Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1378252
SUMMER 2021 17 T H E L O C A L The main Zoom room was treated like a waiting room, where artists "hung out" until they were called into a breakout room. These individual breakout rooms were private. "No one else watching," Kan explains. "You don't have to be afraid of judgmental people. You don't have to be vulnerable in that sense." This was useful because, while the reviews serve a practical purpose, they're also intended to be a form of support. A visual development artist and concept designer, industry veteran Gary Montalbano has reviewed in numerous categories for all three years, and he feels one of the main goals is "encouragement and to build confidence, not out of falsehoods but pointing out strengths. That and pinpointing what the reviewee's true passion is within the art field. No piece of art will ever be perfect, so focus on helping and guiding the individual so they can live up to their goals and dreams." Montalbano also notes: "The role of mentor and apprentice has unfortunately diminished quite a bit in the animation/movie industry over the last 20-30 years." reviews next year. "I really do think there's a value to a face-to-face connection," she says. Of course, in her ideal world, it would be held twice a year—once in person and once virtually. As for Kan's thoughts now that she has her third year under her belt, she realizes, "I was just breaking down the barriers that I myself experienced… If I think about it, I went to a no-name school, I'm a minority, I had to move from New Jersey to get here. If I didn't have the privilege of having parents who were able to work their way up to a middle-class level of prosperity, I might not have had the job that I have. [Doing these reviews is] paying respect to the opportunity that was given to me because of their hard work." Just as serving as reviewers allows TAG members to pass on the tradition of guiding the next generation into the animation industry. "Why don't we try to figure out a way to use the resources of our Union to provide a resource for [artists] who will eventually be future Guild members? How can we help the most people, and how can we help them help us, and therefore all boats rise?" – Crystal Kan "So why don't we try to bridge that connection between our older membership … and our future membership?" Kan adds. Because of the uncertainties surrounding the start of the pandemic, only 100 reviewees participated in 2020, but with everyone getting the hang of communicating by video, 2021 submissions skyrocketed. It also helped that Kan and Hollander were now working with the event's new POC Committee, which reached out to groups like Black N' Animated and Rise Up Animation. While Zoom has allowed artists from outside the L.A. area to participate, Kan hopes to see a return to in-person (left) Crystal Kan's illustration to publicize Portfolio Review Day captures the event's spirit of mentorship and paying it forward.