Meet Min Lee | Animator

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

Hi Min, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My trajectory for my interest in art and storytelling started when I was very young. Playing puppet shows with characters that I drew was my favorite game as a child. When I drew something, that always had some story, and I was so eager to tell what happened and what will happen after this. So I needed an audience to listen to my story when drawing. I created my first animation film when I was an exchange student. I was studying sculpture but was quickly fascinated by animation. Sculpture and animation were very similar in some ways and very different in other ways. I could use ‘time’ as material for animation, which attracted me a lot. Because at that time, I was amused by multimedia sculpture and how it can communicate with others and move with them as time passes.
Even though I didn’t start the animation from the very beginning, studying sculpture led me to think in terms of space and dimension. It also helped me to transition into the CG world. Sometimes the longer way works better.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My life was one long whirl of going the long way around. I dreamed of being a high school Korean teacher when I was in high school, but all of a sudden, in my last year at high school, I decided to become an artist. I was not ready enough compared to the students who had been prepared much earlier, so the first time, I was frustrated. But I realized that because I was preparing for the other path, that could be my strength since I could see the world differently than others. In my undergraduate years, I studied sculpture but decided to be an animator after graduation. This was another big change, and I was worried about this decision. But like before, because I studied sculpture and fine art, I carried the experience of those media with me. I could easily learn, especially for posing the character and working on three-dimensional space. There might be other significant changes in my life again, but this experience taught me that leaving things behind is not a frustration, but a strength.

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.
Actually, a lot of my friends visited New York, but it’s still hard to fully enjoy this city. Even I couldn’t enjoy it 100 percent yet! “Sleep no more” was a really unique experience that I could have here in New York. It’s a play award-winning theatrical experience. The audience walks around the set and watches the actors acting just in front of them. It was very entertaining and special.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank my family, who supported my way to America, which was quite an adventure. I always worked so hard, but this is because they were always in my back. I enjoy turning childhood memories into artwork. This is because my family made the atmosphere.

Instagram: @minleeanimation

Image Credits
For img02 only: Character Modeler: Ankitha Krishnamoorthy Character Rigger: Nicholas Christie