KALYAN KANDAGATLA
ABOUT KALYAN KANDAGATLA
Kalyan Kumar Kandagatla is a CG Generalist and visual effects artist with a strong foundation in cinematic lighting, simulations, compositing, and digital media production. His work focuses on creating visually compelling environments and effects that enhance storytelling. With experience across film production, visual effects pipelines, and multimedia design, he combines technical precision with creative thinking to develop immersive visual content for film, digital campaigns, and interactive media.
Beyond his work in VFX, Kalyan is also the founder of Kubuni, a creative studio specializing in branding, digital design, web development, and visual media solutions. He has led hundreds of creative projects while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across design, marketing, and production. His approach blends artistic vision, technical expertise, and structured workflows to deliver high-quality results while continuously exploring new tools and techniques in visual effects and digital storytelling.
Education
Jun 2023 - Mar 2025
M.A. Visual Effects |
Savannah College of Art and Design
Completed a Master’s degree in Visual Effects with a focus on CG production, simulations, compositing, and cinematic lighting. Developed advanced skills in industry-standard tools while working on production-style projects that emphasized storytelling, technical accuracy, and visual realism.
Jun 2017 - Mar 2021
Bachelor's in MultiMedia |
International Academy of Computer Graphics
Built a strong foundation in multimedia design, visual effects, and digital production. Gained hands-on experience in 3D modeling, animation, compositing, graphic design, and creative media workflows used across film, advertising, and digital platforms.
Experience
Mar 2024 - Present
LIGHTING ARTIST |
DRAKO VISUALFX
STUDIO
Sept 2018 - Present
FOUNDER |
KUBUNI LLP
NOV 2025 - DEC 2025
DIGITAL ARTIST |
HUE PICTURES
SEPT 2024 - NOV 2024
RESEARCH & STRATEGY | SCADPRO - DELOITTE
AUG 2022 - DEC 2022
VFX MENTOR |
IACG COLLEGE
AUG 2021 - JUL 2022
JR. CG GENERALIST |
IACG PRODUCTION
Akhanda 2 – Feature Film
Created original cave-interior shots in Unreal Engine and set up the lighting to achieve a cinematic look with clear character readability. Refined lighting to match the creative direction and reference imagery, balancing contrast, depth, and mood across each shot. Responded quickly to review feedback and delivered updated iterations on schedule while resolving lighting issues and maintaining clean, organized scene files to ensure stable and consistent results.
Studio Projects
Worked on multiple studio projects including Navab Cafe’s lyric video, a production house banner, and game assets. Supported lighting and CG work in Maya while maintaining clean and organized scenes for efficient updates and revisions. Used Photoshop to create and refine visuals that matched each project's style and requirements, and completed motion and editing work in After Effects and Premiere Pro to deliver clean final exports. Managed version updates and quick fixes to maintain consistency and production quality across projects.
Founded and lead Kubuni, a multidisciplinary creative studio delivering branding, web development, VFX, and digital media solutions. Directed end-to-end production for 200+ projects including branding campaigns, social media content, motion graphics, and visual effects work. Managed a cross-functional team of designers, editors, and marketers while serving as the primary client partner, translating business goals into clear creative strategies and production briefs. Established scalable production workflows, asset libraries, and review processes to maintain efficiency, consistent quality, and reliable delivery while mentoring junior creatives and supporting the growth of the studio’s creative output.
Joined the VFX team as a CG Generalist during high-pressure production timelines, supporting multiple shots and technical tasks across the pipeline. Built and updated production scenes while maintaining organized project files and stable workflows. Refined lighting to match live-action plates and maintain visual consistency across versions, while troubleshooting shot issues and implementing technical fixes. Delivered render updates, handled version control, and ensured final outputs met production quality and delivery standards.
Collaborated on a SCADpro industry project with Deloitte focused on researching vaccine hesitancy across U.S. communities and identifying key behavioral and communication barriers. Analyzed survey data, interviews, and secondary research to extract meaningful insights that informed strategic recommendations. Contributed to the development of a digital micro-campaign “How-To” playbook outlining audience profiles, messaging approaches, and content guidelines, while translating research findings into clear visual reports and presentations for client and faculty review.
Mentored undergraduate students in visual effects, guiding them through core workflows in 3D production, compositing, and simulation techniques. Reinforced concepts taught in class by assisting students in understanding industry tools such as Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and Adobe Suite. Reviewed assignments, provided feedback on lighting, FX, and compositing quality, and helped students troubleshoot technical challenges while preparing their projects to meet production-ready standards.
Worked as a junior CG generalist supporting production teams in 3D asset creation, lighting, and rendering for advertisements and promotional content. Assisted in developing models, textures, and visual assets while maintaining organized scene structures and production workflows. Contributed to digital and print marketing materials including social media graphics, banners, brochures, and campaign visuals, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and delivery standards.
