Alumni Spotlight: Yang Liu

YANG LIU (NFFTY ‘08, ‘09) is a 3D Artist located in Los Angeles. After working in the motion graphics industry for a several years, Yang found his true passion in lighting for animation, and has been transitioning into work in that field. He currently works as a Cinematic Lighting Artist for Naughty Dog.

Our Interview with Yang:

When did you first become interested in filmmaking, and specifically animation?

I was born in the 80’s in southern China, where watching TV was a luxury and video entertainment did not exist. I remember that my dad gave me one VHS tape that had 4 or 5 Disney animated shorts recorded on it. Though it was poor quality, I watched it on a loop for hours every day. My favorite one was called “A Cowboy Needs A Horse”, an animated short made in the 50’s. I watched that tape more than 100 times, and that was my very first memory of animation.

Technology changes so quickly in the world of CG. How did you build up your impressive skills as a CG animator and 3D artist, and how do you continue to hone and adapt those skills?

When I started my career, I spent a lot of time learning as much as I could about everything required to be a 3D generalist. I would sign up for classes and check out online tutorials. There is a lot of 3D software nowadays and a lot of ways to learn new skills. Gnomon School, Digital Tutor, and Concept Design Academy are my favorite places to go to for new skills. I have never stopped taking classes and I constantly create my own artwork. In my opinion, practice is the best way to get better!

You spent many years as a motion graphics artist before moving into CG lighting as a focus. What was it that sparked your interest in lighting design? How did you make that transition professionally?

Getting into motion graphics was not what I had originally intended. When I was in school, I dreamed about becoming a lighting artist for Pixar and Disney, but actually finding a job was a different story. Long story short, eventually I became a 3D generalist for a motion graphics studio in LA.

It took me 6 years to decide that I should go back to lighting. It was not an easy decision in the beginning - I struggled trying to find a lighting job for a few months, and then the pandemic hit. The transition really began to happen in 2020 when I found an online mentor, Michael Tanzillo, who taught me so much about character lighting. I spent about 6 months in that mentorship, and eventually I was able to build a new portfolio for lighting.

You recently took on a post as Cinematic Lighting Artist for Naughty Dog. What has it been like to work in cinematic game design? What is it like to work at such a beloved and high-profile gaming company?

Being able to work on games at Naughty Dog is a dream come true. Making games is different than anything I’ve done before, so on a personal level this has also been super challenging. As cinematic lighting artists, we design the game lighting just how we would do it for animated films. We talk to the concept team, animation team, and the directors to help inform how we can best present the story moments. The unique part? Everyone is super good at what they do!

Being in a large studio feels different, especially because I had been working for small studios for many years. I guess the fun part is when you start noticing the internet comments about the studio. Fans are enthusiastic about the games, and it’s the first time that I feel my artwork could matter to some people.

Your cats are really adorable, and seem to feature pretty heavily in some of your personal lighting and animation studies. Would you say they are your primary inspiration? Where else do you draw inspiration from?

Thank you! They would love to hear that. Evert CG artist needs a pet in my opinion. I have done some lighting exercises with cats, largely because they became a huge part of my daily life ever since I began working from home.

In terms of my other inspirations, I look at cinematography in classic films and study classic paintings whenever I can. For example, I love analyzing impressionist artists such as Claude Monet, who basically created a new language to depict lights and colors. My favorite is always his painting called “Woman with a Parasol”.

People often think of filmmakers as the ones behind the camera, but your work is entirely on the post-production side of things. Do you have any advice for young creatives and aspiring filmmakers who are looking to break into the technical or post-production side of filmmaking?

Firstly, sit through the credits after a movie or game. The credits tell you which studio is behind the production, and the key artists who worked on it. Then, you could try and find them on the internet and reach out to build a connection.

Secondly, always be ready to learn new techniques. The industry evolves constantly.

Lastly, be curious about knowledge outside of filmmaking. There are a lot of ideas I got from reading a book or traveling to another country. It will benefit you in the long run.

How has NFFTY impacted your life or career over the past decade?

NFFTY was the first film festival that ever accepted me. It happened so long ago in 2008, when I barely spoke proper English and I made my first animated short film about two chopsticks falling in love. I was so happy at the time just knowing that my film was being recognized. This was emotionally very supportive, as I was so young, foreign and naive. Being selected gave me the idea that there were many young artists just like me, and a reassurance that I should keep trying. Now, after 13 years of trying, I am finally working for my favorite game studio as lighting artist!

What’s next for you?

We are currently very busy at Naughty Dog, doing several projects at the same time. As the game development process is long, I can see myself staying here for a while.