Animator Momo Wang Used Her Tuzki Success To Catapult Her Career In Animation
Momo #Momo
GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 12: Momo Wang attends the Asian Hall Of Fame’s Induction Ceremony … [+] 2022 at Alex Theatre on November 12, 2022 in Glendale, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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Going viral is part of every content creator’s vocabulary. It brings followers and sponsors in addition to the 15 minutes of fame.
However, creators are pushing out hundreds of pieces of content a month to make the fame, fortune and credibility last. With over 200 million content creators worldwide, competition is at an all-time high. It takes content creators an average of six and a half months to earn their first dollar, while just 10% of influencers earn $100 thousand or more yearly. With these statistics, creators have to consider how they can build their careers after gaining traction in social media.
Momo Wang, animator and creative director at Illumination Entertainment, leveraged her viral moment to secure a position in Hollywood. As the creator of Tuzki, the famed lovable bunny character that became a worldwide hit with the growth of mobile and sharing, she has become a top animator in the entertainment industry. This success provided her the opportunity to author numerous comic books, graphic novels and other books. Her published books have sold one million copies worldwide, with a few spending a year on Best Seller lists. She’s now released her animated short film, Penglai, which she wrote and directed and is narrated by Scarlett Johansson.
“We’ve recreated a story written 1,000 years ago,” Wang shares. “It’s about a young fisherman, dissatisfied with his life, who embarks on a quest to find the mythologicalChina’snd of Penglai. He’s shipwrecked in a storm and is rescued by a mysterious woman with special powers… The time is between Qin and Han Dynasty. The Qin dynasty and Han Dynasty is a really interesting time in China history. That’s a big transition for people from spiritual to material. So people believe in God, like a natural born emperor, you’re emperor forever. Starting Qin Han Dynasty, people started to think you could get everything from your hand.”
Through animation and puppetry, Penglai weaves past, present and future into an original myth, … [+] animated with intricate traditional imagery.
Illumination
Wang grew up reading comic books. At five years old, she drew a goldfish, which would later be the genesis of Penglai, and hung it on the wall. In the morning, when she looked at her piece of art, she saw the magic behind animation; to her, the fish became alive, swimming on the walls.
She attended college for animation. As a shy person, she opted to stay in most weekends and work on projects rather than go to parties. At the time, the QQ chatting app in China was very popular. Wang felt disconnected from the emojis offered through the application—they didn’t necessarily match her mood at times. So, she developed her own emojis to use.
In one week, her creation of Tuzki went viral. Everyone fell in love with the rabbit with no eyes.
“There are two reasons,” she explains why the bunny has no eyes. “The design side and the other side is from my personal [experience]. During that time, there was also a few other popular cartoon characters, different animals. So when they cry, they all cry a tear down their cheek. When they’re happy, they all have open mouths and laugh. I wanted to definitely change that. So I just created a character that only used body language. He has no mouth, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, and only has two lines as eyes on the face. That also represents his attitude.”
Momo Wang, creative director and animator at Illumination Entertainment, designs her next animation.
Courtesy of Momo Wang
Not long after going viral, Turner Broadcasting bought the rights to Tuzki. Companies like Motorola and KFC have used him to promote their products. The famous rabbit has been shared millions of times a day on WeChat and even has his own themed cafe.
Wang moved from China to California to pursue her master’s in animation. She was introduced to Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination. She had the opportunity to show him a two-minute clip of the concept of Penglai. Meledandri was interested in producing the short film and offered her a job as a creative director.
The animator has worked on the company’s blockbuster franchises, including Minions, Despicable Me, Sing and The Grinch. Recently she was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame for her trailblazing art and creative work.
Penglai has always been at the forefront of her creativity. Through animation and puppetry, Wang weaves past, present and future into an original myth, animated with intricate traditional imagery. The short film celebrates the human spirit and the belief that there is hope for a future beyond what we see in our everyday lives.
As Wang continues to evolve as an animator, she focuses on the following essential steps:
“As an animator,” Wang concludes, “you are not just to be an animator. You’re 50% an animator, and another 50% you have to be a boxer. You have to fight for your film and your team.”