An outstanding creative media graduate from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was part of the animation team for the film Coco, which won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature this year.

Originally from India, Mr Harsh Agrawal is a 2017 graduate of the Bachelor of Science programme of the School of Creative Media (SCM). He currently works as Character Shading Technical Director at Pixar Animation Studio. He contributed to Coco’s visual effects by texturing and shading characters. The film, which is packed with visual and auditory delights, has proved to be a huge box-office hit.

He said CityU gave him a lot of cultural exposure and had good resources, leading him to this award. He was also given the chance to participate in a unique Extreme Environments trip to Vietnam where he produced art using environmental data, he added.

“I am humbled to be a part of the team behind Coco, and proud of the work we did. It is a time-tested story that people all around the world can appreciate. Coco is an artistic and technical marvel in animation. Culturally sensitive and visually stunning, it has strong message about family and traditions, and is definitely worth multiple Oscars,” Mr Agrawal said.

Professor Way Kuo, CityU President, said he was delighted to learn about Harsh’s success. “The University is proud of Harsh, who is the best example of CityU’s professional education, as well as the integration of education and research,” he said. 

Professor Richard Allen, Dean of SCM, said the CityU alumnus was the pride of the SCM. He said that Mr Agrawal had already demonstrated the complete skill set required by a successful professional while he was a student here. 

 

Mr Agrawal was active throughout his studies at CityU. He joined an interdisciplinary team that went on an expedition to the Tu Lan cave system in the Vietnamese countryside in 2015 where he created stunning artworks based on the amazing underground formations in the jungle caves. He received the CityU Top Scholarship for International Students twice and the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund – Reaching Out Award.