Letitia Popescu
Howdy! I’m Letitia Popescu, a graduate from Los Altos High School and Freestyle Academy. I took the Animation elective class alongside my Digital Media and English courses at Freestyle Academy.
I’ll be taking the Animation and Illustration BFA program at San Jose State University to continue pursuing my passion for animation. Taking my Animation class in my Junior and Senior years of High School as well as practicing in my own time made me feel confident in my decision to study it.
A major inspiration for my work is wildlife and the relationships in my life. Family and friends dearly matter to me and I hope you’ll see that reflected on my website. I aspire to one day become a storyboard artist, animator or concept artist.
An assignment I had the joy of doing in my Digital Media class was creating a resume, letterhead, and business cards to reflect my growth and experience gained at Freestyle Academy.
I’m grateful for the community I’ve found at Freestyle and the support teachers gave me. I’ve learned a lot about my abilities as a multi-media communicator. I’ve grown more confident in learning new programs because of the exposure Freestyle Academy gave me to applications such as the Adobe Products, Pro Tools, and Maya. Now, I’m more confident in my decision to pursue Animation as a major. One of my favorite things about Freestyle is that the teachers are aware of what ongoing projects are happening in other classes and the projects have value. It was a wonderful privilege to be able to have our work displayed at the Computer History Museum.
There was an art competition with the prompt of “Good Trouble”. By the time I learned about it, I had a week to complete this animation. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but I did learn a lot from the process!
The artistry used in animated films, pieces of art, and works created by others in general is also a fuel for my creativity. Some of my favorite films include The Prince of Egypt and Tangled. My fascination with film bloomed when my fifth grade class was responsible for hosting a Film Festival in 2015. From there, I got interested in movie making. This includes acting, editing and eventually animation. I’ve always loved to draw and continue to practice as much as I can.
Freestyle Academy has felt like a sandbox for me. I’ve learned at least one new thing everyday from my teachers, as well as refined my abilities. I’ve exposed myself to new programs and tools, such as learning about the exposure triangle for photography and how to change the settings on a camera. I’ve also learned the process for recording and uploading voice recordings.
At the end of my first year of Freestyle Academy, I’ve grown in confidence with my storytelling and using a variety of programs. The Freestyle Academy classes were intertwined with one another so the pacing of projects felt natural. I learned how to pull together a large project with various elements, such as the writing, designing, and animation process. As a creator, I’ve learned to trust my abilities and become more confident in sharing my works with others. I aim to inspire others to try animating.