Kickstart Spotlight: Chelsea Woolman
This month we’re shining the Kickstart Spotlight on one of our Assistant Directors - Chelsea Woolman!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in the Bay Area of California before moving to a desert and then another desert before realizing that deserts weren’t for me. I then stumbled upon Capilano University completely by chance one day while surfing the world wide web and then fell in love with what the locals called “desert-less nature” when I came to tour the area. So I packed up my cat, booked a flight to North Van, and never looked back! Except for holidays.
What was your first job?
I worked as a stagehand at a community theater. There I learned that highschool theater kids are some of the most vicious people on the planet, but more importantly the value of teamwork and how every position is important, no matter how miniscule.
How many years have you been working in this industry?
I got my first job as a storyboard revisionist on My Little Pony in 2016. Truly a karmic outcome, for I had spent my whole life avoiding having to draw horses only to end up working on a show that is exclusively horses.
How did you get started with Kickstart Entertainment?
I’ve always heard amazing things about Kickstart throughout the years and always hoped to work there one day, so when I found a job listing of theirs I applied the second I saw it and kept my fingers and toes crossed. Luckily a fellow veteran from the friendship mines of Equestria saw my name on the list of applicants, and from there I can only assume they busted down the producer’s door and glued my CV on every available surface, as one does.
What piece of advice do you wish you had been given when you first started working in this industry?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I was so determined to make myself seem like some kind of young prodigy capable of doing the impossible, when in reality I was working 60 to 70 hours a week because I was too afraid to let anyone know how much I was struggling as a green artist. No reputation is worth the mental and physical damage that kind of mindset will bring. It took me a while to learn that asking for help wasn’t the sign of weakness I assumed it was but a form of strength to know your limits, and it presents an opportunity to learn from those who can help you which will make you a better artist in the end.
If you could give one piece of advice on how to get through a hard day, what would that be?
There is always something to learn from a bad day. Take a moment to listen to what your feelings are telling you and ask yourself “What needs of mine were not being met?”. Then take what you have learned and try again tomorrow.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
Definitely when I took my mom to see the My Little Pony Movie in theaters. It was one of the first projects I had ever worked on after moving away from home to start from scratch in Canada. I was just a storyboard revisionist on the movie for a few months, but taking my mom to the theaters to see a movie I worked on was such a surreal moment. She pointed out my name in the credits and would tell everyone she passed as we left the theater that I worked on it. Nothing will beat that moment.
What are you trying to improve in your work?
Coloring is not my strong suit and I find the whole process exhausting. How people find the patience to color anything is nothing short of a miracle, or witchcraft. So I’ve been putting more effort and practice into understanding color theory, but holy moly I think I would have an easier time learning rocket science.
What continues to motivate your work, or has that changed over the years?
It's always been seeing other people's work. Whether it's watching a big name movie that thousands of people have worked on, or picking up a passion project in artist alley, or even a friend showing me the programming code they've been working on- seeing others create always gets me so hyped.
Pick 3 cartoon characters that describe your personality.
My cousin’s boyfriend once said to me at a family dinner that I reminded him of the comedy relief characters in every Disney channel original show and I have thought about that comment every day of my life since. So to rid myself of this curse he casted upon me all those moons ago, I'm gonna go with Ron Stoppable from Kim Possible, Grunkle Stan from Gravity Falls, and Dr Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. At last, I am free…
What have you enjoyed lately that inspired you to create?
My big three right now are Hadestown, Rise of the TMNT, and One Piece. Their unique forms of storytelling along with all the passion and love that went into making them is awe-inspiring and infectious to me.
What’s on your work playlist?
Broadway musicals (mom’s fault), Bruce Springsteen (dad’s fault), and Scandinavian heavy metal bands (AMVs on youtube in 2005’s fault). As you can imagine no one lets me DJ on road trips.
