He moves the shapes across the familiar screen during class. One by one the shapes combine to form a figure. Slide by slide the character come to life. A familiar click fills the air as he places the final touches on the product before him. Made with shapes and a desire for creative expression, junior Bao (John) Bui creates an intricate animation using his software of choice, Google Slides.
Bui stands out for his digital animation work with Google Slides. He has created informative animations for his class as well as a Google Slides video game.
“I love Google Slides because I have worked with it for years,” Bui said. “I love Google Slides for its simplicity. It’s also just easier to navigate in my opinion.”
Bui, originally from Vietnam, moved to New York at the age of 10 to spend time with family. Soon he moved to Lindale and took part in Digital Interactive Media (DIM) with teacher Beth Huse which began his interest in animation.
“The day where I went to DIM 1 class with Ms. Huse, that’s where I started to combine shapes,” Bui said. “Combining two things is likely to make an appearance, a character, a thing, an object.”
Along with DIM, Bui has participated in graphic design and a coding class.
“To get the kids excited about animation and digital media, we wanted to give them something to expand on and be a program of study option for them in their high school career,” animation teacher Beth Huse said.
In the class, students also learn how to use different programs such as Adobe Animate and will present their work to the class. Along with his assignments, Bui has started to create animations outside of class.
“John is a very diligent student,” Huse said. “He has a thirst for knowledge that is fascinating. He takes something and runs with it and he spends a lot of his personal time expanding on things that we do in class and he makes discoveries. “
Bui ends each of his animations with a logo for a company he and a friend created called Generico. While the company is currently not real, many of his animations are made with shapes rather than traditional drawings seen today in Pixar and Disney animated films.
“I’m not a drawing person but rather a shape person,” Bui said. “I love to make shapes all the time.”
Bui plans to create an animation series called Geometric War. The series features a peaceful town getting invaded by an army of squares. As the series progresses more shape armies appear. Much of his inspiration originates from war movies.
“It’s basically like a war film but with a twist,” Bui said. “What inspires me the most is each of the movies, the cinematography, the choreography.”
Bui plans to continue animation in college with other interests in becoming a pilot. While Generico is not currently a real company, Bui has desires to make the company real in the future along with creating a website or an app.
“I have visions where this thing could become legit,” Bui said. “Generico as like an animation company like Pixar or Disney.”
To check out some of his creations, click the links below.
