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Meet former OC student Amber Phillips

Hometown: Kelowna, BC
Program: Animation Diploma - 2021

How did you become interested in animation? What inspired you?
I’ve always been interested in art and storytelling, but I also really enjoy math/physics, music, and creative problem-solving. In high school, I realised that animation combines all of my passions and I decided I wanted to be an animator.

What are some of the reasons you choose 51Ʒ�� to pursue your studies? What year did you graduate from OC?
When comparing post-secondary options for animation, very few offered 2D and 3D animation in a single course - others that did were twice the length. I knew I wanted to study 2D and 3D animation so I could make an informed decision when choosing my favourite - I had some 3D animation experience from high school (at OKM) and knew I liked it a lot, but I also wanted to try 2D. I also liked that OC’s Animation Diploma included classes on design and storyboarding. I didn’t know which area of the animation pipeline I wanted to work in so I wanted to try all as many disciplines as I could to make an informed decision for my future career. As it turned out, learning 2D and 3D animation together was incredibly beneficial, as you always need to be thinking in 2D and 3D regardless of the style/software. 2D animation exists in 3D space, and 3D animation is viewed through a 2D lens - learning them together helped to develop this way of thinking and build fundamental skills.

Can you share where you’re working now and your current role?
The majority of animation work is contract-based. I was working consistently for a while and now have some time off. In between jobs, I have the opportunity to travel and work on my own art.

What specific projects are you involved in today?
My latest project was really exciting featuring a character I watched when I was little. Unfortunately, I can’t yet give any more details. I’ve also worked on Summer Memories (on Family Channel), Ostinato (a short film released on Netflix), Sweet Tweets (Knowledge Kids), Skookum and Chums (Telus), and La Brigade (on Radio-Canada). I have also been involved in teaching a youth digital arts class for the charity Autism Okanagan, which provides programming for neurodivergent people in the community. I developed a short course where students get to explore some of the many careers in digital art and the many departments of animation production. I enjoy getting to share my knowledge of animation and art, knowledge acquired from OC and my time in the industry.

How has your Animation Diploma from OC helped you in your career?
The connections I made at OC helped me get my first job and “foot in the door” at Yeti Farm. In fact, Yeti Farm approached me and offered me a job a month before graduation due to the strong connection and communication between the OC professors and the local studios. Learning 2D and 3D animation has also given me more job opportunities than if I had learned only one. My first few jobs were in 2D and my latest job was in 3D. Moving forward, I have a larger pool of job opportunities since I enjoy working in both mediums.

Looking back, what aspects of the Animation Diploma have been the most beneficial to your career?
Beyond the valuable skills to do my job, the Animation professors also taught me how to thrive in my career. They taught us the soft skills needed to work within the animation team, and how to be a great employee who gets invited back contract after contract. They prepared us for our careers and helped us set realistic expectations, because creating art all day is awesome, but is also a job and can be difficult at times. Feedback is super important as an artist, and animators get lots of revision notes in production - the Animation Diploma taught us how to handle tough notes and use feedback to help us improve.

Do you feel the program prepared you well for the demands of your current role?
Absolutely. The program prepared me well for a career as an animator. They did a really good job of bridging the gap between the school and studio environments

Are there any specific tools or techniques you learned in the program that you use regularly?
They teach industry standard software, which has been really useful. They taught me innumerable tips and tricks - I can’t remember the specifics because they are now just part of my regular workflow. They taught us tips and techniques for planning scenes, how to think through a character’s acting choices, physics and body mechanics for believable actions, and many more.

Have there been any standout achievements in your career since completing the Animation Diploma?
I’m still early in my career, so every new show and exciting scene completed feels like an awesome achievement. Beyond that, I’m glad that I can use my acquired knowledge and skills to provide mentorship to the next group of graduates. As I was going through the OC program, we were paired up with mentors from the industry. It was one of the highlights of the program, and it’s so exciting to be able to give back. Mentors answer questions about life in the industry and share some of their tips and tricks.

What’s been the most exciting or rewarding part of your career journey so far?
Getting to meet so many awesomely weird, creative people. Animation artists are some of the best people you’ll ever meet, and I have made so many amazing friends at each studio.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Animation Diploma at 51Ʒ��?
Register now! It will be a lot of hard work, and it will be 100% worth it.

What do you see as the next steps or goals in your career?
Always be learning. I’m excited to see my animation skills grow and evolve throughout my career.In the future, I would also like to explore leadership within the animation department - maybe do some directing too, we’ll see how it goes.