For the latest entry of our Day in the Life series, we’re stepping into the world of one of Magic Media’s talented 3D animators, Bojan Andonovski. The work of a 3D animator is nothing if not varied, as Bojan told us, with every project bringing something different to the table and presenting varying creative opportunities. From game animation to even film and television project animation, there is no ‘normal’ day for Bojan, whose work differs frequently depending on client needs and how our projects are progressing.

What is a 3D Animator?

3D animators bring scenes to life in games, film, television, and other projects by giving characters movement and actions. As Bojan puts it, animators breathe life into scenes, and it can be rewarding to see your work play out in video game or movie scenes. Tasks for 3D animators can often include creating walking and running cycles for characters, animating visual effects, and creating character actions such as attacks, jumps, and more advanced movements. 3D animation requires collaboration with other teams, such as art, design, and narrative, to ensure animations are consistent with the project’s cohesive vision.

A Typical Day in 3D Animation

For Bojan, the day usually begins by checking in with projects and colleagues to see if there are vital project updates he needs to be aware of for his work. Beyond this, Bojan needs to weigh his various tasks and prioritize them accordingly. Bojan works as an animation lead, so he will more often than not prioritize tasks where other people are dependent on him for feedback or opinions. After this, he will carry out his technical tasks, such as keyframe animation, engine asset implementation, and character rig inspection. If he has any time remaining in his day, he does his best to keep up to date with the animation industry and learn about the latest workflows and plugins that could be useful.

Project Work as a 3D Animator

Work as a 3D animator varies from project to project, but Bojan says there is something of a general approach that can be pointed to. At the start of any project, we review client requirements and the feel that the project requires. From here, 3D animators will gather references – either existing images or even recordings of the animators themselves carrying out actions for reference. After the asset has been imported into Maya or another platform, the animation process tends to follow a three-phase process.

The blockout phase is the first, where Bojan will determine the timing between key poses. Following this is the spline phase, where the 3D animator will polish the animation so that there are more fluid movements in between key poses. The final phase is all about refinement, where Bojan will refine the key poses, add secondary animations, and overall liven up the scene. Depending on the project, some phases will be prioritized higher or even largely skipped if extensive work for the phase isn’t required. After each phase is completed, the animation lead will review the work and provide feedback where necessary, or otherwise approve it if changes aren’t required.

The 3D animation pipeline isn’t without its challenges, Bojan says. Sometimes, a project’s direction can change midway during production which necessitates changing existing animations. On a technical level, character rigs might not always facilitate the animations required for the project, leading to some additional collaborative work with the rigging team.

What’s Needed to be a Successful 3D Animator?

Being a successful 3D animator is more than just mastering Maya and ZBrush. While mastering industry-standard software is extremely important, animators should have sound knowledge of the principles of animation and also take care to properly read references. Bojan says that some people are naturally able to understand references, though anyone can be taught how to do it. Regarding references, Bojan would encourage animators to learn how to act out expressions, movements, and actions to help with references. It’s all about creating great scenes and shots, and sometimes self-recordings are necessary to have solid references.

Furthermore, 3D animation requires frequent collaboration with other departments, so refined communication helps significantly. Each branch of the 3D pipeline on any given project needs to communicate clearly and often to create a good product. It necessitates a lot of back-and-forth communication, which can build a foundational level of trust between colleagues and lead to better collaboration.

Magic Media offers countless expert services for the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries. Our range of services includes but is not limited to full-cycle game development, game trailer production, real-time VFX, and of course, stellar animation services. Reach out today, and let’s create magic!

For the newest entry in our Day in the Life series, we’re deep-diving into the day-to-day work and responsibilities of Damian Volantino, Magic Media’s Director of UI/UX. Damian plays a critical role in Magic Media’s expert UI/UX services. With his leadership and collaborative skills, Damian ensures our UI and UX work is completed to the highest standard and in the most intuitive way possible.

UI/UX Director Responsibilities

One of Damian’s main responsibilities is to manage and grow the team behind Magic Media’s UI/UX services. Damian works closely with his team to make certain that not only is their work being completed to a high standard, but he also fosters a healthy working environment and spends a portion of his time increasing efficiency by optimizing workflows.

Outside of leading the team, Damian works closely with executives and producers to help maintain our high-quality UI/UX services. He’s also very hands-on and designs UI, UX, and motion designs for game development projects of varying sizes across all platforms.

