Meet Yunie Choi | Character designer

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

Hi Yunie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
There is a Korean saying, “Dream big, for a shattered piece shall be hefty enough.” For me, despite having faced many challenges, having a big dream has been a key driver. I believe that my dreams will become reality in one form or another. Regardless of the results, I am always willing to give it a shot. It is just like the sports players who do image training to overcome their limitations and create self-fulfilling prophecies eventually.

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 would say that my artistic journey went off course a bit. I majored in fashion design at Ewha Womans University in Korea. But by the time I finished junior year, I could not imagine myself as a fashion designer after 10 years. I always knew my passion lay elsewhere. After much thought, I decided to take up the challenge of my childhood dream which was animation. It was the hardest decision I ever made. It forced me to get out of my comfort zone and take on an ambitious new challenge. With some luck and thanks to solid support from people who loved me and were close to me, I could move to the US to study character animation at CalArts. To be honest, I thought that the previous fashion design degree I received in Korea would do nothing in terms of practical help. In the Department of Fashion Design, there were few opportunities to develop my drawing ability, and I spent time focusing on designing and actually making what to wear. There were times when I felt I had wasted my time to be honest. However, on Portfolio Day, when I got a chance to talk to industry people, I got some positive feedback that my previous experience in fashion design would be of use in the future. I realized that there is no such thing as a ‘useless’ experience. Even if it seemed meaningless, it was nourishment that could sustain me over time. At present, I am an explorer who is experimenting in various fields in animation. In particular, I enjoy designing characters and developing the external and internal features of the characters according to the story. Figuring out how to make these characters three-dimensional is a fun part of the character design process.

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?
Frankly speaking, I don’t know that much about LA since it’s only been a few months since I came to the US. If I were to choose some great place out of a few places I’ve been to, I had a good time when I went to the Long Beach area in LA. The buildings and streets were so well organized that I felt like I was in a movie. Also, I got a lot of inspiration from the exhibition at the Getty Center and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. I will take my Korean friends to Disneyland for the whole day for sure if they were to come LA for a trip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank my parents first of all because when I suddenly told them that I wanted to study abroad, they looked stumped. But they were very supportive and encouraged me to follow my big dream. Without them, I wouldn’t have dreamed of studying in the US. Also, the emotional support provided by Korean friends who from far away gave me strength to regain stability when overwhelmed by loads of work. Lastly, the CalArts community has helped me broaden my views on various art styles. I am grateful that I have a chance to learn so much from my colleagues and professors.

Website: https://yoonhychoi.weebly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uni.ch_art/