Amber Yada

Animation and Media Arts Teacher, BAYCAT

I’m an artist, animator, teacher, and mother. Through my work I bring analysis and humor to underexposed points of view, especially around social inequities. Media has power to change minds, and I love sharing with young people: how to make media, and how to decode it.

My animation studies started young and continued through college and beyond. I studied cinema at SFSU and CCSF, exploring many disciplines and making strong personal and professional connections. Classes in super 8 and 16 mm film, digital video, audio, TV studio, animation, editing, screenwriting, photography, storyboarding, documentary, and more shaped an interdisciplinary approach to my craft.

After too many years waitressing, I started volunteering at the Bayview Hunters Point Center for Art and Technology (BAYCAT); then I was hired to teach animation for their Digital Arts Academy. When my daughter was born, I stepped away from teaching and became a freelance animator.

During my freelance time I’ve created a short documentary on cinematic pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché, which was featured in the SF International Women’s Film Festival; personal short pieces on the experiences of motherhood; collaboration on a short fictional piece about the heartbreak of deportation; and also work for local education and social justice organizations: Canal Alliance, Parents’ Education Network, Learning Soup, and QWOCMAP.