James Choi, a graduate of the Foundation Visual Art & Design program and current 3D Animation & Visual Effects student, has come a long way to find the career he’s currently pursuing. From studying Chemistry and Nuclear Science to finding his artistic voice at VFS — and now refining his area of interest in 3D Animation & Visual Effects — James’ story is one common example amongst the many different portraits of recent Foundation students.

He shed some light on what made him decide to change career paths, and where he hopes to end up when he graduates next spring.

Q: Can you talk a little about your background before coming to the Foundation program?
A: I was imported from Korea in 1993 at the age of 10.  I graduated from Simon Fraser University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry and Nuclear Science, and then worked in various fields, including environmental science, forensics, research, and business management.  I had no training in the fine arts, and I hardly watched films.

Q: What did you discover about yourself during that year in Foundation?
A: During Foundation, I was introduced to many subjects I had no experience in, including drawing, photography, film, and animation.  When I tried these things for the first time, I found them to be quite natural… I could easily pick up these subjects, and found them more interesting than I had ever imagined.  I thought I had no talent for these things, but skills I learned in science easily transferred to the arts.

Pretty much everything I know about the arts, I learned from Vancouver Film School.

Q: What similarities, if any, are there between what you’re studying now (3D Animation & Visual Effects) and your previous area of study (Nuclear Science)?
A: I approach my work from a scientific background, and establish a mechanical relationship to science with everything I do.  Not everyone approaches their work the way I do.  I think about math a lot.  This is completely unnecessary though.  I’m pretty certain I’m the only one in my class who charts out equations before animating. Otherwise, skills like observing, analyzing, researching, record keeping, and problem solving are heavily used in both disciplines.  So, as far as I can tell, they’re exactly the same, even down to the long hours and being stuck to the computer all day and night.

Q: The state of the economy has made people a little nervous to take chances. What makes you so sure of where you want to go in life?
A: The economy doesn’t scare me.  I have confidence in my abilities.  There are so many different things someone can do in the world.  Really, if I can’t find a job with the skill set I get from this school, I’ve failed in more ways than one.

Q: What do you hope to do after you graduate?
A: I want to work in the gaming industry.  But I know I’ll actually be working for whoever will take me.  I’ll probably end up animating ponies and rainbows, or something like that.  Forever.  But you know what? I’ll take my work seriously, regardless of what I do.  They’ll be the best ponies and rainbows you’ll ever see.

James’s is just one of many different journeys that bring students to Foundation Visual Art & Design. For more, read about Tyler Egeto‘s and Raylene McEachern‘s!