How a co-op experience helped Chantae Bristow find a genuine passion for animation

Introduction:

I worked at Arcana Studio, a small animation and live-action studio based in Burnaby. As a Production Office Assistant Intern at Arcana Studio, I worked closely with the production, animation, and development teams to support various stages of film and digital media projects. I helped storyboard, composite animatics, and experience pre-visualization workflows, while also creating professional pitch decks and presentation materials using Figma. I managed asset organization and supported administrative tasks across animated productions.

Some of the upcoming projects I contributed to are the post-production of their upcoming animated feature film, UltraDuck, as well as the pre-production layout of their next animated feature film, Speed Creed, by creating storyboards and layout poses in Maya Autodesk.

My co-op "WOW" moment:

A real “wow” moment for me was during meetings with the animation and modeling teams when they mentioned needing an extra hand with layout and storyboarding, and because I have experience with Maya and illustration, I was able to jump in and support them. It was an amazing opportunity, especially since I’ve been wanting to work more closely with animation, and I finally got the chance to do so.

In my extended term, I may be assisting even more with layout in Maya, such as keying poses, continuing storyboarding, and motion graphics. It’s exciting to feel like I’m growing into the kind of work I want to pursue.

Lessons I learned:

During my time at Arcana, I gained a deeper understanding of how collaborative the animation and film industry is. I was surprised by how many different roles come together to bring a single project to life, from animators and modelers to editors and production coordinators. This made me realize how important communication and teamwork are in a studio setting.

I also learned that it’s not enough to just complete assigned tasks. It's important to take initiative, ask for more work, and look for ways to improve. That mindset helped me grow professionally and pushed me to be more proactive in my position.

Most importantly, my experience sparked a genuine passion for animation. I now understand how essential a strong demo reel is in this field, and I'm currently dedicating time outside of work to build and refine mine. This co-op helped me see where I want to go and what I need to do to get there.