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Team Profile: Michael Cavallaro

By Keith Cross on Aug 07, 2008

The Champions Online official site has been updated with a profile of Michael Cavallaro, the lead VFX artist on Champions Online.

Q: What do you do on Champions Online?
A: I am the lead VFX artist for Champions Online, which is the most awesome job in the world no matter what Christopher Chamberlain tells you. :) Working with Chris, I oversee the look and style of all of the FX in the game.

Q: How long have you been working in gaming, and what did you do before Champions Online?
A: What time is it now?

I'm fairly new to the gaming industry, but I've been doing this type of thing for about 14 years. I've been here at Cryptic for a year and a half. I come from a film VFX background where I did a lot of compositing, animating and FX.

Q: What is your typical workday like?
A: I am creating the player powers for Champions Online, so I start with lots of research to see how a particular power has been visualized in comics, movies and other games. Sometimes I'll set one of the animators on fire to see what flames should look like when someone is running around … on fire! It kills two birds with one stone because then that same animator can use the video to make the "guy running around on fire" animation.