He creates effects and animations
Ludvig Eliasson graduated in 2017 and today works at Goodbye Kansas Studios and has, among other things, simulated Keanu Reeves' hairstyle in Cyberpunk 2077's e3 trailer.
What do you do at work?
– I work as Lead CFX TD (character effects technical director). This means that I am responsible for creating effects and animations that are not covered by traditional animation, mainly for characters. It usually includes everything from setting up muscles and tissue to simulating clothes and hair.
What is the best thing about your job?
– Although the role is quite specialized, I would say that the variation in problem solving is what is most fun. You can usually choose how technical or artistic you want to be. Since we are the last step between animation and lighting, our problem solving can include both artistic challenges, for example if a mantle is to flutter in a certain way in the wind, and very technical challenges, for example how to send information about muscle tension all the way from animation to lighting.
What in your career are you extra proud of?
– I am definitely most proud of to have been involved from the beginning and set up the Goodbye Kansas Studios CFX pipeline. It is a fairly new area, at least as a specialization in the Swedish market, and to have been involved from "from scratch" and develop a completely new way of working with both the pipeline and artists has been fantastically rewarding. A little more concrete, it was definitely a milestone to simulate Keanu Reeves' hairstyle for Cyberpunk 2077's e3 trailer!
Looking back on your education, what was the most important thing you learned?
– A large part of what I brought with me from Luleå University of Technology has obviously been basic knowledge, both artistic and technical. The first three semesters were intense, but provided a very good ground for what a pipeline might look like, which helped me a lot when it comes to communicating with other departments, as well as to fit my role into a context. The most important thing I took with me was probably working methodology and team spirit. I had a fantastic class with friends who set the bar high, who inspired me and were open to collaborations. To learn to collaborate in creative projects with people who were on the same track, it was invaluable. And just like in the industry, being a team player is super important!
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