Meet Emily Hsu | Producer (Animation, Games, VFX)

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

Hi Emily, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think about risk everyday. Being in this industry is inherently risky. There is a high chance of failure at every turn: it takes a long time to develop projects to the point that they can be moved into production, completing an animated project is a marathon-run spanning multiple years, and can be canceled or shelved at any point before crossing the finish line. Even just the last year of industry layoffs and slow-down alone has shown how much impact can happen based on factors that are entirely out of our control. People generally also tend to think “high risk, high rewards” – yes, that can be true in some cases (‘you lose 100% of the shots you don’t take’ and other mantras or sayings along those lines…) But when someone is just starting out, the rewards can be low amid a lot of competition and it takes many years to gain experience, credits, and climb up the ladder. You have to be willing to take on risk to work in entertainment – if you aren’t, then it may not be for you.

So… now that I have sufficiently freaked out anyone who is remotely risk-averse… if it’s so risky, why do it and what is the incentive to keep going down this path?

Because never taking risks is also quite risky. Being “comfortable” makes me uncomfortable. Taking risks is what has helped me learn and grow more than I ever would have without them, and that has forced me to be more well-rounded, adaptable, and experienced in a shorter amount of time. Some people may stay in cushy jobs for decades, and I am genuinely happy for anyone who can find that kind of stability, but it’s rare and may still have an expiration at some point. In the gaming industry right now, I’m hearing about people who have been at a company for a decade, two decades… and they get laid off with the rest of the company or that company closes and they’ve only had that experience to base their entire careers on. Perhaps as you get older, taking risks makes less sense (mortgages, kids, other obligations, and so on), but I encourage anyone who is at a point in life to take more risks and experience failure when they can bear it more. It will teach things that no single job can.

From a personal standpoint, I’ve moved around a “healthy” amount – staying in roles long enough to grow through the ranks or finish projects, build relationships, learn about the pipelines and way things are done, then move on comfortably without burning bridges. This then allows me to take what I’ve learned, move onto another studio to learn how they do things differently, and try to connect my experiences together.

People in this industry move states or entire countries to chase opportunities – I accepted a job working for stop-motion studio LAIKA after only speaking to 2 people on a phone: a recruiter and my new boss. Within 2 weeks, I packed up my life in a tiny car, signed a lease on an apartment that I never saw and that I could barely afford, and started working at a company with people I had never met in a new city where I knew no one and had no family or friends. I told myself that I could always leave after a year if I was really unhappy – flash forward over 4 years and 2 movies later when I was ready for my next opportunity, I could have stayed in Oregon and worked on the next film, but I needed something entirely different and transitioned into working at a games company at Blizzard – ME: a non-gamer, a casual gamer, a noob – whatever name there is for it, I was not a gamer and had to learn a whole new culture, community, language. And I LOVED it. It was rewarding, the people were great, and it was stable. But remember… being “comfortable” makes me uncomfortable. While in the middle of the pandemic and remotely working delivering great cinematics, I took a new job with an entirely different team at a studio to work on very different projects and force myself into new challenges and responsibilities. And that’s where I am now. Has that risk paid off? Maybe. I’ll be able to let you know someday, but I can happily say that every risk I’ve ever taken up to this point has paid off, whether in intended or unintended ways.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Before I dive into the larger narrative of the early beginnings of my career, I’ll provide the TLDR and highlights of some of my major takeaways upfront:
– Luck is always part of the equation, but nothing is ever handed to you.
– Connections and networking are not about “what can you do for me?” and should not be transactional — they are about making and building genuine relationships with people regardless of a job opportunity.
– No two jobs are alike, even if the titles are the same, and there may be certain roles that simply aren’t a good fit. It doesn’t mean that you are a failure. It doesn’t mean that the job/boss/project is wrong or out to get you. Sometimes, things don’t work out and that’s ok. Keep perspective of what’s most important to you and know when it’s time to walk away.
– This is not an easy path and it isn’t for everyone. If you don’t absolutely love it, then you’ll burn out quickly. There will be late nights, stressful times, and painful moments – find balance wherever possible, but know that it takes a certain level of passion, sacrifice, and perseverance to make this a career. Maintaining balance has always been one of the hardest parts for me. I’ve gained weight, lost weight, messed up sleep schedules, and probably had the wrong priorities at times. It’s something that I’m still trying to work on and that many struggle with. Set boundaries, but also know when you need to be flexible.
– Always learn and grow! School shouldn’t stop at the diploma. Figure out ways to keep honing new skills and learn new things.
– Enjoy the journey even for all its hardships. Don’t miss out on all the beautiful things happening right in front of you while trying to climb.

