John Huikku

CG Supervisor, Art Director, and VFX Artist with 25+ years transforming visions into reality for film, TV, and gaming.

About Me

John Huikku Headshot

Who Am I?

I'm John Huikku, a multi-disciplinary CG Supervisor and Art Director with over 25 years of experience in animation, VFX, game cinematics, venue-based entertainment, and generative AI.

What Do I Do?

I specialize in CG supervision, look development, lighting, compositing, VFX supervision, and pipeline development for major studios.

How Do I Do It?

With expertise in Maya, Arnold, Nuke, Adobe Creative Suite, Houdini, RenderMan, XGen, Mari, Redshift, and generative AI tools like ComfyUI, Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, Kling, Minimax, Veo2, and Sora.

Where Am I?

I work remotely from Burlington, Vermont, United States, with availability to travel globally.

Portfolio

TCL: The Audition

TCL TVPlus - The Audition

Gen AI Art Director

Dune: Part 2 Arena Fight

Dune: Part 2 - Arena Fight

CG Supervisor

Shazam! Fury Daughters Scene

Shazam! Fury - Daughters Scene

CG Supervisor

Shazam! Fury Fight Scene

Shazam! Fury - Fight Scene

CG Supervisor

Clash of Clans x Erling Haaland - CG Supervisor

Clash of Clans x Erling Haaland

CG Supervisor

Destiny 2 Screeb Queen

Destiny 2 - Screeb Queen

CG Supervisor

Addams Family 2 Case Study

Addams Family 2

CG Supervisor

Riverdance Trailer

Riverdance

CG Supervisor

Addams Family Teaser

Addams Family

CG Supervisor

Ferrari Land Racing Legends

Ferrari Land - Racing Legends

CG Supervisor / Art Director

Imaginary Mary Trailer

Imaginary Mary

CG Supervisor

Wreck-It Ralph Best Scene

Wreck-It Ralph

Procedural Lead / Look Development Artist

Wreck-It Ralph Sugar Rush

Wreck-It Ralph

Procedural Lead / Look Development Artist

Frozen Ice Harvest

Frozen

Look Development & Lighting Artist

Lord of the Rings Black Gates

Lord of the Rings

Environments TD / Matte Painter

Sky Captain Hologram

Sky Captain

Compositor / Matte Painter

Experience

2018 – Present

Partner & Creative Director
Alpine InfoGrafik
Burlington, Vermont
2024 – Present

  • Leading product innovation, design strategy, and go-to-market execution for smart home devices in the winter sports industry
  • Directing end-to-end product development integrating IoT technology with traditional woodworking
  • Managing manufacturing workflows using CNC machining and 3D printing techniques

AI Art Director
TCL Research America
2024

  • Directed creative development and visual direction for AI-generated video projects
  • Led R&D team exploring artificial intelligence tools for animation
  • Supervised implementation and testing of AI models for animation production
  • Developed comprehensive pipeline strategy for generative AI studio implementation
  • Created production workflows and best practices for AI-assisted animation
  • Managed interdisciplinary collaboration between artistic and technical teams

CG Supervisor
Axis Animation
Glasgow/Remote
2023 – 2024

  • Led teams for "Destiny 2" and "Clash of Clans" cinematics

CG Supervisor
DNEG
Mumbai/Remote
2021 – 2023

  • CG Supervisor on Oscar-winning "Dune: Part 2" (2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects)
  • Supervised complex sequences for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods"
  • Oversaw teams within DNEG's India studio, the largest VFX operation in the world

CG Supervisor
Cinesite Studios
Montreal
2018 – 2021

  • Supervised CG animated feature films including The Addams Family, The Addams Family 2, Riverdance and an animated sequence for Space Jam 2
  • Initiated new XGen workflow for grooming and instancing, including pipeline testing, department training, and animated instance workflow for foliage
  • Led workflow/pipeline optimization affecting hundreds of artists
  • Served as software development product owner for various pipeline tools
  • Created extensive documentation of workflows and tools
  • Performed sequence breakdowns and asset supervision
  • Supervised large teams across layout, assets, FX, CFX, lighting and compositing
  • Render farm forecasts and resolved asset issues causing long render times
  • Creative approvals for assets and lighting, including pre-light QC approvals

2003 – 2017

CG Supervisor & VFX Art Director
Tau Films
LA/Remote
2016 – 2017

  • CG Supervisor and VFX Art Director on Ferrari Racing Legends ride film for PortAventura in Spain

CG Supervisor
Egg Post
Dublin
2016

  • Led creative and technical supervision for Imaginary Mary TV pilot

CG Supervisor
Brown Bag Films
>Dublin
2013 – 2016

  • Supervised Henry Hugglemonster, Doc McStuffins, Bob the Builder, Vampirina
  • Delivered over 600 minutes of animation on tight budgets and schedules

