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A small glance into Coco Atkinson's world



 

WHO ARE YOU?


My name is Coco, I am a 23-year-old Australian living in the blue mountains.

 

WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO CREATING MODELS, 3D PRINTING & ART?


3D Printing: When I first left my home in Thailand and moved to Australia at 16 years old I lived with family friends who work in the film industry and they introduced me to it all. I was mesmerized and so excited to see my work come to life. I decided to put my mind down to it and really focus and study and learn as much as I could. But because I never finished school properly I couldn't get into any of the unis. So I had to do a few Tafe courses to prove that I could study and that I was a dedicated learner. In Tafe I studied design and hospitality. With those two qualifications, I left for Sydney to start trying to get into Unis. I got into a private uni called AIE, where I learned the fundamentals of everything. During my last year, I was approached by a 3D printing and prop studio called Studio kite. I started working as a sculptor for them. Before long I was working on films, public sculptures and lots of other exciting projects.


Art: I was 5 years old or maybe even younger when Dad started taking me out sketching, it became something I did with him and I loved showing him how I was progressing through the years. He was always so excited and proud of me. At 11 I realised I was actually really good from all the hours I would spend every day and afternoon drawing for hours and hours. People would be really surprised when I showed them my work, which just made me work harder.


Model: That piece (Diprotodon),

By studio kite


in particular, was my first ever paleontology work, it was terrifying! But also amazing. Spent over 300 hours working on that particular model over a month of consistent modelling.

 

HOW IS IT TO WORK WITH BIG BRANDS & CLIENTS?


By studio kite


Working with massive clients is extremely stressful, you never know they are going to take a concept or look of a character or product. They often make working extra hard because a lot of middlemen are involved so often the person we are talking to is merely an assistant and words often get lost when communicating through other people.

By studio kite

 

DO YOU DO THIS FULL-TIME?


Often yes but I have always had a safety net as well I often keep a small hospitality job in the evening preferably or weekend so that if something was to happen to clients or jobs get low

(which has happened ) I have a backup job that I know has a lot of work for me if I need it. Over Covid, I rediscovered my art again and fell in love with painting and drawing traditionally all over again. Over that time I have gained a small following on Instagram, and this year I decided to open a small webshop to let people purchase and enjoy my art.

I love my art going to a new loving home after I create it. But I also saw it as a potential side job. I'm happy to say it's going amazing and I'm so very very grateful for the beautiful people who now have a small part of my soul.

 

ANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION?


2 When people find out I do film work they expect it to pay amazingly or have some type of glamour to it. To be completely honest it's most of the time worse than a cafe job. The stress is unreal and the pay is very low. The best way to be happy doing this is by being contracted and not employed, jump around projects. When I work on film jobs I often have many anxiety attacks and mental health issues. Directors and bosses expect you to do more than you can because you are always replaceable. ( sorry about the rant but I'm struggling at the moment haha)


 

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EXCITING PROJECT SO FAR?


The Diprotodon 3D printing was probably the best and most exciting job I've had, it's something I'm so so proud of. As well as a movie that hasn’t been released yet that I was fortunate enough to work on all the characters and environments.

 

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM PROJECT?


This is a hard one. I have so so so many dream projects. I’ve always wanted to work in another country on an epic project.

 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF YOUR JOB?


Pros:

● I get to be creative every day, solving problems

● I get to work from home or travel to awesome locations for work

● I get to work with crazy artist people haha

● I often get to work on my own terms and choose my hours


Cons:

● Tones of computer time has put a lot of strain on my eyes and body (I now have to wear glasses all the time) 3

● The hours can be extremely crazy and tiring 16-18 hours and I’ve often had to pull 24 hours or longer.

● Stress is often high on big expensive projects

● It doesn’t make as much money as most people might think

● Work is highly unpredictable and projects often “go under” meaning they have lost funding and you don’t get paid for the hours and hours of work you do.

I think these next few years will be my turning point. I hope so. I have many many plans for the years to come. I'm so excited to see how this year will go on.

 

HOW CAN WE FIND YOU & FOLLOW YOU


Instagram - @coraezyart (Artwork)

Facebook - Coraezyart

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