Alumnus makes a Disney dream come true

Illustration alumnus Alex Alvarado (CCAD 2011) recently fulfilled a dream to work at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“I’m incredibly excited to be involved and can’t wait to get started,” Alvarado said.

The Disney job pursuit began a year ago while Alvarado was a junior at CCAD. He applied for a summer internship with an attitude of, “dang that would be cool.”

He fell in love with the studio, the energy, and the skills that he witnessed at Disney. During his summer internship he was able to attend dailies, where the animators and directors would come in and critique the in-progress animation.

Although his internship ended, he maintained a strong relationship with his mentors from Disney.

“They were always available for critiques and portfolio development questions,” Alvarado said.

The time came when Alvarado had to begin job hunting and he put all his “eggs in one basket.”

He applied for Disney, knowing that he had a good rapport with the people in his old department and that this is what he wanted to do professionally.

Alvarado will start work as a look development artist, meaning he will handle the painting and shading for their 3D models.

Although the job hunt ended smoothly, he will find some challenges when faced with this new position.

“I majored in Illustration, so I have been playing catch-up over the past year to get my technical knowledge up to scratch … the biggest challenge is definitely going to be competing on that side of the job with people who majored in visual effects and animation,” Alvarado said.

These challenges will never stop his personal drive and artwork.

“I love animation and still have a lot to learn about every aspect.”