A Typical Day as Director of UI/UX

Damian’s day-to-day work involves multiple different aspects. He first and foremost manages his team to ensure they’re working well. He also collaborates with cross-functional teams whose work is relevant to his and his team’s, reviews UI/UX designs, engages in strategic planning, and continually looks out for learning opportunities.

Though his work can be dependent on what project his team is lending their UI/UX services to, Damian is regularly engaging with new client requests, providing his team with constructive feedback on their current project work, conducting team meetings, and growing his team through workshops and establishing career development paths.

The Differences Between UI and UX

Though UI and UX are inherently intertwined, it’s important to note that they are different disciplines that address different player needs. UX encapsulates the overall experience of interacting with a game, including UI, but it also refers to the audio experience, controls, visuals, and overall design. UX development is research-heavy, where developers seek to understand player behaviors as best as possible based on surveys, interviews, and playtesting habits. Based on the information gathered from these processes, a designer will then work on wireframes, user flows, architecture, and prototypes.

At this point of development, UI designers will join the process and create interfaces that are consistent with the game’s art style and visually appealing to players. They also focus on typography, color palette, shapes, spacing and white spacing, and visual hierarchy. While the UI designers work on these aspects, our UX designers will continue to be involved in the process and collaborate to ensure the UI works in tandem with UX.

Damian says that both UI and UX demand different skills from designers. UX is deeply rooted in psychology, so having an analytical mind, finding patterns, and reading data are advantageous in the world of UX. Though UI is deeply rooted in graphic and industrial design, illustration skills are a big plus when designing user interfaces.

Challenges of UI/UX Development

Creating UI and UX for games is a challenging task partly due to the sheer number of platforms available. Between consoles, PCs, and the wide variety of mobile devices on the market, each platform has distinct requirements related to screen size and usability. On the UX side of things, each platform presents different player behaviors that need to be addressed with tailored UX solutions.

Ultimately, UI and UX development is player-centric, sticking to design principles and gaining a deep understanding of player behavior will guide designers regardless of platform. Though the goal of presenting intuitive and pleasant experiences that keep players engaged can be daunting, this can be overcome by keeping the focus on the end user’s experience.

At Magic Media, we provide extensive expert services for clients in the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries. We provide dozens of services including but not limited to full-cycle game development for all platforms, real-time VFX, and game trailer production. Reach out to us today, and let’s create magic!

Our next stop in the Day in the Life series is one of our finest technical artists and VFX specialists, Marc Segura! As a veteran of the industry, with a keen eye for detail and quality, Marc took up the mantle of Head of Technical Art & VFX Art teams. Dive into a day in the life of Marc as we look into what his responsibilities are, the intricacies of technical art and VFX art, and what he feels takes good art to great!

Responsibilities and Workflows

As the head of the tech art & VFX art teams, Marc’s main duties lie in managing, guiding, and leading the teams across the variety of projects on their schedules. From AAA games on all consoles and platforms, including web and VR, to smaller indie titles utilizing our services. Many of these are developed in parallel across platforms as well.

Marc also helps to develop a collaborative culture to keep the collected teams motivated and enthusiastic as they approach their work. Technical Art and VFX Art are two industries that require a lot of future planning, so Marc also spends a lot of his time spearheading the R&D efforts for new technologies and workflows.

A Typical Day as Head of Tech Art & VFX Art

Meetings fill chunks of every day, where we define roadmaps, workflows, guidelines, and establish long term project visions for viability. In these and between them, Marc is also directing and assisting with solving critical issues that typically arise at some point in every project. Providing solutions and fixes are his forte.

Marc also typically finds himself working with the BizDev team when they require technical expertize. This is usually when clients require insight in identifying the best decision for them to ensure their project achieves its goals. Marc will also spent time directly with his team providing support and mentorship as they take on their own technical art & VFX art tasks as well as providing feedback on new drafts, offering guidance on complex tasks involving shaders or materials, and more.

The Difference Between Technical Art & VFX Art

Technical Art

According to Marc, at its core, technical art is about creative problem solving between art and development. In video game projects, this is a combination of tackling asset integration and optimization, rigging, shader and material development, graphical performance optimizations, working with new tools for artists, and more.

VFX Art

When discussing VFX for video games, Marc says it is often referred to as “real-time VFX”. This is the process of using a set of tools and techniques to generate different kinds of visual effects for games. These can include special effects, animations, and simulations (i.e., smoke, water, fire etc.). These enhance a project at a visual level making things more interesting to view but they also serve to communicate gameplay elements to players.

