Alumni Profile: Zane Millecchia ’21

Animation alum Zane Millecchia, class of 2021, discusses their career and time at CIA.

Where do you live and what are you doing to stay creative these days?

Rochester, New York

I’ve been working various animation jobs on contract since graduation. For the past year and a half I’ve been a Character Animator for Newscape, creating cartoons for kids on the YouTube channel GameToons. I’ve been staying busy with my personal work as well, releasing monthly shorts on my Instagram and YouTube accounts.

What’s been your most satisfying professional accomplishment since attending CIA?

Being able to support myself fully doing what I love has been such a dream. My extended contract at GameToons has been an especially positive experience so far, giving me constant practice and pushing me to stay active in all areas of my creative practice.

What are your creative/professional goals for the future?

Contracting has done a lot of good for me, giving me a stable 9-5 work environment while still giving me lots of time to work on personal and freelance projects. I love the idea of working on network TV to get my animation in front of a larger, older demographic, or getting enough notariety to work with my favorite popular musicians on branding and music videos. Ultimately, I’m not sure where I’m headed, but as long as I’m making stuff I’ll be happy!!

How did CIA help prepare you for your current role?

My years at CIA were an immensely taxing experience, pushing me far beyond what I had previously thought as my limits creatively. The constant and diverse workload taught me time management, versatility, problem solving, and perseverance. My late teens and early twenties were a very difficult period for me in terms of mental and emotional health, and without CIA I may not have remained as focused and dedicated to my work as I have.

Was there a specific piece of instruction or advice you received from a faculty member that's proven especially helpful? If so, please share what it was and who provided it.

The reassurances and notes I got from Dave Schwartz at the end of my senior year were a major factor in getting me through my BFA Thesis. When my mother got sick, he checked up on me regularly despite his own declining health. I’m so grateful to have spent 3 years under the tutelage of this gentle giant of the animation community, and we all mourn his loss immensely.

I would also like to mention Lincoln Adams, Jacob Koestler, and Anthony Scalmato, without whom my experience at CIA wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable and valuable.

What's your fondest memory of being a part of the CIA community?

My film classes with Jacob Koestler

What advice might you offer to current or prospective CIA students interested in charting a career path similar to yours?

Keep doing your thing!! Portfolio work is incredibly important, stay diverse and productive with your showcase. Take advantage of paid assignments by tailoring them to areas of your portfolio you want to bolster. Stay open minded and willing to work freelance outside of your creative comfort zone/preferred medium; you never know what you’ll find in the places you have yet to look!

Find like-minded artists in your local community! Having people around me that are actively making and doing what I want to is a constant source of inspiration and motivation. Above all, stay active in your practice, and even when the money and viewership isn’t where you want it to be: when opportunity strikes, you’ll always be ready to take it on!

To see more samples of Zane's recent work, please visit the playlists below:

9 GENERATIONS

GameToons Episodes