Michelle Ohana Showcase Testimonial

In this showcase testimonial video, Animation Mentor alumnus Michelle Ohana explains how she wanted to animate a character loosely based on herself so that she could more easily relate to the character. Her everyday life in San Francisco was the inspiration behind the shot.

While brainstorming ideas, Michelle observed a city bus drive by and it sparked the initial idea. She decided to create a shot about a young girl who wants a seat on the bus but can’t find one. She explains that animating is similar to acting — in order to create a believable performance, you have to connect with the character and feel what they are feeling.

Michelle advises students to learn to show work to others and to keep it simple.

Now a Crowd Animator at Pixar, Michelle just completed her work on Cars 2.