We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Justin Cho. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Justin below.

Justin, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

The beginning of my career as a concept designer was not an easy path. After my college graduation, I thought I would get a job right away. And that a bright future would be waiting for me. However, reality was not as I dreamed. I sent out over 100 emails with my resume and cover letter. Had some interviews and art tests from studios. But still had no luck finding a job. That was my first three months after graduation. -I started my first full time job at an online game studio in South Korea. I remember I was very grateful that I could finally make some money by doing what I love. It was such a great feeling that I could contribute to the studio’s game development. After spending four years growing into a senior concept designer, I decided to move back to the States to challenge myself to be a better artist.

I did various freelance gigs in Los Angeles between jobs to make a living. It was ok, but not quite enough to support my family. One day, one of my colleagues called me and asked my availability. I said “I’m free”. He introduced me to his manager. We chatted for about 20-30 minutes as a ‘job interview’. Next day, I got an offer to work at Disney as a concept artist. That was when I started to get jobs by recommendation from my colleagues.

My working experience at Disney opened many doors for me. I had an easier time getting a job. I often was offered overlapping gigs, and I could ask for a comfortable living rate. Ever since then, I’ve been blessed to be able to support my family. As well as make a full time living as a concept designer/ art director in theme parks, games and animation.

What I’ve learned while working in the creative industry is, build stronger friendships and communities. I think developing skills is important, but having good people around you makes you successful.

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 a concept designer and art director who has experience in the theme park, animation and game industries for over 10 years. During college, I had an interest to work in the entertainment industry, so I studied character and environment design.

For the first half of my career, I worked on game and animation projects as a concept artist. Then, I changed my career to pursue the theme park world. Now, I am working as an art director at Universal Studios Japan.

To share my daily task as a designer, simply I help my clients to visualize their stories. All clients have stories to tell. Genres vary. It could be sci-fi, horror, thriller or magical fantasy. Sometimes they don’t have a clear image to pitch their ideas, and that’s when I chime in. I help visualize their intent with concept sketches and paintings. Gratefully I’ve been able to do what I love for over a decade now because my clients come back to me with new projects. Because over the course of time we have built trust as business partners. They know I am very responsible when it comes to deliverables. I am quick with suggesting design solutions, and I am flexible to accommodate their opinions.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I would say my field is certainly not a typical office job. I’ve relocated to a few different countries over the 10 years of my professional career. I don’t regret it. I have had amazing opportunities to meet and work with many people from different backgrounds. There is always something to learn from them. I’ve enjoyed all the experiences that came along, whether they were good or bad.

At work, I get to wear many different hats. I sometimes become a storyteller to share my design. Sometimes, I am an illustrator to visualize what the client describes in words. Sometimes, I am a negotiator between the technical and creative teams. Sometimes I wear a safety helmet to check the construction site while it is getting built.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It is always fascinating to tell the story through images. A picture is worth more than a thousand words – and it really is true for me. I could describe the design through the conversation but it is much more effective to show an image to the client so we are on the same page. I deeply enjoy the moment when my proposal aligns with their vision.

It feels so rewarding when my design gets built and presented to guests. In 2019, I had the opportunity to art direct a Christmas tree at Universal Studios Japan. After 10 months of its development, the hard work of me and my team paid off. We saw large crowds visit the park and enjoy some Christmas magic.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/justincho0121?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-cho-b8793590

Image Credits:
Playmation concept art is copyright Disney
All photos are copyright Universal Studios Japan