Meet The MakeMake Residents

MakeMake Residencies is underway and going strong, as our five residents — Adiana Rivera, Jason Gaines, Anfernee Aguado, Mohammed Rahman, and Pilar Fitzgerald — gain experience and hone skills in disciplines ranging from editorial to sound to VFX at MakeMake’s family of companies.

Supported by our flagship partner Netflix via the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, MakeMake Residencies is designed to open pathways for diverse professionals working in the entertainment industry. Residents collaborate directly with MakeMake’s artists and producers, deepening their storytelling craft, and continuing to build the skills they need to thrive. 

We spoke with the residents about their creative backgrounds, what they've been working on thus far, and their goals for their time in the program. Read on to learn more about each of our talented MakeMake Residents. 

Jason Gaines, Design & Visual Effects Resident

What’s your creative background? How did you hear about MakeMake Residencies?

My creative journey started in high school — that’s when YouTube took off, and I saw how people started to use that platform to launch them into movies and television. I was inspired by what I saw, so I started posting my own videos. When it came time to graduate, I realized that I had a passion and wanted to seriously pursue filmmaking as a career. After my time at the University of Michigan, I began freelance directing, editing, and working on visual effects for any project I could, while also learning as many new skills as I could. 

I found out about MakeMake Residencies through a Facebook post. A friend of mine who is in the industry told me that a great way to get to know people and find jobs was to join Facebook groups for film production, so I joined some groups and began connecting with people, and after some time, MakeMake posted the opportunity, and I jumped on it.

What have you worked on so far?

For the last few months, I’ve been working on motion graphics for a television show. I’m learning a lot about 3D tracking using a program called PFTrack, and I’m also taking a course to learn Unreal Engine, a 3D creation tool.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

I’ve realized just how many moving parts there are to a studio system. Since I’ve always been freelance, I haven’t been exposed to the inner workings of a studio system until now, so this is valuable information. There’s a different level of accountability when you’re working as part of such a big team.

What’s your biggest goal for your time with MakeMake?

I would like to grow my network and continue to stay in contact with the other residents and people who work for the company. Everyone here has been so cool and so accepting, so, of course, I want to stay in contact. I also want to leave here having gained experience in this type of system that will help me in my career.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

I love horror movies and TV shows of every subgenre; fun horror like Netflix's Stranger Things and Day Shift, slow burns like Ari Aster's Hereditary, and social commentary horrors like The Platform. I have a YouTube channel, LoneVisionary, where I post horror shorts, which has been a great way for me to expand my skill set.

Adiana Rivera, Editorial Resident

What’s your creative background? How did you hear about MakeMake Residencies?

I’m from the Bronx, and I have so much love for my neighborhood. When I returned after studying at SUNY New Paltz, I realized it looked so different — it had changed so much in those four years due to gentrification. This inspired me to capture my borough on film before anything else changed, and I picked up a camera and began filming people in my community. Eventually, I was accepted to the Bronx Documentary Center Films Fellowship Program, where I created my first real documentary, No Hablo Español. I found out about MakeMake Residencies through a BDC Alumni email thread — when I read about it, I got goosebumps. I knew it was meant to be. The BDC truly changed my life, including opening this door for me. 

What have you worked on so far?

I’m currently working on a true crime documentary series. This is my first time being an assistant editor — I've never had this experience before, since I've been freelancing for so long. It’s also my first time working on a long-form documentary project. I'm learning so much about the process of working with archival footage and helping a larger editorial team.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

Imposter syndrome is very real! It was so hard for me to accept that MakeMake is aware of how green I am, and they’re completely okay with that. During my first few weeks here, I tried to take on so much — I was trying to prove myself. Instead of enjoying being new at something, I was just berating myself for not knowing. My mentors here have changed that attitude for me. It’s great to have people reassure you that it’s okay to be new and that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. A good team can help you navigate all those doubts and fears and ultimately come out stronger.

What’s your biggest goal for your time with MakeMake?

Making connections and gaining experience is the biggest thing for me. It’s impossible to go through this industry alone. I've already made so many connections, and I’ll be leaving this experience knowing so many more amazing people.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

I love Hulu’s Minding the Gap. It’s a great documentary about a group of skaters and more than that — it’s a beautiful portrait of human relationships. 

Anfernee Aguado, Production Resident

What’s your creative background? How did you hear about MakeMake Residencies?

I picked up the camera for the first time at 12 years old. My cousins and I would make videos, and I would direct, shoot, and edit them. That carried over all the way into college, and after I completed my program at California State University Northridge, I started producing and directing music videos. I did that for many years, working directly with labels. 

I heard about MakeMake residencies when one of my former professors posted about the program in an Alumni group, and applying was a no-brainer for me. I knew that this had the potential to elevate my career in a profound way. I was so excited when I was accepted — having this opportunity is amazing and it feels meant to be. 

What have you worked on so far?

