(soft brush strokes)
- I'm gonna cheat.
I'm going to throw some of these brilliant green in there.
(Uplifting beat plays)
Whenever I paint something I have to think about,
oh what am I trying to say from my heart, my core?
And for me, that means, well, does it move me?
Is it exciting?
Am I sad when I painted this?
It could be just the lighting behind the mountain
or the way that tree, the gesture in the tree,
it speaks to me,
or the model
in front of you just evokes a certain genre or mood.
I get all jazzed up and then I just react.
(Uplifting beat brightens)
(paint bottle tapping)
My name is Yer Za Vue,
and I specialize in painting and animation.
(Disney theme)
- [Narrator] Za began her art career
in 1993 at Disney studios in Orlando, Florida.
- My process now, as far as creating my own art
it's still really relevant to Disney,
as far as a story.
One of the first thing that we always talked
about Disney is story, story, story.
(bright acoustic guitar plays)
- She's an artists, artists in that artists come
into the gallery to see her work.
It feels like her brush almost dances around the canvas.
(bright acoustic guitar plays)
(brush taps table)
(brush stroking canvas)
- How much abstract do you want in there
before it becomes too distracting?
Or is it not enough?
(paint brush scratching canvas)
When you look at it from a distance
you are thinking of it like a realistic painting
because everything comes into focus.
(paint brush tapping dish)
That one, there there's this gray about it.
And I liked that.
So then I'm going to try to infuse a little bit of gray.
In this case, the painting says to me, it's very loud.
I feel like there's something that needs to be here.
That's better.
(soft piano plays)
- [Narrator] Za got hooked on art shortly
after immigrating from Laos
at age seven.
When her third grade teacher in Colorado
showed her drawings of ballerinas.
- My eyes just went
and I would just go like this.
And I think that's what started the seat for me.
Because after that I would go to the library.
I would go through tons
of books that I didn't know what they were called
but it's Sleeping Beauty, Snow White,
and I loved it.
I thought the drawing was spectacular.
The background, I didn't know that someday I will work
for the big cheese Mickey mouse
but it was always a part of my life.
(Upbeat rock)
- [Narrator] The Kansas city art Institute,
a 4 year college of art & design.
- [Narrator] This is where she applied and was accepted
(piano plays gently)
- [Za] In our culture growing up,
all I remember was the chores
and all I remember was the cooking and cleaning.
So by the time I could get away, I was screaming.
- [ Narrator] But her parents were?
- [Za] Not so happy.
They want me to go to college.
But the idea of going out
of state was just too much for them as a Asian parents.
- [Narrator] So her parents convened a meeting of elders.
- [Za] They were all Hmong and they were all men (laughing)
and, and they all sat me down
in my parents' living room
and they played good cop, bad cop.
- [Narrator] The elders thought they had changed Za's mind,
but when it was time to go to art school,
Za stood her ground.
- [Za] Had, I was raised in Laos.
I think I would've not have rebelled if my parents
said you can't come to college, I would have just accepted
because that's just what the Hmong culture does.
- [Narrator] Her parents softened
after Za landed a coveted internship at Disney.
Za was too young to apply for the internship
but a teacher snuck in her portfolio.
- It was a dream come true for a college kid.
♪We can't go on together, with suspicious minds. ♪
- [Narrator] The internship led
to a job Za helped animate Disney classics
like, Lilo and stitch and Mulan.
(dramatic music plays)
- [Za] The favorite character is Mulan,
obviously, not just because I have some background with her
but because I love
that she understood the bigger picture beyond herself.
And she's always been a hero of mine.
And the whole idea of cutting your hair
and tried to play both men and women.
There's something really appealing
about masculinity and femininity.
Mulan was my first promotion into the key position,
so I got to take on more responsibility
and got to see more behind the scenes.
So Mulans very special.
(paper rattling)
♪That's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it ♪
- [Narrator] That's Za singing in a Disney employee band.
- When I was in college, I was super,
super quiet and Mulan broke me out.
And the first time I felt like, Oh
these people are just like me.
And, and now they can't shut me up. (laughing).
Sorry.
- [Narrator] Za says she's the first Hmong animator at
Disney.
- I'm the first to my knowledge
and according to the
Hmong historian.
- [Narrator] She worked at Disney more than 10 years.
Sometimes animators worked
up to 80 hours a week that took a toll on their bodies.
- [Za] They were having major surgery left and right,
and not to mention
you know, your back, everything starts to ache.
(pencil strokes)
Because I drew on this finger so much
it started to throb and my bone started to change.
(soft piano music)
- [Narrator] She started mulling over an art
teacher's advice to go to Disney, get experience bank
your high pay, and then go on to create your own art.
- He suggested that it's not a good idea
to stay in one place for too long.
I knew that I wanted to paint, but I didn't know
that you could potentially do that and make a living
from it.
So I decided to go to illustration as my degree
but I always loved it.
Even at Disney, when I was working 40, 60, 80 hours a week
I was still going
to the weekly painting courses that they offered
- [Narrator] In 2004, Disney closed its Orlando
animation studio.
(car zooming)
Za has a sister in Portland.
She borrowed her vehicle and hit the road for four days.
(bright guitar music plays)
She even picked up two hitchhikers.
- I did it that one time
and it was the first and the last, okay,
just saying that (laughs), but it changed my life.
So I'm thankful for them.
We just sat there and they talk about the pros and cons.
What do I want to do?
What were my hopes and dreams?
What did I like?
I decided, okay, I don't know how
but I'm going to have a leap of faith.
I came to here a year later.
And as I say, the rest is history.
Get ready to take notes.
(continues teaching)
- [Narrator] Za's leap of faith
to pursue her passion, to paint and teach.
- [Za] The actual definition is action within action.
Especially if you get a chance to go out there
and work for a company like Disney
or just gain a lot of knowledge under your belt,
it is an honor and a privilege to have gained that.
And then you need to pass it on.
(uplifting bells) (soft guitar)
Perfect!
Turn it on, lens off.
It should loop.
I really love teaching because there is something
about the mind of somebody who's really hungry
for knowledge.
Magic of animation.
It just took two frames out or rather.
- I really enjoy animation and whenever
I like listen to songs or something
like I always picture an entire animation on my head.
So I just want to sort of make some of those visions true.
- [Narrator] Some of Za's students have gone
on to work at prestigious companies
like Disney, Dreamworks, Leica, and Nickelodeon.
- I'm so proud and I couldn't be happier for them
because it gives them a to chase their dream
You're geniuses.
(gentle acoustic guitar humming)
My life is constantly turning and it's a journey.
I think a lot of times of self discovery.
(gentle acoustic guitar humming)
It always felt
and it's weird to say this
that there was something that was guiding me.
And I never felt like I was going to be lost.
And there was always something bigger.