Western CT University Grad Now Works On Major Films In Hollywood

Although it's a lot of hard work spread over many hours, an alumnus of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury has achieved his dream of working on major films in California - and says he would not be anywhere else.

Guillermo “Gizmo” Rivera, a graduate of Western Connecticut State University from New Britain.
Photo Credit: *Sherri Hill/WCSU*

Ben Crnic

02/21/2023 9:30 a.m.

Guillermo “Gizmo” Rivera, a New Britain native who became a first-generation college student, always knew that he wanted to pursue a career in media and entertainment. However, he faced hardships during his upbringing, as his family could not afford a computer, and his high school counselor would not help him in his college application process because of her experiences with his older brother.

Still, Rivera persevered and applied to WCSU, which soon sent him his first college acceptance packet. Once at the school, he began studying Communication-Media Arts and was finally able to buy his own computer as a sophomore. From that moment on, a world of possibilities opened up for Rivera.

He soon started taking both computer architecture and communications classes, where he learned about film techniques and essential computer skills that would allow him to work on visual effects in the future.

After graduating in 2003, Rivera then worked briefly for IMB in Southbury before finally taking the leap and moving to Los Angeles to get his foot in the door of the movie industry.

During his career, Rivera has worked on major films such as “Avatar,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “X2: X-Men United,” “Aliens vs Predator: Requiem," and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons” as a visual effects artist. He has also worked on countless commercials and music videos and won an Emmy in 2013 for “Sunday Night Football Open.”

Although he has made it big, Rivera has not forgotten his past and attributes much of his success to his time in Connecticut at WCSU.

“I felt like the world was my oyster. At WCSU, the environment, the culture, the professors — I never felt that way as a kid in New Britain," Rivera said, adding, "I think the school has given me the confidence that I needed and still have to this day."

He added that confidence is needed for his work in films, which he said is "a grind."

"No one sees the time and effort I put in at 4 a.m. That’s the real part of this industry: it’s a business first," Rivera said. Despite this though, he added that there is nothing else he would rather be doing.

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