Deviating from the path of becoming an architect and following the call of his artistic passion, Hiep Thanh Nguyen overcame a long journey filled with challenges and difficulties before becoming an Art Director at DeeDee Animation Studio.
Throughout this journey, he took it upon himself to learn and develop, honing his skills and cultivating the necessary qualities to establish his position as a key player in one of Vietnam's leading animation production companies.
Let's take a look back with Thanh Hiep, explore the interesting facets of his profession, and gain insights and advice from this talented artist.
Hiep Thanh Nguyen
Job Title
Art Director, Animator
DeeDee Animation Studio
Based
Ha Noi, Vietnam
Projects
Chimimo
Honda: Fun With Traffic
Super Artist
Warhammer Interrogator
The Hero
K+ SEA Games 32
Education
Bachelor,
Major: Architecture
Phuong Dong University
Turning point
What led you to the field of animation filmmaking?
Ever since I was in high school, I knew I had an inclination towards the fine arts. However, back then, career opportunities in this field were still vague and limited in Vietnam. Those with a certain passion or talent for drawing had only two paths to pursue: fine arts or architecture. And I chose to study architecture.
During the course of my studies, I gradually realized that I didn't truly enjoy or fit well into the role of an architect. I wasn't interested in buildings or interior design; but I did enjoy drawing detailed items like flowers, plants, and characters. That's why I didn't pursue a career in architecture after graduating, but instead joined a game development company. To my understanding, the gaming industry was best matching what I wanted to do. A few years later, a friend working in animation invited me to join him. At that time, the game project I was involved in was not successful; feeling frustrated and seeking for change, I accepted my friend’s offer and started working in this animation company with him. Everything changed completely at that point, I found myself truly enjoying animation work, deciding to go down this path for my future journey.
What were the difficulties and challenges you had to overcome when transitioning from the game industry to animation production?
The artistic and drawing styles in games and animation are completely different. Therefore, when changing careers, I had to learn from scratch. I was a blank canvas, starting with an internship position as a background artist. I learned from those who were more skilled than me, gradually improving over time. After nearly 2 years, I became the team leader of the background artist team. Then, I was assigned roles in character design and team management for a major project of the company.
After working 4 years in this first animation company, I left with the desire to seek new challenges and opportunities for personal growth. When searching for a new job, DeeDee Animation Studio stood out as the first and most prominent choice. Therefore, I didn't hesitate to apply when an Art Director position opened with the company. It has been almost 3 years since then.
Career Growth
Could you tell us more about your position as an Art Director at DeeDee Animation Studio?
The role of an Art Director at DeeDee involves diverse tasks related to pre-production.
Specifically, after receiving the brief from a client, I need to study and thoroughly understand all aspects of the product they want to promote or the script of the film (or series) they want to produce. Anything that is unclear or ambiguous requires direct communication with the client to properly understand their expectations. Then, I will proceed with creating storyboards and handling pre-production tasks such as character designs and background designs.
Clients often provide samples or references regarding the art style they desire. It is my job to analyze the artistic characteristics of those styles. For example, does it require fine lines, textured lines, or no lines at all? Should we use a pastel color palette or vibrant colors? Does the drawing style need to be realistic or not? On this basis, I will create guidelines for the background artists and animators to ensure a cohesive product in the end. Without such guidelines, each person may have a different mindset and drawing style, resulting in a lack of consistency. That's why an Art Director at DeeDee needs to have a broad vision and be able to unify the different styles of each team member.
Additionally, Art Director needs to continuously update their knowledge of tools, techniques, and new work processes to improve their own skills as well as those of their team. It is important to be aware of how the animation industry is evolving, what other colleagues are doing, and whether there are any learnings or applications that can be adopted for our own studio. Constant learning and observation are crucial to ensure that we don't fall behind the world. On top of that, an Art Director must pass on the knowledge they have acquired, and be able to train, communicate and develop teaching materials to improve the skills and know-how of new team members, preparing them to become future team leaders or Art Directors.
How do you balance artists’ individuality with the pressure of deadlines and the clients’ own perspectives?
When working on a commercial product for a client, it is important to establish from the beginning that it is not purely an artistic endeavor. We need to give the highest priority to the requirements of the clients we collaborate with.
Of course, in certain aspects of the job, there are times when we incorporate our own perspectives or personal aesthetic standards. But we must always remember and understand what the client wants, know the focal point of their promotional campaign or film/ series idea, and understand the message they want to convey. This allows us to meet their desires in the design process. It is a way for both parties to find common ground quickly and accurately.
What sets DeeDee apart from other animation companies?
From a personal perspective, I would say it is its great diversity. DeeDee is an international-standard 2D animation studio capable of producing a variety of animated formats, including series, films, TVCs, music videos, short films, etc. The styles we produce in are also highly diverse, from cartoons and comics to anime. DeeDee has never shied away from change or the challenge of animation production.
Working at DeeDee has helped me develop and learn a great deal, as well as explore new skills. The studio also provides an environment that offers opportunities for self-improvement and growth. That’s a big advantage and the reason why I see myself committing long-term with them.
OMO's 3D billboard was a challenging project that DeeDee Animation Studio overcame.
Which animated projects are you the most proud of ?
A recent memorable project is the TVC we produced for the 32nd SEA Games and the English Premier League for our partners K+ and TBWA. The TVC has an energetic artistic style, featuring dynamic characters while still carrying a real Vietnamese spirit.
We also got to produce a 2D-animated 3D billboard for OMO which was a true technical challenge. The requirement was to create a 2D-animated film to be projected on an outdoor 3D screen. The team found out the projection principles and instructional documents and then came up with specific implementation plans. Many stages had to be done on-site, not to mention the complexity of the process of converting content from 2D to 3D. When all challenges were overcome, our partners were very surprised and satisfied with the final look, which was our greatest reward.
Whatever the project is, I take pride in it, especially during the execution process. However, this feeling fades once the project is released as I start noticing things that could be improved, details that could be done better. Then I start taking in that experience and thinking about how I can apply it to future projects.
Aspirations
Do you have any projects or goals you want to pursue in the near future?
I am currently enrolled in a scriptwriting course, aspiring to explore the novel challenge of becoming a screenwriter and create my own scenarios.
In the past, my work predominantly targeted the visual facets of filmmaking. Nonetheless, I comprehend that a movie's essence and heart reside in its script. As such, I am enthusiastic about delving deeper into the content-related aspects of screenwriting, seeking methods to transform emotions and ideas into engaging scripts. Ultimately, my goal is to independently bring a movie to life, from inception to completion.
Do you have any advice for young individuals who aspire to pursue a career in animation?
When starting any profession, especially in the field of animation, self-discipline is the key. Acquiring skills and knowledge demands a significant amount of time and high levels of concentration. However, nowadays, young people are easily distracted by social media or short-form content. My personal advice is that when starting in such fields, it is necessary to limit or even abstain from using social media for a period of time. The content on these platforms can be distracting and disrupt ongoing projects or the learning process. Another piece of advice is that there is no specific formula for success. No one achieves success right from the start. We must always work step by step, laying one brick at a time, to attain the desired results.
The animation industry offers a wealth of development opportunities. Firstly, because of its wide applicability, not only in terms of films and series, but also in advertising, for instance. Secondly, as the sector is constantly growing, new studios and talents are being sought outside traditional animation hubs such as Europe and Japan, opening up numerous employment opportunities for young artists and entrepreneurs in countries like Vietnam.