GridMarkets Blog

Independent filmmaker and VFX director Neil Scholes shares his journey from commercial work to creating original IP, founding Bloodaxe Studios, and building the ambitious Supervoid franchise. He reveals how embracing generalist skills, micro-budget experimentation, and cloud rendering empowered him to compete on a global scale.

How a remote VFX team delivered a high-profile studio-quality CG animation. Six fully CG-animated 15-second shots displayed across digital screens in NY and LA.

Yuansi ‘Ivy’ Mai is a FX artist graduated from Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles. Her artwork was recognized with Best of Term prize and collected to school reel of 2024. She is a talented and detail-oriented artist coming from a 2D illustration and media background.

Gianni Ritschard is a freelance 3D artist and 2D character designer based in Winterthur, Switzerland, with over nine years of professional experience in both studio and freelance environments.

This project was created using the new MPM solver introduced in Houdini 20.5. It was developed in SOPs, look dev built in LOPs, and rendered using Karma on GridMarkets.

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.

This acrylic paint effect was created in Houdini version 20.5. The new Copernicus context was used to extract the main colors from an initial image, which were then applied in the Flip simulation. Finally, the effect was rendered in Karma. on GridMarkets. 

This case study explores the creation of a realistic snow environment using Houdini 20.5 and the Material Point Method (MPM) solver, enhanced by character animation and cloth simulation, and rendered through GridMarkets Renderfarm. The project tells the story of a medieval soldier’s returning home from the battlefield, walking across a snow-covered landscape under a hopeful morning sun.

Josh Meister created custom solvers for electric and magnetic fields to drive particle interactions by implementing real world physics.  Using GridMarkets, he was able to simulate and render several orders of magnitude more detail than he could otherwise. 

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!

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.

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

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.

Founded in London in 2023, Axio. World is a forward-thinking VFX studio built by artists who wanted more creative freedom. From high-end advertising to cinematic visual effects, Axio. blends technical precision with a collaborative, exploratory mindset, pushing beyond traditional studio boundaries.

Fernando Jose Cuevas is a freelance FX artist based in Miami, United States, whose work bridges cinematic storytelling and the technical power of procedural visual effects. With a strong academic background in computer art, animation, and visual effects, Fernando has developed a passion for crafting high-impact simulations, environments, and FX-driven shots using Houdini and Nuke.

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.

Debra Isaac is a passionate artist, educator, and founder of Houdini.School, dedicated to making Houdini accessible and inspiring for artists worldwide. With a background spanning digital art, animation, and education, Debra has built a career around breaking down complex tools into engaging, practical learning experiences.

SideFX Houdini's Solaris toolset is designed to revolutionize the way artists work with large data sets in visual effects and animation...