What Makes Technical Art & Real-Time VFX Standout?

For Marc, each speciality has its balances and requirements.

Technical Art

Due to the combination of development and art, tech artists can truly make a difference in a game’s performance. Finding a good balance between art and technology can mean a smoother and more enjoyable player experience. Great technical art can also help improve the workflow between artist and developer. Optimization like that means reducing production time, and therefore costs, in the art pipeline.

VFX Art or Real-Time VFX

This is a very visual artform, its main goal is to draw the eye and improve moments through breathtaking visuals and mesmerizing effects. Particle systems and post-processing techniques can enhance the look and feel of a game. But great real-time VFX will also communicate to players, express not just feelings and emotions, but gameplay elements or story implications. Storytelling through real-time VFX and visuals can be a hugely impactful.

At Magic Media, we specialize in top-tier Real-Time VFX services for immersive gaming. Our dedicated team harnesses their extensive experience to deliver high-impact visuals, pushing your video game to pinnacle levels of visual appeal and immersive gameplay.

Challenges and Meeting Client Expectations

As Head of Tech Art & VFX Art, Marc is used to approaching a wide range of challenges for an array of different projects. He says it’s important to scale the challenges and approach the critical issues first. Responding quickly and efficiently to critical situations, such as issues with chosen engine or render pipeline, or optimization techniques not meeting their expectations.

Marc impresses upon the importance of assessing client needs as soon as possible and choosing suitable tools and solutions. Adaptability is also key, meaning the team remains flexible in the face of any art style. As the Head, a lot of Marc’s challenges revolve around leading the team forward on the ground with innovative solutions.

For client expectations, this is such a tough thing to face. We addressed above that understanding their needs and offering a realistic pipeline is a good start but in the world of art, it’s tricky. Teams are always working to deliver the best quality artworks but these take time and compromises must be made for timelines.

Pushing for the best result is always the goal but Marc says it’s important to never push into harmful behavior. Experienced artists often have a better grasp on the balance of pushing oneself for quality versus the speed of delivery. Balance, Marc says, is absolutely key. And as Head of the department, it’s one of his responsibilities to ensure artists keep that balance and meet the expectations of the client without causing themselves any issues.

Marc says he’s proud of Magic Media for the multicultural, international talented team it has built. And talented not just in their tech/hard skills but in the soft skills as well. He says “our people are pro-actively motivated. Trying to share knowledge, to help each other, to bring a common vision together from multiple perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

At Magic Media, we’re veterans of the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries and provide dozens of expert services to bring your projects to life. Guilherme and the team provide full art services for gaming projects no matter their size and scope. Additionally, we offer full-cycle development, real-time VFX, and much more. Get in contact with Magic Media today, and let’s create magic!

For this new edition in our Day in the Life series, join us as we delve deep into the world of Guilherme Batista, Art Director at Magic Media! Guilherme is responsible for not only managing his art teams but also defining the overall artistic vision for many of our projects. His skills are vital to ensuring our projects are on track with our client expectations and ensuring consistency with other departments’ work.

Art Director Responsibilities

As an Art Director, Guilherme is responsible for defining the overall look of any given game project he’s working on. For this, he must take into account its gameplay, mood, tone, themes, and target audience to ensure a level of consistency between these distinct aspects.

Additionally, he’s responsible for guiding his artists throughout a project to ensure they’re doing the best work possible, addressing any issues, and maintaining consistency across the board. He also works closely with other department leaders to ensure we’re aligned as one team and that the same level of high-quality work is delivered at every level across a project.

A Typical Day as an Art Director

Like many others, Guilherme starts his day by checking his messages from team members across the various timezones Magic Media has a presence. From here, Guilherme will check all of the team’s work in progress to ascertain what needs to be done next for the project overall. From here, he delivers feedback to each team member individually and works closely with them to ensure they understand the feedback, everything is clear, and they’re aligned on what needs to be done next.

Guilherme typically likes to provide feedback on an individual basis with every team member through back-and-forth conversations. He also engages with the team in group feedback sessions so that team members can help each other as well. Guilherme says that one of the biggest challenges of working remotely is keeping that sense of teamwork intact, and by holding these group sessions, the team feels closer than ever.

