Haein Kim
Q What do you do?
“Hiya! :~) I’m a maker of fun, fresh content via animation, illustration and art.”
I *love* telling a story through my work, often with a sense of humour.
Whether it's eavesdropping on a crAAAAAzy awkward convo from a first date the table next to me at a cafe, or milking the hottest goss from my friends, I'm a sponge for a good tale.
I really just love making fun stuff, and it's a bonus I get to make money from it."
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
When I was in high school I was dead set on either being an astronaut, or a Pixar animator. I ended up at uni studying animation, where I met the two most influential people you could meet. A killllla cartoonist (hey Bailey👋), and the love of my life (hey Paul 🥹). They both informed my art practice by dragging me to sick events around town I never knew about, and passing down a plethora of indie comics, art, music and animation for me to consume.
I made the coolest film EVER with Paul (watch here: https://vimeo.com/377468270 ) which propelled both our careers. Together we had our first art show Teach Me How To Be Human, signed as co-directors to an animation agency, made our first art book through Bailey's amazing Risograph studio (hey Glom Press 👋), left the animation agency and have been freelancing ever since. It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't want it any other way :o)
Q How do you stand out in your field?
By making content that's FRESH🍒 FUN🕺🏻 and HONEST💓
Q What are you working on right now?
Paul and I are dreamers, and one of our biggest dreams is to make an animated tv series. That's what we're trying to lift off right this moment.
Q What’s your style?
Check it out for yourself here!
Peepin' short film
Warm short film
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Someone that's an expert in liaising with clients and sorting out the BIZ side of things!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
When I accidentally tucked my skirt into my undies in primary school and got made fun of. I'd tell 8 year old Haein: 'hey you tucked your skirt in your undies. Also, don't worry if the kids at school think your uncool, they've peaked already. You're gonna go places no one here could even imagine'
I still tell myself this everyday...
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
It'll defos be with a lawyer, or Mike Judge. I find contracts so daunting, but that's probably because I don't understand the legal lingo and so it's something I'm striving to understand everyday! I believe you can diffuse most fears by actively learning about whatever it is you fear and doing it anyway :o)
Mike Judge because I love King Of The Hill and would love to have an afternoon bevo with him to pick his brains on how he did it.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Illustrations and animations for a brand that's ethical, sustainable and diverse. Someone that looks at my work and says, 'hey that's exactly what I want for my brand!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
A mutual trust is essential. We both need to believe in each other's visions and have clear communication. I loooove working with clients that give me space to do my thing and there's mutual fan-girling happening.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me sis! Haeinkim@outlook.com
Let's start a conversation :O)
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Ummmm my creative pal, partner in crime, part time lover and full time friend Paul Rhodes! He's a genius. He can do the whole pipeline of an animation project, from scripts to sound design to comping. Everyone who knows what's up should be scrambling for his services. You can find his via IG as @faux_par or his 🕸 Paulrhodes.club or our joint Vimeo
This member profile was originally published in December 2022.