The Crew

Agatha Tiara Christa, also known as Rara, is a 3D animator and layout artist who also enjoys storyboarding. She loves learning about people's cultures, languages, food, and even small traditions they do at home. As co-director of Goro Goro, she enjoyed finding inspiration from traditional Japanese culture and reflecting it in the film. Rara also worked as a story artist, layout artist, 3D animator, compositor, and editor, wearing different hats throughout production. Goro Goro is very special to her personally, because of its universal story: a kid who looks up to his role model. Through this film, Rara hopes to inspire others to continue chasing their dreams and finding their true passion.

Ryotaro Sawada is an artist from Tokyo, Japan. Growing up as an only child who didn’t have much to do at home, he turned to his daydreams to keep himself entertained. Eventually, he would find out that there were people called animators who could bring those daydreams to life, and he hasn’t looked back since. As one of the directors of Goro Goro, Ryo’s main job was to work with the artists to ensure that all parts of the film were working together cohesively. When he wasn’t doing that, he primarily worked on the storyboards, the color script, 3D animation, 2D effects, and some 2D compositing. If he isn’t doing that either, you’ll probably find Ryo drawing, watching basketball, hanging out with friends, or still occasionally daydreaming—just a little less now.

Gillian McDerment is a producer who is focused on scheduling and keeping the film ShotGrid up to date. She was drawn to the film by the unique character design along with its challenging environment. Gillian has learned quite a few things through this film, thanks to the help of her crew she was able to animate for the first time ever along with compositing a handful of shots. When she is not learning skills for the film, she is learning about fun things about theme park and entertainment history.

Everett Zhang is a 3D character animator, who also enjoys concept design and painting. His primary area of expertise is in feature and television animation, though Everett is always happy to experiment with other styles to tell the best story. His love of art is motivated by a desire to bring the imaginary to life, and he was driven to animation by the unique challenges presented by adding motion in a 3D space. On Goro Goro , Everett worked on designing props, exploring and finalizing character designs, animation, and compositing. Outside of work, Everett enjoys solving puzzles, reading trivia, playing with his cat, and spending time with friends.

Kazue Tng is a 3D character animator and modeler. Growing up as a television kid, she was immersed in a wide variety of cartoons and animated shows, which greatly inspired her with endless creativity and possibilities. On Goro Goro, she was in charge of modeling the hero assets and props of the characters; animating Daigoro and Dadigoro; creating compositing templates for the team, and compositing some of the shots of the film. Apart from work, you can definitely find her at the nearest dance studio; creating different handiwork and; waltzing through the city with coffee in hand.

Mason Smigel is a technical artist primarily focused on Rigging, Modeling, and Pipeline Development. He was drawn to Goro Goro by its appealing characters, technically challenging cloud environment, and comedic yet emotionally moving story. Mason is motivated by the constant collaboration of animation and his desire to break down technical barriers that stand in the way of unrestrained imagination. On Goro Goro, he rigged Daigoro, modeled and rigged Dad Goro, developed tools in Houdini to create the clouds, lit shots, and even did a little animation. Outside of work, Mason is a massive nerd about new and exciting technology in animation and VFX and enjoys any excuse to get outside, including walking, hiking, and biking!

Mick Bransfield is a 3D character animator hailing from Honolulu, HI. He gained his love for animation through video games such as Team Fortress 2 as well as 3D films like Robots and Shrek. As an animator, Mick’s goal is to bring life to characters in a believable and appealing way. He is always looking for a challenge; for example, in Goro Goro, he was VERY eager to animate the dad’s feet and to learn the mechanics of how he would talk, hold objects, and generally maneuver around his environment. Aside from animation, he also enjoys drawing, crocheting, and tie-dyeing!

Rachel is an artist from the suburbs of Chicago who was drawn to the story of Goro Goro because of the way it reflected how it's wonderful to look up to your parents, but it is also important to learn that it's okay to carve your own path. She participated in telling this story first through creating environment concept art which progressed into drawing the village background paintings. In production, Rachel participated in 3D character animation and 2D fire and firework effects. When she wasn’t animating, Rachel enjoyed creating social media posts to promote the film. Post-production work involved compositing and helping create the art book for the film.

Roman Karoly is a technical artist primarily focused on rigging and lighting. Motivated by the desire to bring his creations to life, Roman is inspired by seeing what others can do with the work that he’s contributed. His drive for rigging stems all the way back to his fascination with origami cranes that could flap, and watching the technical process combined with creative storytelling is what brought him to where he is today. For Roman, nothing is more rewarding than watching his work come to life on the screen and knowing he played a crucial role in bringing the idea to fruition. You’ll typically find Roman in the studio, out hiking, skiing, or screaming his head off at a hockey game.

Will Hawkins is primarily a 3D character modeler, although he also enjoys texturing, lighting, and CFX. He hails from St. Louis, Missouri,and is the middle child in a sibling trio, the most dangerous kind of trio. His interest in art stems from his fascination with folklore, and the long-standing human tradition of communities telling stories together. Outside of his work, Will enjoys backpacking, reading, and playing tennis and bass. He is committed to continuing his growth and development as a technical animator and is excited about where his next big adventure will take him.