Creature and character artist

Vladimira Strukanova takes a break from being creature artist at Ziva Dynamics to talk 3D World through her typical day

- Vladimira Strukanova

A self-taught artist, Vladimira Strukanova has spent her career specializing in the creation of incredible CG creatures and characters, applying her in-depth knowledge of animal anatomy to a host of incredible designs across film and television. Throughout her career, Strukanova has worked on VFX for Rampage, Carnival Row, Gemini Man, Terminator: Dark Fate, and a slate of exciting new projects to come. Currently, she enjoys her day-to-day responsibilities building animals at Ziva Dynamics, the pioneering developer behind numerous character creation tools. Strukanova took time out of her busy schedule to walk 3D World through a day in her life.

08:00 am I start my day early so I can catch up with the rest of the Ziva team on the other side of the globe in Vancouver, Canada. It’s a nine-hour difference between Vancouver and Prague, so when their day ends, mine begins. We typically chat about what happened while I was asleep and how their day went. It’s really valuable being able to speak casually with my team even though they’re thousands of miles away. As we catch up, I’m likely eating cereal and sorting my daily priorities in my head.

09:30 am Ziva is extremely flexible with working hours, so my work day may start anywhere between 9 am and noon – it depends if I have an important call with my supervisor in the evening (their morning). If I do, I will typically have a very relaxing morning and choose to work later into the evening. I personally prefer a night shift anyway – it’s a calming atmosphere and I feel more productive.