Meet Si Yi Lee | Animator & Storyboard Artist

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

Hi Si Yi, why did you pursue a creative career?
I wasn’t planning on becoming an artist or animator in the beginning. I always have a passion in art, but like most typical Asian students, I was going to pursue a degree in economics or finance because that earns money. However, the college application forced me to think about who I want to become in the future. In the end, I realized that my only interest is creating artworks. But which specific art field is the question. I started browsing through different areas of arts. Then, one day, I came through an animated YouTube series made by Bible Project. It sparks me how animation can be an influential and effective medium on conveying what the artist believes. Then, I looked into more and more animated films. They brought me into the whole world of story tellings through making drawings come alive. There is no limitation in animation. And thus, I decided, I want to become an animator.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love making short animated films. My current favorite work is 36.8 °C, a short 1-and-a-half minute animation about the passion of life. The film begins with people working. But behind all the cold routine works is their after-work life. I love how simple the animation is but still shows the warmth of life in that moment. This film is made in one week, but I think the results show the spark of passion. Another film I like is The Bowl, a short animation about the lost and helplessness. In this animation, I focused on portraying how regrets could haunt people for decades. I simply love drawing about people and their life.
The whole process of film-making is definitely messed up and frustrating. There were a lot of times that I just locked myself in the room thinking how to make story better, more touching to the audience. The only way to overcome this struggle is to relax in life. Enjoying every moment of my day, which is the hardest thing to do. I put my passion of life in my films, and I hope to share everyone that joy.

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.
The best place to hang out in the area is definitely the hikes. California has the wonderful weather of full bright sunshine, dry humidity, and fresh air, extremely great for hiking. I haven’t hiked much in the area, but every time I did it was a total enjoyment. My favorite so far is the hike up to the Hollywood sign. You get to see the beautiful Los Angeles city and nearby towns on the mountaintop. Sometimes they will have horses coming up and down the hills too. And a perfect place to draw too. So bring your sketchbook if you have one!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I cannot express how grateful I am to my parents. Even though they know very little about animation, they give me full support in what I want to do. There are times I was stuck in the depressing mode of “What my art looks so bad” or “Why can’t I draw better”. But no matter when and where, my parents will always give me a warm welcoming hug. We are now living at the exact opposite side of the Earth. But when they know I am doing unwell, they will buy me a ticket and say “come back home”. I think it is this type of love that supports me to continuously creating animated films center around the relationship between people.

Website: https://siyi-lee.weebly.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/si-yi-lee-65bb73220/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@saraileesiyi