We were lucky to catch up with Dila Budan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dila thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Have you ever wondered how different the animation shows are compared to the ones in the 90s or early 2000s? I cannot count how many times I have heard people say that the shows they grew up with were incredibly remarkable compared to the shows now. Something shifted in the industry after the 2010s. The animation industry has been through all sorts of milestones for decades. It reached an all-time low in recent years because of Corporate America. Excessive focus on market trends led most of the animation features and shows to lose quality due to the pressure to produce commercially viable content rather than creatively fulfilling and style-wise different. Not to mention low pay and demanding work schedules. Exploitation of animators has been the norm since the day the industry established new major motion picture companies that concentrate on animation. And unfortunately, for artists who are versatile and unique, navigating all of this is quite challenging.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Dila Budan, and I am a recent graduate from the School of Visual Arts! I have been making short animated films since I was a freshman at school; now, I am a concept and story artist currently interning in New York City. I decided to get my training in the animation field when I first realized how I express myself. Whenever I had arguments with my parents as a little girl, I would not leave my room, not because I was angry/sad or afraid- but because I was too busy assembling pieces of paper together to draw an audience that would listen to me. Telling a simple story, like why mom was annoyed at me, was the highlight of my day. I would act the scenes out for my audience that I drew out to the gigantic poster that I glued together; giving them perspective was everything to me. (I would also sing for them, but we quickly discovered I did not belong in music.) It was my mom’s idea that I should pursue all these.

The art of storytelling is spread across disciplines, and there are many mediums to go with to tell your story. I am proud of myself for exploring some of these mediums that do not fall under the animation umbrella. Being versatile is fun and helps with the problem-solving abilities an artist has. I explore, grow, and freelance while taking steps in the industry for the first time.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I loved this question! I grew up with family and friends who were not artists, and they had trouble understanding what I wanted to pursue for a long time. Some thought I was a caricaturist, while others were confused about why I had not gifted them a large canvas with an oil painting. The truth is- I have never oil painted in my life. While this is all very amusing, I always say we artists are like engineers. We both explore various fields but are not necessarily trained or interested in doing all of them. For instance, in school, my friends were from different departments like graphic design, 3D animation, and illustration. There were times when we were studying together; I had no clue what was happening in their assignments. When they tried to explain it to me, how differently our brains are wired was mind-blowing. I often go, ‘Woah, how do you do that?’ with everything I have seen from different fields.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I probably share this sentiment with most young artists, but I want to make my parents proud. I want to be able to pay them back and make them comfortable in life. I want people to know that I am their daughter, and I am who I am, thanks to them. I am from a small Mediterranean city where education in art is little to none. Not to mention the lack of funding in those classes like art, music, sports, etc. I hope the kids where I grew up will be able to see what is out there and what is possible to achieve in ‘non-conventional’ paths.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dilabudan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dilaacious/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dila-budan-827019257/
• Twitter: https://x.com/xoxodilacious