This year’s Oscar awards were an historic occasion for Mexico and at least 8 EXATECs (Tec de Monterrey graduates) held important roles in the award-winning movies.
Asael Villanueva, José Torres and Ricardo Treviño | National News Desk
This year’s Oscar awards were an historic occasion for Mexico and at least 8 EXATECs (Tec de Monterrey graduates) held important roles in the award-winning movies.
René Villareal, Tec graduate in Communication Science was Alfonso Cuarón’s First Assistant Director on Roma (which won Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography).
What’s more, 7 Animation and Digital Art alumni (one of whom is currently teaching the degree and 2 have also given classes at the Tec) formed part of the 24 Mexicans who worked on the digital creation of Spider-Man.
CONECTA talked to several of them and found out how they celebrated:
“When they announced it, the whole team hugged each other and started yelling excitedly.”
“When they opened the envelope, we all stopped talking. When they announced it, the whole team hugged each other and started yelling excitedly,” says Daniel Hernández, Digital Animation teacher at the Tec and collaborator on Spider-Man.
“I’m really excited. Without a doubt, it’s an achievement that most people feel is really far off. Having made it and experienced it gives me enormous joy.”
“This is an achievement for Mexican animators. When you reach those goals that you imagine are really far off when you’re a student and you make it, you can’t put it into words,” he added.
“This is an achievement for Mexican animators. When you reach those goals that you imagine are really far off when you’re a student.”
EXATECs who celebrated on Oscar night:
- René Villareal, First Assistant Director on Roma
- Daniel Hernández, character animation on Spider-Man
- Cruz Contreras, hair and wardrobe simulation on Spider-Man
- Guillermo Sánchez, hair and wardrobe simulation on Spider-Man
- Leonardo Báez, scene lighting on Spider-Man
- Alfonso de la Cruz, color, light, and composition on Spider-Man
- David Hernández, animation on Spider-Man
- Jimena Barrera Colín, animation on Spider-Man
“I’m really excited and happy. Although we expected to win, the truth is that made us all feel emotional,” says Cruz Contreras, graduate and former teacher at the Tec’s Cuernavaca campus.
“You work on something and you pour yourself into it and you do it for yourself, because it’s your art and you like what you do, but the fact that many other people see it and acknowledge it, that’s really nice, it’s really satisfying.”
Cruz, just like Guillermo Sánchez, worked on Character FX, the simulation of hair and wardrobe for the characters on the Spider-Man movie.
What’s more, Leonardo Báez, a graduate from the Tec’s Guadalajara campus, collaborated on the Lighting TD part, scene lighting and color on the movie.
“I think we deserve the award, because it recognizes the work of the entire team,” says Leonardo, who adds, “I’m so grateful to the Tec! I think it was a very important part of my training and one of the reasons why I’m here.”
“I’m so grateful to the Tec! I think it was a very important part of my training and one of the reasons why I’m here.”
“I’m so grateful to the Tec! I think it was a very important part of my training and one of the reasons why I’m here.”
For his part, René Villareal, First Assistant Director on Roma, gave CONECTA his opinion on the importance of these triumphs for the movie.
“I think it could be very important (for Mexico, Roma winning the Oscars) depending on how we handle ourselves as an industry.”
He went on to emphasize the achievement for Mexico. “This is the first really Mexican film to reach the Oscars (speaking of its nomination for best picture) and these kinds of shrines to popular culture these days.”
For his part, Alfonso de la Cruz, a graduate of the Tec’s Ciudad Juárez campus who worked on the lighting and composition of Spider-Man, celebrates that an atypical animation movie has won.
“I’m really pleased that the opportunity has been given to a different animation project compared to the projects made by Pixar or Disney, which always take the prize.
“Sony Imageworks as a studio developed technology and different methods of generating this type of animation and visual look.”
Finally, Cruz gave a message to the young people who might be inspired by these achievements. “Believe in your dreams. It’s been a rocky path, but I finally made it here and I’m working on something I love.”
“Being Mexican is not a limitation,” says Daniel Hernández. “Success depends on what you have in your mind.”
“I think we should all believe in our goals and work towards them. As Mexicans and Tec graduates, we’re proof of that,” Leonardo Báez concluded.
“I think we should all believe in our goals and work towards them. As Mexicans and Tec graduates, we’re proof of that.”
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