Meet Jiamu Tao | Animator & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jiamu Tao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jiamu, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’m not the kind of person who’s constantly seeking adventure — I can feel pretty content in my comfort zone. But if something intrigues me and I feel I have the need to do it, I would go for it. Decisions are normally made really quickly without much second thinking — I guess that makes me a risk-taker to some extent. I think it boils down to me being a more intuitive person than a fact-based person. I tend to make decisions based on my perspective and how it would satisfy my psychological needs, and I rarely regret them, whatever the outcome might be. To sum it up, I believe as long as you feel the need to risk it and are prepared for it to not work out in the end, go for it!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an animator and designer who specializes in cel animation and After Effects and also knows 3D. Because I was traditionally trained in character animation and working in film and TV has been my goal for the longest time, although I’m now gearing towards motion graphics, I will always have a special spot in my heart for character animation, which shines through in some of my motion works and sets me apart from other motion animators. I demand precision in my animation, which gives my work a unique clean look and makes me a good executioner and supervisor in projects. I’m currently getting my master’s degree in animation at the University of Southern California and will be graduating this summer. I got into animation like most of my peers —- we loved watching animation as kids. When it was time to decide what to do with the rest of my life, animation seemed like a no-brainer. I applied to many different art schools and ended up at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where I spent four years and got my undergrad degree. After graduation, I wasn’t entirely sure about what exactly I wanted to do for a career, so I decided to keep exploring and learning new stuff, hence the reason I ended up doing a graduate program at USC. At USC, I was exposed to more types of animation and took advantage of the multidisciplinary curriculum the school offers, and decided that I also like motion design, which became my career path now. I guess the most important lesson I learned along the way is to not be afraid to try new things and always be open to opportunities. You never know where the road will lead you!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Good question! My parents are visiting me in LA for the first time in a month so I’ve been planning their visit recently! I’ll definitely take them to some of the most iconic spots of LA, including the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Santa Monica Pier. Little Tokyo is another great spot to just walk around and hang out. For dining, I would probably take them to some of the best Korean restaurants located near K-town. LA has such a huge variety of Korean food that I’ve not seen anywhere else!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I need to give a shoutout to the friends I met during my graduate program at University of Southern California! I didn’t expect that a huge portion of what I learned at school would be from all of my classmates who came from many different backgrounds. They each brought their own unique perspectives on how to create art and I got to broaden my horizon and enrich my knowledge of animation. I own so much to them!

Website: https://taojiamu.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiamutao/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiamu-tao-08307a182/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jiamutao327

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jiamu.tao.58/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTZ36BUUhO9aMpoOtGZBl8w

Image Credits
Jiamu Tao