Ashish Thomas

A Humble Request to Recruiters in the Creative Industry Please don’t do this 🙏 How can you expect a candidate to do justice to both roles – CGI & VFX Artist – under one job profile, and that too for a 3D Animation & VFX company? Each of these roles demands a unique skill set, long hours of focused effort, and creative energy. And yet, we see job descriptions clubbing them together, expecting mastery in both – often with no fair compensation or recognition in return. 💔 🔴This is not how talent grows. 🔴This is not how quality work is created. 🔴This is definitely not how we build a strong creative ecosystem. Let’s be fair to artists. Let’s respect specialization. Let’s stop overloading and underpaying. If you're hiring, please be realistic and respectful in your expectations. #VFX #CGI #AnimationIndustry #RespectArtists #CreativeJobs #FairHiring #DesignCommunity #LinkedInVoice

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💡 The next edition of Studio Spotlight chronicles a journey of passion that evolved into purpose. Abhishek Sahu began his gaming career in game testing. The diversity of roles within Quality Control intrigued him and sparked inspiration to pursue specialisation, ultimately leading into the role of a QC Manager in the TSD (Technical Standards Division) department. He shares invaluable advice on how you too can transition into distinct functions within the broad scope of quality control. #LifeAtUbi #StudioSpotlight #QualityControl

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Just wrapped up a powerful DEI training session for the QC leadership team at Ubisoft India Studios with Meghna De, focusing on our DEI maturity, relevance of the topic, actual business impact. We took a hard look at diversity data in the gaming industry, discussed how equity and inclusion fuel engagement and productivity, and how lack of it can harm organisations - attraction and retention of talent, players, investors. While proud to see Ubisoft’s DEI metrics surpassing industry averages, we spoke about there always being room for growth; gaps and opportunities. As a DEI practitioner, witnessing people managers openly speak about existing gaps, share ideas for change, and genuinely commit to being champions of inclusion is heartening. Our discussions were actions oriented - what can we personally commit to as leaders, to build a culture where DEI is an everyday practice and not just a topic for training sessions and buzz word during presentations. Some actionable ideas leaders are committing to: - Embedding inclusion goals into their objectives - Advocating for underrepresented voices in decision-making - Holding space for continuous feedback and conversations on equity - Mentoring across lines of difference It’s exciting to see a shared belief that inclusive organizations ARE better organizations—and we all have a part to play in shaping that future. #DEI #Leadership #Inclusion #GamingIndustry #Belonging #Equity #Ubisoft #DiversityAndInclusion #PeopleFirst #BusinessImpact

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If you are in the UK* and looking to jump into VFX Production, this January, CAVE Academy will be collaborating with HBO, Warner Bros. Discovery and CrewHQ to deliver a FREE 5-week Bootcamp.   This bootcamp will prepare students to work as a VFX Coordinator in the TV and Film industry. Throughout the Bootcamp, we’ll be using the Scripted Series as our model case study, but we will also touch upon how Film and Documentary workflows may differ.   On the 14th of November, 6pm GMT, they'll also be hosting a LIVE & ONLINE information session (registration link on the Bootcamp page), where they'll outline the Bootcamp curriculum, the application process and answer any questions.    https://lnkd.in/e3saf5Ma   *Applicants must be over 18 years old, a U.K. resident, have the right to live and work in the UK, and have a strong interest in VFX Production Management or Post Production.

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Hello Friends! Another training series is released! Welcome to Automatic PreRoll Generation: A Studio Level VFX Workflow. Training Series link: https://bit.ly/4hIUDjK Duration 8 hrs ----------------------------- In this Training Series, You'll learn the secrets behind automatically creating PreRoll Animation for Characters in Advanced Visual Effects Simulations. For years this has been a Manual Human process. We're going to learn how we can procedurally generate and adjust this with simple sliders. Not only are we going to learn how to retarget animation from differently proportioned characters to any asset, but we're going to learn how to start our simulation from any part of the animation using the Automatically Computed Best Rest Pose, Ramp up, and Pre-Animation Momentum. This means if you have a shot that's 2000 frames long, you can now start at any point and choose where and how to blend in your simulation throughout the whole shot. We'll also discuss Neutralizing and Restoring Locomotion to fix Super-Hero-like movement that moves too far and too fast over the course of our timeline. The best part is this network can be used for Cloth, Hair, Muscle, or any of your Character Effects needs. We'll set up an efficient, reusable pipeline including large networks with multiple file checkpoints so you can easily jump in at any point along the way. While this training series primarily focuses on Automatic PreRoll Generation, we're going to cover foundational Houdini knowledge and concepts useful to Everyone. This is a valuable introduction series to programming and tooling in Houdini covering Python, Vex, HScript, and UI Design. At the end of this training series, you'll be able to simulate any Animation from any Part of the Animation with the click of a button. Training Series link: https://bit.ly/4hIUDjK ----------------------------- Main Takeaways: Build a flexible, reusable PreRoll Generation pipeline from scratch. Automate complex workflows for faster iterations. Create fully procedural setups without extensive coding. Understand advanced Houdini tools and scripting. Apply the pipeline to Video Games and VFX projects at a studio level. ----------------------------- Target Audience: VFX artists and technical directors working in studios or as freelancers. Intermediate to advanced Houdini users aiming to optimize their simulations and pipelines. Character FX artists seeking efficient workflows for large-scale productions. ----------------------------- Prerequisites: Basic/Intermediate knowledge of Houdini and experience with CFX. Familiarity with animation and simulation concepts and 3D character design. Basic understanding of Python, VEX, and HScript is a plus but not required. #houdini #sidefx #muscle #simulation #cfx #characterfx #charactereffects #character #fx #vfx #videogames #games #pythondeveloper #studio #level #pipeline #rigging #preroll #generation #tissue #skin #physics #reconform #topnet #subnet

