Since the start of the pandemic, Samm, Nedra, Jia Yan and Chin Yaw have all been working from home. All agree that their ideal working arrangement would consist of them going into the office half the time, mainly for the social interaction that feeds the creative process.
Samm counts herself lucky that the animation industry has emerged relatively unscathed.
“Disney sent me a whole setup – laptop, Cintiq and secondary monitor. But I do miss lunches with colleagues and meeting people face to face for casual chats and discussions. When I was promoted to director, I would have everyone meet online on Thursdays for an hour or so to chat. We’d crack a cold one and just have a chill time together.”
In London, Nedra, who has been given the option to work from home until the end of this year, says: “I would like to go back to the office for the interactions and chats, because that’s where you learn a lot more about the other parts of the business from people who aren’t in your team.”
Hong Kong-based Jia Yan’s work calendar is filled with video conferences, and she has the rules of Zoom down pat, including muting appropriately and identifying herself before speaking.
“More importantly, I’ve also learnt to respect my time and that of others. I take breaks when necessary and avoid scheduling calls during lunch,” she adds.
“Empathy has become more important,” Chin Yaw says. “Virtual interactions also require more sensitivity to prevent misunderstandings. We are all in different boats in the same choppy ocean, in both business and personal contexts.”
Calling the pandemic a “black swan” event, he adds that the unpredictability of life shows the need for adaptability.
“We may not be able to foresee these events, but we can put ourselves in the best position to survive them. We need to constantly learn, develop and evolve.”
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This story was published in the Aug-Sep 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
