Ankita Panda

Ankita Panda is an LA-based motion designer who gained worldwide recognition for her work related to films, Social Media, commercials, etc. And now, she works at Microsoft X Box as a senior motion designer.

Her work spans a vast variety of different media, techniques, and skills, which most likely got her really high in the motion design industry. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and graduated in 2020.

Throughout her time working in this area, she also worked with various clients, including HBO Max, Disney, The Getty Museum, and many more.

I especially loved her film, which she did for her thesis project "Pause, Play Repeat". When I watched the film, I felt like I was pulled into a world full of rhythm and motion. There were no characters or works, just shapes looping in a pattern. It was almost like I was watching the inner workings of a living system and how it operates. The whole film felt like it was showing me how the world works and how patterns can be found in everything and everyone, and how a small shift in this system can impact the overall connectivity of the entire system. I cannot imagine what the thought process was in creating a film like this. Something like this makes you curious and also makes you view the world around you differently.

Her Film "Heaven's Gate" was also very interesting to watch. The art style used for the film was very unique and looked experimental as well. I loved the concept of it, and how well the transitions flowed and blended together. It was interesting how 2D animation blended with a bit of 3D to make an interesting film. The style used in her 2D animation work felt like it fit the theme perfectly.

I was also able to really connect with everything Ankita said. Like me, she also did her undergrad in India, where everyone there prized only one type of animation, and didn't really take about any other types. And the fact that she came to USC as well, just to experiment, and break out of the norm of animation, is what i found very relatable with her. I think that just seeing what she did with her life during the time she was in USC and after she graduated proves that when I graduate in a few years, I could go on to do something really interesting and something I'm really passionate about.