Open to opportunities

William Salas

@williamsalas

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Multidisciplinary CGI artist with 15 years of creative experience.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I'm looking for opportunities that challenge my creativity and technical skills, ideally in a collaborative environment that values innovation and artistic expression.

I'm William Salas, a multidisciplinary artist with over 15 years of experience in bringing bold visual ideas to life for major brands and creative teams. My journey began with a strong foundation in CGI and motion design, and I've evolved alongside the industry, recently focusing on Houdini to meet the growing demand for procedural workflows and complex simulations.

As the Lead CG Artist at Skechers, I took on the challenge of managing look development, lighting, and effects for high-profile campaigns, including the advanced hair simulations for the 2025 Martha Stewart Super Bowl ad. My work blends creative vision with technical precision, ensuring high-impact results across various digital platforms. I have also led efforts at Carbon VFX, where I designed custom toolkits that streamlined production processes and enhanced creative flexibility.

Throughout my freelance career, I have collaborated with numerous studios, contributing to projects in advertising, broadcast, and product visualization. My adaptability and ability to handle all aspects of production—from design to final delivery—have earned me a reputation for reliability and creative versatility.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Lead CG Artist / Houdini Artist

Skechers

Jan 2022 - Present (3 years 6 months)

Served as the sole Houdini artist and Lead CG Artist across high-profile campaigns, managing look development, lighting, effects, and final output. Created advanced hair simulations for the 2025 Martha Stewart Super Bowl ad and developed stylized explosions, smoke, and pyro FX for the Mr. T campaign, blending creative flair with technical realism.

Houdini Light VFX Hair Simulation Art Direction Redshift

Lead C4D Artist

Carbon VFX

Jan 2020 - Present (5 years 6 months)

Led Cinema 4D pipeline efforts for multiple high-end broadcast and branding projects, designing and building a custom toolkit for EA Sports NHL 2021. Developed a dynamic After Effects toolkit with custom scripting and expressions, enabling user-friendly controls and adjustable parameters for the EA team.

Cinema 4D After Effects Scripting Procedural Assets Workflow Optimization Broadcast Design Branding Toolkit Redshift Octane

2D / 3D Generalist

Freelance

Jan 2009 - Present (16 years 6 months)

Collaborated with various studios on projects spanning advertising, broadcast, and product visualization, serving as both a core team member and sole artist from concept to final delivery. Handled all aspects of production including design, animation, lighting, simulation, rendering, and compositing across 2D and 3D pipelines.

2D Animation 3D Design Light Simulation Render Creative Direction Adobe Creative Suite

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Otis College of Art & Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Digital Media

Completed four years of study with a strong focus on motion design and 3D animation. The program provided a comprehensive foundation in digital media, preparing for a career in visual arts.