Influential Woman · Animation, TV and Film

Maria Pionzio

Animator, freelance

Doylestown, PA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's of Fine Arts Degree Savannah College of Art and Design (in progress) Cert Toonboom Harony Certified Cert PhotoShop Certified

Her Story

About Maria

As someone from Gen Z, I was really big with social media. I was a big into watching YouTube videos, and I really liked video games. And given YouTube's wide range of content, it wasn't long until I stumbled across videos people made featuring characters that I liked. I soon learned one particular creator I followed was making her own animations on an iPad with a $5 app for kids. I was just really inspired, and I remember turning to my mom and saying, "I want to do that, I want to animate on our iPad!" That really got me into it. I've been animating for about a decade now. I'm currently completing my Bachelor's of Fine Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, where I'm maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. In terms of actual animation, I'm what people call a rough animator, where I do the first sketches of a sequence. I've also found myself to be very good with writing, storytelling, and directing. I feel like I have a good eye for it, and I definitely aspire to involve myself in a writing room or reading over scripts. I would probably start out as a freelance animator and hopefully get enough under my belt in my portfolio to begin working for an actual network or company once I finish my degree.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Maria

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I've gotten is to just go at your own pace, and to take things one step at a time, and to know that even though today could be a bad day or an overwhelming day, that tomorrow can always be better, and that you'll get through whatever you're facing.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would probably say to try to just do what makes you happy. It doesn't necessarily have to be something you're good at. There's a lot of things out there, there's a lot of hobbies to discover about yourself. Growing up is an entire process, so you'll be open-minded to learning new things and trying new things, and figuring out what makes you comfortable and what you're uncomfortable with.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

Currently, AI is making it a little tricky for any kind of artist, and there's a lot of layoffs been happening because companies don't need as many artists. The particular animation field I'm in is 2D animation, like your old Disney movies with the classic Disney princesses, and it takes a very long time for it to be made, so it's very expensive. Obviously, a lot of corporations want to cut back on that. But for opportunities, there's actually a lot of independent companies and animation studios that have been coming out in recent years, especially online. There's actually a wide range of projects to work on, it's just the fact that they're independently funded, and they're not big corporations like Disney, DreamWorks, or Sony Animation.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I'm a really big person on integrity and responsibility. I like when people are straightforward, of course in a respectful manner. As an artist, feedback and critique are a really big part in getting better at what I do, so I have great respect for people who are willing to state their mind in constructive ways. I also really value responsibility, because I think that's a really big sign of respect, just making a promise and fulfilling it, being conscientious of others and working in a team with people.

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