My name is Jess Rode and I am a 20 year old student studying at the Queensland University of Technology for animation. I adore creative ideas and storytelling and am working towards being able to express them both in 2D animation, character design and visual art.
While film and tv is what I’m mainly working towards to take part in, creating 2D animations for the gaming industry and alike are all passionate goals for me. Creative productions that have inspired my animation journey the most is Steven Universe (2013), Cowboy Bebop (1998), Sailor Moon (1992) and indie video-game series, Cuphead (2017). While my inspirations slightly vary in terms of tone, a core theme that inspires me is expression and displaying emotion. Whether it’s an animation for children or for older audiences, I want a strong sense of emotion to be displayed in my work. A perfect example that I believe captures all of the themes that I want to put into my work for is Dreamwork’s Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). Emotional weight is present in this production but the creative direction of the action sequences help break up and give context to what the production team is trying to communicate.
Over the course of the next 5 years, I would like to refine my animation techniques and create more of a style for myself as well as acquiring more confidence to develop 2D backgrounds. I would also like to dabble working at creating concept art for productions as a part of character design and visual art. Creating connections is one of the more exciting goals for me and is the most unpredictable in my eyes. Meeting people in similar or entirely different fields to you can lead you anywhere within a 5-year period.
BIO
About me
How did I get here
What inspires me
SKILLS
2D Animation
Character Design
Illustration
2D Graphic Design
