The year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for everyone and Remi Lord was no exception. Like many students he was required to complete his final semester in a remote learning setting and emerged from university at a time when the job market looked bleak as the pandemic raged on. Remi graduated with a BFA in Animation and Visual Effects and a minor in CCI, but discovered that finding work in a creative field proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Despite these setbacks Remi was determined to pursue his dream of working in animation. Constantly honing his skills and seeking new opportunities, Remi finally, after a year and a half, found that his hard work and dedication to job searching paid off
Today Remi is working as a Junior Production Artist at an award-winning trailer house and entertainment marketing company, creating stunning graphics for renowned studios and streaming platforms in the entertainment industry. But getting to this point wasn't easy. In this alumni blog post we'll dive into his journey from CCI minor to successful animator, exploring the lessons he learned along the way and the advice he has for aspiring creatives.
I caught up with Remi Lord in March 2023 to discuss how CCI has played a role in his post-grad journey and gain some insights into how his life has been since graduating in Spring 2020.
PC: Tell me about yourself and describe your post-graduation experiences since completing your degree at Chapman?
RL: My name is Remi Lord and I am originally from Houston, Texas. I came to Chapman University specifically for their animation program, which has impressive state-of-the-art animation resources. In addition, during my junior year in the fall of 2018, I became a creative and cultural industries minor, which was a newly offered program at Chapman at the time.
Upon graduating, I was faced with the challenges of the pandemic which led to a slump in the job market. As a result, I spent about a year and a half in Houston while looking for work and eventually landed a position at Aspect Ratio, where we specialize in producing trailers for major studios, as well as for popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. As a member of the graphics team, I am responsible for designing and creating graphics for various elements such as title sequences, credit sequences, and other on-screen text that appears in trailers. My day job is complemented by side gigs which I take on depending on my availability and level of interest.
PC: Why did you decide to pursue a minor in CCI?
RL: The CCI minor appealed to me for two main reasons. Firstly, I was attracted to its flexibility and since it was a new minor at the time, there wasn't a predetermined course structure yet.
Secondly, I recognized that animation plays a crucial role in many creative industries, and my skill set could be utilized in various fields within the creative industries. Unlike other artists who focus on a specific niche, I enjoy learning and working on different projects. Therefore, the CCI minor was ideal for me because it allowed me to explore how I could use my abilities in different ways and not restrict myself to a particular area.
PC: What was your favorite part of the program or your biggest take away?
RL: To be honest, Dr. Jamie Larkin had the most significant impact on me during my CCI minor. His classes transformed my perspective on how to apply my skill set. Among his courses, "Cultural Memory in the Digital Age" always stands as one of my favorites in college. I took four of Jamie's classes and an independent study, but that specific course was the most impactful. It talked about how memory is vital in storytelling, especially in the film industry, where nostalgia is presently significant. This class made me think about how technology would continue to transform memory, which led me to ponder the potential of new technologies like AI in the entertainment space.
Consequently, I liked how the CCI minor touched on aspects of VR/AR, which is one of my passions. While I am passionate about VR, I did not necessarily see myself as a game developer and the VR minor was mainly game-developer oriented. I really enjoy aligning myself with emerging technologies and exploring how my abilities can contribute to this ever-evolving field so ultimately, that class had a significant impact on me, altering the way I view technology, memory, and my role as an animator.
PC: Would you be willing to share your upcoming plans? You mentioned being intrigued by VR/AI; is that a field you would like to pursue career-wise or explore on the side?
RL: I recently made the switch from being a staff artist to a freelance artist at Aspect. Even though I'll still be handling a lot of production work, being a freelancer, however, gives me the freedom to pursue other opportunities in different industries.This type of work is called "production work," and I will still be doing a lot of it. However, working as a freelancer allows me to pursue other opportunities in different industries. I don't want to be limited to one particular field, and I want to explore and learn new things. Currently, I am working on an exciting VR/AR project that has the potential to make a significant impact. So being a freelancer gives me the freedom to find work that I am passionate about while still being able to pay my bills.
PC: What advice do you have for CCI minors or graduating seniors?
RL: This message is primarily for graduating seniors, but it can also apply to anyone still in school.
When it comes to leaving school and figuring out your next steps, it's important to remember that everyone is on their own timeline. Comparison is the thief of joy, so focus on your own skills and passions and seek out opportunities that align with them. Your journey may take longer than others, but that's okay. In my own experience, the pandemic made the job market tough, and I ended up couch-surfing for a few months after graduation without any luck at finding a job. Eventually, I had to move back in with my parents for a year and remind myself that I was working hard and that opportunities would come. A year and a half later, I landed an amazing position as a staff artist at Aspect.
Tying that back to CCI, If you're in the minor, you likely have an alignment with more than one industry, so stay open and stay true to your passions. Remember, your timeline is yours alone, and opportunities will come as long as you keep putting in the work.
As highlighted by Remi, the CCI program provides a unique avenue for students to explore diverse areas within the creative and cultural industries while also infusing modern viewpoints into the coursework. Unlike some majors that may not offer much flexibility, it can be challenging to envision the possibilities for utilizing your degree after graduation beyond a few conventional options that are frequently publicized. However, CCI offers a flexible and dynamic approach to learning which can broaden student perspectives and as in the case of CCI Alumni Remi Lord, can equip them with the skills and knowledge to explore a range of post graduate opportunities. We would like to thank Remi Lord for sharing his career journey post graduation with us. We are excited to see where his skills and talent take him in the future.
We're constantly seeking out CCI alumni to showcase on our blog. So, if you're aware of any CCI alumni who should be featured, please contact us at CCI@chapman.edu and let us know.
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