At the school, students work with mentors from major studios in a production-style environment, and graduate with a professional demo reel.
[2] Baena lives in San Francisco, California, where he spends his leisure time studying and making short films, composing music, skateboarding, and working on animation.
After graduating in June 1998, he found a job animating commercials at Will Vinton Studios in Portland, Oregon.
Working on commercials and short films helped him secure a position at San Rafael, CA.-based Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in March 2001.
[3] Baena works with fellow cofounders, Bobby Beck, AnimationMentor.com’s CEO and President, and Shawn Kelly to define and shape the school’s overall direction.