Meet Nandar Thu | 3D Designer & Film Set Dresser

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nandar Thu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nandar, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting a business can become overwhelming very quickly. There are countless decisions to make, and the pressure to get everything right can be intense. From the beginning, the process is filled with uncertainties and moving parts that can easily become paralyzing without proper planning and clarity.

The initial procedures before actually launching your business are incredibly crucial. This phase lays the groundwork for everything that follows, from legal structuring to branding and operations. It’s not just about checking boxes, but setting a solid foundation that will support you as the business grows.

One of the most critical aspects is thinking ahead to what will happen after the business launches. Understanding your vision, identifying the right team, and knowing the unique strengths each member brings are all essentials. You would also, of course, have to keep in mind that not everything will go as smoothly as you’d planned it and having a backup plan or an alternative route is always good to have.

It was also important for me to set both short-term and long-term goals. Without directionality, it’s easy to feel lost and unsure of what the next step should be, especially when you are working in a team.

I was fortunate enough to meet like-minded people while I was still figuring it all out. I started to also notice not only their work, but the way they think, their work ethics and how they work with others. These were all important factors because I truly believe that a strong team dynamic plays a big role in the quality of the design we strive for. With a like-minded team, it allowed us to create a space where we could make use of our interdisciplinary skillset, be it medium, software, or any creative tools we had at our disposal to start making our mark in the industry.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We focus on a shared passion of science fiction, thriller, and storytelling. Just as we have a team ready to take on VFX, animation, and general 3D jobs, we are also capable of handling our own live action sets in the art department. Using our knowledge as architects we bring a mix of reality and fiction to the table.

All the team members having different background experiences before coming together have helped all of us thrive in many ways. We quickly recognized each other for our individual strengths and learned how to optimize them for the best quality of work. Along the way of working together, we have also learned that not all the projects will have the same outcome that we have anticipated and learn how to prioritize tasks and create the best quality product under any circumstances.

When a studio first launches, there’s often more openness and flexibility when it comes to the types of projects taken on and the way compensation is handled. But over time, as the value of the work and the team’s effort becomes clearer, it becomes important to set clearer boundaries and prioritize projects that align with the studio’s vision, sustainability and growth. This shift isn’t about saying no, but rather saying yes more intentionally. It is important not to get stuck in the early phase of overextending for too long.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a big foodie, so I definitely go to spots for restaurants, whether it is lunch, dinner or at 3 am after a drinking night, I always have a spot in mind. Outside of that, I think escape rooms are definitely a fun activity to try out, and there is a specific app I use that you can find escape rooms around you and mark which ones you’ve completed already, kind of like a collectible, but for escape rooms. LA is a very diverse place and I think it does a good job in having a lot of diverse activities / places for different types of interests.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s been an intense journey from conceptualizing a business to actually finding people to help me develop ideas and search for projects. I want to give a special thanks and recognition to Cyan Hsu, An Yang, and Fernando Acuna for having the faith to build something together knowing the odds are uncertain at times. In today’s climate I find more gratitude and value to the team’s efforts. Z-Axis started out during all our post graduate studies, as classmates we had intimate knowledge of each other’s workflow.

We have proven time and time again, project after project, meeting after meeting that the co-founding members and current team members of Z-Axis are a rare breed. We’re people of similar background, all of us started our careers as architects, but of different mindset. Those key differences have pushed us to blend our unique style of storytelling. From dystopian landscapes to futuristic fashion shows, our visual style has slowly been developing after every project we take on.

It is difficult to find people that are willing to take such a huge risk. Starting a business is always challenging. It takes sacrifice and excruciatingly long hours of work to meet tight deadlines or even just to ensure maximum quality of our output.

All in all, what I want to say is thank you to these very unique people for believing in this studio and putting in the effort to make it a reality.

Website: https://zaxistudio.xyz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaxistudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandar-thu/

Image Credits
Z Axis Studio: Nandar Thu, Cyan Hsu, Fernando Acuna