Shiv Dholakia

Available to hire

I’m Shiv Dholakia, a Principal FX Artist and FX TD with 18+ years of global VFX experience across feature films, episodic series, AAA games, and high-end campaigns.

About

I’m Shiv Dholakia, a Principal FX Artist and FX TD with 18+ years of global VFX experience across feature films, episodic series, AAA games, and high-end campaigns. I specialize in building scalable Houdini pipelines for pyro, fluids, and destruction, while collaborating closely with directors and VFX supervisors to deliver production-ready simulations. I thrive on cross-department collaboration and fast iteration, including real-time FX prototyping in Unreal Engine.

  • Joined December 2024

Industry experience

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Software & Internet
  • Other

Projects · 1

Work experience

Principal / Senior FX Artist & FX TD · Global FreelanceJan 2008 – Present · 18 yrs 11 mos

Led complex FX sequences across major VFX studios, architected scalable Houdini systems, and partnered with VFX Supervisors to deliver production-critical simulations.

Education· 15

BFA – Animation & Visual Effects · Academy of Art University, San Francisco2030 – 2026
Applied Generative AI · Purdue University2030 – 2026
AI & Machine Learning · California Institute of Technology (Caltech)2030 – 2026
BFA – Animation & Visual Effects · Academy of Art University, San Francisco2030 – 2026

Certifications and awards· 12

Pixar Renderman (Escape Studios)2030 – 2026
Advanced Houdini FX (Rebelway)2030 – 2026
Houdini Atmospheric Physics (Digital Tutors)2030 – 2026
Pixar Renderman Certification2030 – 2026

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