Featured Student: Manuela Elena Cárdenas de la Miyar, Spain
Manuela Elena Cárdenas de la Miyar 2024
Interview to Manuela Elena Cárdenas de la Miyar, Junior FX Artist follows . . .
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.
YOUR BACKGROUND - FACTORS & INSPIRATION TO BECOME AN ARTIST.
Since I started my studies, I have focused on discovering and dedicating myself to what I am passionate about. Thanks to this, I currently have extensive knowledge in the arts. From the moment I started learning about VFX and compositing, I knew I had found what I wanted to do. I enjoy both the process and the result of my work.
I still don't have professional experience in the VFX field, but I am used to working in creative environments related to the world of arts.
YOUR START WITH HOUDINI & WHY HOUDINI?
I work with Houdini not only because it was the software with which I started learning at Animum, but also because I think it has a multitude of tools to develop the projects I have in mind. The possibilities it offers are many, and I love the idea of being able to explore them and expand the knowledge I already have.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IN HOUDINI TO-DATE
Honestly, since I learned to use the program about two years ago, I have had a very good experience. The beginnings are usually difficult, and with this software, it was no different. However, once I understood the working method and began perfecting it, it gave me the opportunity to embark on projects and achieve results that exceeded my expectations. There are still many tools to explore, and I try to keep up to date with the advances in new updates so that I can make the most of it.
River Bridge - Personal project
YOUR WORK: EXPLAIN THE INSPIRATION TO CREATE THE PROJECT
The main objective of this project was to explore and deepen my understanding of water simulations within a controlled environment. This idea arose just after my graduation from Animum. With it, I wanted to review everything I had learned and test myself. The environment is modeled in Maya from an initial scheme that I created, keeping in mind at all times the goal that the river would be the essence of the scene.
River Simulation in Houdini
Personally, I enjoy making flip simulations and oceans.
Within this project, I also focused on optimization in every aspect and planned the process in phases to manage time properly.
It has been a great challenge as a junior, and I am proud to have completed it with the results I have obtained. It has gone through multiple phases of trial and error, and as a result, I have learned a lot.
WHICH TOOLS DID YOU USE?
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Procreate - Elaboration of the initial schemes.
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PureRef - Reference sheet.
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Maya - Environment and detail modeling.
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Substance Painter - Texturing.
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Houdini - Simulations and finalization of the project.
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Nuke - Compositing.
THE RENDERING
The rendering process was done in Houdini with Mantra.
I configured it in different layers, taking into account the next composition phase and the adjustments I wanted to make.
SOME WORDS ABOUT YOUR PROJECT.
The realization of this project has been the most complex challenge I have faced. It has taken approximately six months, both due to the number of phases involved and the various simulations, render time, and, above all, the period of trials and errors from which I have learned a lot.
I have tried to optimize the scene to save time and resources. I have also learned and deepened my knowledge about the use of certain nodes, masks, and volumes. In addition, I have learned to use online render farms.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN SOME DETAILS OF THE RIVER SIMULATION ON HOUDINI?
The main simulation of the scene was very resource-intensive. I aimed to achieve the maximum realism with the resources I had, and for that. I sought the optimal balance between quality and optimization.
The first simulations were done with a low number of particles to save time and memory. I iterated with the solver parameters and small setups until I found the exact behavior I wanted. Once I achieved this, I increased the number of particles.
HOW DID YOU FIND GRIDMARKETS & WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?
After several iterations of the main simulation in Houdini, I had achieved the behavior I wanted for the water in the project. However, achieving the quality needed for such a simulation was impossible on my current computer as I said. I definitely did not want to sacrifice the outcome of the project or limit myself to my computer only, so I investigated other alternatives.
That's how I discovered GridMarkets. I saw that there was the possibility to perform this simulation thanks to its compatibility with Houdini, and that was my solution.
This was also my first experience with an online rendering service, and I found it a bit intimidating. However, thanks to the tutorials on their site, I was able to set up everything correctly. I did a couple of pre-tests to ensure everything was working correctly and then sent my project.
The results were good, fast, and allowed me to complete my work. Later, thanks to this good experience, I also sent the second whitewater simulation for this same project.
WHAT'S NEXT? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT YEARS?
I am currently working on my next personal project.
In the future, I would love to have the opportunity to be part of a professional VFX team and work on big projects. I know that in my junior position right now, it is complicated, but I don't let that discourage me. I strive to keep moving forward with personal projects whose main objectives are learning new techniques, working methods, and deepening my own knowledge.
I enjoy the learning process of each project, as well as the development and search for new solutions. In the next few years, I would like to dedicate myself completely to this professionally.
By: GridMarkets marketing