*This page shows projects and experiences open for public view.
For a complete digital CV or resume, or to explore more details about my past projects and collaborations, please contact me at christinayren@gmail.com.
Thank you for your interest.
CV
Christina Yijia Ren
Multi-disciplinary artist and designer working across immersive media, VR, animation, graphic design, and production design. Experienced in creating visual storytelling for exhibitions, films, and digital platforms.
EDUCATION
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MFA in Film and Media Art, Emerson College | Boston, MA | September 2025
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BFA in Media Art (Digital Art and Interactive Media), Minors in Japanese and East Asian Studies, Cum Laude, Northeastern University | Boston, MA | May 2019
EXHIBITION
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Between the Words: Traces of Inner Landscapes | Huret and Spector Gallery | Boston, MA, USA | 4.30 - 5.12, 2025
Solo VR and multimedia exhibition featuring an immersive narrative VR experience and installation, five original paintings with corresponding VR stations, and projection-based visual elements. The project explores memory, identity, and the subconscious through interactive storytelling, spatial immersion, and visual landscapes.
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Wait...What? | Media Arts Showcase Event | Boston, MA, USA | 2023
Seashore, VR Experience
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Is It Too Much? | Emerson Contemporary Media Gallery | Boston, MA, USA | 2023
Between the Worlds, VR Experience and Multimedia Installation
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Digital I | Media Arts Showcase Event | Boston, MA, USA | 2023
The Virtual Room, VR Experience
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Burren College of Art Exhibition | Newtown, Ballyvaughan, Ireland | 2018
Immersed in Ireland, Canvas painting & 360 digital art
PROJECTS
2025
Production Designer | You Gotta Go When You Gotta Go | MFA Narrative Short (In progress)
Prop Artist/Illustrator | Darvesh | MFA Narrative Short
Set dresser | I Remember the House was Red | MFA Narrative Short
Production Assistant | Cycles of the Moon | MFA Narrative Short
Posters and Title Designer | Hand | Narrative Short
Production Designer | Night Light | MFA Narrative Short
Production Designer | Two Sins | MFA Narrative Short
Poster Designer | The Confidantes | MFA Documentary (In process)
Visual & UI Designer | A Father’s Lullaby | AR Experience & New Media Installation · Tribeca Festival 2025
Production Designer/Armorer | Bad Guys | Narrative Short
Poster Designer | The Blurry Impressions of Death | MFA Narrative Short
2024
Title Designer / Motion Graphic Artist | Aijie (Grandmothers) | MFA Documentary
VR Matte Painting Artist | Act.No.06: From Zanzibar to Tehran | VR Installation
Studio Mural Artist / Graphic Designer | Mindfull | Tadpole Podcast Series
Script Supervisor / Digital Image Technician | Divergent Dreams (Life After Death) | MFA Narrative Short
Poster Designer | Reveries Echo of Touch | MFA Installation
Visual Designer | Rhinoceros In Love | MIT Wuming Theater Club Performance
Character Animator / Background Animator / Animation Compositor | Lola | MFA Documentary Animator | SODA | Hybrid Documentary
Production Designer | Apple | Narrative Short
Make-up Artist / Storyboard Artist | Digital Age | Music Video
Production Designer / Make-up Artist | The Wait | Narrative Short
2023
Program Designer | Wait...What? | Media Arts Showcase Event
Digital Image Technician | The Globster | MFA Narrative Short
Animator | Green Bag | Experimental Film
Grip | Dolores | MFA Narrative Short
Illustrator / Digital Image Technician / Grip | Free Car | MFA Narrative Short
Program Designer | Digital I | Media Arts Showcase Event
Production Designer | Rising Sun | Narrative Short
Make-up Artist | Philosophical | Narrative Short
Production Designer | Rotten Apple | Narrative Short Grip | Survival | Narrative Short
2022
Sound Recordist | Sweater | Narrative Short
Production Designer | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Narrative Short Clip
Production Designer / Assistant Director | The Fly | Narrative Short
Director / Writer / Director of Photography | Jetty Explains Universe | Narrative Short
Director / Writer / Director of Photography | Birthday | Narrative Short Clip
Graphic Designer | Commemorative Coin Design
Real Estate Media Designer | Boston Honglingjin Mini Application
2021
Coordinator for Technical Design | Q-BOX Patent Three-View Design Project
Logo Designer | Hutong Cafe | Shaanxi, China
Mobile App Graphic Designer | 3L Smart Blinds Mobile Application | Shenzhen BOFU Smart Co., Ltd
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Digital Post Lab (DPL) Assistant, Emerson College | Boston, MA | 2024.1 - 2025.9
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Manage digital post-production resources, including allocating and maintaining equipment, troubleshooting software and hardware issues, and ensuring the lab operates smoothly.
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Provide technical support for classes and student projects, including software assistance for Premiere, Avid, After Effects, and other post-production tools.
