We recently connected with Rahul Gupta and have shared our conversation below.

Rahul, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

A significant risk I took was choosing a career in visual effects over becoming a doctor, despite securing a position at a prestigious medical college. This decision was driven by my passion for creativity and digital art, cultivated from childhood through my interests in music, art, and storytelling.

This path was unconventional, especially coming from a background where traditional professional roles were expected. The journey wasn’t smooth, with challenges including adapting to a new cultural environment during my studies in Paris, facing the uncertainty of job prospects amidst industry strikes in the United States, and navigating the complexities of establishing a career in a highly competitive field.

However, pursuing my passion allowed me to specialize in Special Effects, leading to recognition in my field and fulfilling my dream of contributing to movie productions and games.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Rahul Gupta and I go by the name arctiem online. My work mainly consists of me working in software like Houdini, Unreal Engine, and Nuke. My journey into this dynamic field wasn’t a straightforward one. Originating from a background that traditionally leaned towards more conventional careers, I took a leap of faith by pursuing my passion for digital art, a decision that led me to global experiences—from studying in Paris to refining my skills in Los Angeles.

My educational pathway was marked by rigorous training and exploration. At Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles, I delved deep into dynamics and volumetrics in Houdini, mastering the tools that would allow me to bring my creative visions to life. This experience wasn’t just about acquiring technical skills but a journey of self-discovery and pushing the boundaries of what I could achieve as a digital artist.

I am currently based out of Miami. I specialize in creating photorealistic effects that captivate audiences and tell compelling stories. My work involves a blend of creativity and technical prowess, from simulating complex natural phenomena like water and fire to crafting detailed destruction sequences that add depth and realism to visual narratives.

What sets me apart in the industry is my ability to execute high-quality work and my dedication to developing procedural pipeline workflows. This commitment ensures that my projects are not only visually stunning but also efficient and scalable, addressing some of the most challenging aspects of production in the visual effects domain.

I am particularly proud of my work’s recognition, highlighting my contributions to the field. Being a finalist for Rookie of the Year by DNEG and receiving Best of Term awards for my projects underscore the impact of my work on visual effects. Through my work, I aim to inspire, challenge, and elevate the visual experiences we engage with, whether in movies, commercials, or digital platforms.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to bring imagination to life, creating visuals that were once only possible in dreams. This journey is deeply personal and reflective of my desire to push the limits of visual storytelling.

Creating procedural assets and tools to model things for a game / cinematic non-destructively is one of the most rewarding aspects of this job. For example – I recently created a fence and a utility pole tool for the studio to be used in Houdini or Unreal Engine.

This tool will potentially be used by the environment artists working there now and possibly for a long time in the future by other artists that work in the studio. It is an in-house tool that I had the privilege to code using Vex (a programming language), and it reduces the workload of an environment artist in particular by automating a tedious task for them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One of the main goals driving me on my creative journey is to contribute to highly acclaimed and memorable productions, whether games or movies. I strive for excellence and try to explore and pioneer uncharted territories by exploring new software, tools, and techniques that are not widespread in the industry.

For example – I recently completed 3 of my demo reel projects using a render engine called Karma. I started using it when it wasn’t very popular / documentation was sparse, and in turn, it made me dive into future technologies such as USD (Universal Scene Description), a universal file format that the whole industry as we know it will pivot to in the coming years. My early adoption of these technologies helped me get a head start deep diving into these highly experimental beta technologies, but this also helped me contribute to documentation in forums and share my findings by trial and error with someone struggling.

I mainly do this by sharing blog posts on things I figure out by trial and error. I believe this is a good way to spread knowledge and help educate people interested in getting into these new technologies themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arctiem.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arctiem
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-gupta-595073179/
• Twitter: https://x.com/arctiem
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1q_IfGzOdZCU8EzzJdpppQ