Yuri Sato
3D Artist in Berlin, He/him
About
I am a 3D artist based in Berlin with experience in the architecture and gaming industries. Over the past two years, I have focused on visual works using Unreal Engine, working on environment and visual effect creation with Houdini.
I'm also interested in the technology behind computer graphics and enjoy graphics created by combining various technologies. Additionally, I have an interest in AI technology itself and am researching how AI can change the overall structure of computer graphics, including visuals and workflows.
Projects
In this music video, I took on all roles from overall art direction to video production. For scene design, I created mood boards and storyboards for the entire project, and presented pre-visualizations using game engines such as Unreal Engine to the client. This ensured that the final visual aligned with the client's expectations before entering the production stage.
In the art direction phase, I decided on the visual style based on the client's conceptual ideas, with a focus on Brutalism, exploring the theme of 'loss and regeneration.' Considering the delivery timeline, Unreal Engine was chosen as the final main tool. I utilized Blender for basic 3D modeling and Houdini for tool development in background creation and other aspects of the project.
As a Technical Artist, I was involved in the development of Xenoblade 3, an intellectual property (IP) owned by Nintendo. My primary responsibilities revolved around tool development for environment artists, with a focus on creating tools using Houdini to automate background placement and other related tasks. Additionally, I undertook the development of a Maya plugin in Python to add functionalities to the existing graph editor based on requests from animators.
Side Projects
I conducted verification of shading techniques within Houdini's internal rendering engine, Karma
This is self project to learn Unreal Engine 5.
The concept of the work itself was to express the sense of loneliness within me as a landscape.
I also used the new features in UE5, such as "Lumen," "Nanite," etc., to test the project's technical aspects. These are innovative features compared to the previous CG workflows, but at the same time, we understood that they require a lot of knowledge about CG. Especially inside of shading is needed.
In the future, more advanced functions will be developed and used in fields other than games, such as the Metaverse, but how much control you have over basic CG techniques will be required.
Work Experience
I started working as a freelance 3D artist and generalist in Berlin, taking on visual projects related to artists, such as music videos (MV).
I worked as a Technical Artist on the development of Xenoblade 3, a Nintendo IP.
I was involved in the maintenance and operation of interactive content, as well as the planning of Sony Park, research on photogrammetry technology, and the creation of promotional videos for products within Sony's R&D department.
I conducted tasks such as updating design tools created based on the CAD tools Rhinoceros and Grasshopper, as well as researching data loading for point clouds.