SCAD graduate Lautaro Monardo (B.F.A visual effects, 2020) debuted in the visual effects industry doing the projects he’d dreamed of since the start of his career. As a prominent networker, Monardo secured an internship in Mod Creations after establishing a professional relationship with another SCAD graduate, who had visited one of his classes. He told her about his interest in finding an internship and his determination to work on challenging projects. Months later, the graduate student reached out to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Monardo’s first project as intern was Drake’s music video for “Laugh Now Cry Later,” which has more than 225 million views on YouTube. According to Monardo, lots of the visual effects on the video are invisible and would go unnoticed by the general public, but for the artists like him, these effects are what made the video look so clean and precise, every frame polished and free from mistakes.
It was challenging at the beginning, but Monardo said he had the fortune of being mentored by a fellow SCAD graduate with more experience. They worked 12-hour shifts every day for the duration of the project. Although the schedule was brutal, Monardo said he enjoyed the work he did and cherished being a part of such an unusual but unique industry.
Once the Drake project was finished, the company called Monardo to work on commercials for high-fashion brands including Reebok and Yves Saint Laurent. The goal was to make the videos flawless, always aiming for precision, even in the smallest of details, because that’s what true artists do in their craft. The overall process was a lot about non-stop practice, asking questions and being open to collaborate with others, seeking help from the more experienced artists and learning the secrets of large-scale productions, said Monardo.
Last November, dealing with senior classes and project for Travis Scott at the same time, Monardo had to spend two weeks sleeping at the office, but he stayed motivated because he knew his work would be watched by millions of people in the end. Due to his excellent work and attitude, Monardo was offered a contract for one year at the same company. At the moment, he says he is trying to learn as much as he can from others and feels grateful to be surrounded by professionals.
Although he can’t reveal any details about his current project, Monardo has been a part of the following productions in the past months:
- “Movin’ On” by India Shawn ft. Anderson .Paak
- The Weekend’s VMA performance by MTV
- “Race” (short film)
- “Franchise” by Travis Scott
- Reebok with Victoria Beckham
- “Positions” by Ariana Grande and Dave Mayers
- “Back to the Streets” by Saweetie and Daniel Russell
- The Weekend’s AMA performance
