Meet Rafael Araújo | Animation Director

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

Hi Rafael, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, I was greatly influenced by cartoons, animated movies, and games in general (I drew a whole deck of Pokemon Training Cards so I could play with my friends, can you believe that?). I was all about drawing. I created my own zine and stories (it was so bad, don’t read it!), and daydreamed about becoming a comic artist. However, unconsciously, what I really wanted was to work with animation. It was the crazy camera moves from films, the dance, the Hadouken, the Kamehameha, all the crazy effects that fascinated me. I even tried once to draw frame by frame a scene from ’12 Monkeys’ (Terry Gilliam) without knowing anything about animation, just so I could hit play and see my drawing moving, there was life with graffiti and paper.

Back in the day, in São Paulo, where I grew up, access to information about the industry was limited. I didn’t have any connections in the field, the internet was slow, and animation schools were scarce, far, and expensive. But slowly, I carved my way into the industry. Animation meant an endless world of possibilities to me, everyone could be a director of their own narratives through animation. I had my first internship through a cinema school, a social program that provided free access to select individuals. It opened the door for me, and I discovered the power of networking, embracing the opportunity to learn from talented people and kicking off my career journey.

Pursuing an artistic career had always held dual significance for me: firstly, it’s about the art itself, an avenue for expression, inspiration, creation, and the ability to ignite inspiration in others. Secondly, it represented an act of growth. Reflecting on my journey, I encountered obstacles, faced insecurities, and battled doubts. However, things fell into place naturally. I made connections, expressed myself authentically, and as animation takes time, I am truly enjoying the ongoing process of being an artist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art fluctuates, animation serves as its core, but I also enjoy illustrating. I’ve dabbled in side projects that I would love to pursue more often, such as painting murals, designing blankets, and exploring more tangible/offline projects. At the studio where I work, BUCK design, alongside animating, I dedicate my time to supporting my team, providing feedback, attending client meetings, and participating in talks and tours. When working on projects, I strive to make the process highly collaborative, so the team feels they are all working toward a common goal, rather than for an individual. Animation also never gets easier, but we simply find solutions and move faster.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The day would probably start near Greenpoint, Brooklyn (because I’m in the area), there are so many good places here! In the morning we would get in line (it moves quickly) to buy a pastry at Radio Bakery, then we would look at some sketchbooks and pencils at Yoseka Stationery. Then we would walk near the water, check out Transmitter Park and then grab a coffee (and maybe another snack?) at Acre. If we want to draw or play cards, we would take a picnic blanket with us and go to McCarren Park. We would continue our Brooklyn walkathon towards Williamsburg, ice cream? No problem, Van Leeuwen is there, do you want to go shopping and maybe buy more sketchbooks? Muji is right there too.. For dinner we would have a wide variety of options, but my recommendations would probably be Ace’s Pizza or Tonchin Ramen.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I met incredible people on this journey, I really had a boost in my career when I started at BUCK as an intern, becoming an animator, Lead and now Animation Director, 8 years of history (6 years in the Los Angeles office, and 2 in NY) and I have to thank the people who believed in me, Daniel Coutinho (Global Head of 2D) and Mercy Lomelin (Head of the department in NY). To my friends and my partner, Janice Chang, who is also an artist, with whom I constantly exchange creative ideas. We’re always asking, ‘Hey, what do you think about this? Stroke or no stroke?” And also I have to mention my family because, without knowing exactly what I was doing, “Rafa works with computers” they always supported me.

Website: https://rafaeldearaujo.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafaeldearauj0/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-araujo-a4b22b20/