Permanent Collection

Stay in Character: 2026 CalArts Producers’ Show Opening

Posted on Friday, May 8, 2026

CalArts animation seniors Sofia Kondrasheva and Veda Lee co-direct a small army of their fellow students on this rousing, character-packed trip through art history for the school’s 2026 Producers’ Show Opening.

The sequence served as the intro for the program’s annual juried screening of student films, held May 5 at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, which showcases the best work from the CalArts Character Animation Program.

Images

Illustration of a person with red bobbed hair, wearing red glasses with white flowers and a red polka dot outfit, holding a paintbrush. Large red dots cover the background—perfect for the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show to Stay in Character!. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

An animated figure resembling Edvard Munch stands shocked in an art studio, hands to face, mirroring The Scream—which appears unfinished on an easel for the Opening of the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show. Art supplies and sketches fill the room. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A digital illustration of a person with wide eyes and tousled hair holding a pen, set against an abstract background of colorful lines—capturing the surprise and inspiration of the CalArts Producers' Show 2026 opening. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

An artist stands on scaffolding, painting the famous Creation of Adam scene on a curved ceiling for the Opening of the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show. The ceiling is brightly colored, with detailed human figures reaching toward each other. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A digital painting of a woman with dark hair, wearing a blue headscarf, gold earrings, and a pink outfit, holding a paintbrush. The blue background features abstract shapes and green leaves, inspired by the CalArts Producers' Show 2026. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

School: CalArts
Co-directors: Sofia Kondrasheva, Veda Lee
Producer: Veda Lee
Assistant director/associate producer: Si Yi Lee
Art director: Joyanne Marquetant
Animation director: Sofia Kondrasheva
Storyboard artists: Sofia Kondrasheva, Luke Lee, Si Yi Lee, Yenni Myung
Visual development: Alyssa Anderson, Nik Argos, Antoine Couttolenc Camacho, Jessica Ji, Kalynn Lam, Ming Yang Li, Iris Li, Joyanne Marquetant, Yenni Myung, Oz Zhang, Esther Zhu
Character designer: Alyssa Anderson, Nik Argos, Antoine Couttolenc Camacho, Sofia Kondrasheva, Joyanne Marquetant, Christina Wu, Oz Zhang, Esther Zhu
Animation supervisor: Si Yi Lee
Rough animator: Alyssa Anderson, Sofia Kondrasheva, Chun Kit Fong, Diya Joseph, Luke Lee, Si Yi Lee, Iris Li, Izzy Obey, Caro Vasquez, Huayi Yu
3D modeler: Alyssa Anderson, Ben Knight
UV texture paint: Veda Lee
3D animator: Ben Knight
Clean-up animator: Alyssa Anderson, George Geng, Celine Hung, Diya Joseph, Ayla Kasimova, Sofia Kondrasheva, Luke Lee, Si Yi Lee, Cyrus Leung, Iris Li, Joyanne Marquetant, Izzy Obey, Erika Salazar, Kyle Shao, Caro Vasquez, Siyu Wang, Zechen Wang, Aniya Washington, Awa Yin, Huayi Yu, Esther Zhu
Colorist: Nik Argos, Celine Hung, Ben Knight, Sofia Kondrasheva, Jessica Ji, Diya Joseph, Kalynn Lam, Si Yi Lee, Veda Lee, Cyrus Leung, Iris Li, Joyanne Marquetant, Abby Mills, Yenni Myung, Erika Salazar, Aniya Washington, Huayi Yu, Esther Zhu
Editor: Si Yi Lee, Veda Lee
Compositor: Veda Lee

Sound designer: Veda Lee
Composer: Etia Farmiga
Sound mix: Daniel Eaton

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: Animation, Character Animation, Featured · Tags: CalArts, Etia Farmiga, Sofia Kondrasheva, Veda Lee