We recently connected with Katie Scala and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

A meaningful project I recently worked on is my college capstone animated film, “Siren Shuffle.”
This film is about a bubbly, teenage siren who listens to pop music through her shellphones on her iSopod, making her unaware while she swims through her cove’s collection of nostalgic treasures.

In order to graduate, the thesis project for my BFA in Animation was to direct and produce an animated short film in two semesters. The goal of this capstone was for students to experience all aspects of the animation pipeline. Specifically for 2D animation, the first semester focused on preproduction, which included pitch presentations, writing and revising scripts, storyboards, character and environment designs, animation tests, and a final animatic with sound. The second semester focused on production of the film, including drawing backgrounds and props, adding motion graphics and, of course, animating characters.

For this large production at hand, I needed a concept that kept me inspired in order to stay motivated during the inevitable all nighters. I knew that I wanted to create a film that would make my childhood self jump for joy by highlighting nostalgia from my childhood. Growing up, my family and I went down the shore every summer, spending sunny days swimming in the ocean or visiting the boardwalk. I was fascinated by magic, especially stories of mermaids. I wanted to evoke a whimsical playfulness through the siren’s collection in her cove so people can feel the nostalgia wash over them while watching the film.

A deeper theme from “Siren Shuffle” is the consumerism and escapism provided by nostalgia. In mythology, a siren’s song would lure sailors with promises of wisdom or wealth, only to lead them to their unexpected demise. The idea was that a siren’s song would trap anyone, no matter how different one’s history, personality and interests were from one another. By having a variety of boats made of different materials, separate functions, and individual journeys, this reflects how no matter who you are in society, no one can escape nostalgia.

During the market research and visual development of this film, I narrowed down on what type of nostalgic treasures I wanted to feature throughout the film. The siren’s cove is filled with knick-knacks from late 2000s and early 2010s media, specifically toy jewelry and plastic shoes marketed towards little girls, gym toys common in an elementary school, a collection of customized technology and colorful teen magazines. There are also references to the pieces of media that influenced my childhood, including classic Disney films, media with mermaids like “H2O: Just Add Water”, and the late 2000s Barbie Movies on DVD.

This film was a love letter to all the films my childhood self loved. I can’t wait to share it with the world, especially the film’s original song, “Siren Song.”

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 background and context?

Hi! I’m Katie Scala, and I’m a 2D animator and illustrator with experience in storytelling in children’s media for short films and nonprofit projects. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I would take every opportunity to pick up a pencil and tell stories through my doodles. My dream with art was to bring my drawings to life, thus leading me to the art of animation.

While studying Animation at Columbus College of Art & Design, I gained hands-on experience across the full 2D animation pipeline through collaborative productions with nonprofits. I have worked on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ “Tales of Smokey Bear,” a series of PSA short films that educate children about fire safety. My role on this project was animating Smokey and his fellow scouts throughout all three shorts so all the characters had the same attention to detail. I have also worked with Moonbeam Literary & Media on their “Kids Create a Deep Sea Cartoon Contest” where I designed and animated “Finding the Light” based on a 10-year-old’s short story. I would have loved this opportunity as a young creative, so I hope to participate in more projects like this in the future.

I love learning people’s stories and making connections through art and design. By learning the most about a creative team and its individual clients, I can help celebrate their success throughout the project. The most rewarding takeaway from my time at CCAD was the meaningful connections I built with professors and peers.

As I am approaching post grad life, I plan to keep doing what I always loved to do: create heartfelt, imaginative work for children and family audiences, help tell inspiring stories, and form creative collaborations, all while staying endlessly curious about the wonderful world we live in.

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

I think the most rewarding aspect about viewing life through a creative lens is actually something everyone can experience: learning through the creative process. From a simple sketch to an animated short film, I view every project as an opportunity to learn something new and develop my current skills through practice. The cycle of ideating, experimenting, and revising is where a person can grow. I find that I make something better than expected when I allow myself the time to take in the whole creative process. What would you learn if you were automatically perfect at a skill without study or practice?

It’s also rewarding that I view making art as a form of play. As a little kid, my friends and I would tell stories through our Barbie dolls, creating elaborate backstories for each doll before we even started the story of today’s play session. As we got older, these toys change into other forms of play. A friend who loved picture books grew into novels, another friend went from a toy recorder to woodwind instruments, and another friend went from playing ‘chef’ to baking. For me, I started drawing characters interacting with each other the same way I played with the Barbie dolls I grew up with. Even though it’s still a form of work, there is an aspect of fun in making art.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Through my creative journey, my mission is to give back to the visual narratives I grew up with by inspiring the next generation of storytellers to tell imaginative yet authentic stories. I love to share stories through animation and illustration, filled with imagination yet rooted in experience. I’m drawn to children’s media for its blend of innocence with lifelong lessons, which gives valuable wisdom while igniting a sense of wonder. I think that everyone has a way to make the world a more positive place. If I can use my art to inspire hope, I think that’s my way to make a positive impact on my community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katiesayshiart.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesayshi_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiescala-says-hi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KatieSaysHi_Art
• Other: Follow for Siren Shuffle updates: https://www.instagram.com/sirenshuffle_shortfilm/

Image Credits

Katie Scala, Natalie Dove, Moonbeam Literary & Media, OhioDNR