We were lucky to catch up with Yoona Hwang recently and have shared our conversation below.
Yoona, 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.
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my short animated film, “Silence.” It began as my MFA thesis film in Animation, spanning roughly 18 months from the initial ideation in September 2024 to the completion of production in March 2026.
This project is deeply significant to me because it is the first film I have directed entirely on my own. While I previously co-directed a short film titled ‘The Way to Die’ with two friends, managing the entire pipeline and making every creative decision for “Silence” was a much greater challenge. Before creating this film, I often felt a sense of longing; I wanted to be an artist but didn’t yet have a standalone piece of work that was truly mine. Thanks to “Silence,” I can now confidently call myself an animation director with a comprehensive understanding of the entire production process.
“Silence” is a hybrid animated short that incorporates 3D and 2D experimental sequences. In “Silence,” audiences experience an orchestral concert from the perspective of a hearing-impaired boy, emphasizing the limitations of hearing aids in capturing sound. Viewers will visualize vibrations and sound waves, illustrating the enhanced sensory perceptions that individuals with hearing impairments develop. Ultimately, “Silence” seeks to promote awareness and inspire action toward a more inclusive society. It is dedicated to everyone who experiences and appreciates art in ways that are uniquely their own.
Yoona, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Yoona Hwang, an animation director specializing in 3D Environment Modeling and Storyboarding. My journey began at the age of seven while tracing my favorite comic books. I fell in love with how drawings meet speech bubbles to deliver the story. This passion led me to study Cartoon and Animation at Gyeonggi Arts High School, where I experienced the thrill of directing my first 2D short animated film, “The Way to Die,” with two of my friends. The memorable experience of standing on stage to screen our film motivated me to broaden my dream of becoming a professional animator.
While studying Media Contents & Media Technology at the Catholic University of Korea, my interest expanded beyond animation to the broader concept of ‘media.’ During my daily commute on subways and buses, I noticed a significant lack of accessibility for people with impairments in Korea. This realization prompted me to join “Orot,” a non-profit club dedicated to creating barrier-free subtitles for Korean movies that typically lacked them in domestic theaters. These activities shifted my perspective, making me realize that the cultural joy I took for granted as a right was not equally accessible to everyone. This became the core mission of my creative work.
Spending a semester as an international exchange student at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone. The classes and communication there redefined my understanding of art and feedback. Realizing that I wanted to dive into the heart of the animation industry, I pursued an MFA in Animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) after completing my bachelor’s degree and working as a content and advertisement artist. Moving to the United States at age 23 was the greatest challenge of my life, leaving family and friends behind, but the excitement of studying what I loved helped me boost my professional technical skills in 3D animation, modeling, storyboarding, and the production pipeline.
The project I would like to introduce, “Silence,” is a combination of my technical expertise and my vision for inclusive content that is often overlooked. I am proud that I remained true to the film’s initial purpose, constantly asking myself if every choice served the story’s message. Thankfully, my peers and mentors often recognize me for my strong execution, attention to details, and empathetic approach to collaboration. I strongly believe that small, easily missed details are what define the quality of both work and relationships.
To those support me and my work: my stories are small steps toward making the world a slightly better and more inclusive place. I look forward to the moment my content flows into someone’s life and creates a connection between us. I still hold onto the hope that a story can change a person’s mind, even if changing the entire world feels like a distant dream. Picking one life among countless others and turning it into an eternal proper noun is the job of a story… and that is exactly what I aim to do through animation.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
During the 18-month film production, I faced a challenge with music usage. I hoped that the viewers of my film would find familiarity and awareness of the music in the film. My friend and composer, Ye-chong Jeon, and I discussed finding appropriate music for the film, and we chose “Piano Concerto in A minor” composed by Edvard Grieg. It was composed in 1868, meaning more than 150 years have passed, which means the copyright is free. Based on the selection and arrangement of this music, I worked on the animation for about ten months. When the film production was more than two-thirds complete, I tried to double-check the license of the music, and we couldn’t imagine this would become a critical issue for the production.
As the film is based on music, the animation of the visual elements should be in sync with the music’s beat and pitch. Therefore, the animation can differ based on which music we choose, much like classical Disney animation. Although Grieg’s Piano Concerto is classical music and therefore in the public domain as we researched, using a specific orchestra’s performance required a license. We had a few options: purchase the license, record the parts ourselves, or use new music. Based on financial and time limitations, the third option was the best for us.
