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Hi, I’m Emily Tong. I’m an animator and illustrator who thrives on collaboration, teaching, and bringing stories to life through art and motion. My experience spans teaching assistant roles at SAIC and SCAD, directing a thesis film, and freelance illustration work, all underpinned by a strong command of production pipelines and storytelling. I’m passionate about developing clear visual guidelines, mentoring peers, and delivering polished assets on tight schedules. I’m proficient with Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Maya, Blender, and Photoshop, and I love creating engaging projects that blend technical skill with creative storytelling.…Hi, I’m Emily Tong. I’m an animator and illustrator who thrives on collaboration, teaching, and bringing stories to life through art and motion. My experience spans teaching assistant roles at SAIC and SCAD, directing a thesis film, and freelance illustration work, all underpinned by a strong command of production pipelines and storytelling. I’m passionate about developing clear visual guidelines, mentoring peers, and delivering polished assets on tight schedules. I’m proficient with Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Maya, Blender, and Photoshop, and I love creating engaging projects that blend technical skill with creative storytelling.

Emily Tong

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Hi, I’m Emily Tong. I’m an animator and illustrator who thrives on collaboration, teaching, and bringing stories to life through art and motion. My experience spans teaching assistant roles at SAIC and SCAD, directing a thesis film, and freelance illustration work, all underpinned by a strong command of production pipelines and storytelling. I’m passionate about developing clear visual guidelines, mentoring peers, and delivering polished assets on tight schedules. I’m proficient with Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Maya, Blender, and Photoshop, and I love creating engaging projects that blend technical skill with creative storytelling.…Hi, I’m Emily Tong. I’m an animator and illustrator who thrives on collaboration, teaching, and bringing stories to life through art and motion. My experience spans teaching assistant roles at SAIC and SCAD, directing a thesis film, and freelance illustration work, all underpinned by a strong command of production pipelines and storytelling. I’m passionate about developing clear visual guidelines, mentoring peers, and delivering polished assets on tight schedules. I’m proficient with Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Maya, Blender, and Photoshop, and I love creating engaging projects that blend technical skill with creative storytelling.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Emily Tong. I’m an animator and illustrator who thrives on collaboration, teaching, and bringing stories to life through art and motion. My experience spans teaching assistant roles at SAIC and SCAD, directing a thesis film, and freelance illustration work, all underpinned by a strong command of production pipelines and storytelling.

I’m passionate about developing clear visual guidelines, mentoring peers, and delivering polished assets on tight schedules. I’m proficient with Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Maya, Blender, and Photoshop, and I love creating engaging projects that blend technical skill with creative storytelling.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Editorial Illustration

Expert

Book Illustration

Expert

Autodesk Maya

Intermediate

Blender

Intermediate

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Chinese

Fluent

Japanese

Advanced

Work Experience

Art Director at DreamArc Shorts

January 1, 2023 - August 1, 2023

Developed comprehensive style guides for character designs, contributed to increased collaboration among designers, and created promotional materials.

Teaching Assistant at SAIC Animation Studio

February 1, 2022 - May 1, 2022

Assisted with classroom management and addressed students' technical questions, while initiating recreational programs to boost engagement.

Design Intern at LinkA Company

August 1, 2021 - November 1, 2021

Revamped the company website and created promotional materials for an exhibition, enhancing education through design visuals.

Teaching Assistant - ILLU101 at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

January 1, 2026 - March 1, 2026

SCAD Teaching Assistant-ILLU101. Assisted with classroom management and addressed technical questions from students.

Director of Original Thesis Film at SCAD

January 1, 2025 - May 1, 2026

Directed and managed full production pipeline of an original animated short from concept through post production. Recruited and coordinated a student production team; assigned tasks and managed asset delivery to maintain production schedule. Delivered 80% of the final animation and background assets (over 40 unique background illustrations) while strictly adhering to established visual guidelines. Developed visual guidelines and workflow documentation to ensure stylistic consistency across contributors. Presented project to faculty and peers, demonstrating professional pitching and public speaking skills.

Independent Illustrator at Self-employed

January 1, 2024 - Present

Designed and marketed original illustration offerings through platform with competitive portfolio review, completing 74 paid commissions. Managed client relations, project timelines, and deliverables independently. Promoted services through social media outreach and brand development.

Teaching Assistant at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) – Animation Studio

February 1, 2022 - May 1, 2022

Assisted with classroom management, addressed technical questions, and supported course administration. Initiated recreational programs for 20+ students, designed and led games, delivered weekly critiques to over 13 students, mentored individuals to improve skill development and workflow efficiency, and designed biweekly lectures on animation pipelines and storyboard theory. Conducted demonstrations of Clip Studio Paint, Toon Boom Harmony, and After Effects, and contributed to departmental outreach through promotional materials.

Teaching Assistant-ILLU101 at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

January 1, 2026 - March 1, 2026

Assisted with classroom management, addressed technical questions, delivered critiques, mentored students, and supported course administration for ILLU101. Designed and delivered lectures on animation production pipelines and storyboard theory, and prepared demonstrations of industry-standard software.

Director at Independent Thesis Film Project

January 1, 2025 - May 1, 2026

Directed and managed the full production pipeline of an original animated short from concept through post-production. Recruited and coordinated a student production team, assigned tasks, and managed asset delivery to maintain the production schedule. Delivered 80% of final animation and background assets (40+ background illustrations) while upholding established visual guidelines. Developed visual guidelines and workflow documentation to ensure stylistic consistency across contributors. Presented project to faculty and peers, demonstrating professional pitching and public speaking skills.