GridMarkets Blog

Manuela Elena Cárdenas de la Miyar is a Junior FX  Artist based in Seville, Spain. She studied the Master of VFX and Compositing at Animum Creativity Advanced School in 2023, Málaga, Spain. She also has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Granada, Spain.

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.

Landis Tanaka is a Seattle-based artist and creative director whose work blends Houdini simulations, motion capture, and sound into expressive, photo-surreal visuals. In this artist spotlight, Landis shares his unconventional path into digital art, breaks down standout projects like Steal Away and In the Rain, and explains how GridMarkets helps him render final shots faster—so experimentation never has to slow down.

Sam Savage’s journey into visual effects began with a childhood fascination for films, games, and imaginary worlds—and quickly evolved into a focused pursuit of crafting his own. A self-taught Houdini FX artist based in London, Sam specializes in pyro and FLIP simulations, combining technical precision with a strong sense of atmosphere and storytelling.

Eldad Sery is a technical artist and art director whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, technology, and education. From procedural tools and game-ready assets to interactive art and real-time experiences, Eldad’s career reflects a deep commitment to both craft and mentorship.

Sylvester Dorgu is a self-taught 3D character artist based in Malta, known for his meticulous attention to detail and ability to push advanced software to its limits. His work focuses on creating lifelike digital characters that balance artistic expression with technical precision, resulting in striking and believable portraits. Driven by experimentation and efficiency, Sylvester continuously refines his workflows to achieve high-quality results in less time. His recent char

Fabian Nowak is an internationally recognized VFX artist whose career spans blockbuster films, cutting-edge Houdini simulations, and some of the most technically ambitious shots in modern cinema. From breaking into the industry against the odds to pushing the limits of water, gravity, and scale, Fabian’s journey is defined by relentless ambition and creative precision.

In this exclusive GridMarkets webinar, award-winning VFX artist Fabian Nowak delivers a deep technical breakdown of one of the most ambitious visual effects sequences in modern cinema—the zero-gravity swimming pool scene from Passengers. Drawing from his experience at studios like MPC and ILM, Fabian reveals how Houdini was used under extreme production pressure to simulate massive bodies of water in zero gravity.