Working on the musical part of the animation from the beginning with new music scared me at the moment, but I felt even that fear was a waste of time. I didn’t have time to feel scared. I only had time to work and take even a small step forward every day. I asked to organize a small ensemble rather than a full orchestra like the original concerto to minimize the range of the orchestra elements and members to be animated. However, there were limitations to creating a rich sound with such a small, non-typical group, so we decided on a brass band instead to achieve an effective and abundant sound. This is how we picked one of her band compositions, “Three Wise Monkeys,” which could be rearranged for a brass band to match the flow of the animation.
Surprisingly, starting from the beginning with new music was better than working with the previous classical music. It has various interesting qualities, especially the dotted rhythm that captures our main boy’s childish imagination and helps visualize the music in the environment. It was also easier for me to visualize the animation, which boosted the speed and quality of the animation literally. Through multiple back-and-forth emails, we worked to achieve the vibe of the existing animation because I needed to minimize revisions to spend my time in a wiser way. The music was shortened from the original to match the film’s length, and more vibrant moments were added by introducing a sudden change of mood. Even if they sounded a bit unconventional on their own, I believed they would feel dynamic and dramatic when paired with the visuals. This is how we developed the original music to be the perfect fit for “Silence,” and the crisis I faced gave me the opportunity to find what was better for the film, boosting both the message and the quality of the film.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
During my high school years, I wanted to create content delivering joy and happiness, even though I didn’t know what made me feel happy at the time. Through spending my time both in high school and university, I noticed the lack of accessibility for people with impairments, and my mission as an artist has evolved to create work delivering happiness without any discrimination for everyone.
Whenever I start creating content, I ask myself if this is really enjoyable to everyone, especially for people with impairments. “Silence” is the first step to executing this vision. Also, just as I once overlooked the aspects of culture and daily life that are limited for them, I hope the viewers of my film can notice the same things I did at some point. I believe making a better place for everyone by improving these missing aspects can start a dialogue among people without impairments. I would really appreciate it if my film can inspire someone and help make a better place for everyone where no one is sidelined.
When I finished my film in March 2026, I had a great opportunity to screen my film for other graduate students at SCAD. When I first screened it, I was nervous even though I tried not to look nervous. When the film was about to end, I heard small, positive sounds of admiration and emotion in the silent room, and I heard sincere applause when the film ended. During the Q&A session after the screening, the reactions the audience gave me were wonderful. Especially, I was impressed that one of the audience members said she was inspired by my film. I did not expect this, but it was so heartwarming to be told such kind words. Since I was also inspired by some great works and alumni’s films, as an artist, delivering inspiration to someone else is the most rewarding aspect, which contributes to making the world a better place to live.
As a further step from “Silence,” I have wanted to create a film about a blind girl. “Silence” describes a deaf boy seeing a sound in his own way, so next it is time to deal with someone whose hearing ability and other senses are delicate and more developed than their vision. I have no idea when this will be visualized for the public, but it will be released as we live day by day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yoonahwang.com
- Instagram: @silence.film_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoona-hwang/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@unnnnnnnnnnna
- Other: – Personal Email: yoonahwang.art@gmail.com
– Official Email to “Silence”: silence.film.official@gmail.com
Image Credits
1. Personal Photo: Tonmonde Studio
2. Additional Photo 1 (OasisExpress_ConceptStill.png): Oasis Express (WOKA; World of Korean Artists)
3. Additional Photo 2 (SILENCE_Beatboards.jpg): Yoona Hwang
4. Additional Photo 3 (SILENCE_Poster.jpg): Yoona Hwang
5. Additional Photo 4 (SILENCE_Still_1.jpg): Yoona Hwang
6. Additional Photo 5 (SILENCE_Still_2.jpg): Yoona Hwang, Seungdong Sa
7. Additional Photo 6 (YoonaHwang_Dailies_1.jpg): Saehim Kim
8. Additional Photo 7 (YoonaHwang_Dailies_2.jpg): Seunghee Lee
9. Additional Photo 8 (YoonaHwang_Dailies_3.jpg): Taein Um