Waverly – UCLA Animation Workshop

A conversation with Waverly Wang

What animated character do you most embody in your day-to-day life?

The animated character I embody most probably right now is Anxiety from Inside Out 2. I'm always very scared of the future. But when I'm not anxious I'm more like Violet from Incredibles 2. I can be very shy, but I can get outgoing with my family and close friends.

What moments stand out to you since you’ve been at the workshop?

I took Stop Motion Animation and I remember being intimidated at first. But I remember falling in love with fabricating the props and painting my sets and costumes. It took hours to even set up my first shot, but once I filmed it and watched it back, it felt like I was falling in love with the craft. I was shocked that my character was moving and "alive" on the monitor. There definitely was something magical about bringing a character I had been building for weeks to life.

What is something about UCLA that sets it apart from other institutions in your academic experience?

At UCLA, we learn how to storyboard, animate, and edit our own work. UCLA really encourages us to develop our own voice which I feel will help me stand out in the animation world.

What are some challenges you see animators facing today, and how does UCLA prepare you for these challenges?

With the rise of AI, I feel many jobs in animation and art are being replaced by AI-generated content. I'm not sure UCLA can fight against AI. But they can help me become more established as an independent filmmaker. At UCLA, we learn how to storyboard, animate, and edit our own work and encourage us to develop our own voice.

What is something you’ve made while at the workshop that you’re proud of?

I'm proud of my first year film Party Boy. It was a very clean 2D animated film based on the Nutcracker. But I'm probably most proud of the stop motion film I made in Mr. Froggy. I only made it in less than 10 weeks during the Stop Motion course. As I said before, I had so much fun creating props and building my character. I based Mr. Froggy, a frog professor, off of my dad who teaches math. It was super gratifying for my family to come out to see it. My sister and mom cried when they saw the screening. That was an unforgettable moment.

Waverly Wang
MFA '26 - Stop Motion / Story Artist