The art of PEDRO CONTI

The animation specialist tells Paul Hatton about his career path and favourite projects

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Pedro Conti has had a long career in the international animation industry. He has worked with many of the world's biggest studios and names including Netflix, Walt Disney Animation and DreamWorks, and collaborated with artists such as Katy Perry, Gorillaz and OSGEMEOS.

Conti specialises in character development, lighting and rendering. The stories he tells through his directorial work are told with a big heart and often explore topics we all can relate to through the struggles of daily life. He works as a freelance visual development artist and runs the production company Flooul Animation.

Your The Wonder Years image took CG forums by storm. How did that help you break into the 3D industry and were you expecting such a response?

It's surprising to hear about this project even after so many years. The Wonder Years was created back in 2007 as a personal project. It was special since it was the first project where I could express myself in 3D. Sometimes 3D can be very technical and when you're starting to learn, it can be very challenging. This project was based on my childhood. I used to have relatives that lived in rural Brazil, in a tiny city called Itobi, and I would travel there during the summer holidays.

This project had a surprising response. What I love about the 3D community is how forums can really impact your life, and after this project I had the opportunity to work at Seagulls Fly, an amazing studio that is one of the biggest in Brazil. I think that personal projects are really important and it's something I still keep doing, even after almost 20 years in CG.

What has working at Seagulls Fly and Techno Image taught you about the benefits of a team environment?