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The latest mentorship program from Tongal paired two rising digital artists, Pedro Brisola and Firman Machda, with Brazilian director and digital maestro Fesq for an experience centered on 3D art, storytelling, and creative growth. Known for his distinct, emotionally-driven visual style, Fesq has built a career spanning animation, immersive installations, and cutting-edge visuals for musicians and brands around the world. Career highlights include creating Coca-Cola’s Las Vegas Sphere activation and stage visuals for superstar DJ Calvin Harris. But despite years of experience directing large-scale creative projects, this mentorship marked something entirely new for him.
“Over the course of the last ten years, I've been approached multiple times to create courses and lessons, but never jumped into it. Tongal was a very cool opportunity to do it for the first time,” Fesq reflected. Instead of taking on the role of a director, Fesq focused on guiding each artist toward discovering their own creative solutions. “Mentoring both Firman and Pedro was very interesting,” he said. "It was a challenge on my end to be a mentor, not a director. I always tried — instead of giving very specific feedback — to give broader feedback and maybe the tools for them to arrive at the final point or destination that I was trying to nudge them towards.” That approach was the defining highlight of the mentorship, allowing both artists to improve their technical abilities while strengthening their individual artistic voices.
One of those artists was Pedro Brisola, a Brazilian graphic designer turned 3D motion artist who created a project titled Ignaparous during the program. Pedro currently works at Rock World, the company behind massive festivals like Rock in Rio and The Town, where he designs large-scale visuals for LED stages. Entering the mentorship, Pedro hoped to refine his storytelling and color direction while developing a more cinematic style in his work.
For Pedro, the opportunity to collaborate directly with an artist he deeply admired became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. “The Tongal mentorship was a really great opportunity for me to work and collaborate with an amazing artist that I am a huge fan of, such as Fesq,” he shared. “Getting feedback from someone with his experience really helped me to improve my workflow.” By the end of the mentorship, Pedro said he was “leaving this way more confident” in both his work and his creative direction moving forward.
Alongside Pedro was Firman Machda, a digital artist and motion designer based in Indonesia whose mentorship project, Mugen, explored stylized animation and cinematic storytelling. Firman’s work blends commercial 3D animation with visual storytelling techniques, and he entered the program with a desire to create something deeply personal and creatively fulfilling. “Success for me means finishing a piece that feels personal, well-crafted, and true to my creative vision,” he explained.
Reflecting on the completed film, Firman added, “I think the mentorship really helped me to improve the storytelling through the shots, especially the camera work, which made the film feel more cinematic.” He also praised Fesq’s mentorship style, saying, “He answered a lot of my questions and also gave very thoughtful feedback.”
Tongal’s mentorship program offers artists from different parts of the world the opportunity to challenge themselves creatively while developing work that feels deeply personal. Through Ignaparous and Mugen, Pedro and Firman each emerged with projects that reflect a clearer understanding of their own artistic identity, guided by a mentor who encouraged them to find their own path.
