As Cinematic Animator on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Tarun shares how performance capture, tech, and animation artistry come together to produce his holy grail — a riveting cutscene. He gives us a deeper understanding of the world of cinematics — from the tools of his trade to the unique challenges faced in bringing the characters of Pandora to life. And he shares how his career journey developed from a dream in South India to a career at Ubisoft Toronto.
Hey Tarun, tell us more about what you do as a Cinematic Animator? And what’s your favourite thing about your role?
A cinematic animator works on the cutscene animations for the game. From a broader perspective, our main goal is to marry the actors’ motion capture performance with our 3D animation to bring our characters in the game to life! But when you delve in, that involves finer details like communicating with other departments like audio, editing, and more, as well as being open to different iterations and rewrites to tell a more compelling story. One of the most satisfying aspects is finding a marriage between motion capture and animation to make the cutscene sing. When it captivates players and they forget to skip the cutscene, that’s “mission accomplished” for all of us in cinematic animation.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
You worked on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Can you shed some light on what you worked on and if there were any key challenges you had to overcome?
The Team I was on worked on the cutscenes for the game. We used the motion capture performance of talented actors as a good base and interpreted and refined it using animation.
The unique challenge with this project was that some of the characters were Na’vi, who while humanoid, have proportions that are quite different from an actual human being. They also had their own way of moving and their own culture. Even though there are two huge movies that give us a window into the world of Pandora, we needed to delve deeper into the lore and make sure we depicted the characters and the lore correctly. I can’t tell you how many times I practiced the Na’vi greeting while working on its animation. 😆
What are you most excited for players to experience?
Ubisoft games strive to create worlds for people to explore and have adventures in. Working with the team to create the animations in the cutscenes has been such a collaborative experience and I’ve learnt much from the process! We’re proud of the results and I hope players will enjoy Pandora and get lost in its detail and beauty!
Career development
The main tools I work with are animation software like Maya, as well Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine. I actually learnt a lot of techniques and ways to use these tools on the job. Sometimes you learn a new skill or software better when you have a task or a problem to solve.
What are some tips you’d give someone hoping to land a similar role to yours?
If I had to make a list, I would say:
- Communication skills are very necessary when working in games. You aren’t just interacting with your teammates, managers or directors but you will also collaborate with so many others in the production pipeline and even folks in international studios!
- Be easy to work with. Games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora are a collaborative endeavor. Working with someone who is good at their job but also pleasant to have an exchange with makes the job that much better. Being a good team player also benefits the game. For example, one way our team tries to help each other is when one of us runs into a unique bug or occurrence, we tell/warn the others. This usually leads to others sharing solutions or advice. Having collective knowledge you can access is invaluable.
- Be curious and open to learning. Ask a ton of questions. Once you find your answers, it may be helpful to share what you’ve learnt. Chances are others have the same questions.
- Be enthusiastic about what you’re doing. Find a way to be pumped about your work. Some days, it’s easier than others. When I lose steam, I try to remember that we’re working on games! It’s a blast!
What is the biggest hurdle you’ve overcome in your career and how did you do it?
When I was growing up in South India, at the time the kind of job I have now was not remotely a possibility in people’s mind. Thanks to my family, friends, and a few teachers, I believed in myself enough to take a chance and pursue a career in animation. I moved to Canada and studied 3D animation at Sheridan College. All the while, I continued to “just make things.” I was fortunate to work a stint in live action, I drew comics on the side, and I even directed an animated short film with the National Film Board of Canada.
A screenshot from the animated short film “The Commute”/ “Le Trajet” directed by Tarun Padmakumar
Even though not all of these things may seem related to animation for games, I think working on my own creative efforts and storytelling, along with my job experience may have helped show that I would be a good fit for the cinematic animation department here at Ubisoft Toronto.
Life at Ubisoft
What is your first memory of the Ubisoft Toronto studio?
Putting aside my love of games or how I grew up playing several Ubisoft titles, one of the things that drew me to Ubisoft Toronto was the people. After graduating from college, while working in the animation industry in Toronto, I crossed paths with some people who work at Ubisoft Toronto. The impression I got from my conversations with them was that they enjoyed working at the studio. I also recall being struck by how much of a work-life balance they had.
More than a year into my time here, I’m happy to confirm this. I think the main reason for this is the talented and friendly artists that make up the studio and the culture of helping each other here.
Just for fun
What’s one game that’s left a lasting impact on you?
I’m going to refrain from mentioning a Ubisoft game. (But if I did, it would be Assassin’s Creed 2. I loved running through Florence in that game. Years later, I would visit Florence for the first time IRL, and it felt like I was RETURNING!)
But since I’m NOT mentioning a Ubisoft game, I will say: Metal Gear Solid holds a special place in my heart. I have fond memories of playing it on the PlayStation (the first one). I was impressed by how a game could switch vibes, genres, and mechanics. It was dead serious one minute, then it’d hit you with a cheesy joke the next, and in another moment, it would turn into a dramatic opera story!
If life were a video game, what cheat code would you want?
Super jump, probably. I am sure there are more practical ways to get around. But it would garner respect. And fear.
People of Ubisoft Toronto is a series featuring studio members from a variety of projects and backgrounds as they share their experiences at our studio, perspective of the video game industry and, perhaps, even a sneak peek of what they’re working on! 
Our studio values diversity and believes in embracing differences to build stronger and more creative teams. We welcome people who would like to join us and redefine the future of games. Visit our careers page for more information on open roles and how to apply. To know more about our studio members and culture, click here.