Project Work as an Art Director

Guilherme considers the role of art in games as a visual translation of the game’s core themes and moods, and that it needs to be believable for its setting, whether it’s dark fantasy or something more upbeat. Collaborations usually begin with brainstorming sessions and visual boards to get ideas out in the open. Crucially, as his and the team’s role is to translate ideas into a visual medium, client meetings happen frequently so that they can communicate their ideas.

Project limitations, whether they stem from a client’s vision or technical limitations, can be challenging as Guilherme says, but there’s nothing that can’t be overcome through creative problem-solving. There are always solutions to be found when the team puts their heads together, or better-working alternatives.

Flexibility is key according to Guilherme, especially as it pertains to creatively realizing a client’s projects while adhering to deadlines and milestone dates. Guilherme believes ultimately that it’s the limitations and doubts that are often part of the creative process that can bring out the best in people in lead to the most interesting and effective solutions.

At Magic Media, we’re veterans of the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries and provide dozens of expert services to bring your projects to life. Guilherme and the team provide full art services for gaming projects no matter their size and scope. Additionally, we offer full-cycle development, real-time VFX, and much more. Get in contact with Magic Meda today, and let’s create magic!

Computer generated is something that you might not hear a lot in the modern gaming and entertainment industries. But CG and CG artists are absolutely integral to the entertainment we enjoy today whether in gaming or film or TV. We sat down with Andrei Pogreban, one of our terrific CG artists to dive into his world and the day-to-day of CG art creation in gaming.

What does a CG Artist do?

All the 3D models you see in gaming including characters, weapons, vehicles, are all created by people like Andrei. From start to finish, CG artists develop pieces and deliver them to the game development teams for use. If you’ve ever admired a character model or environment, they were modeled, textured, and positioned by CG artists.

Daily Responsibilities and Tasks

The responsibilities of the day depend on the tasks that the artists have to tackle. If we’re starting off with a 3D object for example, the artists will begin developing the object from low-poly to high-poly and then texturing. This process changes and adapts based on feedback from the art lead and any other team members involved. Just like all quality in gaming, iteration and constructive feedback are the key to high-quality delivery of 3D art and assets. 

Andrei is keen to impress the importance of adaptability and flexibility in the role. Game development is a huge, fluid, and constantly moving process where priorities can change. Timelines and workflows need to remain flexible to ensure that the project’s needs are met rather than staying to a strict and incorrect approach.

The Little Things as a CG Artist

When it comes to creating assets, they might appear similar in the skills and knowledge required. But Andrei assures that this is only at first glance. When it comes to developing CG art and assets, basic principles only take you so far. For characters, anatomy is an integral piece of knowledge. It might be easy to assume that we understand how our arms connect and move. 

The moment you begin creating a character and piecing it together, moving its limbs, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not so simple. The same goes for vehicles and weapons. While you don’t need to be an engineer or weaponsmith to create a 3D model of a vehicle or weapon, there are core elements that simply must exist and be visible for it to feel real. The placement of a weapon’s magazine for its ammo cycling is just as important as the way our socket joints move when we run. These are the little things that our CG artists learn and constantly grow their knowledge of. A working understanding of a processes core functions and principles can mean the difference between a 3D model feeling alive and real or fake and inauthentic.

The Tools of the Trade

CG and 3D artists must develop a proficiency with multiple tools and software. High-quality models and textures can be created using a plethora of incredible and diverse tools. Andrei has a few preferences, though he expects to learn and grow with new tools as they appear and grow more powerful.

Maya is his go to for modeling and rigging. He considers Maya a powerful and versatile tool, it’s utilized by many of our artists and 3D creators. ZBrush is definitely a current staple of the Magic Media art team as a sculpting tool. It allows Andrei and his peers to create detailed and realistic 3D models. Lastly, Substance Painter is used for texturing. Particularly, this tool can help deliver textures with high realism and detail.

Tips for CG Artists

When asked about tips for any CG artists or aspiring 3D artists and creators, Andrei mentioned one of the most important qualities is handling technical and creative problems. Particularly in viewing them as opportunities, not obstacles. When viewed as potential for growth and development as an artist, he believes it not only overcomes the challenge but also results in outstanding work. 

Whenever he’s stuck or struggling, Andrei likes to take a step back from the problem and just take a moment. Coming back with an adjusted perspective means he can tackle it and grow, rather than figure it out and leave it behind as a frustrated memory.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as level design, game design, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s create magic!