Look Development & Lighting Artist, Procedural Lead
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Burbank
2004 – 2013

  • Worked on Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Bolt, Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little

Environment TD
Weta Digital
Wellington
2003

  • Led environment work for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Black Gates destruction sequence

Matte Painting & 3D Environment Artist
World of Tomorrow
Van Nuys
2003 – 2004

  • Matte painting and compositing artist

Skills & Future Focus

CG Supervision

CG Supervisor for the Oscar-winning "Dune: Part 2" (2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects) and "Shazam 2" at DNEG. Managed teams within DNEG's India studio - the largest VFX operation in the world. Supervised complex sequences including arena fights, environmental effects, digital doubles, and creature work, overseeing all CG aspects from matchmove and layout to final lighting and rendering.

Look Development

Developed procedural material systems for "Frozen" crowd characters at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Created hero character materials and grooming for multiple feature films including "Tangled." Implemented new look development pipelines utilizing Mari and Redshift for TV series including "Vampirina" and "Bob the Builder."

Lighting

Expert in cinematic lighting for feature films and TV using various renderers including RenderMan, Arnold, and Redshift. Created lighting setups for "Bolt," "Tangled," "Wreck-It Ralph," and other Disney features. Developed GPU-accelerated lighting pipelines to improve efficiency.

AI & Future Technologies

Experience with generative AI tools for creative production pipelines. Advisor to Artomatix, developing AI-driven texture synthesis workflows. Currently exploring applications of AI in asset creation, look development, and production optimization. Leveraging AI-assisted coding to create custom solutions for CG workflows without requiring deep programming expertise.

Creative Entrepreneurship

Partner at Alpine InfoGrafik, leading product innovation, design strategy, and go-to-market execution for smart home devices in the winter sports industry. Developed a scalable design system that leverages AI to generate product variations for different ski resorts while maintaining brand consistency. Experience managing the complete product lifecycle from concept through manufacturing to retail distribution.

Pipeline & Workflow Innovation

Pioneered new workflows and pipeline solutions for teams of hundreds of artists at studios including Cinesite and Brown Bag Films. Early adopter of cloud rendering solutions and remote collaboration tools. Currently exploring how AI-driven tools can revolutionize asset creation, reduce production time, and enhance creative possibilities while maintaining quality standards.

Remote & Global Team Leadership

Successfully led distributed production teams across multiple continents for projects at DNEG, Axis Animation, and Tau Films. Managed artists in India, Mexico, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand through remote collaboration tools. Experience adapting to rapid technological change while maintaining team cohesion and production quality in a globally distributed workforce.

Hardware & IoT Development

Partner at Alpine InfoGrafik, designing and manufacturing IoT-enabled ski lift status displays that merge traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Hands-on experience with Arduino programming, 3D printing, and CNC routing for product development. Creating scalable manufacturing workflows that balance handcrafted quality with production efficiency for consumer-facing IoT devices that blend art and technology.

Software

After Effects
Photoshop
Maya
Houdini
Nuke
RenderMan
Redshift
XGen
Mari
MidJourney
Runway
Stable Diffusion
ComfyUI
Minimax
Kling
Veo2
Sora
PremierePro

Strategic Consulting & Advisory

Available for specialized consulting services at the intersection of creative technology, production workflows, and emerging technologies. Drawing on 25+ years of experience across the entertainment industry and hardware development to provide clients with tailored solutions that balance creative vision, technical feasibility, and business objectives.

Areas of Expertise:

AI Implementation for Creative Pipelines

Recently advised TCL Research America on developing AI production pipelines for animation. Experience guiding teams through the integration of generative AI tools while maintaining creative control and production quality.

Production Workflow Optimization

Analyzing and redesigning production pipelines to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and improve creative outcomes. Specializing in distributed team coordination and cross-discipline collaboration.

Hardware/Software Prototyping

Developing proof-of-concept solutions that bridge physical and digital realms, from IoT devices to interactive displays. Hands-on approach to testing technical feasibility while maintaining focus on end-user experience.

Technical Education & Team Development

Creating customized training programs for teams adopting new technologies or workflows. Experience includes teaching courses on CG lighting, look development, and XGen workflows at Animation Skillnet.

Digital Asset Creation & Management

Consulting on efficient approaches to developing, organizing, and maintaining complex digital assets across multiple platforms and production environments.

My consulting approach combines practical experience from leading major productions with a forward-looking perspective on emerging technologies, helping clients navigate technological transitions while maintaining focus on their creative and business goals.

Contact

LocationBurlington, Vermont, USA (Remote)
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/huikku/
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