Meet Chen Tang | FX Artist/Technical Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chen Tang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chen, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
The journey into the world of CG started during my undergraduate years as a Biology major. Despite this, my childhood passion for painting drew me towards digital art, particularly in 3D. Exposure to CG through elective classes and captivating animated movies like “Zootopia” and “Coco” intensified my interest. This led me to pursue a Visual Effects and Game Development degree at SCAD, where my first encounter with Houdini’s capabilities in creating large-scale environments sparked my enthusiasm for procedural techniques.

Diving deeper into Houdini, I yearned to master its FX potential, prompting me to self-teach programming languages like Mel, Vex, C++, and Python. Delving into various solvers within Houdini, I honed skills in generating natural effects such as fire, smoke, water, and destruction. Additionally, my experience with the Houdini Engine enabled me to craft real-time FX.

Entering the professional realm at the Monk Studio marked my initial stint as an FX artist, offering me the opportunity to contribute to animated feature series. The most exhilarating phase occurred at Scanline VFX, where my involvement in “The Gray Man” involved creating explosive effects and conducting extensive research and development (R&D). Collaborating with talented artists to forge tools and an FX library while learning in-house software amplified my interest in acquiring new skills.

As an FX artist, I acknowledge the perpetual learning curve within the CG field. I am committed to continual self-improvement and exploring novel techniques to further advance my expertise.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In my point of view, it’s not a smooth road. First of all, I have no idea what I should learn to jump into this field. And I need to learn a lot of new stuff that I never get a chance to know before. It is a bold decision to me. I don’t know if the dream will come true or what the career will lead at that time. It is also the first time for me to go abroad and study in a college, I need to learn how to live and study in a new place by myself. There are lots of uncertainties in the road. I’m so glad I can keep going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a week-long adventure with my best friend in Atlanta, I’d start with a visit to the Georgia Aquarium, followed by lunch at Ponce City Market for a taste of local flavors. We’d spend the afternoon exploring the Atlanta BeltLine and enjoying the street art and vibrant atmosphere. Dinner would be at a trendy restaurant in Midtown, followed by drinks at a rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline. The next day, we’d explore the historic Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and have lunch at a soul food restaurant in the Sweet Auburn district. In the evening, we’d catch a show at the Fox Theatre. Midweek, we’d take a day trip to hike in the Chattahoochee National Forest and have a picnic. Back in the city, we’d visit the High Museum of Art and enjoy dinner at a local favorite in Inman Park. As the week winds down, we’d spend a day at Stone Mountain Park, exploring the trails and taking in the view from the top. We’d end our trip with a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden and a farewell dinner at a fine dining restaurant in Buckhead.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I learned different aspects in CG field and I specialize in FX. A major part of my work is developing natural effects such as pyro smoke, explosion, rain, splash, etc. or some abstract effects like magic particles. I also have some experience in procedural modeling or tools development for films or games. The most important part is to cooperate with other talented artists. I can learn a lot from them. Sometimes I need to develop a fx rig from beginning, There will be a lot of challenges and it will interest me a lot. The most pround work so far is when I worked on “The Gray Man” at Scanline VFX. I developed a series of fireworks fx in the movie.

Website: https://peterctang.artstation.com/projects/18kDZ2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterctang/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tangchenpeter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chen.tang.5095/