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Meet former OC student Jess Tuason

Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Program: Animation Diploma - 2020

How did you become interested in animation? What inspired you?
Books, video games, movies, TV-- you name it. I just really loved enveloping myself into a world that someone created from their head, and I wanted to be part of the process.
 

What are some of the reasons you choose 51Ʒ�� to pursue your studies? What year did you graduate from OC?
Honestly? It was sort of fate haha. I told my High School counsellor that I wanted to go intoanimation, and it just so happened that OC had toured my school promoting their animation program. I graduated in 2020, during COVID.
 

What specific projects have you been a part of in the animation industry?
The first project I worked on out of school was ‘Tom and Jerry in New york’ with Slap Happy Cartoons. Since then I’ve also worked on ‘Summer Memories’ with Yeti Farm and a few other projects I can’t talk about just yet!
 

Can you share where you’re working now and your current role?
I’m currently working at Atomic Cartoons as a storyboard artist.
 

How has your Animation Diploma from OC helped you in your career?
Networking is a big one! You get to connect with a lot of industry folks through this program, not just from the teachers but the Alumni too. It was through my connections to this community that I was able to get a teaching job at OC in the animation department a couple years ago!
 

Looking back, what aspects of the Animation Diploma have been the most beneficial to your career?
Being trained in all the different specialties has gone a long way for me. In this program, you get to learn everything from 2D and 3D animation to character design and layout. I personally am not interested in being an animator, but knowing how to animate has really helped my storyboarding skills. Looks great on a resume too!
 

Do you feel the program prepared you well for the demands of the animation industry? 
To an extent, yes. But there’s a lot they can’t really teach you that you just have to learn on the job.
 

Are there any specific tools or techniques you learned in the program that you use regularly?
More like mantras. The one they pushed the hardest when I was a student was “you are not your work”. I think about that every week, especially when I’m struggling with a project and I don’t feel good enough. It boosts my confidence and reminds me that at the end of the day, it’s just cartoons.
 

Have there been any standout achievements in your career since completing the Animation Diploma?
Being able to see my work on screen feels like a big personal achievement honestly! Even seeing my name in the credits is incredibly cool haha.
 

What’s been the most exciting or rewarding part of your career journey so far?
Working on shows that I would have liked to watch when I was a kid is probably the most exciting part for me! Knowing that I’m part of projects that might inspire something in a new generation is a dream come true, sometimes it feels unreal.
 

What advice would you give to someone considering the Animation Diploma at 51Ʒ��?
Join for the knowledge, not the promise of a job. I cannot stress that enough. The animation job market is tough, and it probably won’t stop being tough. I have struggled to find work and to keep work, and even if I do everything right there’s no promise that another contract will be waiting for me in the future. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and the work that I do! But between every job can be months and months of waiting for new productions to start up or job rejections and interviews that don’t pan out. It can be discouraging and it has made me reconsider this career a few times. Even so, the skills and life lessons I learned from this program have shaped me into the person I am now-- and I happen to really like that person. You will gain so much from the Animation Diploma at OC, and if you are seriously passionate about animation then this program will be perfect for you. Just know the risks.
 

What do you see as the next steps or goals in your career?
Not sure! I’d love to try directing one day maybe, but for now I just want to keep creating!
 

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your journey since graduating from the Animation Diploma program at OC?
When I was a student at OC, I had a plan for where I wanted my life to go after graduation. Absolutely none of it worked out the way I thought it would haha. But that doesn’t make it bad, just unpredictable! And in the end, I feel like I’m exactly where I want to be.