Today we’d like to introduce you to Mauricio Botero.
Hi Mauricio, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my journey into 3D animation and visualization when I was studying Audiovisual Communication and Multimedia at La Universidad de La Sabana in Bogota, Colombia (my hometown). There I took a few classes that introduced me to the process of filmmaking and animation, however I didn’t know how to combine them together. It was until my last semester that I found out that it was possible to apply all the filmmaking concepts that I learned through college projects in live-action filmmaking into a digital environment.
After graduating with a degree in Communication in November of 2015, I wanted to dive deeper into the animation industry, and I decided to study a master’s degree in the US. I was accepted at Savannah College of Art and Design in the MFA Animation program, where I learned how to animate in 3D using the software Autodesk Maya. I graduated in June of 2020, and I started to look for a role as a 3D animator.
At first, I wasn’t able to get a role as a 3D animator due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the highly competitive nature of the industry. However, I was given the opportunity in a visualization company called The Third Floor and I was hired as a previs and animator artist. I knew the company from the credits of movies and TV series that I followed such as Marvel Studios and Lucasfilms, so being hired at The Third Floor was at first difficult to believe. There, I was given the opportunity to work in high-profile shows such as Loki Season 1 and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Today, I’m taking a break from the industry while the WGA strike is happening, and I’m growing up my skillset by learning new previs and animation techniques using Unreal Engine and Python programming. I’m hoping to return to the industry as soon as the strike is over with new knowledge and techniques that I’m excited to share with future employers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At some degree it has been a smooth road, but not without challenges. The main challenge has been the amount of time that I had to spend in studying new concepts and putting them into practice in countless hours, both at college and after graduation. I consider it a smooth road because I had a step-by-step plan from the very beginning and I have been following it, but it has changed over the years many times. However, the main goal has been the same: breaking into the visual effects and animation industry.
Another of the main obstacles was to balance my work and personal life, which at first seemed impossible to do. When I was starting in college, I didn’t feel like I had a personal life due to the amount of work that I had to do for my classes, and I didn’t know how to organize myself. It was after some difficult personal challenges that I found out that I had to find a way to balance both sides and I started to study about time management and automation of tasks during the college breaks and holidays.
It was difficult, but through the years I was able to organize my work and personal activities in a way that they don’t clash between them, leaving room for both sides to co-exist together. With my mental health in a good place, I’m able to do better work and live a better life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a 3D visualization artist and animator and I specialize in the areas of character and creature animation in 3D, and digital cinematography. I’m mostly known for my contributions in the shows Loki Season 1, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania as a visualization artist.
I’m most proud of my involvement in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania because I had the opportunity to be involved from the early stages of pre-production until the latest stages of post-production during the visualization stage. I’m very proud of the work I did in the movie and seeing the final result on the big screen was one of the most exciting experiences I have had in my life.
I think what sets me apart from others is the way I organize my days to grow as an artist and animator. I’m constantly learning something new through practice and repetition on creative areas, such an animation and cinematography, and technical areas, such as programming. I achieve this by planning my weeks ahead of time, but also adjusting them as needed.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
They can reach out to me to my personal email, which is mauthorn@gmail.com, or contact me through LinkedIn through this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maubotero/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mauthorn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maurobotero92/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maubotero/
Image Credits
Laura Londono
