Today we’d like to introduce you to Zion Pullman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a kid, I always watched television cartoons and movies. I asked myself, how do they do that? I didn’t know much about how to draw on the computer, so I started drawing on paper first. I started taking inspiration from around me like nature, space, and even different cartoon characters. As I grew up, I started learning how to use the computer through Microsoft Paint and eventually went from there. It took over a decade to develop my style, but I had to be patient. It was easy to compare my work to others or others to compare my work to someone else’s. It was discouraging, but I kept practicing and taking inspiration from what was around me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Becoming an animator was not easy. When I was younger, I had a lot of critics, and opposition, forcing me to think less of myself; as I grew older and got into high school, and even after I graduated, some people didn’t necessarily want to be my friend. The good news is that didn’t stop me! I used those moments of fear, rejection, and isolation as key moments to be used in my animated stories. Every moment that wasn’t necessarily fair was an opportunity to create something special.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I produce my work mainly through 2d animation; I have used multiple programs from Adobe flash professional (Adobe Animate), Toon boom, and Autodesk Sketchbook (Flipbook). While I do a lot of animation, it does need voices (especially for the characters). I do most of the voices myself! I used my phone in the past, and now I use my professional mic to record lines for my characters. I currently voice a little over 30 characters. I have help now to do other voices, but for a long time, it was just me. It’s always good to learn to use what you have and build from there!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
There are a few things I have learned these past 7 years going into the world of animation.
1. Learn to be open to different perspectives.
2. Learn to use your animation series, movie, or even storybook as a tool to process what you are going through.
3. Learn to laugh during things that don’t make sense. Everything can be used as inspiration, even things we don’t like.
Many things I experienced along my journey of progressing in my skill of animation, composing, and voice acting were to use everything. Anything can be material.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @zeeskee901
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kapacoud
- Other: www.kapacoudanimation.com
Image Credits
Kapacoud Animation
