We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Can Sarac. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Can below.

Can, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I love putting a part of myself into my projects. When I work on personal pieces, I often reflect on something meaningful about myself. As a result, every project I’ve worked on holds deep significance and has a special place in my heart. However, if I had to choose one, it would be the van model I created during one of my beginner classes at Gnomon School of VFX. That vehicle belongs to my greatest supporters in life: my grandparents. They’ve supported me in every way possible throughout my life, and that’s why this project stands out from the rest.

Can, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

It all started when I watched Tron: Legacy. I remember that day vividly. I told my dad, “I’m not going to watch that computer-generated movie.” But after his insistence, we ended up watching it, and I was amazed by every single aspect. I still think it’s a true modern-day masterpiece. The entire environment in the grid was CGI, with no resemblance to the real world, yet somehow, it felt realistic. Even though everything looked completely otherworldly, the environment still appeared high quality and realistic.

That’s when I thought, I have to learn how they achieved this, and I started considering a career in CGI. However, Hollywood is a big deal, even for a U.S. citizen. For a student in Turkey, it was just a name you heard when watching or talking about movies. It wasn’t a real place; it was a dreamland. When I first brought up the idea of this career to my family, they rejected it, and I immediately agreed with them.

But it must have stayed on their minds, because as I got closer to finishing high school, they reconsidered the idea with me, and we decided on Gnomon School of Visual Effects to start my dream career.

My time at Gnomon was incredible. It was a surreal experience as a student, and I’m so glad I had the chance to live it. I chose the CG Generalist path, and I’m still moving forward on the Generalist and Hard Surface paths today

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

CG is a high-effort field, but the rewards are priceless. It’s like bringing your dreams to life or as I like to say, making the magic happen. I think it is one of the best method to explain yourself, whether you’re expressing a feeling or sharing a memory. It can be even something that hasn’t been experienced yet, but that you wish to experience. The ability to create and visualize an idea from your mind still amazes me.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I’ve always believed that LA is a fantastic city for artists, with support both locally and from the government. The talent here is amazing, there are plenty of opportunities across different art genres, and the art community is incredibly talented. However, I’ve noticed a decline in job prospects recently, and it’s unfortunate to see so many artists struggling to secure steady work. Hopefully, more opportunities will come soon, giving artists a more stable environment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_cansarac3d_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/can-sarac-309061169/
• Other: https://www.artstation.com/cansarac

Image Credits

Zip Cart Project Credits;

Clouds – Angel Villavicencio

Concept by Zhou Kun