During the latter part of her freshman year, Anat Scham (B.F.A. ’16) was really conflicted about which major to pursue. Thanks to one passionate adjunct professor who taught animation, Scham began to think about animation, and Kinetic Imaging, in a new way.
“I think the thing that got to me most is with animation you can not only design a character and build a world, but make them come to life and talk back to you,” says Scham.
While the words “kinetic” and “imaging” may sound like you only work with animation, the curriculum also dives into video and sound editing; the combination of the three allow students to be incredibly experimental with their work.
Scham focuses on traditional character animation, but her passion for stop motion blossomed while working with Marta Finkelstein (M.F.A. ’15) on her thesis “Cute As A Button.”
“I was also doing a lot of soul searching at that time,” says Scham. “It was extremely nice to feel not only appreciated for the hard work but also feel good that I was part of a bigger project.”
Through her work with Finkelstein, she learned to appreciate the process of art-making, not just for a grade, but for herself, and how happiness and mental stability are essential.
“One of the things I’ve learned, which I have to remind myself of constantly, is that life is too short for anyone to spend much time being extremely unhappy. Even though you go through lots of tough times that induce lots of stress and anxiety it’s important to know that it is only for now. You have to be open to change and constant growth.” – Anat Scham
After graduation, Scham plans on moving to Toronto to pursue her animation career.
“The National Film Board of Canada funds some of the greatest animations I’ve seen,” she says. “Things aren’t set in stone at this moment. I, like most seniors, don’t really know where my life is heading, but I am excited (and scared) as the prospects.”
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