Animation Guild

Winter 2018

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BURGER BUZZ below and opposite: Stills from Chong's Bob's Burgers and Archer mash-up. Check out the video at www.youtube. com/watch?v=jinBlY9BpJ0&t= The entertainment industry loves its collection of lucky break stories, and on the surface, Simon Chong's experience fits right into this category. A few years ago, in his spare time, while working at his advertising company in London, Chong created an animated short by blending characters from Bob's Burgers and Archer. When he finished, he posted it online. Within 24 hours, he had a job offer from the creator of Bob's Burgers, and within five months, he had sold all of his belongings, packed two suitcases and moved to L.A. to work as an assistant director on what he calls his "favorite animated show ever." Dive beneath the surface, though, and it's quickly evident that luck had a helpmate— passion. "As soon as I could hold a pen, I was drawing. Endlessly, endlessly drawing," Chong says of his childhood in a small Welsh town. But he didn't know how to apply his obsession to anything until he saw Toy Story at the age of 10. "I remember coming out of the cinema and thinking, that's what I want to do!" It wasn't until university that Chong had the opportunity to formally study design, graphics and animation, but once he graduated and moved to London, he was turned down for every job he applied for. It turned out, he had been taught how to use out-of-date software. Once he did manage to get a job, he had his work cut out for him. "I completely taught myself animation by using Lynda.com… [it] had the most fantastic tutorials, and I taught myself [Adobe] After Effects," he says. Chong eventually paired up with his former boss to create an advertising company, where he worked on social media advertising campaigns for Sony PlayStation, among other clients. He says that he was happy there, and had no thoughts of leaving. Instead, he was always looking for ways to teach himself different HOW A PASSION PROJECT LED TO A REAL JOB OFFER hours, he had a job offer from the I was drawing. Endlessly, endlessly drawing," Chong says of his childhood in a small Welsh town. But he didn't know how to apply his obsession to anything until he saw remember coming out of the cinema and thinking, that's what I want to do!" It wasn't until university that Chong had the opportunity to formally study design, graphics and animation, but once he graduated and moved to London, he was turned down for every job he applied to get a job, he had his work cut out for him. "I completely taught myself animation by using Lynda.com… [it] had the most fantastic tutorials, and I taught myself [Adobe] After Effects," he says. Chong eventually paired up with his former boss to create an advertising company, where he worked on social media advertising campaigns for Sony PlayStation, among other clients. He says that he was happy there, and had no thoughts of leaving. Instead, he was always looking for ways to teach himself different T H E C L I M B

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