Non-
Fiction

Between 2022 and 2023, words spread in town about a mysterious speakeasy event for animation lovers. I cannot recall how the message was passed on to me, but the mystery alone was enough to incentivize me to take the train to a specific bar in Brooklyn on a windy Wednesday night. There’s a sense of surreality about the buzzing and joyous atmosphere in that bar named Rullo’s amidst chilly NYC winter. In J.K. Rowling’s novels, a world of wizardry is concealed behind some mediocre London walls. In reality, somebody built a community for animation hidden in the plain sight of a quiet NYC neighborhood. Pushing open the door of Rullo’s, I almost mistook myself for Harry Potter, who had just discovered the secret pathway into Diagon Alley for the first time. It was a long and narrow bar, dark and rustic. Bulky jackets and woolen scarves overlaid on top of each other on a wooden coat tree near the door. Beer and cocktail glasses glimmered with the chatters. “Welcome back to the world you belong” was the non-vocalized message that saturated the air with warmth. As the bar became more overflowed than ever, the masterminds finally emerged from the crowd, revealing themselves next to the small bar table under the spotlight at the inner end of the bar - Andy London, Anna Samo, and Lisa LaBracio. The three of them all had distinctive haircuts. One of them was bald with a huge mustache. Another kept an edgy cut, brushing all her curly hairs to one side. The final seems to walk out of an elegant vintage movie poster. What might these styling choices reflect about their personalities? I wondered. Their choice of venue, invitation of guests, and contrast of characteristics collectively kindled my curiosity for who they are, why they are organizing this event, and how they become a team. I later moved around the city twice in less than two years, but going to the Animation Speak/Easy, this inclusive screening and discussion event that introduces three different artists with their beloved animated shorts every time became a bi-monthly routine of mine that hasn’t changed since. We slowly got to know each other a little better over time as the three hosts made sure that they engaged in conversations with the people attending their screenings. Trio is a perfect number of people to embark on an adventure. It allows enough possibility space for ideas to echo and evolve among the party, but also enough intimacy to accept affirmations with disagreements. This interview is a story of the Animation Speak/Easy trio’s friendship. What they have learned from the support they give to themselves and received from other generous friends and teachers they’ve personally encountered in the industry. Their appreciation of people they have met drives them to put more people in connections with each other through hosting animation-focused events. They have established a balance between their vision for education accessibility and their ambition for a sustainable community. The following interview will share with you what they think about their journey. Full interview available in print.

Every school has a talented upperclassman who is told as a legend over lunch breaks. In the 2020s, at the NYU Animation Area, Mulan Fu is that legend. I started college in the year of the pandemic, so I never met her when she was still in school. I couldn’t recall how exactly I came to know Mulan. She almost sounded like a fictional existence. We probably came across each other online at some point. Over several years of observations, I developed an impression that, regardless of how many words people use to praise her youth and accomplishments, Mulan is humbly putting herself on the more friendly and responsive end of the approachability spectrum. NYU invited Mulan back to campus for a presentation and Q&A session last year. Though we moved all our chairs into one classroom, they still got outnumbered by her fans. Many were eager to learn how she managed to resolve artistic dilemmas that were not taught at school. Students wanted to borrow her secret recipe for artistic career success. How did she discover her unique art style while others still struggle with imitations? How did she find her internships and jobs in a more-than-ever competitive market? How did she acquire such a large fan base on social media? Those were the major questions on people’s minds. Mulan responded upfrontly. She is generous not only to her audience but also to aspiring artists seeking advice. When Doug asked me if I would recommend any candidate for the aNYmator column, I immediately thought of Mulan. As an independent animation director, Mulan has won a handful of awards at international film festivals. Her clients include Hornet, Condé Nast, Amazon Prime Video, Coca-Cola, and the NYC Department of Education. Mulan previously worked at Pearl Studio and now serves as a creative producer at HoYoverse. Knowing how quintessential independence is as a fellow international student, I sat down with Mulan for an intimate and in-depth conversation. This interview is conducted with the hope that our discussion may shed some light on the young artists who are just feeling a little lost figuring out their future plans. Visit ASIFA East's website for the complete interview.

2023年春，纽约大学法学院举办了一场主题为 “法律将会如何处理生成式 AI ” 的论坛。 主持人 Jason Schultz 教授在开场发言时抛出了时至今日仍然有效的灵魂拷问—— “我们就 AIGC 这个老掉牙的话题，有什么新的事情可以探讨吗？近期出现的 AI 热点新闻是不是只是新瓶装旧酒？AI 生成技术有没有可能只是在和大众玩换皮 cosplay？而 AI 开发公司们只是在不断地推出更为新奇的营销策略而已？法律究竟仅仅是需要适应科技的发展，做出反应，还是说我们的世界正在事实上，经历着更加不容小觑的转变？我们到底能采取什么样的行动。” 在我看来，我们会不会因为 AIGC 的发展而感到焦虑，会不会认为自己有必要对它做出反应，尤其是不顺应潮流的反应，取决于我们是否能够亲眼看见 AIGC 在我们的生活中的影响。 既不是艺术家，也不是机器学习工程师的大众，作为 AI 纷争的局外人，可能很难对它产生的影响有明显的感知。反对 AIGC 的艺术家 ，则容易被扣上落伍，不懂适应社会和科学进步，固步自封、孤高自傲的帽子，从而敢怒不敢言。而以开发AI技术为生的程序员，由于利益相关，更不可能砸自己的饭碗，公开指出 AIGC 的负面性... The complete article is published with 动画学术趴（Anim-Babblers.) 完整文章发表于动画学术趴微信公众号。