Creator Spotlight – JJ Chalupnik
Today, we will be spotlighting one of our Shade creators who has recently joined our Shade Creator program. Read below to learn more about JJ and his background!
Today, we will be spotlighting one of our Shade creators who has recently joined our Shade Creator program. Read below to learn more about JJ and his background!
“You could say I wear a lot of hats. I’m a dad. A husband. An artist. A supervisor, and a lover of games and movies. I love a good cup of coffee (cream, no sugar), and I’ve got a real penchant for silly voices. But professionally, I am a CG Generalist, building assets and environments for tv, film, and games.
I grew up in Phoenix Arizona, where summers are hot! I mean cook an egg on the sidewalk hot. I think this may have contributed to my aversion to sunlight and my love for video games and film.
As a parent, I get to see the world through my kids’ eyes which informs my creative process from a different perspective. I definitely derive inspiration from nature and many things, but I would say Miyazaki films are some of my biggest inspirations. When it comes to games, I mainly look at how narratives are told in an immersive and unique way. The Fallout franchise, God of War, Metal Gear, and Legend of Zelda are some of my bigger inspirations.
Starting out in mostly the advertising space, I worked for some Emmy award winning companies in Phoenix, Then I ventured to Atlanta Georgia, where it’s still hot but they have trees. I worked on Archer as a 3D environment artist for Floyd County Productions. Eventually I made my way to Los Angeles and worked in Episodic Television VFX for Encore VFX. We worked on pretty much all the CW superhero shows like The Flash, Doom Patrol, and Supergirl.
I was promoted to the Hard Surface Asset Supervisor where I led a team of artists to build props, vehicles, set extensions, and even full CG environments. My focus has narrowed lately to more real-time content, building environments and assets in UE4/5. I’m currently freelancing and actively seeking new opportunities.”
JJ we are really looking forward to working with you and we can’t wait to showcase some of your amazing work!
