UGFTV Chair Ezra Sacks caught up with Johanna Xue, Student Animation League (SAL) President to learn more about SAL and how they support animators and animation-lovers in the Tisch community. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Ezra Sacks: When did your interest in animation start?
Johanna Xue: The first animated film I made was in high school, but it was not until I took Intro to Animation as a sophomore at NYU that I started thinking about doing animation [at college]. Joining the Student Animation League (SAL) definitely played into it: I met all the animators I know through SAL, and I met faculty who helped me figure out what direction I could go in.
Ezra Sacks: How did you get involved with the Student Animation League?
Johanna Xue: I learned about SAL when I was a freshman, at the Club Fair. I was not super-fixated on becoming an animator, but I loved animation so I went. I think the reason why I kept going back is because it's an open club: if you just love animated films, you're welcome. I became a board member a year later, when I was a sophomore.
Ezra Sacks: Who can join SAL?
Johanna Xue: We get asked “Do I have to be an animator to be in this club?” a lot, and the answer is no. It is open to anyone. You can be an animator, or you can just be someone who really loves Miyazaki films. Lots of live action students are in the club, and not just from Tisch - we have members from Tandon’s integrated design & media program and all around the University. Alumni are also in contact with us, and that's a really important relationship that we like to focus on so that the alumni and current students can communicate, connect and learn from each other.
Ezra Sacks: What kind of events does SAL organize?
Johanna Xue: We organize lots of talks. In the past, showrunners, directors and storyboard artists have given presentations. Last semester we had alum Matt Burnett come in to talk about his Cartoon Network show, Craig of the Creek, and how he got from college to the professional world. We also had a talk from a Pixar storyboard artist, Aphton Corbin. In February, we collaborated on an event [with The Collective] where we brought Matthew A. Cherry to discuss his Academy Award winning film Hair Love. We also do portfolio review sessions, and mixers e.g. between NYU and other New York City animation students, with animators and live action filmmakers, composers, and sound designers. We love to get together and do screenings and just watch films.
Ezra Sacks: Can you tell me about the yearly animation festival?
Johanna Xue: The NYU spring animation festival will be held virtually on May 13. People can submit work taken in animation classes -- not just films, but also storyboards and visual development work. As well as students, friends and family, lots of industry people come to the festival. We are currently pretty busy organizing it.
Ezra Sacks: Sounds like there's a pretty good connection between SAL, the events you run, and the professional industry of people involved in animation. How does SAL facilitate those professional connections?
Johanna Xue: People send us internship opportunities, or calls for collaborators, and we include them in our newsletter. We have collaborated with Hornet, an NYC animation company. Their scheduler came to speak to us and they also did a presentation about how to build your portfolio, and gave students tips for applying to their internship program.
Ezra Sacks: Does SAL have specific faculty members who are involved with the club?
Johanna Xue: We work very closely with animation faculty and staff including Sang-Jin Bae, Zoya Baker, Dean Lennert and John Canemaker, and Sonya Artis and Sara Spink as well.
Ezra Sacks: You've got a website, a Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and you mentioned a newsletter. Are there any other ways that you communicate that students should be aware of?
Johanna Xue: We started using Discord last spring, after the switch to remote work. A lot of people are a part of it, and we use it to chat, share work, ask for or give tips, or you can just post anything e.g. interesting events. It has become a community cultivated space. Anyone interested in joining is welcome and can email SAL about it.
Want to know more about SAL? Visit these links:
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