Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
Hello! My name is Sarah Visel, and I am a Storyboard Artist with nine years of experience in the animation industry. Before moving to L.A., I grew up in a small town in Michigan and attended College for Creative Studies in Detroit, graduating in 2014. Since then, I’ve worked on various children’s, preschool, and (recently) adult shows—my past two positions being a Storyboard Artist on Netflix’s upcoming Mating Season and an Assistant Director on 20th TVA’s reboot of King of the Hill.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
Breaking in when being out of state was especially challenging. I remember getting excited with each storyboard test I got, only to be discouraged with each rejection. I went through a year of rejection and even took a job at a nursing home to see if nursing could be a possible “backup plan” if I still couldn’t find work. I remember being so confused getting asked to do a storyboard revisionist test for Wacky Races as I didn’t remember applying to Warner Bros., but it became my break in. They took a chance on me! They also didn’t realize I was out of state. (HA! Score one Sarah!) I will forever be thankful for Chris Houghton’s recommendation to Matt Whitlock, and to Matt for taking the chance on me—as well as dealing with my shenanigans in office.
Once in the industry, seeing the amount of talent is both inspiring and can definitely make you doubt your own abilities. I’m constantly battling with imposter syndrome. We all have our weaknesses as artists that we strive to improve on, and sometimes I beat myself up over those weaknesses, wondering why certain things just won’t click in my little brain or why I haven’t achieved what I’ve hoped to achieve yet.
The constant hustle for work is also challenging. It’s really demanding on my psyche. I don’t feel like I can relax until I find my next gig, and once I get the next gig, I don’t feel like I’ve recovered from being burnt out because I couldn’t relax during my unemployment. The cycle forever continues! With this current lull in animation work, outsourcing, and just lack of wanting to take creative risks from studios in general, it has definitely brought on some new anxieties/worries about the future.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
Craig McCracken is definitely a big one for me. I feel like his shows have a lot of heart and have great messages behind them. I would love to be able to board slapstick as well as Eddie Trigueros. His poses are so strong and fun, and he is really good at comedy. A more recent one would be Megumi Ishitani. She’s directed some of the most beautiful One Piece episodes. As well, her most recent opening for Witch Watch blew me away. She has a wonderful flow, and everything seems to get amped to the max when her work pops on.
And of course, my co-workers and friends in this industry! Seeing other people’s pitches, I’m always like: “Man! I never would’ve thought of this awesome shot.” Or: “Holy crap! I wish I could draw like that.” Everyone just has such unique voices and styles that it’s always fun learning and adapting what you love from their work to your own.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I have the ever so popular thought of it being fun to create my own show one day, but as the years have gone by, I’m also happy where I am at. If anything, I want to continue working on my self-confidence in my work as an artist, continuing to try to improve, and just honestly enjoy the ride for as long as I can. Before the pandemic, I felt so much like I had to keep fighting to prove myself that I was working long hours and really giving up on my mental/physical health. The one positive that came from the pandemic was realizing that having a healthy work/life balance actually leads to more experiences, which therefore influences and improves your work. I think giving up that part of myself that felt in constant fight mode has really helped me reflect more on what I love about animation, and I hope to continue striving toward that, especially during these current hard times.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
I think it’s wonderful having a community of people that are looking out for one another! Especially in this industry where to find work it really comes down to networking. Being able to look out for one another whether it comes to jobs, grievances, or any other questions pertaining to the industry—it’s nice to have a place you can go to do such things.
See more of Sarah’s work online.
Follow her Instagram.
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