GridMarkets Blog

Josh Meister is a recent graduate of IUPUI's Computer Graphics Technology program with a lifelong passion for visual effects. He has honed his skills in industry-standard tools like Houdini, Nuke, and Maya. In this interview, he shares insights into his Black Hole Rendering Engine project.

Brazilian VFX Technical Director and Pipeline TD Guilherme Casagrandi, founder of HardcoreFX and Annie Award nominee, is bringing high-level technical expertise to the global visual effects community through his growing YouTube channel. Known for his uncompromising approach to workflow efficiency and deep technical precision, Guilherme’s latest video releases explore some of the most advanced topics in modern FX production: from USD-based Houdini pipelines to automation in

Don’t miss SPHUG #7, the next São Paulo Houdini User Group meetup, proudly sponsored by GridMarkets! On July 19, 2025 at Faculdade Meliès, join us for a morning of creative deep dives, hands-on demos, and networking in person or via live stream. Sign up now and score 5 free rendering credits, plus an extra 10% on credit purchases with code SPHUG2025 through end of the year. Let’s take Houdini workflows to the next level!

Guilherme Casagrandi is a seasoned VFX Technical Director and Pipeline TD, and the founder of HardcoreFX, a visual effects studio based in São Paulo, Brazil. Guilherme has contributed to several high-profile projects in the film and television industry.​

From computer science to cinematic simulations, this VFX artist spotlight explores Siddharth Baxi’s journey through over 17 feature films and episodic productions. Learn how he blends procedural workflows, large-scale FX, and technical precision in Houdini—while using GridMarkets to deliver complex simulations on time and at scale.

From paper sculptures in high school to fluid simulations in Houdini, VFX artist Travis Rainford has carved a unique path into the world of dynamic effects. In this interview, he shares how he found his passion, the projects that shaped him, and how GridMarkets helped him render complex shots in minutes instead of days.

Explore the story behind our featured artist Ricardo Leon, whose blend of Houdini FX, grooming, and Unreal Engine brings cinematic ideas to life.

In this Corridor Digital spotlight, journey behind the scenes with the creators redefining online action and VFX. Discover how their signature style, visual innovation, and fearless experimentation built one of the internet’s most iconic filmmaking brands.

Victor Martinez went from growing up on Pokémon and Halo to building AAA visual effects for major game studios. In this interview, the Lead VFX Artist shares how he switched careers, moved countries without speaking English, and built a portfolio powered by curiosity, experimentation, and a deep love for games.

From folding cities in Inception to award-nominated FX on Star Wars: Visions 2, Virginia Cantaro’s journey is driven by a passion for procedural storytelling. A freelance Houdini FX Artist with over a decade of experience, Virginia has contributed to Academy Award–winning films, high-end television, and experimental motion design—while sharing her knowledge as an educator and embracing efficient cloud rendering with GridMarkets.

Facing increasingly complex renders and non-negotiable deadlines, Spain’s leading post-production studio USER T38 turned to GridMarkets’ cloud rendering platform. In collaboration with Trigital, the studio seamlessly scaled its infrastructure, accelerated delivery timelines, and preserved the cinematic quality behind projects like Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific Rim.

From early experiments in 3D modeling to tackling an ambitious tsunami simulation for his final Master’s project, Mattia Ghidotti is an emerging FX artist driven by curiosity and technical challenge. In this interview, he shares his journey into Houdini, the complexity behind managing large-scale water simulations, and how GridMarkets enabled him to render hundreds of gigabytes of data efficiently—proving that students can achieve professional-level results with the right too

Maria Sahai’s creative path bridges photography, visual effects, and education. A professional photographer turned Houdini FX artist, Maria has contributed to major productions including Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. In this interview, she shares how observation and photography shape her FX work, her approach to teaching the next generation of artists, and how GridMarkets enables her to create complex simulations wit

Naomi Birot is a passionate CFX and VFX Artist whose work sits at the intersection of procedural design, technical precision, and artistic storytelling. Based in Paris, she has contributed to major animated features including Sing 2 and Pets 2, and worked with renowned studios such as Illumination McGuff, Mikros Animation, MPC, and Digital District.

From early experiments in computer graphics to award-winning work at world-class studios, Ivan Larinin’s career is defined by a deep connection between technology and storytelling. Now a Senior Houdini Artist based in Montreal, Ivan blends precision, creativity, and problem-solving to deliver visually striking FX across feature films, episodic content, and high-end cinematics. In this interview, Ivan breaks down the creative and technical challenges behind complex FX shots,