AVC Profile: Tanissa Schoen
Tanissa Schoen, a 1999 Lancaster High School, graduate always had passion for TV and movies. Her first step started at AVC. Schoen took classes in the arts, languages and computer graphics, eventually earning an associate degree in graphic design. From AVC, she transferred to the competitive Cinema Television Arts (CTVA) program at CSU, Northridge.
The CTVA program helps students find internships to get a break in the competitive motion picture industry, but Tanissa had her own plans. “I was very pragmatic in getting an internship. I looked at my favorite movies, like The Matrix and Fight Club, and created a graph of all the companies that worked on them, “ said Tanissa.
Tanissa found a small company, Pixel Liberation Front, which fit her specifications. She needed to put together a portfolio to apply for the position and found her AVC coursework to come in handy. She utilized her knowledge in Photoshop and Illustrator to tie the portfolio together, creating a logo making everything look coherent.
It worked; Tanissa landed the internship. “I loved working at a small company. I don’t mind getting coffee like most interns, but this was a lot more hands-on.”
Within a few months, the internship turned into a full time job. Tanissa began working with a producer and found a passion for post-production management and organization.
In 2009, Tanissa had an opportunity to join Marvel as a Visual Effects Coordinator. Her first movie was “Thor.”
“We would meet with the director and producer to facilitate their vision. It was so creatively fulfilling,” said Tanissa.
After Thor, Tanissa went on to work on the “Avengers” franchise, “Ant-Man,” “Thor 2” and her personal favorite, “Guardians of the Galaxy.” She traveled to work on sets in locations like Santa Fe and London. Now, Tanissa works in Stereo 3D Conversion, manages a team that prepares Marvel movies for 3D screening. Her next project is “Captain America: Civil War” starting later this month.
When asked how AVC affected her career, Tanissa referenced that first job, “I was working with colleagues from Harvard, Stanford and Yale. The only difference? My degree cost a lot less. If you are ambitious and focused, you can get where you want to go.”