Hi, I’m Shiv Dholakia, a Principal FX Artist and FX TD with 18+ years of global production experience across 30+ Hollywood feature films, premium episodic series, AAA games, and high-end campaigns. I’ve delivered production FX for Marvel, DreamWorks, Star Wars promotional content, AAA game cinematics, and global advertising campaigns. I excel in large-scale pyro, FLIP & RBD simulations, procedural Houdini system design, and cross-department collaboration to ensure production-critical results. Based in New Delhi–NCR (remote/global), I partner with VFX Supervisors and studios worldwide to architect scalable Houdini workflows, prototype real-time FX in Unreal Engine, and drive efficiency across pipelines. My experience spans NASA, HBO, Apple, BBC, Google, Netflix, and beyond, across feature films, episodic content, and brand campaigns, backed by a solid foundation in AI-assisted workflows and advanced technical design.

Shiv Dholakia

Hi, I’m Shiv Dholakia, a Principal FX Artist and FX TD with 18+ years of global production experience across 30+ Hollywood feature films, premium episodic series, AAA games, and high-end campaigns. I’ve delivered production FX for Marvel, DreamWorks, Star Wars promotional content, AAA game cinematics, and global advertising campaigns. I excel in large-scale pyro, FLIP & RBD simulations, procedural Houdini system design, and cross-department collaboration to ensure production-critical results. Based in New Delhi–NCR (remote/global), I partner with VFX Supervisors and studios worldwide to architect scalable Houdini workflows, prototype real-time FX in Unreal Engine, and drive efficiency across pipelines. My experience spans NASA, HBO, Apple, BBC, Google, Netflix, and beyond, across feature films, episodic content, and brand campaigns, backed by a solid foundation in AI-assisted workflows and advanced technical design.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Shiv Dholakia, a Principal FX Artist and FX TD with 18+ years of global production experience across 30+ Hollywood feature films, premium episodic series, AAA games, and high-end campaigns. I’ve delivered production FX for Marvel, DreamWorks, Star Wars promotional content, AAA game cinematics, and global advertising campaigns. I excel in large-scale pyro, FLIP & RBD simulations, procedural Houdini system design, and cross-department collaboration to ensure production-critical results.

Based in New Delhi–NCR (remote/global), I partner with VFX Supervisors and studios worldwide to architect scalable Houdini workflows, prototype real-time FX in Unreal Engine, and drive efficiency across pipelines. My experience spans NASA, HBO, Apple, BBC, Google, Netflix, and beyond, across feature films, episodic content, and brand campaigns, backed by a solid foundation in AI-assisted workflows and advanced technical design.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Principal / Senior FX Artist & FX TD at Global Freelance
January 1, 2008 - Present
Led complex FX sequences across major VFX studios, architected scalable Houdini systems, and partnered with VFX Supervisors to deliver production-critical simulations.

Education

BFA – Animation & Visual Effects at Academy of Art University, San Francisco
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Applied Generative AI at Purdue University
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
AI & Machine Learning at California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
BFA – Animation & Visual Effects at Academy of Art University, San Francisco
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Certificate in Applied Generative AI at Purdue University
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Certificate in AI & Machine Learning at California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Applied Generative AI at Purdue University
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
AI & Machine Learning at California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
BFA at Academy of Art University, San Francisco
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Pixar Renderman Certification at Escape Studios
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Advanced Houdini FX at Rebelway
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Houdini Atmospheric Physics at Digital Tutors
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026

Qualifications

Pixar Renderman (Escape Studios)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Advanced Houdini FX (Rebelway)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Houdini Atmospheric Physics (Digital Tutors)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Pixar Renderman Certification
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Advanced Houdini FX (Rebelway)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Houdini Atmospheric Physics (Digital Tutors)
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Pixar Renderman Certification
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Advanced Houdini FX
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026
Houdini Atmospheric Physics
January 11, 2030 - March 23, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Gaming, Software & Internet, Other
    uniE608 Senior / Principal FX Artist / Technical Director : Professional Production Show-Reel 2026
    Houdini / Maya FX Professional Production Show-Reel 2026 with Shot List