ART through animation at a surface level exists to entertain, but good art that resonates with consumers at a deeper level will move them beyond just firing off the dopamine in their brains.
This is very much the case with Teo Ze Sean, as his passion for animation took him from a childhood of watching Saturday morning cartoons and playing video games with friends to him working on big projects in the video game industry.
“When deciding on careers after secondary school, one of my goals was to contribute to something that could inspire or bring joy to people. That’s when it became clear to me that the joy I had for film and games was something I wanted to share with other people,” Teo told theSun.
Initially from Kajang and currently based in San Francisco, USA, Teo explained the decision to pursue art as a career had him first enrolling for a Digital Animation diploma at The One Academy, and by the time graduation was within sight, he had begun tilting towards the technical side of animation.
While still in Malaysia, Teo ran the animation gauntlet by working on TV commercials and 3D cinematics. Wanting to connect and learn from industry professionals working in big studios in the US, he then made the big decision to further his studies in the US and moved in 2019.
Heeding the call
Since taking the leap, Teo has worked on games like The Last of Us: Part I and Ark: Survival Ascended, and he is currently working for Meta as a technical artist on its virtual reality game Horizon Worlds.
For those who do not know, a lot of work goes into producing video games. Anyone who has had to sit through the credits after a game wraps up will know the sheer amount of staff, teams, departments and external studios that are involved with a single title. In Teo’s case, he is basically like a puppet master.
“A character technical artist’s main responsibility is usually setting up animatable joints and controls for 3D characters or objects. These joints represent the character’s skeleton and will allow the character’s limbs to bend and move.
“These tasks fall under the character rigging department, which bridges the gap between 3D modelling and animation. To put it simply, after a 3D character model is created, a technical artist or character rigger would have to set up joints before an animator can begin posing the character.”
It is a technical role and Teo says he naturally eased into it later in his career. Initially, inspired by Disney cartoons and Japanese anime, and encouraged by his family, he wanted to be an animator, but he “was not great at art, regardless of what medium (he) used”.
As he was involved in animation, Teo was also dipping his toes into mediums and disciplines that ran parallel to it, such as 3D animation, which was where he was introduced to what would become the main focus of his career.
“What resonated with me was how the (skillset of a technical artist) consisted of a marriage between art and technology, and that was when I decided to switch paths to the technical side of the industry.”
Keep chasing the dream
Due to how video games are made, and how they are composed of so many moving parts that need to work in tandem with each other, Teo bookends the email exchange with advice for those aspiring to work in the industry.
Acknowledging that there is no one glove that fits all, he says that up-and-comers should have a main discipline, such as illustration, animation or programming specialisation, if they hope to land a job.
“However, if you are just starting, I would recommend learning a little about everything. (Whether it is a short introduction course or trying beginner tutorials), it is vital to have a general understanding of the various parts of the pipeline; you might end up preferring something over your initial choice,” he said, clearly speaking from experience.
“Once you’ve decided on a path, always prioritise your expertise while staying up to date with the latest trends and techniques in the industry. Some projects might benefit more from a jack-of-all-trades, but being a master of one is usually more sought after in my opinion.”
That said, Teo agreed that the industry is in a precipitous place at the moment, with studio closures and mass staff layoffs being reported every month. Despite that, he does everyone to keep pursing their dreams of working in games or even in films.
“With how volatile this industry can be, it is crucial to be flexible and adapt to the changes that happen. There is a quote that one of my instructors would always bring up that deeply resonated with me: ‘Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.’ So keep focusing on honing your skills and the moment will come.”