When I set out for college, I felt that I needed to study something “practical” so I went to school for a Business Administration degree, thinking I’d end up in something lucrative, but ultimately relatively boring, in the corporate world to grind until I could finally retire. Sounds sad, I know, but my practical side was a driving force through school and I couldn’t break the habit. My first summer internship was as a Sales & Marketing intern with SONY DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corporation) in China, a manufacturing arm of the company that created CDs, DVDs, and playable media for home entertainment. During that internship, I followed the team around to different client meetings including SONY Music, Disney, Nokia, and even shadowed meetings with local governments to discuss piracy & bootleg market concerns. We also had consumer-facing participation at fairs to introduce and educate the public on the new and upcoming Blu-ray format (definitely aging myself now). That experience showed me one side of the “entertainment” business even though I hadn’t considered it at the time. I thought I was really just learning “sales” and what it would be like to work internationally, but it wasn’t until much later in my career that there were so many early seeds planted from that experience.

I’ve always loved animation and the art of creating. I would watch a DVD (or Blu-ray!) just to get the special features and see the process of how it was all made. But as a non-artist, I never thought of it as a job or that there was a career for someone like me. It wasn’t until I found out that a friend who was studying Computer Science got an internship at Pixar that it clicked in my head. Hey, wait – if there are roles for tech, then maybe there are internships on the “business” side of an animation company. Flash-forward to my next internship in Recruiting at PDI/Dreamworks Animation (the Northern California location of DreamWorks Animation that was sadly closed in 2015) — an experience that changed the course of my life forever. At PDI, I was able to help set-up candidate interviews, watch reels with Hiring Managers and Recruiters, and take extra internal training courses to understand the different departments such as Layout, Rigging, FX, Crowds, and Production – so many terms that were foreign to me at the time that made me realize that “animation” is only one department in a sea of departments, all kept running together with a core of production staff from PAs to Producers. This is how I discovered what “production” was – the organization, planning, scheduling, budgeting, team support and management side of animation. I found it. This was what I wanted to do! It didn’t matter that I was just a summer intern – everyone from Directors and Producers to Production Supervisors, Layout Leads, Animation Supervisors, Modelers, Visual Development Artists, and more took the time to sit with me and share their experiences, their job responsibilities, what cool things they were working on, and so on. I soaked up as much as I could from that experience. To this day, I still have friends and connections from that experience at PDI, including people who have helped me get other jobs and people who I’ve been able to help as well. I look back at my notebook from that internship sometimes and see the notes and names of people who helped me get to where I am today and will forever be grateful to them.

After that experience, I added on a Film & Media degree and did whatever I could to try to remain in the Animation industry… or somewhat around Animation… or even just remotely tied to entertainment in some way. I worked at entertainment marketing firms, video game PR firms, even CBS Radio as an on-air PA and a Promotions Assistant driving a bus wrapped with Rihanna and Lady Gaga’s face. I would put up posters for film releases, outreach for grassroots marketing campaigns, grab press clippings, be on-hand for awards screenings, write press releases, and more. There was a time that I had 4 different paystubs due to the part-time gigs I would pick up just to try to broaden my experiences in “entertainment.”

But the roles in Animation were the ones that kept eluding me – I think I was rejected from Pixar at least 3 times before I finally received an acceptance. To try to keep my connection to animation strong, I had to get more creative. I cold-called miscellaneous studios that didn’t have roles yet open, but might hire for upcoming projects that I had read about in the industry news outlets. Something still surreal to this day… I met Phil Tippett at a university event when he was presenting “Starship Troopers”, learned about “Mad God” (his personal passion project already decades in the making), wrote him a note and told him that I would love to help if he ever needed it, started volunteering in his workshop on weekends doing things I had never done before literally using fire, paint, molds, and more to contribute to his incredible vision while hearing his stories and getting to work side-by-side with real Tippett Studio artists. I never cared about credit or whether or not this project would get a release – it was just such a special experience and honor to get to be a part of it in a small way alongside many others. That film did actually release in 2021 by the way. You can learn more about it here: https://www.madgodmovie.com/