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Assist students with assignments and personal projects, offering guidance on software and hardware usage.
Emerging Media Lab (EML) Assistant, Emerson College Boston, MA | 2024.9 - 2025.5
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Manage emerging media resources, addressing hardware and software issues, and maintaining the lab space.
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Receive specialized training in emerging media technologies, including 3D software, game engines, 3D scanning, render farms, VR development, and virtual production lab tools.
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Provide support for emerging media classes and student projects, assisting with VR/AR development, virtual production workflows, and experimental media projects.
Teaching Assistant, Emerson College Boston, MA | 2023.9 - 2025.5
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Assist in instructional support for media courses, providing guidance on projects and constructive feedback for student work.
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Support class progress by answering questions on software operations, including Maya and Unity, and addressing technical challenges.
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Grade assignments and help students navigate Emerson’s facilities, equipment, and media-related software.
Founder & Creative Director, Yuanyu Digital (Shenzhen) Studio | Shenzhen, China | 2021 - 2022
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Established and led a creative studio specializing in digital media projects, collaborating with clients across industries such as beauty, finance, manufacturing, real estate, and independent media creators.
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Delivered branding, graphic design, web design, and video editing solutions, including logo creation, illustration, posters, and interactive media designs.
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Coordinated resources and managed external partnerships to streamline project execution and deliver tailored solutions for client needs.
Assistant Technical Director/Video Producer/Project Coordinator, Guangzhou Aisitaile Culture Development Co., Ltd
Guangzhou, China | 2020 - 2021
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Directed and managed multi-location interactive live-streaming events during the pandemic, enabling seamless real-time engagement between remote guests and audiences.
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Designed and implemented a custom live-streaming solution, integrating multi-camera setups, real-time switching, and audience interaction tools to bridge physical and virtual experiences.
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Collaborated with clients and teams from China, the US, and Japan to ensure cross-border coordination and participation.
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Coordinated large-scale events in Beijing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Guangzhou, providing end-to-end technical and hardware support for live production workflows.
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Produced a variety of video content, including promotional materials, educational video courses, and real-time event recordings, including editing, translation, subtitling, timeline management, and integrating video effects tailored to client needs.
Art Designer/Brand Coordinator, Future Diamond Management Consulting Co., Ltd Shenzhen, China | 2020
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Created and edited video content and promotional materials for branding and marketing campaigns.
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Collaborated with the web development team on visual design projects, supporting UX/UI designs and digital assets.
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Designed brochures, posters, and visual content for live events, social media, and corporate presentations.
Graphic Designer, Northeastern University Sign Shop Boston, MA | 2017 - 2019
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Designed and produced a variety of campus-wide signage, including informational boards, advertising posters, and interior signs.
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Operated and maintained professional printing equipment, ensuring high-quality production and timely delivery.
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Managed client communications, addressing design requests and issuing invoices.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate Teaching Assistant
VM 604 Creating the Hybrid Documentary | Emerson College | 2025
VM 131 Foundations Practice, Section 03/07 | Emerson College | 2024
VM 261 Computer Animation, Section 01/02 | Emerson College | 2023
Guest Lecturer
VM 604 Creating the Hybrid Documentary | Animation in Documentary | Emerson College | 2025 VM 131 Foundations Practice | Introduction to XR | Emerson College | 2024
VM 610 Media Pedagogy | Topic: Visual Effect in Film | Emerson College | 2021
VM 120 Foundation in Visual and Media Arts Production | Topic: Live Streaming | Emerson College | 2021
Guest Speaker
VM 381 Production Design - Concept Development and Set Design Sharing | 2025
VM 618 Interactive Media – “Does AI Dream for Me?” | Emerson College | 2024
VM 375 Advanced Interactive Media – Concept Art to VR Environment: “Seashore” | 2024
VM 364 3D Computer Gaming – Concept Art to VR Environment: “Between the Worlds” | 2024
Language Exchange Mentor
Chinese Language and Culture Sessions | World Language Center, Northeastern University | 2018
SKILLS
Software/Technology
Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, InDesign, Premiere, Audition, Substance Painter, Figma, Unity, Maya, Final Cut Pro, Procreate, Hoverlay(AR visualization tool), Nomad, AVID, Pro Tools, GarageBand, Unreal Engine, Wirecast, OBS, SketchUp, HTML & CSS Basics
Creative & Media Production
Graphic Design, Digital Art, Motion Graphics, Animation, Video Production, 3D Modeling, Game Development, Web Design, 3D Scanning, Volumetric Capture, 360 Video, Production Design, Digital Imaging Technician (DiT), Video Editing and Post-Production Workflows
Fine Arts
Canvas Painting, Sketching, Charcoal, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Sculpture
Languages
Mandarin (Native), English (Fluent), Japanese (Conversational)
Instruments
Chinese Zither, Piano