Alexis Cooper

Animator

Born and raised in Brooklyn, but now proudly calling Atlanta home, Alexis is a passionate 2D animator with a keen eye for storytelling. Her artistic journey began at a young age where she spent her childhood finding their unique style through 2D animated shows like Bleach and Naruto. Then studied at SVA in New York City, where they honed her craft and further developed a unique style that combines captivating narratives with visually stunning animation.

Q: Tell us about yourself and your journey as an animator (How did you get started? What inspired you to get into 
the animation space? Etc.)

My origin story becoming an animator started by creating my first animation on Flipnote Hatena using a DS lite. I got inspired by my favorite animated shows as a kid to become an illustrator which then evolved to animation as my career. I honed my skills attending both an art middle school all the way into a private school for visual arts. Afterwards, I continue to grow my skills using the knowledge I’ve gained over the years and do self-studies from other creators.

Q: What animation style/s do you animate in? 
How has your style evolved over time?

My animation style is computer/2D animation.

Q: Are there any animators, films or art movements 
that inspire your style?

My favorite art reference for my style would be anything Tite Kubo (i.e. Bleach,Burn The Witch).

Q: What genre do you find most fulfilling or enjoyable to animate?

My personal favorites are Action,Comedy and Romance.

Q: What tools and software do you use?

For tablet, I use an IPad Pro with 2nd gen Apple Pencil. For animation, I use Procreate. For clean up, 
I use Clip Studio Paint and compose, After Effects.

Q: What does your creative process look like? What comes first?

When starting from a blank canvas, I draw stick figured dummies for storyboards, then draw the details on top of the stick figures, start animating and finish up with the clean/color.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring animators based 
on personal experience and industry insights?

My advice would be to study your favorite shows, creators, and learn the basics, no matter how tedious it is. Also, when practicing animation, never compare yourself or your work to anyone that has tons of experience or looks more polished, unless it’s to use as a reference.

Q: How do you navigate periods of creative block?

Personally, I stop drawing completely and just watch videos from Instagram or TikTok to regain my drive/motivation to create again. Taking breaks is very crucial with being an animator.

Q: What did you enjoy the most about the latest story you 
animated for Storiaverse? What was the most challenging?

I enjoyed giving life to the project, adding my signature art style to the mix and creating the characters overall. The most challenging was doing it all by yourself haha.

Q: What motivated your decision to collaborate with Storiaverse?

Storiaverse looks like a promising platform for writers and animators alike! It’s something completely different than any other platform and a new way to present storytelling. It also gives any creator a chance to collaborate with other writers or animators and build connections.

Q: How do you think animation can play a role in 
promoting diversity and representation?

In order to promote diversity and have representation on certain issues the right way, us animators need to take elements from real life events and interpret that into a balanced narrative that everyone, including those that don’t necessarily apply to, can fully understand the depth.

Q: What do you love most about the animation space and what draws you to adult animation specifically?

Personally, I just like the idea of having a lot of freedom to create anything adult themed that are usually censored/filtered out.

Q: Where do you think the animation industry is heading?

Because of how popular the internet has become, there’s a huge boom of indie animation studios that are coming out. Since industry type animation tools are no longer gatekept by big studios, we can now utilize those same tools to create advanced animation films and upload them on popular platforms like YouTube, etc.