ILMxLAB has launched Inside the Studio: Our Stories, an interview series thats highlights the career journeys of the team in Lucasfilm’s immersive entertainment division, and next up is Senior Character Artist Davide.
In your own words, tell us a little bit about your role and what you do here at the studio.
My role at ILMxLAB is essentially to translate creatures and characters from concept art into 3D assets. This process involves digital sculpting and painting, and it’s the first in a long series of steps to bring the characters to life.
While at ILM, Davide worked on the UV and textures of Bumblebee “Jeep version” in Paramount Pictures’ Bumblebee.© 2018 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
You mentioned to us that you studied art in Italy, getting your bachelor’s degree in Painting (edited from graphic design) and then a master’s in computer graphics. What ignited your passion for art and made you want to turn it into your career?
It’s a key question for art students and one that became very relevant when I wanted to figure out what being an artist today meant to me. The way I see it, exactly like in the past, highly skilled craftsmen and artists were commissioned to build amazing monuments in a collective effort, and today we have films and games. For me, being an artist is not a means to celebrate an individual personality but it’s a role that, when synced up with others, can achieve otherwise impossible goals.The characters that people find in Star Wars come in all different shapes, sizes and species. What is your favorite part about creating characters within this galaxy?
Regardless of every aspect and specific, each character has a story to tell. My favorite part is to convey that story through sculpting and painting.How do you work with other areas of the studio to implement the characters you create into projects?
Building a character is definitely a complex process, and being connected and collaborative with every other role from different teams is essential. I think that for me, it’s a constant push to grow and learn more from others. It’s great.Now that you’ve been at the studio for about a year, do you have a project or accomplishment that you’ve worked on that you are the most proud of?
I can’t share much yet, but I’m sure the project that I’m working on right now is going to be something that I’ll be really proud of.
Some of Davide’s digital paintings. Used with permission.
What’s your favorite part about being at the studio? Is there anything in particular that makes you excited to work each week?
Working at ILMxLAB means to also live and experience the history and culture of ILM, which is a tremendous honor and opportunity. I love being part of this group, the people I’ve met here are definitely a treasure for me.What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever gotten?
No matter what you do, to always practice and to fully commit should be a mantra. Also, learn something everyday. Your peers can be your best teachers.For someone interested in a similar career, is there a program or class that you’d recommend taking, or a skill they should learn?
One of the most amazing aspects of this industry is that there’s every walk of life coming in. Each artist has their own path and it’s fascinating to see how different every course is. My point is, there’s no elected or preferred path to take once you have established your intention. There are plenty of really good teachers and classes out there! The skill I suggest to practice no matter what though, is to draw. Drawing is the artist’s way to understand and see reality.
Take the link below for Lightspeed Questions with Davide and stay tuned for more interviews highlighting the career journeys of the team in Lucasfilm’s immersive entertainment division.
