Tissot - PRX UFO Robot Grendizer

I worked as a 3D animator and CGI Artist on the “Forged by Fusion” film, owning multiple shots end‑to‑end, from animation and look‑development through lighting, rendering and final handoff.

The piece is a hybrid 2D/3D execution that brings Tissot’s PRX together with the iconic Grendizer world; my focus was making the mechanics and the stylised manga elements feel seamlessly fused on screen.

A standout challenge I solved was the Grendizer laser‑engraving sequence: the watch mechanisms assemble in real time while an engraved emblem is burned into metal and animated 2D rays accent the effect. I developed layered render passes, timing, and shading techniques so the engraving reads physically (micro‑sparks, heat glow, etched surface response) while remaining perfectly synced to the mechanical assembly and the 2D hand‑drawn rays.

Key contributions

• Role: 3D Animator & CGI artist — owned multiple shots (no art direction)

• Animated mechanical assembly sequences for the PRX movement, ensuring mechanical timing and stage-wise reveals read clearly at shot speed

• Created the Grendizer laser‑engraving treatment: emissive/heat shaders, animated masks for progressive etching, micro‑particle sparks and subtle surface roughness changes to sell the burn

• Integrated 2D animated rays with 3D renders via AOVs and mattes so the hand‑drawn elements felt physically grounded (matchlighting, occlusion, contact glows)

• Look development for metal, lacquer and polished surfaces to match practical photography and reflect the manga aesthetic where needed

• Lighting, render setup and optimisation (layered AOVs, light linking, denoising and render-bucket/shot management) to meet delivery schedules