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Wataru Ikeda
Senior VFX Technical Artist @ Epic Games
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Wataru Ikeda
Wataru Ikeda
Senior VFX Technical Artist @ Epic Games
palo Alto, United States

Summary

Wataru is a Senior Technical VFX Artist at Epic Games.
He has over 20 years of working experience as a VFX artist also in creating the shaders FX as a technical artist.
Additionally, he has worked for 4.5 years as an environment artist.

Skillset:
* Creating high-quality particles VFX and dynamics for any platform with UE5 Niagara or Unit3D VFX Graph.
* Development experience on PC, Playstation5, PlayStation 4, XboxOne, Xbox 360, Playstation3, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1.
* Not only making skill of photo-realistic FX but Stylized FX and shaders.
* Optimizing FX and environment assets (in console memory limitations, CPU & GPU performance).
* Creating special shaders for VFX, environment, GUI, and characters.
* Solving technical problems of VFX and environment.
* Scripting skills at a practical level in Unity3D(C#) and MAYA MEL script or expression, and Python a little.
Being able to learn any tool quickly.

Tools:
Houdini, Unreal Engine 5, MAYA, EmberGen, Frostbite, Unity3D, FumeFX (3ds Max), Photoshop, After Effects, Zbrush, Pulldownit, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, PS4 Razor GPU/CPU, PS3 GPAD

BOOK
https://amazon.co.jp/dp/4862464688

My Presentation

CEDEC 2023
Practical Scalability and Optimization for UE5 Niagara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcS9CsIvOp0

GDC 2021
'Creative and Experimental VFX in 'The Last of Us Part II'
https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1027370/Creative-and-Experimental-VFX-in
https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1027072/Creative-and-Experimental-VFX-in

Unreal Engine 4 VFX Art Dive Online (July 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTBHTeja66k
https://www.slideshare.net/EpicGamesJapan/niagaraue425-ue4-vfx-art-dive-236725103/

UNREAL FEST EAST 2018
https://youtu.be/jzrXrREsAoo
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/wataruikeda1232/lets-enjoy-niagara-unreal-fest-east-2018

CEDEC 2018
https://cedil.cesa.or.jp/cedil_sessions/view/1832

CEDEC 2015
https://cedil.cesa.or.jp/cedil_sessions/view/1421

Wataru has a green card (EB2-National Interest Waiver) in the US.

Skills

Game DevelopmentVisual EffectsParticle EffectsShadersFluid SimulationVFX SupervisionEnvironment ModelingLevel DesignTexture BakingCinematicsTexturingTechnical ArtMel ScriptingC# ScriptingLightingRendering

Software proficiency

Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine
Houdini
Houdini
Softimage
Softimage
EmberGen
EmberGen
Maya
Maya
After Effects
After Effects
Photoshop
Photoshop
Frostbite Engine
Frostbite Engine
Unity
Unity
FumeFX
FumeFX
Substance 3D Painter
Substance 3D Painter
Substance 3D Designer
Substance 3D Designer
ZBrush
ZBrush
Premiere
Premiere
Godot
Godot

Reel

Productions

    • Video Game
      The Last of Us Part 1
    • Year
      2022
    • Role
      Senior VFX Artist
    • Company
      Naughty Dog
    • Video Game
      FORTNITE since Chapter 3
    • Year
      2021
    • Role
      Senior VFX Technical Artist
    • Company
      Epic Games
    • Video Game
      The Last of Us Part II
    • Year
      2020
    • Role
      Visual Effects Artist
    • Company
      Naughty Dog
    • Video Game
      Star Wars Battlefront II
    • Year
      2017
    • Role
      VFX Artist (Special Thanks)
    • Company
      EA DICE
    • Video Game
      Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass
    • Year
      2017
    • Role
      VFX Artist
    • Company
      EA DICE
    • Video Game
      Battlefield1
    • Year
      2016
    • Role
      VFX Artist
    • Company
      EA DICE
    • Video Game
      Lost Planet 2
    • Year
      2010
    • Role
      Lead VFX Artist
    • Company
      Capcom
    • Video Game
      Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
    • Year
      2006
    • Role
      VFX Artist
    • Company
      Capcom
    • Video Game
      DEAD RISING
    • Year
      2006
    • Role
      VFX Artist
    • Company
      Capcom
    • Video Game
      FINAL FANTASY ORIGINS
    • Year
      2002
    • Role
      Environment and FX Artist
    • Company
      Square Enix
    • Video Game
      FINAL FANTASY XI
    • Year
      2001
    • Role
      Field Modeler
    • Company
      Square Enix
    • Video Game
      Parasite Eve II
    • Year
      1999
    • Role
      Environment Artist
    • Company
      SQUARESOFT (Square Enix)
    • Video Game
      Resident Evil 2
    • Year
      1998
    • Role
      Texture Artist on Pre-Rendered Cinematics
    • Company
      Capcom (IMAGICA West)