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When Institutions Turn Dream-Sellers, The Industry Pays the Price It’s both ironic and infuriating to see universities like Chandigarh University inviting speakers who were directly involved in "mass layoffs" like those at MPC — to talk about the “bright future” of the VFX industry. This isn’t education! it’s PR wrapped in academic robes. Let’s be honest many of these institutions have turned into businesses, not places of learning. They sell glossy dreams of fame and success in VFX to unsuspecting students, all while turning a blind eye to the harsh, unstable reality of the industry. Behind every poster of superheroes and creature shots is an overworked, underpaid artist — often someone who was promised the world and handed crunch and insecurity. This cycle is dangerous. It "pumps the industry full of underprepared individuals", not because they lack potential, but because they were set up to fail , trained on outdated curriculums and false promises. Studios exploit this. Underqualified artists are paid less, overqualified ones are undervalued, and the entire industry suffers. When universities "platform" those responsible for the industry's decline as aspirational figures, they send a clear message: “We care more about optics than outcomes.” The VFX industry doesn't need more dream-sellers. It needs accountability, ethical hiring, real mentorship, and fair pay. And it certainly doesn’t need institutions that gaslight students while aligning with those who gutted the very futures they claim to promote. #VFX #EducationVsReality #StopExploitation #MPC #ChandigarhUniversity #AccountabilityMatters #VFXIndustry #FairPay #VFXTruth

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We interviewed Ansh Kumar 🔜 IGDC Chennai, a student and passionate Technical #GameDesigner — who has just launched his first #MobileGame on #GooglePlayStore! Infinity Racer: An endless #RacingGame built entirely in #Unity! #GameLink: https://lnkd.in/dJ_fxArP Over the last 7 months, he handled everything as a solo developer: • Game Design • UI/UX • C# Coding • Testing • Publishing on the Play Store 🎤 In our interview, he shared insights on: • Creating core mechanics, boosting, ghost mode & road looping • Introducing unlockable vehicles and weather environments • Designing police-chase difficulty for high-speed gameplay • Play Console setup, approvals & publishing challenges • Learning Unity development while studying • Importance of feedback & iteration 💡 His biggest takeaway: “Patience and learning to control yourself while building something over months.” Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/gAuQYNX7 #GameDesign #GameDevelopment #Unity3D #TechnicalGameDesigner #IndieGameDev #PlayStore #GamedevJourney #StudentGameProject #GameBreakdown #GameMechanics #LevelDesign #SystemDesign #YouTubeGaming #UI/UX #NewGame

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Gaming firm launches with 'beautiful' growth mission “We are assembling a team of specialists with extensive genre-specific experience who are passionate about delivering innovative gameplay and exceptional execution.” Last Arrow Games has opened its doors in Gateshead, with bosses saying it will “make beautiful games… and deliver an immersive player experience”. Part of Pneuma Games Group – a division of Pneuma Group – the venture is led by industry veterans Cumron (Ron) Ashtiani, Owen O'Brien, Andrew Willans and Chris Mcclure. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ekfFXfUj

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13 years in game dev taught me one thing ❌ Creativity isn’t magic.  ✅ It’s management of systems. You start bright-eyed, sketching features no one has seen. • Then deadlines arrive. • Meetings multiply by 10. • Fun turns into deliverables. Somewhere between sprint 8 and patch 27, you forget why you started. If your energy feels drained ❌ It’s not a motivation issue. ✅ It’s a system gap. 7 ways to systematically please players 1. Design for repeat delight ↳ not first impressions. 2. Let data reveal what players love ↳ not what they say. 3. Test pacing with fatigue in mind ↳ not just engagement peaks. 4. Communicate intentions early ↳ not excuses later. 5. Celebrate community creativity ↳ not just official content. 6. Build nostalgia into the update cadence ↳ not only novelty. 7. Leave space for surprise ↳ it’s the rarest currency. I wrote Running a Successful Live Service Game for studios stuck in the post-launch grind. The ones who built a great game ↳ but lost the rhythm after release. 📕 Book link’s in my bio�� ➕ Follow Sergei Vasiuk for more

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​Lately, I've seen several game studios claiming the title of "India's first AAA game studio." This has me contemplating: what truly defines a studio as AAA? ​Is it determined solely by the final product, or is it a reflection of the entire ecosystem behind it? ​Does it simply boil down to the "AAA quality" of a single game? ​How much does the talent pool matter? Is it about building a diverse, multi-faceted, and multi-cultural team? ​Should an environment that fosters continuous growth and innovation be considered a key part of the definition? ​My take is that while creating a AAA game without mature processes is difficult but not impossible, a studio that aims for both a AAA product and a AAA work environment is planting a seed for the future. That is the foundation that will truly grow and, in time, bear fruit. ​Ultimately, is "AAA" a label for the game, or for the studio that creates it? ​Would love to hear your thoughts. ​#GameDev #IndianGaming #AAA #StudioCulture #GameDevelopment

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