Lauren Collins (She/Her) is a lighting artist and 3D generalist who recently participated in the DreamWorks LAUNCH Fellowship as a Lighting Fellow. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in December 2024 with a degree in Animation and Games. Lauren has always loved anime and cartoons,which inspired her early on and helped guide her toward a career in animation. In summer 2024, she studied abroad at Aardman in Bristol, UK, where she learned about stop-motion, the studio’s production pipeline, and what a career in the field looks like. She also loves traveling and has visited 14 countries.

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Lauren grew up in Woodland Hills, CA, and later lived in Croydon (UK) and Amsterdam from 2018–2019, which were life-changing and cultural experiences that shaped her worldview. She returned to the U.S. in June 2019 to finish high school, junior college in Austin, TX, and later attended University Texas at Dallas  from 2022–2024 before moving back to Los Angeles. Discovering Black N Animated at LightBox Expo 2024 was a huge moment for her,especially after her college had recently removed its diversity and inclusion center.

 

As a Black creative, she is passionate about empowering Black voices in animation and is excited to join the Black N Animated team while continuing to explore different roles across the animation pipeline beyond just 3D. She also works as a Peerspace co-host managing bookings and social media, and is launching her own paint-and-sip class on eventbrite.