Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
Hello! My name is Cheyenne Curtis, and I’m a Montréal-born artist who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in animation. I attended Sheridan College in Canada, but always knew after I graduated that I wanted to move to L.A. and work in TV animation and also eventually pitch my own shows.
My first in-house job on a TV production was as a Character Designer at Disney TVA on Star vs. The Forces of Evil. After Star I worked at a few studios doing character design. But I was becoming more drawn to storyboarding because of the storytelling and acting aspects and decided to pivot my path and focus on getting into TV boards. I was fortunate enough to get staffed as a Storyboard Artist on some amazing shows like Big City Greens and Amphibia, and I just finished up directing on an unannounced show with Apple/Titmouse. I’ve also sold a few shows to studios and am currently still pitching around!
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
What’s been challenging for me is trying to navigate getting continuous work after a season of a show ends, especially when I am on work visas, and taking an undetermined amount of time off isn’t usually an option for me. Hoping that a studio will have enough faith/financial commitment to a show to give it another season and keep the whole crew employed is very stressful on everyone, and especially now with seasons getting shorter and multiple seasons being merged into one.
It’s hard when you feel like you have to start hunting for your next job while still on your current one, and to not know if a studio has enough other projects to keep you staffed there after your show season ends. I’d love to make some roots at a studio and feel like I can grow within their walls, but unfortunately that hasn’t really been the case for a lot of us.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
Oh gosh, I feel like this changes every year for me as I discover new influences and artists! I’ve really been inspired lately by independent artists and creators who are out there making their own animations and miniseries. Artists like Alex and Lindsay Small-Butera, Aaron Long, and Worthikids to name a few. I love seeing them make their own stories and characters that are so uniquely them and getting it out there for the world to enjoy.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
My long term goals have always been to eventually get a show I’ve pitched greenlit, but I know how incredibly difficult that is. I think my short-term goals are to continue directing on shows and help foster a healthy work environment for those around me. I also have started mentoring animation students, which has been really exciting, and I hope to help guide the newest generation of animation artists as best I can since it can be really scary when you’re first starting out! Also maybe making a sellable book of my sketches which might have a snail motif? Snails are pretty great.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
To me, being in our Union means feeling heard and understood by its members who have been in the trenches with us and know what a unique experience it is. It means being protected and having our community fight for us and our families. I feel safe knowing I’m part of a union.
Discover more about Cheyenne at her website.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
.png)