Bicoastal Curious Pictures has promoted Boo Wong to head the CGI department of the company’s New York operation. Wong replaced former CGI department head Tammy Walters, who left the company to pursue a career as a freelance producer in New York.
"With Boo’s skills as a digital artist, people skills, leadership, style and her potential to manage, she was a perfect fit for the position," said Curious Pictures executive producer/head of production Richard Winkler.
Wong joined Curious four years ago as an intern and moved up the ranks from digital artist to her most recent post as senior compositor and in-house visual effects supervisor. As a compositor, Wong created digital effects for such clients as Cap’N Crunch, Kraft, Wendy’s, Showtime and HBO.
In her new post, Wong will work with Winkler on both project budgeting and choosing artisans for jobs. In addition, Wong will be responsible for the overall operation of the CGI department, including scheduling, media flow, resource management and the evaluation and purchase of hardware and software, while managing 15 staff workers and a regular group of independent digital artists.
While Walters had brought a producer’s background to the position, Wong said she would approach her new role from an artist’s point of view. "When I look at a job, I think creatively speaking and technically speaking, how it can be made better and because I just got off the box, I can make decisions on what package and which artists would be best for each project," explained Wong. Although Wong’s input will now be completely on the advisory side, she said she may go back and dabble in creating animation herself from time to time.
Wong’s first assignment in her new role was to oversee a two-spot campaign for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese via Foote Cone & Belding, New York. "Cheese Surfing" and "Hip Hip Hooroni" were both directed by Curious’ Steve Oakes.
A native of Singapore, Wong came to the States to attend California State University, Fullerton, where she earned a degree in electrical engineering with an emphasis in computers. After realizing she was doomed to design smoke alarms for airline bathrooms, she came to New York to pursue an interest in modern dance and choreography. What was supposed to be a one-year diversion turned into eight years of choreographing original work for companies stateside and abroad. But Wong eventually saw the inevitable glass ceiling in the dance profession. "I knew dancers who were 50 years old and still struggling and my practical side didn’t want that. I had some severe computer skills and an art portfolio so I did some fast talking and finagled an internship at Curious and I have never looked back," concluded Wong.
