May 10, 2021

Intervista a Sacha Piedimonte

For The Way of Success column, we meet Sacha Piedimonte, 3D Artist in Rainbow CGI and former student of the Master 3D Digital Production program.

Hi Sacha,

thank you for agreeing to share your experience with us with this interview.

Where did your passion for computer graphics come from and how did you come to Rainbow Academy?

Hello everyone, it is a pleasure to participate in this interview. I have loved the world of art since I was a child, from Neolithic structures to the animated films of our times.
In fact, I first graduated in graphic design and then pursued a degree in graphic design. It was during my college career that I became interested in the world of 3D and decided to attend Rainbow Academy's 3D Digital Production Master's program to specialize in this field.

Your career as a 3d Artist began in full cg animation and then moved to the world of Videogames with Indiegala, and you are currently back on the Rainbow CGI Team. What do you think are the main differences between the two fields?

3D is a vast universe, within which, in my experience, the video game industry and full cg are very different.
The main difference is the type of rendering engine that is used: in video games, software such as Unreal or Unity is used, which cuts down the waiting time that there is in full cg instead.
Many companies are in fact trying to move their workflow to this type of Real Time rendering engine.

What did you deal with in Indiegala? And what do you deal with today in Rainbow CGI? What do you see as the biggest differences when it comes to 3D modeling for full CG or video games?

In my time at Indiegala, I was involved in the creation of environments: from modeling to surfacing to set dressing. It was from this experience that I rediscovered my passion for scene composition, making and placing each individual element to add value to the project. Currently at Rainbow CGI I manage the environment modeling and set dressing department for the Disney Puppy Dog Pals serial. The goal for a modeler working for videogames or full cg is the same, that is, to be able to interpret a design as best as possible, but on a practical level there are instead huge differences between the two areas.
One of the main ones is the approach to the realization of an asset: while in videogames models you have to find a compromise between the artistic and the technical part to make it work best in the rendering engine, in full cg models on the other hand it is not necessary. This does not mean that full cg is easier, but simply that the two areas have a different workflow, each with its own specific difficulties.

Your path in Rainbow started as a student and now you find yourself coordinating an entire department in Rainbow CGI. You are also a lecturer in the Academy. How do you feel about looking back on this big transition and living on the two fronts on a daily basis: professional and educational?

Despite the late nights spent working, I have fond memories of my time as a student at Rainbow Academy, and today being able to teach in the same course that trained me a few years ago is truly an honor.
Obviously at first it was not an easy transition between the two fronts, but now to be honest I no longer feel a big difference between teaching and the role I play on a daily basis at work, because I like to think of each class as my own little modeling team, this makes the "lessons" much more dynamic and engaging.

What do you think are the characteristics that a good 3d Modeler should have both technical and artistic level?

As I always tell my students, to be a good modeler the first rule is attention to detail, because no detail, not even the smallest, should ever be overlooked. One should never be satisfied, but should always aim to get the best possible result, and to do this requires a good dose of self-criticism.

Which of the various projects have you been most passionate about or have given you the most professional satisfaction?

So far I have had the opportunity to work on many good projects, such as Die Young: Prologue, 44 Cats, and The Dragon Prince, but of all of them the one that to date is most exciting and giving me the most satisfaction is the project I am working on at the moment, which is Puppy Dog Pals, both for the project itself and for the coordinating role I am playing.

To be honest, I have never had an artist who has really influenced me. Instead, there are some animated films that have inspired me in a very important way. First among them is definitely Toy Story.

What are your next goals? What is the "big dream" for your future as a 3D Artist?

My next goal is to manage the modeling environment or set dresser department in a major motion picture production.
Then it might sound trivial, but ever since I was a kid I dreamed of being able to teach someday, so the teaching position-which I am currently already doing-is already a dream come true that I hope to carry on.

What do you feel like advising the many kids who would like to take this path and become a 3D Artist?

The only advice I feel I can give is not to get discouraged at the first difficulty because this path is not as easy as it might seem, it requires a lot of commitment, dedication and that little bit of craziness that sets us apart.

We thank you so much for your helpfulness 🙂 .

Thank you!