A major game-changer was an organization and conference called SIGGRAPH. During my PDI internship, there was a week of time when I couldn’t schedule any interviewers or recruiters that we needed as they were all gone! Where were they going? To a conference called “SIGGRAPH,” I learned. Hmmm, this was something I clearly needed to note for the future. Lucky for me, SIGGRAPH has a robust volunteer program. I started volunteering for SIGGRAPH first as a Student Volunteer, then a Team Leader, then on subcommittees, and finally as part of the conference leadership. I’ve chaired several high-profile programs at the conference, took a break, and am making a return this year to volunteering for SIGGRAPH 2024 in Denver. The time has flown by, but I’ve now been volunteering for over a decade and met people I would have never otherwise had a chance to meet — more great lifelong friends who I get to reunite with at every conference! OK – back to the original point… volunteering for the conference put me in front of many high-level decision-makers on some of the most exciting animated and live action films of the year – even if I wasn’t working a well-known studio job at the time, I could show off my organizational and communication skills in a way that yielded really tangible results for influential people that worked for major studios, people that would refer me for jobs later in life. (You can check out more about this year’s upcoming conference here: https://s2024.siggraph.org)

I’ve explained a lot about my beginnings rather than my jobs at big shiny studios because I think that establishing yourself is the hardest part. After landing that first job, continue working hard and become known for being able to get things done and done well. People will recognize and see the results and THAT is how you get the next job, the next job, and the one after that. Every position and studio has had its own challenges and I’ve had to prove myself each time I start in a new role, but it’s been the genuine connections and respected colleagues along the way that helped me get my roles at Pixar, LAIKA, Blizzard, and Netflix. It’s the most cliche saying in the business, but “it’s who you know” and you never know which “who” is watching when you are at your best and your worst. Be present, positive, and kind!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Breweries: I love checking out local breweries in any town. They each have their own personalities and it’s a fun way to experience different neighborhoods. Some great ones are Santa Monica Brew Works and Golden Road Brewing, but I’m always excited to find new spots.

Hollywood Bowl: Definitely catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, no matter what it is. It’s such a unique and special experience to enjoy an event there. I would love to find any reason or excuse to be able to go more often!

Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: Great for something that’s a bit more exercise while also being incredibly enriching mentally. I never realized I would get so fascinated by the Huntington’s rare books and art collection. It’s also such a beautiful place to just relax, have lunch, and enjoy the scenery.

Academy Museum: Rather than spending any time on the Walk of Stars, celebrity tours, etc., getting lost in the Academy Museum is a day well spent to truly appreciate Hollywood and filmmaking at its finest!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents deserve first billing on this. They were immigrants that came separately from incredibly poor upbringings in China, met in the US, and wanted to ensure that I could have the best life possible. Even as hard as I have worked, it doesn’t come close to what they have had to endure and overcome in their lives. Being a child of immigrants in this country is a very unique perspective. Our parents didn’t get to choose their professions the same way that we could – the “dream jobs” are the ones that pay and can sustain a family without having to work more than 1 of them. They worked hard and did what they had to do so that I would get the privilege of having choices to do what I want to do. Many parents might think that choosing a career in entertainment is frivolous (and… yes, you guessed it – RISKY) and that all their hard work was wasted on a pipe dream. But my parents never made me feel that way – they have been avid supporters down this path and saw it as a success of their own hard work that I could pursue my dreams. My success is their success.

Next up, both my best friend and my husband deserve a LOT of credit. They have been my rocks and my constants at different points in my life. Remember that move to LAIKA? Seated next to me for that entire trip was my best friend, Bree. And when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere in Oregon just 2 hours south of our destination, she was right there with me to experience it and help me reach my new home. She was on a mission to make sure I got moved into my new home, at the very least with an IKEA bed that we built together. She has been with me since high school and will always be the person who has seen me through every major phase of my life. Get yourself a ‘Bree’ in life, who can see you at both your best and your worst. And for the move out of Oregon? Well, that responsibility fell to my then-boyfriend now-husband, Austin, who had spent his entire life in Oregon, and was now moving back with me. This industry can be a bit nomadic at times as we chase jobs around, and I had made it clear to him when we first started dating that I likely couldn’t stay in Oregon forever. Even as much as he absolutely hates and despises moving, we’ve now lived together in 6 different homes in 5 different cities. He has always supported me and let’s face it — he put my career before his own. It’s been helpful that his career as an Engineer has also allowed him to work from virtually anywhere that I may need to go too.

Finally, the colleagues at every single job I’ve had. Many of these colleagues have become lifelong friends. In every job, you hope that you can get the 3 Ps: Pay – Project – People. The first two might get you interested and in the door, but you stay longer for the third. Everyone is different, but it’s the people that are the most important to me. The days can be long, the projects can be hard, but it’s the people along on the journey that actually make you realize whether or not it’s all worth it. I consider myself lucky when I have co-workers that become much more and I actively choose to spend more time with them outside of work and that has been the case at every single studio I’ve worked at. The people working in animation are simply some of the best humans in the world.

Website: https://www.emilyhsu.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-s-hsu/

Image Credits
Jim Hagarty
Steven Wong Jr.
Andreas Psaltis
Vib Soundrarajah