Meet Fu Yang and Ben Ellebracht

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fu Yang and Ben Ellebracht and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fu and Ben, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Fu: Speaking of risk-taking, I feel like running an animation studio is really just a series of one risk after another. I took a risk by leaving my country to start a new career path. It was another risk to decide to depend on a dream to sustain myself and my husband. It was yet another risk to decide to later move away from California and the industry we depend on to find a financially stable place to plant roots and found our studio. It’s an extremely niche career path.

Ben: I agree with Fu. Risk is inherent to starting a business. Risk is the tax we pay to move up and over to where we want to be. It’s not always a straight line, but it’s usually worth it in the long run if you take the steps to mitigate damage.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Cafe LaBobo, the animation studio founded by Fu Yang and Ben Ellebracht, has art rooted in stop motion but is never limited by it. We are proud of everything we have worked on thus far, but are most proud of those works that try to highlight those who are usually not spoken up for or represented.

The studio arrived where it is today by not waiting for anyone to hire us or recognize us. In the beginning, we made our own work and personal, relevant, stories, focusing on quality. After that, others began to recognize that we could finish a project on our own, in a set amount of time, on our own volition.

Animation is always challenging, whether it be the technical and emotional aspect or getting it seen. You do your best and
with a little luck, someone will see it and recognize the hard work and craft you put into it.

Some of the lessons we learned are that WE are the ones that have to make it happen. You can’t rely on other people to pull you up, even though sometimes that does happen. When it does, it’s usually because they can see the work you put into a project and can see themselves in it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As members of the animation community, we love going to Lightbox Expo every year in Pasadena. It’s a great time not just for networking but to be reminded that you are part of something bigger.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Fu: First and always my Mom and my husband, Ben. Voices with Impact, a project of Art With Impact, supported my vision as a director and helped with my visibility of what I represent through art.
Mike and Wendie Owens at WOMO Studio for seeing our uniqueness and craftsmanship, and opening the door to greater collaborations.

Ben: John Nevarez and Tim Evatt for being amazing mentors and always being there to help navigate an industry in constant flux.
Mitra Shahidi for being an awesome director and having me on one of my favorite projects ever, Starling.
Last but not least, Fu. without her I probably wouldn’t be doing this at all.

Website: https://cafelabobo.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cafelabobo/

Other: Fu Yang Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuckoostuff/ Ben Ellebracht Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benji_ellebracht/