In this new Day in the Life series entry, we dive into the world of narrative design through the lens of Senior Narrative Designer at Magic Media, Allan Stellakis. His work is critical to the fantastic worlds Magic Media creates and essential to our memorable characters and unforgettable stories.

Being a narrative designer necessitates collaboration with many different teams and a deep understanding of game development projects overall to create stories and characters that not only resonate with players but are cohesive with gameplay and visuals. Every day brings something new for Allan, whether he is writing grandiose epic storylines, helping to establish multiverses or the fall of formidable empires.

Narrative Designer Game Process

Though every game has different narrative requirements and, therefore, a slightly different process, Allan says that the process begins by crafting several high-concept story outlines. These serve as inspiration for the art and design teams, or the art and narrative designers will have artwork that will inspire Allan to craft a narrative based on that. Allan’s initial story concepts strive to balance the line between ambitious and realistic for the team to achieve.

Following drafting initial story treatments and deciding on the overarching narrative, the story is refined through an iterative process into what will ultimately be used for the game. Changes are often made based on team feedback and leadership, with the iterative refinement process being repeated until everyone is satisfied with the final result. Working with other departments, characters and their motivations are fleshed out, as is the game world’s lore.

Developing Non-Linear Game Narratives

Non-linear narratives are commonplace in the modern gaming industry. They present players with multiple options for solving quests and proceeding through the narrative. Allan says that at their core, surprisingly, there are no unique challenges posed by non-linear narratives, that they’re fundamentally linear when you break them down to their basic components. The element of choice is often illusory, and there to help players feel as though their narrative experience is unique.

Whether it’s presented linearly or non-linearly, games generally have a three-act structure. A beginning, middle, and end. Though players might be presented with several options to resolve the final quest of the first act, the narrative will proceed to the second act regardless of the choice made and its consequences. Games tend to follow the three-act structure but it’s the choices within and how they affect the game world that helps players feel as though their play-through is unique.

Crafting Engaging Video Game Characters

Allan says that when it comes to crafting compelling characters, whether they’re heroes, villains, or something in-between, players need to be able to relate to them. Regardless of a character’s role in a game, they need to have qualities that players can identify with on some level.

Being a high-quality narrative designer requires a deep understanding of what makes characters compelling and how stories engage players. It requires understanding the broader process of game development, the work of artists, designers, and developers – the grand scheme of a game – to help the narrative work. With characters being an essential part of game narratives, Allan says it’s important to remember that more often than not, you’re crafting stories for the protagonist, and you’re not creating a protagonist to fit your story. It’s an engaging story that needs to be devised that works for the relatable protagonist and not the other way around.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as level design, game design, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project, and we are honoured to have worked on projects such as Blankos Block Party and Remnant 2. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s create magic!

In this new Day in the Life feature, we’re looking into the world of Berk Ökten, a Senior Level Designer at Magic Media. Berk’s work is central to the success of all our gaming projects, from immersive open worlds to traditional level-based titles. With his impressive skillset, Berk works to guide players through unforgettable and engaging game worlds.

Level design is a meticulous process that requires a keen eye for detail, knowledge of writing and art, lighting, and even photography and cinematography. Above all, a level designer must understand the player experience intimately – in-depth knowledge of being a player and a level designer.

Level Designer Day-to-Day Work

Berk’s daily work generally depends on what projects he’s involved in and what their status is, but it all begins with communication. Level Designers must be in frequent contact with the design and development teams to wholeheartedly understand their vision and current progress. Berk implements the game design team’s ideas using game development tools, such as Unreal Engine 5 and Unity.

Once an environment or level is playable, Berk then consults with the narrative design team to discuss environmental storytelling details – how the levels and their details tie into the game’s narratives or themes. Berk also works on how to best evoke the game’s mood or tone in the levels he’s working on and how content is distributed throughout levels in a way that makes sense and is in line with the game design team’s ideas.

The Level Design Pipeline

Level design is a flexible process, and it can vary from project to project. As Berk describes it, level design work is like the ‘roundabout’ of a game development studio where the work of all other teams merges into one. Concept art, 3D art, narrative, development, every team’s output flows into the work of a Level Designer. To that end, communication is key to the start of the level design process. The Level Designer works closely with these teams to understand the requirements of a level, everything from what purpose the level serves, atmosphere, length, and countless other factors.

