Nam wants to study 3D, his mother worries about his future: The truth about the Visual Effects / Animation / Game Graphics profession in Vietnam.

Caroline (Pricillia) Ng’s path into the world of 3D art spans continents, disciplines, and some of the industry’s most recognizable studios. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, she made the move to Los Angeles to study at Gnomon and quickly found her passion shifting from animation to character look development. In this interview, she reflects on that transformation, her experiences working with Blur, Aaron Sims Creative, Marvel, and Grinding Gear Games, and the importance of staying adaptable. Alongside her story, we’re showcasing a selection of her character work, from student and personal projects to industry credits.

I’m from Auckland, New Zealand. My family immigrated from Indonesia, and I was born in New Zealand. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, pursuing a career in the arts was a different path, and my family had their doubts initially.

 began with a digital design course that covered various aspects of animation and media, including modeling, 2D/3D animation, storyboarding, filming, VFX, and editing. It was a broad course, and I chose it with the goal of specializing in 3D animation. I did some small internships working in animation, however I still felt that my skills and knowledge were too limited. I needed specific training. I also realized later on that my passions were not actually in animating but creating the look and feel of characters and environments in 3D.

I learned about Gnomon from googling "Best schools for 3D" but didn't seriously pursue the thought of going there until my friend was thinking about going too. I really wanted to pursue a career in animation, and I knew I had to go and study more. I'm glad I made the drastic change as I learned so much in two years! For example, we learned the ins and outs of Maya in 10 weeks at Gnomon, whereas it took me three years to learn Maya back in New Zealand and I only knew 30% of it.

My parents were hesitant about me moving at first, because they didn't want me to be so far away. They also weren't sure if my career path would work out, but now they say that sending me to Gnomon was the best thing they have done for me. I am so grateful that I was able to attend Gnomon.