Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruixuan Pu.
Hi Ruixuan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there! Thanks so much for this awesome opportunity. My name is Ruixuan Pu. You can call me Ray. I am a digital artist from China. And my story with computer graphics (CG) could date back to my childhood. I have always been interested in cartoons, animation, and movies since I was a kid. Back then, I was more leisurely watching, not thinking too much of what was behind the scenes. It was during my college years that I started discovering the deeper beauty of this art form and decided to launch a career in it.
I studied at New York University Shanghai for my undergraduate degree. I took classes from many great professors, learning about the terminology and fundamental rules of filmmaking, and also some introductory lessons to 3D modeling and animating. I soon realized that traditional filmmaking is very creative and beautiful, but personally, it was the visual effects (VFX) side of things that fascinated me the most. The ways in which artists transformed moving pixels into believable imageries (either photorealistic or stylized) felt like magic to me. The more I learned about it, the more captivating it became. I said to myself, I don’t want to be just a viewer, I want to be a maker.
So, here we go. I applied for the Master’s program in Visual Effects at Savannah College of Arts and Design and officially began my journey as a CG artist. Here I dove deep into the digital world, getting hands-on training on various subjects that cover the general CG workflow. Gradually, I shifted focus to fine-tuning my skillsets specifically in lighting, texturing, and look development, in which I found myself most interested.
Meanwhile, I tried to reach out and participate in projects and internships outside the classroom. I took an internship at Foundry as a visual design artist and later on a second at Hinge Digital as a 3D artist. These were all incredibly valuable experiences that allowed me to get an inside look into the industry and learn from all kinds of talented artists.
After graduation, I was offered the full-time CG Generalist position at Ingenuity Studios, LLC, and have been working there ever since. It’s been a super fun ride and a fulfilling journey. I have met so many creative and inspiring people. Together we worked on some very cool projects. I am more than excited for what’s next to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road for sure. Overall, the VFX field is very technical and complex, and it has a steep learning curve. For me, hours and hours were spent practicing and refining my expertise. Also, the industry evolves fast, and technologies change quickly. To be able to master multiple software and programs to fit the industry’s needs is a bit of a challenge. I must stay adaptable, fast-learning, and keep building my troubleshooting skills.
Now, as AI works its way into the picture and impacts the traditional production pipeline, there is inevitably going to be more reform in the whole VFX world. We just have to be prepared and adjust to it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As mentioned earlier, I am a CG generalist who specializes in lighting, texturing, and look development. That means, during production, if the director wants to add any CG element into a shot that was not initially filmed on set, I am the person he can go to. The element could be as big as a large-scale city environment, a terrain, or the ocean; or as small as a car, a tree, or even a book. It varies depending on what the production needs. My job is to recreate their digital models in 3D software, add detailed textures and shading, and then use appropriate lighting to make them look like what they’re supposed to be. Since most of the projects I worked on were live-action, generally I would match the CG objects and environments as closely as possible to real-life references. But if the clients need something more stylized and unique and not so realistic, I could also apply some creativity and rule-bending. The ultimate goal is to make our CG accurately reflect the art direction the clients have envisioned, and seamlessly blend them into the rest of the shot.
It is a mixture of creativity and technicality. Sometimes I would manually “paint” the textures layer by layer in a 3D program, like the scratches and grunge on an oil can model. However, when it comes to the procedural workflow in Houdini (industrial-level VFX application) and scene optimization, tasks sometimes require a bit more coding and troubleshooting to make rendering easier and faster.
Within my one-and-a-half year of work, I have participated in the post-production process for several TV series, including Toonami: The Return, The Night Agent, La Brea, Fear the Walking Dead, and recently the live-action One Piece.
As a junior artist, I always remind myself to stay flexible and learn as much as I can. I am most proud of my creative problem-solving skills and ability to self-teach. During One Piece, my project lead trusted me to work autonomously across multiple complicated shots and see to my own solutions to various challenges. Oftentimes I received approvals on very early versions of my submitted works. I am always ready for challenges and proactive in learning new things.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
This is not study or career-related, but I do think it’s worth mentioning and definitely an important part of my life that shaped me into who I am today.
Shortly after I started my Master’s program, I was in an accident which resulted in my hospitalization for nearly a month, which took me a long time to recover. I endured many surgeries and doctor’s visits. It was not only a battle against my physical health but also my mentality. Luckily, I received countless support from my family and friends. Some of them flew across the States and even overseas to take care of me and cheer me up. It was during that time I truly realized how priceless those relationships are and how seemingly negligible things in life were actually so cherishable.
I never thought about chasing my dream and doing things I love is so special. However, after the accident, when I returned to the classroom and threw myself back into the world of CG, I could not appreciate the opportunity more. It looked so simple, but it wasn’t easy. This incident taught me to care for my health and accept who I am. Most importantly, no matter what happens, never lose optimism, never stop trying, and never take things for granted.
As the strike is ongoing, it’s a difficult time for many people in the industry. I hope my story can bring you a little bit of comfort and support. And I hope everyone stays safe and happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.puruixuan.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunny_piuuu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruixuan-pu-vfx
