We recently connected with Guyu Liang and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Guyu thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?
During the pandemic I was lucky enough to land on my first internship. While I was both nervous and excited to embark on my new journey, it eventually came out great and soon became one of my most cherished memories. Extrovert won’t be the term I would use to describe myself, and therefore it surprised me that I can get into one of my dream studios. The program I got in teaches people from traditional animation like me how to transition into 3D animation. It was a great experience since the studio firmly believes everyone can shine in the program with their own unique talents. Since it was my first time getting exposed to 3d animation, it took a while for me to get familiar with the new toolset and workflow. I still remember the first time I saw a 3d character with tons of controllers and the fact it throws me into deep confusion. Everything seems so convoluted and unintuitive. During my first attempt to recreate a walk cycle animation in 3D, I spent four days messing with the animation curves and ended up ruining everything. I had to reach out to my mentor for help and redo the walk cycle from scratch. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for sure, but I learned a ton from my mentor and the projects I worked on. Nowadays I’m confident to say I can embrace both the 2D and 3D animation world and put what I’ve learned into shaping my artistic voice.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I found out my passion towards drawing when I was still a little child, as I would become another person when I picked up the pencil. It wasn’t crystal clear to me in the first place what I should draw and where should I go, so I just drew whatever inspired me and pushed me further down the road. As time progressed, I realized that drawing serves as a great medium to express the emotions residing in me. However, the more I drew, the more I sensed something was missing. Later I realized it’s the fact that still images simply isn’t enough for me to voice who I truly am – I guess that’s why I fell in love with animation. Therefore, I chose to pursue animation during my undergrad. I can still remember the time when my first class started – what I saw and what I experienced intrigued me. When so much moving magic accompanied with great score unraveled on the screen, I was astonished by the power and emotions animation can bestow upon its audience. Thanks to the exposure to all these masterpieces, I continued to push my boundaries as an animator, aiming to capture the beauty of naturalistic movement and the power within.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
It was a difficult time when I first stepped out of my comfort zone and started drawing my first animation. When I made the decision to craft my first short film, I had no idea how to animate nor had any knowledge of the software. However, the idea of making my own short film motivated me to learn and practice on a daily basis. Since it was my first time ever working on an animated piece, the imagery surely wasn’t that pleasant. I received many negative comments during the production and I almost gave up midway. I still remember the time when I showed my first draft to the drawing instructor and the harsh comments I got, and it was surely one of the darkest moments I’ve ever experienced. Thanks to the continuous support from my parents and friends, I didn’t dwell on the past for too long and resumed my journey to explore the uncharted territory of animation.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, it is the fact I get to explore and cherish the merits, memories and emotions of people intrigues me. It almost feels like a privilege to analyze the bonds between various groups of people and incorporate the findings into my animation. I deem myself more like a journalist, ready to take down any inspirational moments and translate them into great stories with my work. Always being inspired by my surroundings and keeping telling enticing stories – I guess that’s what fascinates me the most during my journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: gliang.carbonmade.com
- Instagram: grain7520
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyu-liang-17204318b/
Image Credits
Guyu Liang