My interests have extended beyond animation into 3D character design for vinyl toys and IP creation. While these may seem like different paths, I’ve discovered they are deeply interconnected through storytelling, character appeal, and design thinking. Over the past few months, I’ve taken deliberate steps to prepare for industry opportunities that reflect this hybrid ambition.
I began by attending the “Preparing for Industry” and “Navigating My Options” lectures, which reshaped my understanding of the animation and design ecosystem. These sessions stressed the importance of professional branding, building a targeted showreel, understanding contract negotiations, and planning freelance careers, all of which are directly applicable to both animation and toy design careers.
To engage with the broader creative community, I attended London International Animation Festival 2024 and London Short Film Festival 2025. These events gave me insights into current trends, such as the resurgence of hand-drawn aesthetics and experimental storytelling formats. I interacted with creators exploring character driven storytelling and material-based animation, which helped me reflect on how character design can live beyond the screen, as both cultural icon and merchandise.
Submitting work to Pictoplasma 2025 was both challenging and motivating. Although I wasn’t selected, I received informal feedback from one reviewer suggesting my character lacked a distinctive “emotive hook”—a reflection that pushed me to revise my design language. I’ve since submitted my graduation film to the Student Academy Awards (May 17) and continue scouting other festivals for future submissions.
Networking has also played a vital role in my growth. Through the course, I connected with UAL alumni Michael Leung and Chris Colman. Leung shared that the UK offers a better work-life balance and slower production cycles, allowing space for creative thinking. Colman emphasized that both the UK and China host world-class companies, and that success often depends more on personal adaptability than location.
Most excitingly, in April, I secured a freelance role designing IP characters for a tech company in China. My task is to develop two mascots, each with diverse expressions and action poses for use in the branding of a new product app. The fully remote project, due for delivery on June 1st, has offered me a clear window into the professional workflow: from client brief, design iterations, feedback rounds, to final asset delivery. This experience has deepened my appreciation of both creative and business dynamics in IP-based design. While I succeeded in meeting deadlines and pleasing the client, I noticed a tendency to compromise my design language for the client’s taste. This tension has since become a focus in my ongoing self-study on how to balance voice with flexibility.
Despite training in character animation, my growing portfolio and professional engagements reflect a wider vision: telling stories through characters, whether animated or physical. UAL’s career support, combined with industry exposure and freelance practice, is enabling me to merge these ambitions and position myself as a multidisciplinary character designer. This journal marks not an endpoint but a snapshot of transformation in an informed, self-critical, and future-facing process.
References:
- Pictoplasma (2025) Pictoplasma – Contemporary Character Design and Art. Available at: https://pictoplasma.com (Accessed: 17 May 2025).
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2025) Student Academy Awards. Available at: https://www.oscars.org/saa (Accessed: 19 May 2025).
- London Short Film Festival (2025) London Short Film Festival. Available at: https://shortfilms.org.uk (Accessed: 20 May 2025).