Originally from Mandeville, Melinda Jacob has been guided by one constant—her lifelong passion for visual art. A recent Bachelor of Arts grad, Jacob has found a way to merge her love for traditional artistry with the boundless possibilities of animation.

“I’ve been passionate about visual art my whole life,” Jacob reflects. “I started in the talented art program in sixth grade, and that really set the foundation for everything I’ve done since.”

The Mystery of Animation

While Jacob explored many mediums over the years, animation held a certain mystery that called to her. “Every other art form made sense to me—I could reverse engineer almost anything,” she says. “But animation was different. Since I was never exposed to how it worked in grade school, it felt like this great mystery, and its secrets called to me.”

That curiosity evolved into creation. Today, Jacob channels her fascination into intricate stop-motion storytelling, blending physical craft with digital innovation.

Bringing Mother to Life

Her debut stop motion film, Mother, stands as both a technical feat and an emotional exploration. Drawing inspiration from the environmental struggles of the manmade lakes near her Southdowns rental home in Baton Rouge, the film dives beneath the surface—literally and metaphorically—to explore themes of misplaced faith shaped by trauma.

“Having experienced those struggles myself,” Jacob explains, “I reflect on the ways it can distort one’s understanding of the greater forces at work in the world around us.”

In less than a year, Jacob wrote, designed, built, and animated Mother entirely on her own—aside from voice acting and score. Using puppet, paint-on-glass, and paper cut-out techniques, she crafted a visually striking narrative that blurs the boundaries between the physical and the metaphysical.

Through Mother, Jacob hopes to contribute to the evolution of the animation industry by reintroducing the tactile beauty of stop motion to modern audiences.

Finding Her Place at LSU

When it came time to choose a college, Jacob’s decision was both practical and passionate. She had been accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), but ultimately chose LSU for its growing digital art program and the financial accessibility offered by TOPS scholarships.

“LSU had a new and exciting digital art program, so it felt like the right choice,” she says. “Despite all the scholarships I received for SCAD, staying in state was by far the best option financially.”

That decision proved fruitful—LSU gave Jacob the resources, community, and creative space she needed to explore animation in depth. After her third year at LSU, she took a break for a couple years and returned in 2023 as a part time BA student, to study animation under Joe Nivens, assistant professor of practice in the LSU School of Art.  

Looking Ahead

Currently, Jacob works as an airbrush artist at Composite Effects (CFX), painting silicone masks with remarkable precision. On the side, she experiments with airbrushing clothing, constantly expanding her creative skill set.

Her next goal is to transition into contract painting for CFX, allowing more time to focus on freelance animation. Eventually, she hopes to open her own studio, employing other creatives and producing original work.

But Jacob’s ambitions don’t stop there. One of her biggest dreams is to create an immersive art experience that doubles as a concert venue—a space where music and visual art intertwine to form something unforgettable.

“I’ve come to learn this idea is already being executed very successfully by Meow Wolf,” she says. “That might have discouraged young Melinda, but now I’m just itching to bring more of that type of thing into the world.”

Supporting the Journey

Jacob is currently submitting Mother to film festivals around the world, hoping to gain recognition as an independent animator. The process, though exciting, is also expensive—submission fees range from $10 to $100+ per festival. To help offset the costs, she’s launched a GoFundMe campaign.

Each contribution helps bring her story—and her art—to new audiences. For Jacob, every frame is an act of discovery, and every project a step closer to her vision of art that moves both literally and emotionally.