Harrisdale High student Keina Sugiyama has wowed animation industry leaders with her original work at an international conference in Sydney.
SIGGRAPH is where some of the biggest animation and special effects studios in the world meet or get their start, one of which was Pixar, who premiered the first film Luxo Jr. (also known as the Pixar lamp intro) in 1986 at SIGGRAPH’s computer animation festival.
Keina entered her short ‘the Star Keeper’ in the debut of the junior animation category at December’s SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival.
“The Star Keeper is an animation short that follows the life of Everest, a diligent Star Keeper tasked with placing stars in the night sky. One particular night, Everest, despite a lack of motivation, decides to undertake this crucial responsibility. As Everest ascends to the stars, a transformation occurs, fueled by memories of the intrinsic satisfaction and unique connection with these celestial bodies,” the synopsis reads.
Not only was Keina’s work seen by an international audience of professionals and industry leaders from companies like Pixar, Industrial Light and Magic, NVidia, and Weta, but she also was judged runner-up in her category.
An impressive pool of 382 submissions contributed by 595 artists from 14 countries were submitted to the 2023 festival.
“Witnessing the rapid evolution and sophisticated, immersive animation at SIGGRAPH Asia is truly inspiring. The collection of work received this year not only showcases the dynamic interplay of art and technology but also redefines the possibilities in animation,” Computer Animation Festival Co-Chair and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic Rob Coleman said.
You can view Keina’s work via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFvIKc4sEHo