With a deep understanding of the level, Berk begins designing it with a simple pen and paper to create rough sketches of the level and to interpret the decisions of the game design team –  what’s included in the level, its length, everything contained within it. The next step is to create a whitebox level. A whitebox level features primitive objects and basic geometry for the Level Designer to get an overall feel for the level. From here, Berk and the team begin to iterate on the level based on feedback from the QA and design teams. Once the level’s form and function are in place and fit for purpose, art and narrative aspects are implemented to bring its visuals up to scratch in line with the rest of the game’s art direction and story elements.

Challenges of Level Design

One of the biggest challenges with level design is accommodating open-world games. Open-world games, such as that of GTA V tend to allow players to approach quests and combat in several ways. That level of player agency needs to be a top consideration when approaching open-world level design. Traditional level-based games are generally linear, with the primary objective being reaching the end of it. Open worlds can contain multitudes of quests without a defined endpoint.

Content distribution in an open-world game is also of critical importance. Activities need to present themselves to players logically. Rather than carelessly adding quests wherever the Level Designer sees fit, players need to discover activities naturally. This could, for instance, mean that quests should appear in towns and cities and evenly throughout the game world instead of quest markers concentrated in one or two areas. This practice also encourages players to explore the game world.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as level design, game design, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s create magic!

In this edition of our “Day in the Life” series, we delve into the world of Kostiantyn Shpak, a skilled VFX & Cinematics expert. As the lighting and shading lead in the 3D department, Kostiantyn’s role is vital in bringing visual magic to life in movies, TV shows, and full CG productions. Join us as we explore his daily responsibilities, creative approach, and how he can create stunning visual experiences.

Daily Responsibilities

Kostiantyn’s role encompasses both applied and creative tasks, along with close collaboration with artists in his specialization and related departments. His typical day begins with reviewing tasks and analyzing feedback from clients or project supervisors. Checking render tests provides valuable insights into the overall look and ensures alignment with client expectations. With a focus on lighting and material setup, he dedicates his time to working on current tasks, meticulously preparing 3D objects or entire scenes for stylized or photorealistic outcomes.

VFX & Cinematics Day to Day

As part of the Magic Media VFX & Cinematics division, Kostiantyn’s day begins with reviewing tasks and analyzing feedback, setting the stage for a productive day ahead. He quickly checks the render tests he had set the previous evening, examining how they align with the project’s look development and client expectations. Armed with this valuable information, he dives into his current tasks, focusing on lighting, shading, and material setup.

Collaboration plays a pivotal role in Kostiantyn’s daily routine. He collaborates closely with artists specializing in various fields, ensuring seamless integration of different elements. Regular communication with supervisors and producers keeps the project on track, guaranteeing that creative visions are realized effectively.

Continuous learning and sharing ideas with colleagues are integral to his approach. He actively engages with specialized materials and media content, staying up-to-date with the latest visual effects industry trends and techniques. By fostering open communication, both creative and technical challenges are overcome more efficiently, resulting in superior project outcomes.

Kostiantyn’s approach to VFX & Cinematics combines his deep understanding of the craft with a holistic perspective. While his main focus is lighting and shading, he also studies related disciplines such as texturing and modeling. This comprehensive knowledge allows him to see production processes more holistically and contribute to the project’s overall success.

Throughout the production journey, Kostiantyn applies his expertise to every step. Starting with the initial session, where the project’s core idea takes shape, he meticulously plans and prepares for production. Technical and creative solutions are sought to strike the delicate balance between maintaining high-quality standards and meeting production timelines.

Kostiantyn Shpak, with his unwavering commitment to excellence, brings visual enchantment to life as a VFX & Cinematics expert. With his keen eye for detail, collaborative nature, and thirst for knowledge, he ensures that every project he works on surpasses expectations.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!

In the latest entry of our Day in the Life series, we’re taking a closer look at the day-to-day work of Iuliia Marfina, one of our exceptionally talented 3D Character Artists. As a 3D Character Artist, Iuliia is responsible for crafting the character models seen in Magic Media’s game development projects.

3D Character art requires consistent collaboration with animators, producers, and QA and involves meticulous work. Iuliia’s role is critical for breathing life into the characters’ concepts and for the animation team’s work giving them movement.

Day to Day of a 3D Character Artist

3D modeling can be time-consuming work that requires long-term attention working on just one model, and for this reason, most of Iuliia’s day-to-day work is continuing work on yesterday’s 3D model. Depending on the project, as a 3D character artist, Iuliia reports her daily progress through either screenshots or a ticketing system to keep the team up to date.

