Meet the Team - Michael Cavallaro

Learn more about Michael Cavallaro, the lead VFX artist for 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.

Here is the reason that my job is so cool. One of my artists wanted me to take a look at his FX for a giant brain that explodes! I gave him some art direction that consisted of "that brain chunk should leave a gooey splat when it bounces on the ground." Then I moved over to another artist who asked me what I thought of the FX for the alien spaceship that sucks life energy out of the ground.

Like I said … PURE AWESOME!

Q: What part of Champions Online are you most excited about working on?
A: I'm really excited about working on the fire powers. Creating fire in games is really challenging and has only been done well in a handful of games. I'm striving to put our game on that list. It's going to be a challenge, but that makes me more excited about doing it! Besides … I now have my excuse to set Danny (one of our animators) on fire. Mwahahaha aaahhh ahhh!

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from?
A: Any and all forms of media. I am always looking at FX and trying to figure out how we can create that in our game. When I see something in a movie that I like, I'll watch it frame-by-frame and analyze it. I do the same with games and in real life. I was at an amusement park with my wife and two kids recently and found myself staring at a big fountain and converting it to a particle system in my extremely awesome mind and trying to figure out how we can make more realistic water FX for Champions Online.

And yes, I can put real life into slow motion.

Q: Who are your favorite artists?
A: Banksy is amazing! Mark Rothko is one of my favorites, too. And you can't really have a list without mentioning Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo (the Renaissance artists, too).

Also, I'm a big fan of the guy who drew Count Chocula and Frankenberry.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: I have a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy with whom I try to spend all the free time that I have. My only form of exercise is seeing how high I can throw my son in the air as he screams "One more time!" I also get in touch with my feminine side by playing dolls with my daughter. Afterwards, I have to go do something manly like rebuild a carburetor or install a keg into the spare fridge in a garage covered with posters of Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett.

My free time starts when everyone goes to bed and I can play a game or do some personal projects on the computer. I lied about my only form of exercise … I also play on the Cryptic hockey team and play the occasional round of golf – although some people will argue about whether golf is actually exercise.

Q: What games are you obsessing over currently?
A: Chutes and Ladders, Candy Lane and Barbie Dress-Up. Oh wait … you mean MY games! :)

I have started to spread myself thin. I am playing about six games simultaneously right now, depending on my mood. I don't spend a lot of time playing so I find myself halfway through one game when the next must-have hits the shelves. At the moment, I am playing Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV and Soul Calibur 4. Call of Duty 4 is my go-to game, though. I've been playing that consistently since it came out. It's the best multiplayer out there, as far as I'm concerned!

Q: If your life was a reality show, what would it be called?
A: "The Commuter." It's a three-hour show everyday where you can watch me try and entertain myself on my commute by doing everything from listening to Howard Stern, satellite radio and audio books to counting how many drivers I can catch picking their noses. I should videotape them and start a second reality show called "You've Been Picked."

Q: What's on your iPod?
A: I have a mix depending on my mood, but my go-tos are The Smiths, The Clash, Tool, Pink Floyd, Violent Femmes, Led Zeppelin and Biggie. (Notorious B.I.G. never goes out of style!) And no … I'm not going to name some obscure band just to sound cool.

Q: What is something interesting about you that players would be surprised to know?
A: I didn't really learn how to use a computer until I graduated from college. I was in athletics from the time I was 3 years old all the way through college and all my free time was spent training. You'd never guess that now since I've been sitting for the past 14 years.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to be a professional artist?
A: Experience every art medium possible. If you want to be a modeler, don't be afraid to learn how to animate or do FX. Like GI Joe says, "knowing is half the battle." I've never seen a successful artist that doesn't appreciate other forms of art. Many of the artists here paint, sculpt and freehand draw to keep their skills up. I just started taking a figure drawing class to improve my drawing skills, which will inevitably make me a better FX artist.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: Yes … I would like to add about four hours to every day so I can get more stuff done! Those are weekdays – add eight more hours to Saturday and Sunday.

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