Image courtesy of Stefani Tamakloe.
Today with me I have Stefani Tamakloe, a third-year animation major at SCAD Atlanta with a minor in motion media design. I sat down with her to ask her about herself, her art, and her experiences as a Resident Assistant at the ACA dorm.
Kara Robson: Why did you choose motion media as a minor?
Stefani Tamakloe: I like the motion graphics; I’m into the motion graphics of ads and the title sequences for TV shows. I feel like I probably should’ve chosen motion media as my major compared to animation.
KR: Although you lean more towards motion media, are you happy with animation as your major?
ST: Yeah! I mean — learning animation, there are things I spot that I originally wouldn’t see, for example the blink sequence for a character. Sometimes watching people is more interesting after learning animation. Like paying attention to the way people walk, the shift of their weight, and stuff like that.
KR: As an animation major, are there any animated features coming out this year that you’re looking forward to seeing?
ST: “The Secret Life of Pets,” with Kevin Hart voicing a hardcore bunny.
KR: What are some companies that you’d like to work for after graduation?
ST: I don’t have a specific company in mind, but it would be nice to work for the greats of animation — Pixar, Disney, Electronic Arts, Unisoft — their games are pretty cool. Whatever opportunities come along.
KR: What other colleges were you considering before you chose SCAD, and how did you make your decision?
ST: I applied to Ringling College of Art, Drexel University and a couple of universities in the UK but, I don’t know, SCAD is what did it for me. Looking through the student work and the kind of student life they had here, it just attracted me to SCAD.
Image courtesy of Stefani Tamakloe.
KR: Let’s steer away from art for a bit and talk about you. Where are you from?
ST: I’m from Accra, Ghana.
KR: What are some things about Ghana that you really love?
ST: For one, I love the food back home. The food is awesome; its much more spicy and has a richer taste. I kind of miss the way we behave back home. Kind of free. It’s always a party with them and music that our country — African music — we can all dance to and have fun and get together.
KR: What forms of art do you like to do?
ST: I like to draw traditionally, but I also like to paint digitally. I also like making bookmarks when I have time.
Image courtesy of Stefani Tamakloe.
KR: What hobbies do you like to do when you’re not making art?
ST: Well, I tend to watch a lot of Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese dramas. If I had a chance to travel anywhere in the world, it would be Korea, South Korea to be specific. I’m also trying to learn how to play the guitar.
KR: Why did you want to become an Resident Assistant (RA)?
ST: I’m a quiet type, and I felt like being an RA would get me out my comfort zone and let me meet a lot of people that I would never have met if I was still in my comfort zone. I felt like being an RA is good to have on your CV. It’s about self discovery. I didn’t know I could handle all these people or be the residence hall’s mom.
KR: Any last words of advice?
ST: If you’re just now choosing your major, make sure to talk to other people in those majors to see whether what you have in mind is really what it is. Also, it helps to check out other student work.