Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi! I'm Chamishka Jayanaga Gamage, a CG artist from the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Right now, I'm living in the vibrant city of Shanghai, China. I work as a freelance VFX Supervisor and Creative Director, with over 14 years of work experience in the industry. I'm also super excited to be starting my own studio called Flusk. I love bringing amazing visual effects to life and am passionate about storytelling through visuals.

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tell us about your childhood. What inspired you growing up, and how did those early experiences lead you to your current career?

My childhood was always inspired by art. My dad used to do ice carvings and sculptures, and my family always encouraged me to participate in various art competitions, both locally and internationally. It was quite a fun childhood! I first got introduced to 3D art in high school and became very curious about how movies and cartoons were made. So, I started researching on my own.

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what lights the spark for you? Where do you find the most inspiration for your project?

Personally, for me, the creative fuel is the right team. When you find the right team with the same vision, it's like a creative bomb. Each and every thought from my artists is the biggest inspiration for me to dive into a project.

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What's the most challenging or unexpected task you've encountered during production

Every commercial in China brings unexpected challenges, especially when you and your team have done great work, and then the clients come up with a completely different idea. Haha! I've worked on projects where a 1-minute spot resulted in over 3,000 pages of comments. But that's the fun part; it's all part of the rollercoaster ride!

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Let’s shine a light on one of your favorite projects. Walk us through the creative process and the magic that brought it to life.

My personal projects are definitely at the top of my spotlight. Professionally, I really enjoy the Wild Rift projects, and there was a Uniqlo commercial that was nominated for many awards. Yeah, those are a few of my favorites!

X-TAON Art Car Texturing Contest: Winners | Adobe Substance 3D

How do you manage your time, especially with side personal projects?

To be fair, it’s really hard to make time for personal projects. The last personal project I did was after a four-year break, and it happened because I had some spare time after leaving Digital Domain. For me, personal projects are always a benchmark to test myself, my tools, and to refresh everything.

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As you’ve climbed the ladder to CG Supervisor position, What is CG Supv all about? what's your secret sauce?

I probably have a different opinion about this. Of course, creativity and proficiency in your craft are essential, but equally important are people skills and time management—executing tasks smartly. For young artists today, it's easier than ever to start and learn VFX or related fields, but many overlook fundamentals. It's crucial to keep learning, expose oneself to new ideas, and then climbing the ladder becomes much easier.

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As a CG Supervisor working on various styles and projects showcased in your showreel, what specific challenges do you encounter in these projects?

In my career, I've mostly worked in advertising, where the main challenge is managing time and aligning client and creative visions to achieve the desired outcome. That's where the fun begins! However, you might not believe that the most difficult projects I've executed are often the product-related commercials. They may appear simple, but the process of navigating through numerous levels of feedback and ideas can be very complex. Haha!

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What are the things you wish you knew or learned earlier that would have made a significant impact on your current situation?

I consider myself an easygoing person. Every project is a definite challenge for me, and I learn new lessons—both personally and professionally—with each one. While I don't regret where I am now, I do wish I could have started my journey in the film industry.

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Who in the industry do you look up to as an inspiration or role model?

Definitely, my role model is George Lucas. He's the first person that comes to mind when it comes to VFX, and I grew up watching the Star Wars movies. I'm a huge fan!

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What's your favorite part of your job? Is there a particular feature or tool that you love and couldn't imagine working without?

My strength shines when it comes to lighting; personally, I love working on lighting and look development. However, most of the time, I work more like a generalist. Animation is my kryptonite, though I do enjoy creating environments. In terms of tools, I love learning all of them, honestly. I came to Houdini relatively late, but I've been properly practicing it for about a year now. Houdini is definitely the tool I use day-to-day at the moment.

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You have worked on lots of big and medium VFX Studios, and big projects. How is it like working at a big studio?

Personally, I prefer boutique environments as an artist because they offer more opportunities to learn about tools and develop skills. This approach may not apply to everyone, but it certainly works for me. The largest studio I've worked at is Digital Domain China, where I worked in both Beijing and Shanghai depending on the projects. It was a different experience because there's more emphasis on management than on being an artist—you often have to rely on others to get what you need. It's a different dynamic. On the other hand, working in big studios gives you the chance to experience and contribute to impressive showreel pieces.

what's your perspective on AI in our industry? Some artists have strong opinions—do you fear it, love it, or have a neutral stance?

This is the kryptonite for artists: AI is developing at lightning speed, and I have no idea where it will lead us, to be honest. Right now, I'm leveraging AI tools as well; they make our lives much faster. Tools like Mid Journey and Stable Diffusion are great for quick concepts. Also, I'm not the greatest writer, so AI helps me put my ideas into nice words, which is fantastic. However, I hope AI doesn't completely take over the entire creative industry. The industry is already in crisis, and this could escalate the crisis into a disaster.

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Let's have some fun! If you were to predict the future of VFX, how do you see it evolving in the next 10-15 years?

In 10-15 years, it sounds more like an AI takeover, but I hope not. It's hard to say. My thoughts on this are that tools should leverage AI to develop and enhance workflows, making them faster and more efficient, but not completely replace human creativity. As I mentioned before, if AI completely takes over, the crisis could indeed turn into a disaster.

On the path of personal development, how do you continue to challenge yourself and grow as an artist?

Our industry moves at a rapid pace. When we started 15 years ago, we had to discover most things on our own. Nowadays, with large communities and many talented artists, continuous learning is essential, especially with software like Houdini, which is incredibly deep and offers endless learning opportunities.

For artists who want to check out your work and learn more about you, where should they go?

https://www.chamishka.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chammi3000/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chamishka-gamage-49830460/

As we wrap up, what final words do you have for your fellow artists? No pressure, but is there something you'd like to share or a piece of advice you think would resonate with your colleagues in the industry?

“don't be a great artist with simple work, be a simple artist with great work”