We were lucky to catch up with Alisa Stern recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I loved creating art when I as growing up but I was also very interested in science and always assumed I would follow that path and study science in college. I took some advanced science classes in high school including an independent study class where I got to come up with a project and spend all year working on it. My project started as a serious research paper about zoology but ended up as an multi-media presentation full of illustrations and animated graphics of animals. I realized that even though I loved science, my favorite part of this project had been creating the art so I decided to pursue animation and film in college instead of science.

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

I’m an animator who specializes in digital 2D animation (mostly After Effects) and also stop motion animation. I’ve worked in the industry for over 15 years. I started my career making stop motion puppets for commercials which was my dream job. I loved doing it but it wasn’t very stable work. I then spent a few years working in preschool TV as an animator and designer. I was lucky enough to eventually land a full-time job creating graphics and animation at a large digital media company where I spent over 10 years. This job was stable enough to allow me to pursue independent films on the side. I’ve made three short stop motion animated films and one live action film. I’m proudest of these films and I think they are the best demonstration of what I like to do. Currently, I’m trying to make it a full-time filmmaker while also freelancing as an animator and designer on the side.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I built most of my social media audience by creating fan art and little fan films about 10 years ago. I was really into Doctor Who and there was a thriving online fandom that I tapped into and built an online platform around. I slowly transitioned from Doctor Who fan art to my own art and films but still retained a little social media following. I think fan art can be a valid way to grow an online presence but I do recommend it not be 100% of your work. It’s a great way to find an online community and audience then convert them into fans of your own work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing society can do to support artists is recognize the effort and hard work that goes into creating art and that an artist’s time has value like any other professional. I think there’s a myth that often persists that art is an innate talent that some people just have. In reality, art is a skill that anyone can work to possess in one capacity or another. Support artists by making sure their work is recognized and validated with fair pay and job security like any other career. Also, support artists by NOT supporting generative AI and speaking our against it whenever and wherever you can.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alisastern.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorpuppet/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisastern/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OddframeFilms

Image Credits

Alisa Stern