Emerging Houdini FX Artist Mattia Ghidotti on Building Large-Scale Simulations as a Student

From a childhood spent watching films, TV shows, and playing video games to building 3D models in his spare time, Mattia Ghidotti’s path into visual effects has always been fueled by imagination. Although he initially pursued marketing studies at university, it quickly became clear that his true passion lay elsewhere. Determined to follow a more creative path, Mattia made the bold decision to change direction, working to support himself while investing fully in a future in VFX.

Based in Milan, Mattia honed his skills through a Master’s program at Event Horizon School, where he was introduced to industry-standard tools such as Maya, Houdini, and Nuke. Under the guidance of passionate mentors, he discovered the power of procedural workflows and fell in love with Houdini’s ability to recreate complex natural phenomena. Alongside FX, he developed a strong interest in compositing, embracing the challenge of crafting final images that seamlessly blend simulation, lighting, and storytelling.

In this interview, FX artist Mattia walks us through the creation of his ambitious tsunami project, an effects-heavy shot built from multiple solvers, massive caches, and careful optimization. He also shares how GridMarkets played a crucial role in bringing the project to life, enabling him to render hundreds of gigabytes of data without being limited by local hardware. Mattia’s story is a reminder that curiosity, persistence, and the right tools can empower emerging artists to think big and create at a professional level from the very start.

Read Mattia's full story and explore his work: Interview