About Me

My name is Caleena Lee. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. Ever since I was little I was always fascinated by animation. I liked it so much that when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them that I wanted to be a Disney Artist. I intentionally meant an animator, but didn’t know what it was called at the time. I first started watching cartoons when I was young such as Looney Toons, Tiny Toons, and Mickey Mouse cartoons.  I soon started liking Japanese animation more than American cartoons and started watching more and more Japanese Animation. But I still watch some American cartoons, just not as much as I did before when I was young. I like watching cartoons because not only does animation entertain me, but it also helps me take a break from reality.
After I graduated from high school, I went to college at University of San Francisco. Unfortunately they didn’t have animation as a major. So I ended up taking graphic design for my major and minored in Japanese (since I was already half way done with the requirements for the Japanese minor). I took graphic design as my major because they taught classes in web design and motion graphics. Not only was I able to learn how to create my own web portfolio, but I was also able to learn how to use Macromedia Flash (now known as Adobe Flash). I also learned how to use other adobe programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects.
Since fall 2008, I have been a student at Academy of Art University in the 3D Animation Master program. So far I have learned a lot about all types of animation and met a lot of interesting people along the way. By going to Academy of Art University, I have learned more about animation and what it takes to become a 3D animator.