Makers At Heart | Animator Mari Chung on creating cute animated characters & how living in Vermont has inspired her
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Everything we do as a team makes great ideas come to life. We are thinkers, designers, artists, directors, producers, developers, colourists, coders, technicians, editors, animators, writers, doers and makers.
In our Makers At Heart series, we introduce the people behind the projects to hear more about their inspirations, motivations and creative insights. We caught up with animator Mari Chung to discuss why she enjoys crafting cute animated characters and how living in Vermont has inspired her.
You were a part of the latest Wholly Guacamole campaign – what was your role and what did you enjoy about this project?
I’m one of the animators who brought the avocados to life! At The Mill, we don’t have a lot of cute character-based projects so it’s always a real good jam for me to work on Wholly Guacamole. Before I started animating, I did quick doodles to explore the character’s movements, as we didn’t have a living avocado to reference, we needed to use a bit of imagination…
BTS sketches for Wholly Guacamole
What’s your favorite type of animation at the moment?
All kinds of animation have their own appeal, I’m a huge fan of cartoon-style animations – animation that allows for movement that can’t be achieved in real life. For example, stretchy/noodly limbs or extreme poses. I really appreciate all kinds of exaggerated animation. Recently, I watched ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ on Netflix and it was really fun to watch!
Are you working on any passion projects?
I have been working on a passion project called ‘The memory of Rose Rêverie’. While designing the character, Rose, I focused on shape-based design. Every shape should be almost perfect; a combination of circles and straight lines. Since we have been working from home, I’ve been able to live closer to my family in Vermont. The area’s surroundings really inspired me and this project.
