Town” music video with a small group of artists in the editor’s backhouse. Then I started taking on more 2d animation freelance, working on commercials and various projects that were never fully released online. I was eventually hired at Jib Jab Bros Studios as a general artist, working on their app side for a while, then slowly I made my transition to animated TV shows. At the time Jib Jab also had their TV show department where they were producing Ask the Storybots, so I was given some TV show assignments. At the time I was doing everything. Character designing, animating, storyboarding, editing, compositing…I loved trying different things and I’m so grateful for the company letting me have the freedom. I’ve always had a passion for 2D animation, but it always felt tedious and labor-intensive to me even back then, so I was trying hard to find something in the animation realm that wasn’t 2d animation. At the end of 2017, I decided that storyboarding for TV shows was a more sustainable path for me to pursue. It still is a labor-intensive task, but I have so much fun with it and it is more in line with my story-oriented brain.

I’ve mostly worked on preschool shows that are 11 minutes long, for Netflix and Cartoon Network. Now I am currently working for Nickelodeon, focusing on storyboarding, which is the process of taking the script and drawing everything out, then taking it to a picture sequence stage before the animation begins. I work closely with writers and episode directors to plan out the entire episode. The goal of storyboarding is to nail the story of the episode. I have to pay attention to the acting of the characters, enhancing the comedy with the drawing, and how each sequence transitions from shot to shot, etc. The tv show schedule is quite fast-paced compared to film productions, but I love the speedy nature of it. Sometimes you get a “board partner” who you get to finish the episode alongside with, by dividing the script into two parts. Sometimes you get to finish the episode by yourself, with some supervision from directors. Both of those ways of storyboarding are extremely challenging, and I want to say it never really gets easy because you face such different problems for each episode.

What I learned about myself as a storyboard artist is that I am quick at adapting to new styles, whether it be the design of the show, the sense of humor, or the narrative. I love starting a new show, and figuring out the visual storytelling, and the atmosphere of that specific show. And I get very excited when I can see that the showrunner has a vision and they want to achieve a certain goal. That just makes my job much easier and clearer! I’m very passionate about shows having a distinguished aesthetic, a unique voice, and a concept.

There’s a lot that goes into the craft and every show is so different, so I’m learning so much every time I move onto a new show. It was never easy working with such a tight schedule but I’m proud of all the shows that I worked on, and the team we built. I’m hoping to be part of more amazing TV shows and meet more talented artists.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that stories connect people. I work in a medium that really brings people together in my opinion. It requires a big team to create a TV show, and it’s beautiful to work together with a group of creatives, and finally watch the finished episode together. Each episode is touched by so many people; the background artist, character designer, producers, production assistants, and the story team…the list goes on. It’s super touching to watch when the episodes finally come out, and I feel so bonded with everyone, and it’s such a fulfilling moment.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea of my worth being tied to my art. I used to be so concerned about hitting certain milestones in my career or achieving goals in general as an artist. I had to be the best(whatever the best meant in my head at the time). As a result of that belief, I definitely experienced a decline in health and wellness and a big burnout. I was trying to reach the next goal, and I got so overwhelmed when I wasn’t able to meet my own expectations. During the pandemic I was starting my new position at Netflix and all the stress from starting a new job compounded with the pandemic stress, I was physically and mentally shattered. I’m still going through the burnout phase, and I’m slowly getting back to the point of enjoying drawing. I am now taking a more relaxed approach to my creative journey and I feel much more satisfied.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://erinkimbap.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinkimart/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-kim-2b2553122/

Image Credits
Portrait by Hannah Keiffert