Nominees: Tec graduates up for Oscars in animation and visual effects

At least eight Tec de Monterrey graduates and one PrepaTec graduate are part of teams that have worked on the production of films nominated for the 2024 Oscars.

These are Tec graduates involved in animation, visual effects, and storytelling for films such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Some of them have already been nominated in other years and have even won the Oscar with their teams previously.

CONECTA presents the Tec and PrepaTec graduates nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10.

“I could never have imagined that the film I dreamed of working on one day would be among the nominations.” - Mitzy Agüero

Cruz Contreras - Character FX

Cruz Contreras is a Digital Art and Animation graduate from the Tec’s Cuernavaca campus who worked as a visual effects artist with a focus on characters in the film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Cruz specializes in dynamic simulations, making the movements of character elements such as hair and clothing look natural, depending on the scene and aspects such as gravity and wind.

This Tec graduate from Iguala, Guerrero, is part of the production team at Sony Pictures Imageworks, a studio with which he has already won an Oscar for the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He has also been nominated for films such as The Sea Beast and Over the Moon.

“It’s always very nice to learn that your work has been nominated for an Oscar,” Cruz previously said to CONECTA.

Daniel Hernández - 3D Animation

Now an animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Daniel Hernández was part of the production of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, in which he animated the film’s characters.

When he was working at Sony Pictures Imageworks, the Digital Art and Animation graduate from the Tec’s State of Mexico campus collaborated as a senior 3D animator bringing to life all the main characters in the film.

“As animators, we’re in control of absolutely everything to bring a character to life and fit it into the rules of the Spider-Verse, so every scene I animated was a highly creative and artistic challenge,” said Daniel Hernandez.

He has also worked as a backup lead helping to supervise other animators, planning, and assigning scenes to them.

The Tec graduate from the State of Mexico was also part of the team that won the Oscar in 2019 with the prequel to this film. He also collaborated in other previously nominated films such as The Mitchells vs. the Machines and The Sea Beast.

Astrid Cortés - VFX Production and Coordination

Astrid Cortés, a Tec graduate of the Mexico City campus Digital Art and Animation program, worked as associate production manager on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Her job on the film was to manage the production coordinators in the visual effects department, being the administrative right hand of the department’s supervisor.

She was responsible for handing out assignments, assessing the team’s needs, the budget, and other issues related to effects artists.

“The whole team is very excited about this nomination! It would be a great honor to have the efforts of so many artists and talents who worked on the film recognized with such a gratifying award,” said the Tec graduate.

This Tec graduate has worked as a visual effects professional on productions such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Guillermo Sanchez - Visual FX

Digital Art and Animation graduate Guillermo Sanchez is a visual effects artist at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

He was part of the production of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, creating physics-based digital effects on elements such as clothing and character hair, depending on the type of movement involved in the scene.

The visual effects artist has worked on other Oscar-nominated animated films such as The Sea Beast, Over the Moon, and also on the statuette-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

What’s more, he collaborated in live-action films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Justice League, among others.

“The whole team is very excited about the nomination. It would be a great honor to have the efforts of so many artists and talents recognized.” - Astrid Cortés

Leonardo Baez - Lighting & Compositing

Sony Pictures Imageworks lighting and compositing artist Leonardo Baez was also one of the digital artists involved in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Baez, a Digital Art and Animation graduate from the Guadalajara campus, was in charge of lighting, rendering, and compositing animated scenes in the film nominated for Best Animated Feature.

“For me, the nomination was a reward for all the effort that the whole team put into the film; that love is evident in the quality of the film, and it gives me great satisfaction to see it recognized with awards and nominations,” said Leonardo.

The Tec graduate, who also holds a Master’s Degree in Innovation, already knows what it’s like to be nominated for and even win an Oscar, as he won the statuette in 2019 with the previous film in the trilogy.

He has also worked on other nominated films such as The Mitchells vs. the Machines and The Sea Beast.

Gabriela Camarillo - Storyboard

Gabriela Camarillo is a PrepaTec graduate who participated in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as a story artist.

The PrepaTec Valle Alto graduate collaborated on the development of the storyboard in at least seven scenes of the film.

“Winning the Oscar in 2019 with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse earned the respect of a very strong animation community. I’m looking forward to seeing what this year’s winner does, as so many incredible films have been nominated,” she said.

The PrepaTec graduate has also used her talent in other productions such as Batman: The Long Halloween, Trollhunters and Ben 10.

Alfonso de la Cruz - Lighting & Compositing

Alfonso de la Cruz was on the compositing and lighting effects team at Sony Pictures Imageworks that worked on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

The Tec alumnus used his talent and skills as a digital artist to design the lighting and composite scenes with animated elements.

Digital Art and Animation graduate Alfonso was also one of the members of the team that won the Oscar in 2019 for the first film in the animated Spider-Verse saga.

He has also worked on productions such as Vivo and Angry Birds 2, as well as other animated films.

Mitzy Agüero - Lighting FX

Mitzy Agüero is a Digital Art and Animation graduate and a visual effects artist specializing in lighting aspects at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

She collaborated in about 25 sequences of the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

“I did the lighting, rendering environments, and visual effects such as explosions, smoke, and debris. I also did the lighting for Groot, Rocket, Gamora, as well as Mantis’ eyes and antennae, and the Bowie ship,” said Agüero.

The Monterrey campus graduate has worked as a visual effects artist on films such as Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild.

“I could never have imagined that the film I dreamed of working on one day would be among the nominations.

“I’m happy to be part of the team and I hope this film wins me the first Oscar of my professional career,” she said.

Cecilia Azyhadeé Diaz - Lighting VFX

Cecilia Azyhadeé Diaz is currently a lighting effects artist at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

The Digital Art and Animation graduate from Toluca campus was on the team that created effects on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has been nominated for Best Visual Effects.

She told CONECTA she had participated in at least four sequences, lighting scenes, characters, effects, and other elements such as integrating digital elements into the sequence in which Warlock flies over a city in ruins.

“I’m happy to be part of the VFX team on this movie and to be nominated for an Oscar… I’m so glad to share this excitement with several Mexican colleagues and Tec graduates!” said Cecilia.

Cecilia has poured her talent into other Marvel movies such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and series such as Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She also worked on Over the Moon, a film nominated for Best Animated Feature.

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