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My name is Kaya Akıncı, I am a Character Animator, Storyboard Artist and Director. I am hugely passionate about creating, sharing stories and teaching through animation. I have been animating since the age of 7, getting my first qualification at age 11. I began this journey making flip books, zoetropes and stop-motion Lego films in my childhood home in Türkiye and can’t express my excitement over having completed a degree in Animation, as well as a course in Storyboarding this year.
Specialisms:
Character Animator, Storyboard Artist
SHOWREEL
GET TO KNOW KAYA
What was your inspiration for pursuing a career in Animation?
I wanted to share stories that promote creativity, as well as create media for children that included a diverse cast, so everyone has the opportunity to see themselves in characters onscreen.
What hobbies do you have?
I’ve loved sewing my whole life, creating plushies, clothing and quilts. I’m also fond of knitting and yoga although I’ve got a lot to learn!
How would your peers describe you in 3 words?
Passionate, open-minded, creative
Do you have any industry experience? If so, please give a concise explanation of the experience.
I have completed a 4-month Internship with MAKO KIDS in which I worked closely with the Co-founder of the company, singlehandedly creating storyboards for projects such as ‘Zoe & Olly’, as well as producing 3D animated shots. I have also created numerous assets for 2D animated projects.
How would you describe your contribution to your group project?
In the project 'X-Terminate', I was a Concept Artist, Character Designer, Illustrator and 3D Character Animator. This project had a dystopian feel, being set in an abandoned lab, and it was a pleasure taking part in the process of developing the environment. The contrast of life and technology was highlighted through the harsh coloured set, metallic structures and scientific equipment.
What lessons did you learn from undertaking your project that you'll take with you into your career?
One lesson I learnt from this project that I will take forward in my career is that it’s very important to have a clear vision from the start and not rush the pre-production process. It may feel best to save the most time for production and instead cut corners in the beginning, but when you don’t have faith in your initial idea and keep developing key details during production, it’ll end up making your workload a lot larger in the end than if you had just taken your time in the beginning.
What would your ideal first role in the industry be?
I would love to start in the industry as a Storyboard Artist, I have storyboarded a few projects during my internship, but love to be a part of early production, sharing ideas and adding fun visual gags or ideas. It’d be invaluable to work alongside a Director and get to see how an industry project develops.
What's an achievement from the past 3 years that you're proud of?
Earlier this year, I directed my first animated short named ‘VOID’. It was my first time leading such a large group and I was very nervous to create a story so close to my heart. This project was based on a comic I wrote at 15 and to be able to bring it to life after all this time was so exciting. It took a lot of work from the whole team, but working with such a talented group of people taught me the inner workings of how a project gets developed. We ended up winning 3 awards and I could not be more proud to have created what we did and worked alongside those I did. A huge thank you to Luis Yarrol, Eddie Lamar, Pip Cowen, Amy Little, Samun Gurung, Brayan Naravez and Yasin Tribak! I hope to work with you all again.
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