From a list of 49 nominees, the following 15 students were selected as semi-finalists for 2022 Film/Animation Artist of the Year. The students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, sample films and artistic CVs.
Included are links to their work, the specialty in which they were nominated, and quotes on how they relate to their craft.
Film/animation students were appointed in the majors of Animation and Visual Arts, Cinematography, Directing and Editing.
During the final selection round, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished arts professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a Q&A session.
A finalist in each specialty will be named as well as an artist of the year in each of the seven disciplines – theatre, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, cinema, visual arts crafts and computer-aided visual arts.
The artists of the year will be announced on May 1.
This program is generously sponsored by Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Additional support is provided by Laguna College of Art + Design and Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Artist of the Year program, contact Heide Janssen at [email protected].
Maggie Ding, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“Filmmaking, a philosophical exploration, has had a significant impact on me, touched my heart, awakened my vision, and facilitated positive changes around me over time. Through filmmaking, I captured complex issues, invited the audience on the journey, helped open their minds and increase their understanding. I don’t aspire to bring revolutionary changes to the world, but even a small change on the good side will a great achievement for me.
Jakob Dubin, Senior, Arnold O. Beckman High School
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“As an artist, my journey is far from over. I only scratched the surface of the stories I wanted to tell, and I still learn so much every day. I know that with every piece I create, my vision and my pride will only grow stronger, making me confident and capable of making amazing films. I want to continue to provoke deep thinking with every film I make, making sure to pack in deeper and more resonant messages while continuing to master my control of language, characterization and storytelling.
Alexander Guo, senior, university high school
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“Film has fundamentally reshaped the way I see the world and every aspect of my life that I see through the lens of film. My intention is to continue that tradition by writing and directing stories, some of which are unique and personal to me.
Brandon Jaiyen, Junior, Fountain Valley Secondary School
Speciality: Cinematography
“In the future, I want to spread my personal stories in a creative way. I want people to discover the different parts of society that make up our world. I want to spread art and create works that allow people to appreciate the very foundation of what makes life colorful. You can’t live without images, you can’t live without music, you can’t live without TV. I want my works to go beyond simple online video , I want to make festivals, theatres, homes out of them.
Youning Jiang, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“My upbringing taught me to take risks and see the world as much as possible. From watching my parents’ movie nights to making my own films, I’ve always had a thirst for stories. Used Canon 5D photo of my dad after he came across photos on my phone of various figures expressing their grief after losing my pup, Pillow Taking him everywhere I combined my passion for music , writing and painting in a new language: cinema.
Brian Lee, senior, Arnold O. Beckman High School
Speciality: Animation and visual effects
“My dream career is to become a publisher. Films, for me, are the most effective and profound way to express feelings. A great film conveys the emotions of the characters, the crew and the director. An editor is at the heart of the action: he sees the story from beginning to end, constantly adjusting it so that the emotional rhythms are stronger, he studies the language of the actors to obtain the perfect close-up, and he gets the opportunity to set the tone of a scene.
Alexis Ai Macdonald, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“I aspire to be a director because realizing that I’m telling a story by editing the video together is a special feeling. I also enjoy working on the same project with others and pursuing the same goal because ultimately we form a family relationship. Finally, I want my team and our works to be recognized. Being appreciated for what I love to do is a dream come true.
Cecilia Mou, Senior, Portola High School
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“Being a filmmaker has shown me the intimate magical moments between life’s repetitions, the beauty of the everyday, and its quiet brevity. The 30-second interactions that work at the drive-thru window (I go through hundreds per shift work) now tell the secrets of hidden stories and self-sufficient characters. And as my characters inevitably drift apart, I feel like asking, “What happens next?” take my time with my customers now much to the chagrin of my managers, they have gone from ordering large fries and a McFlurry to being a character, with issues and values of their own.
Nickhil Nagpal, Senior, Arnold O. Beckman High School
Speciality: Cinematography
“As an artist, I want to leave a legacy of innovation to solve production problems. …Specifically in visual effects, if the special effects technician needs to capture more information to execute his vision, he can use what he has in a new way to reproduce what he needs. Stepping back and working around these issues could allow production to go much faster while achieving the same or even better results. I want to inspire future filmmakers and special effects technicians to use their training and create new innovations or unused technological advancements to advance their productions.
Nona Nishigawara, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“I envision a future me who produces work in a variety of media. I want to further deepen my interaction with issues and struggles around my relationship to gender, sexuality, ethnicity and how this shapes my own understanding of identity, merges through shapes, forms and images in my work.I know that I will continue to go beyond standard artistic practices and push the boundaries of expression.
Emily Pham, Senior, Portola High School
Speciality: Cinematography
“As a queer Vietnamese woman in film, I’ve dedicated tons of my film work to films about mental health, Asian hate, queer representation, and autism awareness. Having the opportunity to create in such a diverse space means not being afraid to venture out and meet new people, because that’s where the best stories come from.
Charlotte Quintanar, Junior, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
Speciality: Animation and visual effects
“My passions for science and cinema may seem contradictory at first, but I find them inseparable, interdependent and a forum for my fascination. Whether it’s biology, chemistry, physics or astronomy, I don’t can’t get rid of this bottomless passion. As a naturally curious, nerdy, creative guy, I’m never short of transferring my hands-on learning beyond the classroom to designing my own experiments at home. , and of course, my camera becomes my canvas to document my process.
Sanay Saboo, Senior, University High School
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“As executive producer of my school’s broadcast program, Univision, I’ve seen how difficult the collaborative process can be. I founded UHS Multimedia, a diverse community service club that employs graphic designers, photographers and filmmakers to help create content for organizations Our team of 30+ creators have worked with other clubs, nonprofits, small businesses, etc. I see myself in each of the artists I’ve had the privilege of leading over the years: struggling, budding artists, unsure of what to do with the world, and I do my best to give them the advice I wish I had.
Justin Shin, Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Speciality: Cinematography
“I am an artist who has a lot of dualities. I spent exactly half of my life in Korea and the other half here in America. Therefore, I feel connected to both Korean and American cultures. Another duality that I have as an artist is videography and music. I grew up watching a lot of movies and TV shows, but I also grew up listening to a lot of music. Now I share a passion for both videography and music.
Shile Yang, Senior, Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Speciality: Realization and assembly
“Looking to the future, my short-term goal is to try to gain as much on-set experience as possible. My long-term goal is to get into narrative work as a director. whether it’s shooting specs or music videos until i get my shot at a story i’ll always be ready in terms of impact i think i just want to create entertaining images and that is something you can enjoy on family movie night.
