We were lucky to catch up with Alvin Chan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alvin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Yokai Island is a project I’ve done recently. It is a concept bible for feature animation – world building. Animation is a big influence on me to draw, especially the Japanese cartoons I watch in my childhood. The stunning worlds keep me from dreaming of my story.
Yokai Island is based on my personal interest to Japanese folklore, and I love how each Yokai has it’s own background story. An animation that I reference a lot is “Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro.” The characters in the show have unique expressions. And I tried to put my personal experience into the story I created.
Alvin, 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?
I am an illustrator and photographer who has a focus on concept design and visual development for animation. Currently, I am attending Savannah college of Art and Design for illustration, with a concentration on concept art for animation and games. I work from storyboarding, background painting, character design and poster design.
I enjoy working as a team and meeting different people, and I believe all this experience can become inspirations and improvement for my work.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is when you can balance making money and doing the work you like. Because what you are capable of or what you are good at will not be the same as what you enjoy doing. I was lucky to work on my vision as a freelance artist.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my audience by start talking and making interactions with them. I like going to different conventions or fairs for artists, and I will try to talk to them. It helps you to get attention. If you are too shy to speak in person, do it on social media. I cannot guarantee that everyone will get back to you, but it is always good to try. That’s how I make connections and learn from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cloud9-work.com/about
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloud_9work/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-chan-326ab9251/