A Conversation with Sheryl Au
Introduce yourself to our readers! Also feel free to include any website and social media links you’d like included.
Hello! My name is Sheryl Au, and I am an animator by trade. ‘Your Hand in Mine’ is my thesis film for my graduating year at Sheridan College, and it is dedicated to my girlfriend who has been an immeasurable pillar of support for me throughout the entirety of our time together, and in the production of my film. You can find my portfolio website at sherylaudraws.carbonmade.com, and my twitter and instagram at https://twitter.com/coloruszebra/ and https://www.instagram.com/peanutcruncher/
What inspired you to get into this space?
I have always been drawing throughout my childhood, and I find animation to be a natural progression from this hobby of mine. It is another medium in the world’s arsenal to tell a story with, and animation has (in my humble opinion) always pushed the boundaries for creativity in expressing certain emotions and feelings that can’t be conveyed quite the same in other mediums.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Make a schedule and stick to it! I wouldn’t have been able to finish my film otherwise. My girlfriend helped me set up a daily goal based on how much I felt I could get done in the months I had before the deadline. Prepare some cushion timing so you won’t feel super bad about not hitting that goal every day haha.
What are some tough things about working in this space today?
Overworking, for sure. It’s been talked about plenty already (look up union negotiations in the animation industry in US and Canada, and the exploitation of animators in Asia), but artists and animators throughout the animation pipeline do not get enough consideration of their well-being, whether it comes to getting enough pay or being allowed enough rest.
Do you feel you have faced discrimination in the industry?
Not quite yet in Canada haha, just waiting for it to happen eventually. I feel like animation studios have become more considerate now once you get in and start working (my coworkers are all wonderful people), but discrimination may still happen during the hiring process.
How do you feel your cultural heritage influences your work?
Singapore has quite the melting pot of cultures. Growing up in both Singapore and Malaysia with Chinese parents, I’ve learned to appreciate my Chinese heritage amongst Singaporeans, as well as get in touch with my Malaysian roots with my grandparents in the neighbouring country. Its influence in my work runs so deeply and it’s inseperable from it, and I couldn’t have come up with the idea for my film without experiencing growing up queer in both countries.
As an Overachiever, it can be difficult to allow yourself - or even remember - to make time to relax. How do you take care of yourself?
It’s hard haha, you have to fight the conditioning that you’re not worth something unless you’re productive! It’s understandable to feel bad in this era of hustle culture happening in the midst of crazy inflation, but you have to internalize first that resting is also work! You are resting to recover before you hit the ground running. I try to unwind from work by watching Youtube videos or playing video games that are just challenging enough, but not too much. Anything to distract me from planning more work to do!
What’s next for you?
I might have some comics in the works! There’s not many queer stories that come out of Singapore, or Southeast Asia in general, so I aspire to add to them. We need to rewrite the myth that queerness is inherently a “western influence” in Asia. Queer Asians have existed since the beginning of time, just like anywhere else in the world!
Finally, we ask this question of every interviewee: what do you think the biggest problem facing Asian women and non-binary people today is?
I feel like Asian women and non-binary people, especially non-binary and transgender people, do not receive enough respect for who they are and the important contributions they make in their communities. The prevalent problem of racism is present in North America and Europe, and in Asia the problem of sexism and transphobia is still strong. It’s frustrating, but we need to keep persevering, and we need to stand united if we want to make any good changes in society at large, wherever we might be.