Depending on the model’s stage of completion, however, creating full-cycle 3D models from concept to final version can be significantly more complex. Iuliia’s initial step is to create what’s called a white box, or WB, to help understand the correct proportions, before moving on to creating a high poly model, complete with clothing used in the reference material. At this point, Iuliia says it’s important to consider an approach to retopology for the model, the process of simplifying a high polygon model to make it easier and cleaner to work with. After the retopology process has been completed, the 3D model will be in a low polygon state and is ready to be used in-game after the final steps have been completed.

The next step involves creating the model’s UV layer, a flat representation of a 3D model that is used to map textures onto it, which happens to be Iuliia’s favorite stage of the 3D modeling process! Once a model has been UV wrapped, it’s ready to be textured to give it a tangible feel and detail.

The Challenges for a 3D Character Artist

Some of the biggest challenges of 3D character art Iuliia cites are understanding anatomy and overall skill, and these two aspects require a lot of investment to become proficient at. Realistic characters, in particular, can be challenging to work on considering that their proportions, anatomy, and scale need to be as accurate as possible.

High-quality 3D modeling work necessitates keeping a vigilant eye on the model from all angles. Compared to 2D work, where artists generally work with flat imagery, 3D art requires frequent checks from all angles. While a 3D model might look correct from its front elevation, it could be incorrect from different views.

Tools of the Trade for a 3D Character Artist

With an art form as intricate as 3D modeling, it’s no surprise to hear that Iuliia uses a wide variety of tools in her work to create world-class 3D character art. Blender is used extensively, especially for the UV phase of 3D modeling. ZBrush and Marvelous Designer are particularly useful for the high polygon model phase, and 3D Coat is used for retopology. Blender’s use for retopology has been increasing, but 3D Coat is Iuliia’s preference based on her years of experience within the industry. For the final stage, texturing, Iuliia uses Substance 3D Painter or Adobe Photoshop, depending on her needs and the project itself.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive gaming services for real-time VFX, cinematics, and more, as well as animation and full art services! We have a team of 3D character artists and our main goal is to to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!

As a creative director, you are the conductor of an orchestra, bringing together a diverse group of talented individuals to create a harmonious final product. While technical skills are important, it’s the soft skills that separate the great from the good. The creative director must possess a unique combination of leadership, communication, and creative problem-solving abilities to lead the team to success. In this blog, we’ll take a glimpse into the day in the life of a creative director, exploring the challenges and rewards that come with this dynamic role. There’s no better example than our creative director Mladen Levnaic.

WHAT DOES A CREATIVE DIRECTOR DO?

Mladen’s role as a creative director involves overseeing the production of a creative project, from ideation to delivery. He ensures that the creative vision aligns with the client’s objectives and supervises the team along the way to ensure that the best outcome of a project is delivered on time and within budget. He balances the technical aspect of the project with creative ideas, maintaining harmony among team members to achieve the best possible outcome. It’s a pivotal role in transforming the imagined into reality.

DAY-TO-DAY

Every day for Mladen is different, depending on the project he’s working on. However, his day always starts by checking on meetings and the day’s priorities, seeing if there is any room for focus time, and handling any urgent matters or blockers. He communicates with critical people on crucial projects and agrees with intentions to push forward.

Brainstorming sessions are crucial to his day, and he doesn’t limit it to just the creative team. He ensures that everyone, from all required aspects of our company, is involved, and their ideas are considered. With this approach, he can appropriately scope ideas from creatives who are gifted in expansive thought.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

As a creative director, Mladen faces a broad scope of work that comes with its challenges. One of the most significant obstacles he encounters is striking a balance between the client’s creative desires and utilizing all available resources to best achieve the client’s vision. To overcome this challenge, he focuses on enabling the team members, seeing their limits, and guiding them to the best of their abilities. His approach is not about dictating but rather empowering the team. “Remember it’s about being a director, not a dictator”. 

Another challenge he faces is coordinating with team members who are working remotely or in different time zones. To support his coordination, he uses digital tools such as Slack, Jira, and Confluence, enabling him to keep track of everyone’s progress and ensure everyone is on the same page.

As a general rule, proactivity is key but if an issue is to arise, Mladen’s go-to strategy for overcoming them is primarily good communication. He understands that people are the first resource for everything and values communication as the key to understanding the industry’s challenges.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as animation and full art services! Our main goal is to to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!