I've been working on a few feature documentaries. I’ve been on set and associate producing on a lot of it. We have 10+ projects that we meet on every week, discussing everything from development to picture locking to color grading. I’m learning a lot about managing all those different types of projects. It’s been cool to step into the world of documentaries for the first time.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned so far?

Just ask questions. It’s so easy to let ego get in the way and not ask for guidance or clarification. In this residency, they want us to learn from our mentors and team, and asking questions and confirming details is so important. 

What’s your biggest goal for your time with MakeMake?

I want to make sure I learn more about talking effectively with clients and learning the language and lingo around what we do. I also want to come away with a strong knowledge of systems —  how people in the industry schedule work and how they organize their workflow. I also want to build strong relationships — that's number one. You never know what those bonds you build with people may lead to. 

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

I like cinematic television shows, like FX’s Snowfall, Netflix’s Beef, and HBO’s Euphoria. I’m inspired by TV programs that feel really big, and I want to make work that looks and feels like that. 

Mohammed Rahman, Editorial Resident

What’s your creative background? How did you hear about MakeMake Residencies?

I always felt that a creative career was out of my reach — it was never an option I entertained, though I was always drawn to movies. However, when I was studying at Stanford University, I realized that I was feeling lost and unsure of what I was doing. It took being lost to find the motivation I needed to change course and finally pursue something creative. I decided to go into editing, which I’ve been doing for the last six years, while looking for opportunities like MakeMake Residencies to further develop my craft and hone my skills.

What have you worked on so far?

I'm working on a true crime documentary series, namely working alongside the existing edit team to create main titles. I hope to be doing more of that for additional episodes. I’m trying to help where I can — what’s cool is that you’re not limited by your role when it comes to editing, and there are always plenty of opportunities to lend a hand. I want to be as agile as possible so I can understand how things work and gain the confidence that comes with the experience.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

I’m still discovering exactly what I want to do. Editing is definitely what I enjoy — a lot of parts of the job just fit with my personality. It’s collaborative, but I also have time and space to process and get creative with the work. I’ve learned a lot about the different editing disciplines and I'm excited to see more of what they are all about, try my hand at different things, and take a more active role in my own professional development. 

What’s your biggest goal for your time with MakeMake?

Learning how to work effectively with a team and how to exist in a collaborative environment has been key. You have to see the work as something you’re doing together instead of seeing it as an individual thing. Finding out how to be a contributing part of the group while still focusing on your own achievements is an interesting balance. My mentor has been a great example of this for me — it's cool to watch how he is able to handle situations while promoting teamwork and collaboration.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

I’ve enjoyed HBO’s How To With John Wilson. I like things that are stripped down, and he does a good job of capturing something pretty absurd with a pretty simple setup. It feels very personal, yet with no frills — it doesn't take itself too seriously but feels deeply authentic. That’s what I aspire to do with my own work. 

Pilar Fitzgerald, Sound Supervision Resident

What’s your creative background? How did you hear about MakeMake Residencies?

I've been a singer all my life, and I have always loved curating and creating music for other people. I attended Berklee School of Music's Master's Program in Music Business and Global Entertainment at their Valencia, Spain campus. There I learned about music supervisors and what they do, and I became obsessed with the idea of pursuing that as a career. After I graduated, I began looking for career opportunities. A few months in, a former colleague and fellow woman of color in the sync space told me about MakeMake Residencies. It seemed like such a good fit for me, as an on-ramp into this world that I had only just discovered and was curious about how to get into.

What have you worked on so far?

The first few months have been about soaking up information and trying to pick up on as much as possible about the world of trailers at Jax, which is where I’m focused. I've always known that music is a key part of trailers, but learning about the process of selecting music for a trailer has been eye-opening. It’s playing to strengths that I possess, but it's all been a lot of new information. I came into this program with a lot of passion, but not a lot of background — I've never edited or produced, so this is a whole new ballgame for me. 

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

I’ve learned to redefine failure as a necessary part of the creative process. I've had to learn how to be okay with throwing an idea out there, having it not exactly land, and looking at it as a learning opportunity rather than a failure. It’s a continuous process of learning how to be okay with that.

What’s your biggest goal for your time with MakeMake?

I want to get clear on how I can see myself fitting into this industry. I'm at a point in my professional development where I feel like I'm ready to dive into this field — I want to know where I should get started and which skills I should be building. I also want to understand what avenues are out there for diverse perspectives, including for women of color, within the realm of music for film and television. I want to know what that landscape currently looks like, and how it needs to grow. 

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

HBO’s Insecure has shown me the lengths to which music can take a story. They used music as a way to explore what the characters were going through as Black millennial women, trying to find out who they are and how to make it in life. I want to sit somewhere in that intersection of curating music while helping people discover new talent to love and giving those artists the boost they can get from that kind of exposure.

Headshots by Lucia Tran.