Juana Medina, part-time professor of animation in the Digital Media Design program, was featured in Washington City Paper's annual People Issue. Out Dec. 8, the issue introduces readers to 23 of D.C.'s "most interesting folks."
Medina, who is also a children's book author, told City Paper that the theories and practices of animation are not a far cry from illustrating children's books. "Children’s books are basically choosing a few stills that are going to express an idea," she said. "They’re an amplified storyboard in a way. So I do find it very refreshing to be able to think of storytelling and narrative with students who are just being introduced to animation and motion graphics."
The 16-year resident of D.C. also told the paper about her new semi-autobiographical children's book series Juana and Lucas, which is based on an experience she had in kindergarten learning English in her native Bogota, Columbia. The book is peppered with Spanish here and there, so that young readers can figure out the language on their own, Medina said of the book. "I just remember as a child feeling very proud like, 'Oh, I know what that means.'"