3D Modeling & Visual Pipeline

My journey started with a simple question: how do movies put fake stuff inside video and make it look like a real part of it? I discovered that Blender does VFX and CGI and animation and 3D modeling, and that gave me the boost toward my game journey to learn 3D modeling and explore Blender. This was before I even started my career in game development.

This artistic origin story is what makes me an effective technical artist. I understand the "pain" of the artist, which allows me to build better tools for them in Unreal Engine.

I learned how 3D modeling, UV mapping, and materials work. I learned how to rig models with bones (apply vertex groups) and make them animate. I am honest: I was and am not great at sculpting, but I learned a lot about the entire pipeline, including post-processing and 3D tracking for VFX. I also learned video editing at a basic level and did not get the chance to go deeper.

In VFX and music, I am still learning. I am exploring Ableton for music and sound design, and UE Niagara for particle effects and real-time VFX. And Photoshop? I do not need to "learn" it per se; I just need to use it, so I am good enough with it.

My goal is to have a functional understanding of every pillar of the creative pipeline. Even if I am not a specialist in music or sculpting, knowing the fundamentals helps me communicate with specialists and build better tools for them.