Tell me a little bit about your journey to the Academy?
 I was definitely looking for a program that allowed me to combine my interests in technology and art. There are few existing programs out there that offered majors that were a combination of computer science and art, but IYA really stood out to me as the program really integrates all these aspects of art, tech, and business as one instead of three things you’re learning together. The overall environment and companionship that I would be able to have as a part of a “Cohort” also appealed to me as it would feel like we were all one big family working together instead of just “students in the same major.”

Describe a passion project you’re currently working? 
I have like half of a story in my head that I want to try and translate into a 2D animation, and I’m currently working on trying to learn 2D animation on my own and experimenting with different programs that I could use. I’ve already worked with 3D animation before in Maya through my film  The Blind Carrot  and I’m interested to see how this project will turn out as well.

What inspired the project?
A while ago I saw a short film called “Afternoon Class” by Seoro Oh about their experiences trying to stay awake during class. Through this, I was inspired to try and find an experience of my own that someone may find relatable and develop a film through that.

Behind the scenes of Irene's "The Blind Carrot" 3D animation

Is there a leader or mentor who inspires you?  
Brandon Stanton, aka the creator of Humans Of New York. He uses his photography and social media following to share the stories of everyday people and spread awareness about issues in the world that people may not know about. 

Is there an inspirational quote you live by? 
“You are not going nowhere just because you haven’t arrived at your final destination yet” - Taylor Swift. Taking each failure in stride and learning from your past mistakes is the best way to keep moving forward in life and get to where you want to be. 

What are three goals you have this year?  

Try as many new things as possible and just explore the many clubs, organizations and resources USC has to offer

Play with more 3D modeling and design/typography

Describe one thing most people don’t know about you?  
I’ve travelled to Taiwan almost every summer to visit my extended family, and this past summer I volunteered to teach English to elementary schoolers in Taipei for about a month. It was an amazing experience and I’d love to go back to visit my students some day! 

What is one thing your parents taught you that you’d like to share?  
“Work hard, play hard”. You shouldn’t forget to work for what you want out of life but you shouldn’t forget to take a break sometimes and let yourself relax. It should be a balance. 

Irene modeled and rendered this axolotl for her 3D design class this semester

What are the essential things you always keep in your backpack?

Favorite app or website?  
I really like YouTube because the type of content you can find there is so diverse. There are a lot of really well shot films and animations that smaller content creators make that are like hidden gems when you find them and get to appreciate their work.  

All of the classes I’ve been taking this year are so different from the “normal” classes I’ve been taking since I started school that it’s so hard to compare them to each other. They are all new experiences that I’m super excited to be able to be a part of and I can’t choose which one is my favorite. 

Favorite way to de-stress:  
My favorite way to destress is creating one page of random watercolor designs. It doesn’t have to look good, or cohesive, or like anything in particular when I’m done, it’s just whatever comes into my head at the time.  

Guilty Pleasure? 
Swiping into the USC Everybody's Kitchen dining hall just to pet the cat that lives there.  

Thank you, Irene! 

More information about Irene's projects and work can be found on her website

FRESH Encounters: Irene Chen