Today we’d like to introduce you to Avery Kroll.
Hi Avery; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Avery Kroll, and I’m an artist/animator living in Nashville, TN. In May of 2022, I graduated from Southern Adventist University with a BFA in character animation. I also graduated with a minor in Italian and Art history from a year studying abroad in Florence, Italy, in 2020. I am currently working towards my MFA in animation at Lipscomb University.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From a young age, I’ve struggled with Dyslexia. I had to work extra hard in school to get good grades in math and English. I would constantly flip letters and numbers and have a difficult time reading. It was in 8th grade that I discovered that this learning difference was a blessing in disguise. It allows me to process information 3 dimensionally (3D). As a storyboard artist, I have to draw a scene through the eyes of the camera from various angles to tell a story. Dyslexia has become my superpower, enabling me to process the camera’s view and movement before drawing it on paper. I encourage anyone else struggling with learning differences to find a way to harness them as their own. Embrace it. Don’t fight it! Society tends to have a negative view of learning differences, seeing you as unable to fit the ideal that they have set. It makes your voice unique and shares a particular perspective with the world.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a graduate student at Lipscomb University for the next few years. When I graduate, I want to be a story artist with ambitions to write and direct in the future. During my junior year at Southern Adventist University, I had the great honor of creating a short film with my classmates, Mugi Kinoshita and Ruth Perez. Together we made a CG animated short called “Knock Knock,” A story about connections in the COVID world. We made this short in the fall of 2020 in 4 months during the height of COVID-19. The project was meaningful because we were in the same situation as our characters—stuck between sheets of plexiglass, hiding behind masks.
This project opened my eyes to the power of a good story. Using vulnerability and our own struggles to connect with an audience is the purpose and responsibility of artists and creators. Because of this story, I became more driven in my work as an artist.
“Windrider Best Undergraduate Student Film Award.” our short went on to win several awards. And the SonScreen student festival- “best animated short,” “audience choice award,” and “best in the festival” Later, we got the opportunity to be a part of the Wind-rider festival, which partners with the Sundance film Festival.
Link to “Knock Knock:” https://vimeo.com/524434034
Articles about short film: https://mastermedia.com/articles/knock-knock/
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite memories is when I was a little girl. When I was little, my mom would put us to bed before our dad got home from working at the hospital. He would come home in his oversized scrubs and big lead shoes. But no matter how tired he was, he would sit at the piano and play. I would sneak out of my room to the stairwell with my to listen to him play. I wrote a story based on this memory for my undergraduate Thesis project. Called “The Piano,” I created a full storyboard animatic with an original musical score. Currently, I am preparing to get funding and reaching out to start production of this story.
Link to my portfolio: https://averykrollartistportfolio.squarespace.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://averykrollartistportfolio.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: @aves_art
