Meet Jiamin Wu | Previs Artist

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

Hi Jiamin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was really into animation and manga since I was a kid, and have always dreamed about working in the animation industry. When I was in college, I started to watch a huge amount of live-action films and got really interested in cinematography and how the camera and layout work in a 3D space. Naturally, this leads me to become a Previs/Postvis animator.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My job is in doing the 3D animation for Previs and Postvis. For those who are not very familiar with this line of work, I am tasked with animating the camera motions and basic character movements in a 3D space, in preparation for a movie’s filming. My team helps the director and production teams to better hone in on their vision while also saving money. So far, I’ve worked on several feature films and game cinematics. As a matter of fact, one of the films that I worked on, Thunder Force, had just come out on Netflix recently! I have also worked on The Fast & Furious 9, for both Previs and Postvis roles. It’s finally coming out this May, and I hope people can check that out! It’s going to be a very fun watching experience. My work is grounded on the projects I’m working on, and it’s a work culture where the production changes its mind rather often. This has meant that I sometimes have to work all the way to the end of Friday before I can find out if the project continues on Monday. And with the COVID pandemic going on, there have been times that I have had to hustle and find my way to the next project. Our Previs/Postvis work is also usually not seen directly in the final films. It’s also hard for us to obtain the footage even after the film is released due to layers and layers of bureaucracy between different companies. It’s taken me a very long time to gather a reel. And by the time I have it, it doesn’t represent the current level of my work anymore. This means that it’s in my best interests to work on my own side projects so I can have work to show in my reel.

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?
I live in LA, and here, I would take my friends to museums, like LACMA and The Broad. They have such inspiring art and always have new themes and shows. Beaches are also a big part of the LA life; though if you drive south to Orange County, Laguna Beach has the most beautiful coast and sunset. Another place that’s a short drive away from LA is Big Bear Lake, which is definitely worth a visit. It’s nice to get away from the busy city life for a little bit. There, you can enjoy the lake and snowy mountain views. We also all know LA has all of these amazing restaurants, so sometimes it’s really hard to choose where to eat. As a Chinese person, I’ve noticed how Sichuan food has become an increasingly big thing here in recent years, so I would suggest a visit to Shancheng lameizi Hotpot in San Gabriel. This spot has super authentic Sichuan spicy hotpot and dessert, but be very careful because it can easily get too spicy. I would also like to recommend Jim’s bakery; a place famous for its egg tart. I can’t recommend it enough!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think the biggest support I’ve had in my career has been from my friends in college. I went to Ringling College of Art and Design. During our thesis film, we had to really support each other mentally to survive the all-nighters and faculty critiques. After graduation, most of my friends had moved to LA, where we are still helping each other in life matters and careers. Ringling alums have also helped me a lot in finding jobs and learning the ins and outs of the studios. I think overall, the animation/film industry comprises a very supportive community.

Website: https://www.kinowu.work/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinoooooowu/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiamin-wu-24a605113/

Image Credits
Universal Electronic Arts