I am a CG Generalist based in New York City, specializing in look development and storytelling-driven design. I work across photorealistic and stylized visual languages to craft emotionally resonant imagery. I am passionate about delivering high-quality visuals with intricate detail and strong digital production craft, collaborating across disciplines to tell compelling stories.

Nargiza Iskakova

I am a CG Generalist based in New York City, specializing in look development and storytelling-driven design. I work across photorealistic and stylized visual languages to craft emotionally resonant imagery. I am passionate about delivering high-quality visuals with intricate detail and strong digital production craft, collaborating across disciplines to tell compelling stories.

Available to hire

I am a CG Generalist based in New York City, specializing in look development and storytelling-driven design. I work across photorealistic and stylized visual languages to craft emotionally resonant imagery.

I am passionate about delivering high-quality visuals with intricate detail and strong digital production craft, collaborating across disciplines to tell compelling stories.

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Language

Kazakh
Fluent
English
Fluent
Russian
Fluent
French
Beginner

Work Experience

3D VFX Technician at Scheimpflüg
July 1, 2025 - Present
Developed real-time VFX and 3D lookdev for an unreleased AAA project, improving lighting, clarity, and shot readability. Built fast iteration and lookdev pipelines, accelerating visual testing by 30%. Processed photogrammetry and lighting data into production-ready assets for VFX, environments, and compositing teams.
Virtual Production & Motion Capture Intern at GUM Studios
April 1, 2025 - June 1, 2025
Created Unreal Engine visualizations, environments, and mood-driven shots for real-time storytelling and previs. Designed tracking and visualization tools that reduced on-set shot errors by 25%. Supported directors with shot planning, ensuring consistent composition, lighting, and motion language.
Production Intern at Be Electric Studios
February 1, 2025 - March 1, 2025
Assisted VFX, camera, and lighting teams on commercial sets, improving on-set workflow efficiency. Organized footage, assets, and project files for seamless post-production handoff. Collaborated with art and production teams to maintain continuity, clean coverage, and shot consistency.
Motion Designer at Khabar Agency HSC
September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2024
Produced cinematic motion graphics, CG elements, and compositing for national broadcast shows. Built modular templates and motion systems reducing turnaround time by 40%. Directed visual language across teams —color, typography, pacing, and animation clarity.
Motion Designer & Video Editor at Akita Agency
May 1, 2018 - July 1, 2021
Designed CG elements, transitions, and polished edits for branded and commercial campaigns. Created reusable After Effects templates to standardize and speed production. Enhanced footage through advanced color correction, compositing, and dynamic animation.

Education

Master of Professional Studies at NYU Tisch School of the Arts
September 3, 2024 - May 15, 2025
Bachelor of Fine Arts at Kazakh National University of Arts
September 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022
Master of Fine Arts at Kazakh National University of Arts
September 1, 2015 - June 30, 2020

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Professional Services
    paper Gaussian Splatting

    Link: https://www.twine.net/signin
    This visual project for Norma Kamali and Marc Jacobs was created by Nargiza Iskakova using my own workflow, developed while studying and experimenting with new technologies in SideFX Houdini.

    The process began by scanning the model inside a photogrammetry rig, then generating a high-resolution 3D model in RealityCapture. The scans were further cleaned in ZBrush and the textures refined in Substance Painter. The environment was built in Cinema 4D and rendered in Redshift, with the final scene assembled in SideFX Houdini. To expand the concept further, I applied Gaussian Splatting in PostShot, transforming the visuals into a unique dimensional language.

    This project represents my exploration of how fashion design and experimental 3D workflows can merge, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling in fashion.

    paper Stop Motion

    Link: https://www.twine.net/signin
    This hand-crafted stop motion film was built entirely from cut-out elements, each piece carefully designed and animated by hand. Using a self-built stop motion machine, I and my collaborators cut every component, staged, and shot frame by frame to bring the story to life. The process blended traditional animation craftsmanship with patience and experimentation, resulting in a tactile, intimate film that highlights the beauty of manual creation in the digital age.

    paper Echoes Of The Corridor

    Link: https://www.twine.net/signin
    As part of a short film produced in Virtual Production, I developed ultra-dynamic clouds that transformed in real time on the LED wall. The environment was built in Unreal Engine and extended with glass screens featuring integrated VFX HUD designs. I optimized both the scene and the cloud system, and used Pixera to run the visuals on the wall during production.
    The setup worked flawlessly, allowing us to achieve all creative and technical goals efficiently, and the shooting process ran smoothly, quickly, and on schedule.
    The VFX HUD on the transparent screen was created in Adobe After Effects. I used motion tracking with masks to align the graphics inside the characters’ eyes, and built multiple layered elements to design a futuristic sci-fi interface.

    paper MARS, BABY

    Link: https://www.twine.net/signin
    This film was created and edited by me during my studies at NYU as part of a special Runway AI course on generative filmmaking. Using AI-generated video and voice in Runway, I shaped it to mimic the pacing and tone of mid-century advertising, it is selling a future no one asked for, with a smile.

    Glossy, absurd, and unsettling, the piece layers corporate optimism over an undercurrent of quiet dread.

    I generated stills and then animated video sequences in Runway, used Act-Two to add voice and facial mimicry for the main narrator, and completed the compositing and editing in Adobe After Effects.

    paper Regenesis — Unreal Engine Environment

    Link: https://www.twine.net/signin
    For Regenesis, I was responsible for both the creative planning and technical execution. I began by creating the storyboard to outline the sequence and flow of the performance. The choreography was recorded with a Vicon motion capture system, and I retargeted the captured motion data in MotionBuilder for use with the digital character.

    I constructed the environment in Unreal Engine, where I adjusted the scene layout, lighting, and atmosphere. The final video was edited and composited in After Effects, where I synchronized the captured performance with the environment and added visual refinements.

    This process involved the complete pipeline from pre-visualization (storyboard) to final output, with work spanning motion capture, retargeting, environment creation, and compositing.