Lexy: You submitted an animation to Visions that was featured at the festival, want to tell me a little more about that? 

Sreyasi: It feels so long ago, but it was one of the first few film festivals that I had attended. I was super excited to be a part of the festival and very impressed that it was pulled off by students. It was very professional. I was thinking, “Oh, it’s a student/college film festival. Is it worth me taking time off from school to do it?” But it was so worth it and super fun. The people I met from that experience are still in my contacts on Facebook and Linkedin. It was a great networking event. I feel super excited to be joining again as a professional. 

Lexy: Can you explain some of the responsibilities of your role as a Senior Lighting and Look Development Artist at Sony Pictures-Imageworks?

 Sreyasi: Yeah, so it’s different than being on a set because everything we do is behind computer screens. We’re doing pretty much the same thing that someone on set would do for lighting, which is to create a key light, fill light, and room lighting to set the mood of the scene with colors, shadows, and set a tone for the shots as determined by the directors. 

In a more technical way, there’s a lot of debugging involved in technical issues. “Why isn’t the model showing up the correct way?” We don’t work with live actors. We’re working with computer-generated imagery. My job is to set up the key lighting, which is the basic overall lighting in a scene as given by directors or our supervisors. 

Normally, you work with concept art. There’s a lot of paintings that come through, which are beautiful images in their own right, to look at for reference. They’ll even give us photographic references. As we get more direction from the directors, art directors, and concept designers, it gets turned over to ‘Look and Development’-that’s a term that not all studios use. Others may call it ‘Shading and Texturing.’ It’s building the color, texture, and shading for all the assets. 

Lexy: Is the job more tech-heavy or art-heavy? 

Sreyasi: It’s supposed to be artistic, but there’s a lot of technical stuff involved because of the software. It really depends on the day. Sometimes, I feel like I’m spending the whole day troubleshooting and other days I’m just focused on doing the work- the creative work- and making it look good. 

Lexy: What led you to working in this role? 

Sreyasi: When I first started at RIT [Rochester Institute of Technology], I didn’t know a lot about animation. I knew I liked watching animated movies and somehow I wanted to be a part of it. I thought I wanted to be a character animator because animator is the thing that everyone uses to describe what all of us do, even though it’s not technically correct. 

Later, I discovered writing through a presentation from an alumnus at our college who was working at Blue Sky Productions. I owe it a lot to his presentation. He did a small demo on the whites of eyes in characters, including eye highlights and how the light reflects on eyes. It ‘s so specific, but I was completely moved and floored by the demo. I was inspired by that, but at that point I was almost done with college and thought, “There’s not much time to train myself and get enough courses.” 

However, luck brought me here. I know a lot of people hate that answer because students want to know the exact plan, but it really was just me reaching out for opportunities. I saw one for an Assistant Lighting role, and I took it.  

I should be clear. There were a lot of failures and rejections. I feel like a lot of people when they see the artist’s statement or the bio of a professional they think, “Oh, they had one success after another.” There were definitely lots of hard moments when I interviewed for lighting jobs. I was thinking, “Oh, I’m in over myself. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Not getting the job served as proof, but I was still open to opportunities. I got an assistant role in the lighting department at Blue Sky Productions, which involved a lot of technical stuff. 

That’s how I started, and then things happened organically. People recommended me through networking. I showed how I was capable of doing the work. I moved to the west coast and got a few lighting jobs as an assistant. I later transitioned to go into Look Development. It gives you a better understanding of how you can light something if you know how it was made.

What kept me afloat amidst previous jobs and interviews was my support group. A lot of what college is great for is not just for setting foundations, but having really supportive friends and things like festivals to remind you that there have been good moments in your life. 

Lexy: When you watch animated films, do you find yourself analyzing them or straight-up enjoying them? 

Sreyasi: In the first viewing, I forget about everything because that’s an indication of the mastery of the art. That’s what really sucks me right in. The second viewing, I’m like, “How did they do that?” You don’t have to necessarily learn those creative techniques, but being able to admire it and recognize it. There’s still that childlike charm that I had as a kid, watching an animated movie and being mesmerized by characters and well-written stories. Sometimes, it’s just good to pretend it’s magic and I don’t need to analyze it. 

I’ve been in the industry for nearly ten years now, so I think about the blood and sweat that went behind it. I’ve gotten a deep appreciation for the kind of work that goes into it. I feel more connected with artists as a whole. 

Lexy: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your educational career and your current job?

Sreyasi: Having a balanced lifestyle has been pretty challenging for me. However, that’s why I chose the roles that I did. I thought it’d be super cool to be a lead on a couple of projects, but I realized how much more of a responsibility that is. You’re not only doing your own work, you’re helping support the team. I decided that it wasn’t for me for the sake of my mental and physical health. It was definitely a challenge though, because you don’t have a lot of female leads and supervisors in this industry. 

Lexy: Was there something that you did as a student to prepare you for this role?

Sreyasi: Doing internships. I think that’s a given. My first internship was for a charitable organization where I did fundraising and utilizing some graphic design experience. My second internship was in a New York City studio where I was involved with aspects that I wasn’t necessarily interested in, but I was trying to find opportunities. Putting yourself out there, exhausting as it can be, it’s really worthwhile. 

I don’t think you need to change your personality in order to network. If you see an opportunity, it’s probably there. Something you did means that you deserve it, and it’s worth exploring. 

Lexy: What has influenced your work?

Sreyasi: The people I work with day-to-day. Not just my colleagues, but I’ve felt as though I’ve always had a mentor in some way. All my team members from the companies I’ve worked at have influenced me. Those non-work conversations have helped me because they’ve gotten to know me as a person and sometimes even recommended me for jobs because of that. 

Lexy: What are you most exciting about for the upcoming Visions 10?

Sreyasi: I’m excited to experience it virtually. Everything feels disconnected, but a lot of things are closer within reach, like Visions. I’m also a little bit nervous too because of technical issues- I hope nothing happens because of me! 

Last time I experienced it, I was a student and trying to make contacts and getting to know everyone. I’m excited about what other panelists have to say and to get to know others in my panel.  

To learn more about Sreyasi, check her out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoshendasen or follow her on Instagram: @art_of_ezdee