Phuong Nguyen
Freelance Story Artist
This week we are shining the spotlight on Phuong Nguyen. Originally from Vietnam, Phuong majored in illustration and animation at CSU Long Beach. Currently, she is working as a freelancer while trying to find a position as a production assistant or as a storyboard artist.
“I want to be a PA to get my feet into the industry that is the path I want to go for in general. Most of my skill sets are more geared towards working with people, but if I got the chance to board a project then I would be just as happy.”
Outside of work, Phuong loves to go out social dancing, which she considers to be both a great exercise and a good way to meet new people.
She found her way to the Creators Society after attending CTNX 2018. From there she attended several of our events both online and offline. Notably, she served as an artist during the inaugural Creators Jam in 2020. Her team’s short, “A Brand New Beautiful Tomorrow“, which told the tale of cockroaches going through various hardships before finally taking over Earth after the apocalypse managed to stand out not only for its humor, but also because the short ended with a fully voiced music number.
It won the audience favorite award and came in second overall on the judge’s scorecards. She looks back on the process of creating that short fondly and is eagerly waiting for the next Creators Jam event to happen.
Phuong is also a regular in the Creators Society weekly hangouts on Discord. She was even the artist behind the current promo image featured in every newsletter as well as the special variant that was used during our Annie Awards watch party.
When asked how we can improve she said “I would like to see more content relating to people who are still in the entry level and things to help with that area. Maybe help with resumes and portfolios.”
Phuong recommends using platforms like TikTok both to show off one’s work and to find inspiration for new creative endeavors.
“I’ve only been trying to be a PA for a year, but from what I gather, talking to people who have had that position is a big thing. Also honing your people skills and being genuine when asking those questions will make them more comfortable and willing to tell you what you want to know.”