Experience

  • Senior VFX Technical Artist at Epic games
    United States of America
    August 2021 - Present

    Making VFX for FORTNITE and something.

  • Senior Visual Effects Artist at Naughty Dog, LLC
    Santa Monica, United States of America
    October 2017 - August 2021

    Worked for The Last of Us Part II

  • VFX Artist at EA Digital Illusions CE
    Stockholm , Sweden
    January 2016 - September 2017

    I was working on an unannounced project.

    I have worked on the download contents of "Battlefield 1 "NIVELLE NIGHTS" and "PRISE DE TAHURE".

    Worked on the reveal trailer of Star Wars Battlefront 2 a little bit.

    Worked on Battlefield1 and expansion pack 'They Shall Not Pass' as a VFX Artist.

  • VFX Technical Artist at Capcom
    Osaka, Japan
    April 2011 - December 2015

    //Monster Hunter World//

    Helped making specification and work flow of their VFX Editor as a technical VFX artist.

    //Resident Evil 7//

    - Created special shaders regarding photo realistic fire.

    - Solved the technical problems of FX and shaders.

    - Engaged in R&D, and making workflow of new FX features for the new game engine.

    //Resident Evil UMBRELLA CORPS//

    - Creating special shaders for VFX and environmental art. (Not only using node based shader editor, but also writing HLSL.)

    - Solved the technical problems of graphics pipeline.

    - Optimizing of art assets. (VFX, GUI, Environment, Texture and shaders)

    - Made all of the FX assets for prototype.

    // Unshipped title //

    deepdown(PS4, Capcom as VFX Artist and Technical Artist)

    - Constructed workflow of fluid simulation tool.

    - Created VFX of dragon breath by the fluid simulate (Tokyo Game Show 2013).

    - Created some shaders. (Used node based shader editor.)

    // Other works //

    Educating shader for artists.

  • Lead VFX Artist at Capcom
    Osaka, Japan
    October 2006 - March 2011

    VFX Lead Artist at Lost Planet 2 (PlayStation3, Xbox360, PC).

    - Created VFX assets.

    - Managed the schedule (5 people), and directed of VFX quality.

    -Contributed to the improvement of efficiency of old in-house Particle editor (Called MT Framework).

    -Improved of the iteration in Jscript (Softimage).

    - Proposed DirectX11 features, and created that FX assets (PC).

  • CG Artist at Freelance
    Osaka, Japan
    August 2005 - July 2006

    I left Capcom for care of relatives and helped the rehabilitation.

    - VFX Artist at Dead Rising (Xbox360).

    - VFX Artist at Lost Planet (Xbox360).

    - 3DCG Animation of a new medicine used in Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

    Etc.

  • VFX Artist at Capcom
    Osaka, Japan
    January 2004 - July 2005

    VFX Artist at Lost Planet (Xbox360).

  • Environmental Artist, FX Artist at Square Enix
    Osaka, Japan
    November 1998 - January 2004

    FX Artist & Environment Artist of opening movie at Final Fantasy I&II(Playstation)

    Environment Artist at Final Fantasy XI(PS2, PC)

    Environment Artist at Parasite Eve 2(Playstation)

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