Meow
Wannasri

My name is Nutjaree Wannasri, but most people call me by my nickname “Meow.” I grew up in Phuket, Thailand, and my passion for animation started when I was very young. My mum wanted me to learn English, so we installed a satellite dish with international channels, and I could only watch TV if it was in English. That’s how I discovered Disney.

I became fascinated not only by the films and characters but by the behind-the-scenes stories of how animation was made. I remember watching documentaries about the artists behind every frame—the animators, background artists, lighting artists, and all the people whose work came together to create just a few seconds of entertainment. I was amazed by how much creativity, skill, and effort went into bringing these worlds to life.

At eight years old, I didn’t even know what an animator was. I just knew that was what I wanted to become. Whenever my mum asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always, “An animator.” I drew all day and dreamed of being part of that world.

Years later, my mum sent me to New Zealand to complete high school. After graduating, I initially studied graphic design because there weren’t many opportunities to study animation, and graphic design felt like the closest path to the creative career I wanted. Not long after starting my degree, I heard about a new animation school opening, Freelance Animation School. I was incredibly excited and convinced my mum to enrol me, despite the much higher fees for international students. After graduating, however, I struggled to find my first job as an animator. With my student visa approaching its expiry, I was facing the possibility of returning to Thailand without any industry experience.

Then I was given an unexpected opportunity as a compositor. At the time, I didn’t even know what compositing was. I was completely honest with the studio about that, but they were willing to take a chance on me. I decided to take that chance too. I taught myself After Effects in my spare time, learned quickly, and soon became confident enough to handle my daily tasks. That first opportunity changed the direction of my career. What started as a role I knew nothing about became a new passion. Over time, I developed my skills in compositing, paint, and rotoscoping and discovered that I loved the combination of technical problem-solving and creativity that VFX offered.

Looking back, my career didn’t follow the path I imagined when I was eight years old. I never became the traditional animator I dreamed of becoming—but I found another way to be part of the process of bringing stories and images to life. And that is what has kept me passionate about VFX ever since.

And that little girl in Phuket who wanted to be an animator? She got her wish—just in a slightly different way.

— Nutjaree “Meow” Wannasri