Hi, I’m Thet Chal, a Burmese-born 3D generalist and filmmaker with experience spanning Disney studios and independent shorts. I specialize in character animation, environment modeling, and pipeline development, collaborating across remote teams to deliver production-ready visuals for high-profile projects and student films. My practice blends storytelling with strong technical craft, from modeling and rigging to compositing and camera layout. I enjoy building scalable workflows, mentoring teammates, and delivering polished visuals that resonate with audiences.…

Thet Chal

Hi, I’m Thet Chal, a Burmese-born 3D generalist and filmmaker with experience spanning Disney studios and independent shorts. I specialize in character animation, environment modeling, and pipeline development, collaborating across remote teams to deliver production-ready visuals for high-profile projects and student films. My practice blends storytelling with strong technical craft, from modeling and rigging to compositing and camera layout. I enjoy building scalable workflows, mentoring teammates, and delivering polished visuals that resonate with audiences.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Thet Chal, a Burmese-born 3D generalist and filmmaker with experience spanning Disney studios and independent shorts. I specialize in character animation, environment modeling, and pipeline development, collaborating across remote teams to deliver production-ready visuals for high-profile projects and student films.

My practice blends storytelling with strong technical craft, from modeling and rigging to compositing and camera layout. I enjoy building scalable workflows, mentoring teammates, and delivering polished visuals that resonate with audiences.

See more

Language

English
Fluent
Burmese
Fluent
Japanese
Intermediate
French
Intermediate

Work Experience

Director/Producer at California Institute of the Arts
May 1, 2025 - September 10, 2025
Led a global team of 36 artists across 9 countries through a 2D/3D animation pipeline to deliver a BFA thesis film. Coordinated cross-timezone meetings, maintained production schedules, documented discussions, and provided live translation during international collaboration. Developed instructional materials and organized assets for 2D and 3D teams.
Art Educator at Newhall Elementary School
April 30, 2025 - September 9, 2025
Taught foundational visual arts to elementary students through a pilot program. Designed lesson plans and led hands-on activities to foster creativity and engagement. Collaborated with staff to align art instruction with goals.
CG Generalist/Set Designer/Production Coordinator at Annecy Festival
January 8, 2024 - May 10, 2024
Created CG backgrounds by modeling, texturing, and animating visual assets for production. Composited the film, intergrated 2D and CG assets to create a unified look. Oversaw production schedules, organized assets and weekly meetings, and resolved conflicts to boost team collaboration and workflow efficiency.
3D Animator at Walt Disney Animation Studio
February 1, 2026 - Present
Created creature animation and motion cycles; collaborated remotely to interpret feedback and deliver animation aligned with production goals; kept clean scenes and resolved rig/workflow issues to meet deadlines.
3D Environment Artist at In Production Animated Short Film
September 1, 2025 - February 28, 2026
Created base environment models and assisted with camera setup for layout and storyboards; supported layout design to aid composition, scale, and cinematic storytelling.
2D Compositor at Asians in Animation
August 1, 2025 - October 2, 2025
Composited shots in After Effects, blending layers, effects, and color for a cohesive final look; supported producers in troubleshooting style guides to maintain visual consistency; trained new team members.
Director and CG Supervisor at California Institute of the Arts
September 1, 2024 - May 1, 2025
Supervised a team of 3-6 artists across 9 countries, overseeing all 3D production stages; developed 2D/3D assets and built workflows to optimize team efficiency; directed compositing from 3D renders to After Effects for final delivery.

Education

BFA in Character Animation at California Institute of the Arts
September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2025
Animation Exchange Program at Gobelins, l’école de l’image
January 1, 2024 - June 1, 2024

Qualifications

EARCOS Global Citizenship Award
January 11, 2030 - March 16, 2026
Women in Animation Member
January 11, 2030 - March 16, 2026
Asians in Animation Member
January 11, 2030 - March 16, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Professional Services, Software & Internet
    paper The White Elephant

    The White Elephant is my final-year film at CalArts, blending 2D and 3D animation styles to bring history and mythology to life. The story follows Queen Hsin Phyu Ma Shin, a once-romantic princess whose obsession with power and descent into madness lead to murder and the fall of Myanmar’s Konbaung Dynasty. Developed with an international team of artists, the film combines rich design, atmospheric 3D environments, and expressive 2D character work to capture the grandeur and tragedy of a pivotal moment in Myanmar’s history.