How a video game inspired me to learn animation
Beat the pandemic blues with a pixel of professional development
I’m a deeply creative person, and I always have been. My background is in film production — not only did I study it at the University of Miami (the best school in the world! I can picture my teammates at Xero rolling their eyes right now), but my first job out of school was in broadcasting at The Miami Heat.
Despite all of this, there has always existed a gap in my knowledge that has held me back from chasing my dream job in animation. I kept telling myself ‘one day’ that I’d train myself on YouTube, but never did. When COVID-19 hit, I was suddenly faced with a great deal of free time. So, I decided to make the most of it — it was finally time to make this animation dream a reality.
The power of storytelling
It’s actually my PlayStation that can take credit for the decision to pursue my passion. I’ve used it to escape reality quite a bit since the pandemic started, and one particular game completely floored me: ‘The Last of Us Part 2’ (sequel to Naughty Dog’s genre-defining 2013 release ‘The Last of Us’).
My experience playing this game was utterly immersive, and the first time I’ve truly felt a part of a story I was digesting. Aside from the spectacular animation and game design, the story itself — a dark tale of revenge set in a post-apocalyptic, zombified America — is beautifully told. Unlike a movie, your hands lead the characters on-screen and prompt the decisions that the game forces you to make.
When the credits rolled, I felt a deep emptiness followed by quite an intense emotional reaction to the profound story I’d just played. I’ve never felt a gut-wrenching reaction like this to any other story, on any medium, before in my life. Friends of mine who played this game had the same reaction and told me that for months afterwards, they were still reeling.
Stepping up my animation game
Shortly after finishing ‘The Last of Us’, an ad popped up on Instagram for a video game animation diploma at Toronto Film School. I felt like it was fate: I’d just experienced the most impactful media consumption of my life, and my desire to learn animation was still on the back burner.
I applied for the program. After nearly a year of pandemic blues, and losing a bit of joy for life (who can relate?), I felt true excitement again and knew this was something I wanted to do. The best part was that this diploma would give me the skills I needed to animate in any capacity.
As the Marketing Specialist for Small Business for Xero in Canada, I often get to work with our creative teams, and always hoped my journey would give me the chance to get more involved in that side of the business. The ultimate goal? Provide more value to my team with sought-after skills, while also doing something I love and enjoy outside of work.
After being accepted to the program, though, it wasn’t all roses. As reality sunk in, I quickly realised the implications of throwing myself into another degree, trying to pay rent in downtown Toronto, and not being able to take on any student loans due to my non-immigrant status as a Kiwi expat in Canada.
So, the excitement of being accepted was soon followed by dread of my new financial burden.
With a little help from my friends
I found an opportunity for Xero to support me financially and was thrilled when I got the call saying that my request had been approved. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it was. You might not work at Xero (although we are hiring, so I hope that that changes!) but if you are struggling to pay for professional development, it’s worth seeing whether your company has any educational grants.
They may help you excel in the role you’re in, or evolve your skills so you can move into another area of the business. Requesting support from Xero really opened my eyes to the support I could receive if I just put myself out there. The worst thing they could have said was ‘no’ and I’d be in the same position anyway.
The next chapter in my career
I’m now halfway through my course at the Toronto Film School and so far I’ve been able to 3D model more complex pieces (like a lightsaber and full spaceship interior), and import them into the game engine to create a playable level. Currently, I’m 3D modelling characters, animating and learning complex texturing in various softwares. As well as working towards a long-held dream, it’s really nice to have something to occupy my evenings instead of feeling like I’m glued to the TV.
Flexing my creative muscles and getting back into a school setting (even if only online) is also great for my mental health and motivation at work — I’ve seen a big change in how I participate in brainstorming sessions. I’ve also had the opportunity to flex my creative problem-solving skills which has helped tremendously when coming up with creative campaigns for our go-to-market teams.
My goal is to one day become a game director and write my own game at a big studio, but it’s not just my animation skills that will help me get there. My role at Xero has given me the skills to translate an idea into writing, clearly articulate it in a brief format and then present the idea to my teammates and stakeholders. This, combined with my newfound animation skills, will help me hugely.
I can’t wait to see what comes next.
