The animation career of Tec Guadalajara graduate Leonardo Baez has led him to participate in eleven Sony Pictures Animation movies.
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Fascinated by exploring virtual worlds from an early age, Leonardo Báez Maldonado learned to enjoy video games in the company of his cousins.
Leonardo ventured into the world of animation years later, which meant transforming his childhood interest into a passion and a search for professional development.
First, he went into engineering. But his life took a 180-degree turn when he chose to explore the Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Art and Animation at Tec Guadalajara.
Now, this Tec graduate works at Sony Pictures Animation in the area of lighting and compositing, where he is one of those responsible for lighting scenes in animated films.
What’s more, he has collaborated on four Oscar-nominated movies, such as Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and The Sea Beast.
Establishing connections
“When I entered the program, it seemed like I was in a limbo between not being so skilled in the programming field and definitely not being an expert in art, so I thought, what am I doing here?” Leonardo described.
“At times I felt frustrated,” he recalled, because he believed that he wasn’t good enough compared to his classmates and that his profile didn’t fit the course.
However, Leonardo stressed that it was his social skills that helped him deal with his discouragement. Through this, he was able to make connections and create opportunities, both professionally and personally.
And it was thanks to one of his friends that he discovered the Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Art (LAD) at Tec Guadalajara. So, he decided to leave engineering for a more artistic field.
“It was a very spontaneous change. Everyone in my family is an architect, so for a long time I thought I’d be one too. However, I decided to study mechatronics engineering in high school,” he said.
Discovering a passion
Leo added: “One week before starting classes, I accompanied my best friend to a LAD course meeting; I asked the program directors some questions and decided to switch to animation.”
“The truth is that I’m not at all sorry for having made that change, because I’ve been quite happy as an animator,” he said.
The Digital Art program gave Leonardo the opportunity to build his own universes by exploring both the video game and film industries.
However, he decided to enter the world of the seventh art, the film industry. “During my degree, I decided to venture into the world of cinema, since I discovered that my passion was there,” he explained.
Leonardo’s ability to socialize began to “light” the way to a future in audiovisual art, when he approached an associate professor from Exodo Animation Studios to request an internship during the summer.
“During my degree, I decided to venture into the world of cinema, since I discovered that my passion was there.”
Challenges for improvement
“During my last semester, Tec revalidated some subjects for me so that I could do an internship at Exodo Animation Studios, where I worked on creating animated spots for advertising,” he said.
After one semester, Leonardo began to formally work at Exodo, primarily on simulation projects.
An unforeseen event led the Tec graduate to the world of lighting, which challenged his basic knowledge on the subject.
“Despite learning a lot after working in lighting for a little over a year, I felt that the company was adjusting to my skills beyond challenging me to improve,” he said.
Driven by this idea, the animator took on a new challenge: sharing his knowledge with young apprentices through teaching simulation and lighting.
“The most important thing about freelancing is precisely the connections you make, the networking.”
Work that defines your identity
“Although I began to explore animation from another perspective, I felt like I put my development in the industry on hold at the same time,” he said.
He added that, in his opinion, it’s important to combine your professional life and teaching in order to enhance development. “So, I always had that desire to return to an animation studio.”
Similarly, Leonardo Baez shared his interest in exploring new professional horizons through freelancing. In these projects, he found the freedom to challenge the limits of his creativity and expand his artistic reach.
As the animator said, “The most important thing about freelancing is precisely the connections you make, the networking, because your work should speak for itself.”
Which is why he highlighted that, “Freelancing is very complicated and living as a freelancer can be even harder.”
Opportunities for growth
Fate led Leonardo Baez to follow his passion to a new destination: six years ago, he settled in Canada, where he was captivated by the opportunities in animation.
“I made a demo reel and a résumé in which I included work I did at Exodo, as a freelancer, and as a teacher. I shared it with a college friend from the digital art program so that he could give me feedback on the portfolio,” he said.
Leonardo was overcome with emotion when he received an unexpected email from Bardel Entertainment requesting an interview. His friend’s connection with the company’s supervisors led to this new job opportunity.
“Two weeks after the interview, I was heading to Canada with my entire life packed into three suitcases, because something inside me felt like it was a permanent change,” he said.
The Tec graduate said that he worked at Bardel Entertainment for almost two years, where he participated in the animation of Netflix series.
“It’s gratifying to know that what I’ve created will be enjoyed by millions of people.”
Film recognition
Leonardo began working for Sony Pictures Animation in January 2018, where he has contributed to the set design and lighting of eleven animated films.
These include Angry Birds 2, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Hotel Transylvania 3 and 4, and The Sea Beast.
“During my first year, I was working for a short time on three films, which were Hotel Transylvania 3, Smallfoot, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” he said.
The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie stood out by being awarded an Oscar and a Golden Globe, the most prestigious awards in the film industry.
“For Spiderman to win those awards was the first indication that I’d reached a higher level and helped me trust that I could be part of a team that develops films with high visibility,” he emphasized.
Passion for animation
“It was exciting to recognize the value of my work. It’s gratifying to know that what I’ve created will be enjoyed by millions of people,” he reflected.
With four Oscar nominations, the Tec graduate acknowledged that “Although the film industry is very satisfying, it’s also very hard. It’s an industry that hits your ego hard, emotionally.”
Although not every film he has worked on has received popular awards, Leonardo stressed that “There is recognition for these projects. As an artist, I’m proud to have contributed to them.”
For some time now, Leonardo Baez has cultivated his passion for animation. Currently, this passion is reflected in three large areas: technically, artistically, and socially.
“Technically, resolving visual conflicts is very rewarding; artistically it’s exciting to create shots that are more interesting and look a little better on screen,” he said.
“Make connections. Making friends, creating networks, and participating in projects can open doors.”
“Also socially, I’ve had to adapt to various cultures and find a source of enrichment in teamwork,” he said. He said that he wishes to continue growing at Sony, as there are upcoming projects that he’s passionate about due to their story, narrative, and visual aspect.
Finally, Leonardo extended an invitation to Tec Guadalajara students to follow their dreams and embrace change, since you never know where it may lead.
“Don’t just cultivate your artistic skills, but also make connections. Making friends, creating networks, and participating in projects can open doors to your future development,” he concluded.
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