Meet another talent from our team. This time, we decided to introduce you to our 3D animator and motion graphics designer, Natália Ráčková. Her expertise varies from graphic design in game studios to motion capture graphics, she perfected in the advertising field and brought it under our roof to enrich our 3D artists team.
Natália is a self-starter who decided to pursue the role of 3D animator later on, after her studies in Australia. Right now, she is working hard on the animation for our upcoming MMO RPG game, AniMate. Her role covers creating and animating the little monsters players are set out to catch with their main character. We are excited to see the result of her craft despite the early stage of AniMate development. Let’s dive in! Natália has some pretty exciting insights to share.
An Interview with Natália, a great mind behind AniMates
First thing first, how did you start your journey as a 3D Animator?
I used to live in Australia. I studied business & marketing management there, while having a part-time job as a waitress. I didn’t really know what to do or where to move on; that time, I wasn’t quite aware of my graphic design aspirations, but I knew that I didn't want to get stuck working in a restaurant for the rest of my life.
My fascination with animation surfaced later on. Since I love animated movies, once I quite luckily stumbled upon the movie that absolutely caught my attention - I believe it was Madagascar. I was so excited about it. That was the point when I realized that this is something I want to do for living - to create such captivating animations myself.
Sounds interesting. But what was your gateway to the world of 3D animation?
I started an extensive research on the topic. Quite naturally, I began to Google a lot, taking notes and writing down everything I needed to learn before starting the animation career. Unsurprisingly, the task-list piled up and all of it started to feel a little bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, as soon as I returned home, back to Slovakia, I was able to enroll for studies in graphics and animation, starting from the scratch. Although it might sound easy now, it was one of my most difficult decisions in life. I simply had to choose whether I was to continue my life in Australia or settle for Slovakia instead. Obviously, I chose the latter.
How did you land your first job after studies?
That was pure luck, I guess. I just searched job vacancies on hiring portals and I sent the application. What really helped me a lot was the students’ movie I animated in the course of my studies. It got award-nominated and was featured in a film festival in Prague, where it landed in top 10 out of about 150 entries. I guess this experience also helped me to get the job.
That is so exciting to hear! What was your first job in animation like?
Right after I finished my studies, I started to work for a rather small game studio. It was called Games in Motion and I was so glad to get a chance in the field. There were only a few of us working there, so I also had certain responsibilities I probably wouldn’t have elsewhere.
Moving forward, I continued my career path to Alien Studio, which is a renowned 3D animation and VFX studio focused mainly on photorealistic animation for advertising and film production. That was back in Covid times, during one of the lockdowns. Initially, I was quite stressed to take the job, but I seized the opportunity and managed to live up to the occasion.
This is the point in which I made major progress in my career. It was Alien Studio where I mastered the motion capture technique, which is one of my most prominent domains in animation today. It was a true challenge, because I had to fill the shoes of a guy who was already well-acquainted with motion capture, but I had to embrace the self-starter, can-do attitude and perfect the technique from the start, having just 2 hours short introduction into the subject matter.
I’m so thrilled to hear about your bold progress. Tell me, what were the biggest projects you worked on in Alien Studio?
There were plenty of those. Moreover, I was honored to work with very talented and highly inspiring people. I think that was one of the best experiences from Alien. Projectwise, we made animation for companies at the top of their game within their industry in Slovakia. Those are Dedoles, O2, major banks, etc. To name a few.
I believe that you carried on straight to QORPO after leaving Alien Studio. Right? What made you go back to gamedev?
I didn’t want to work in advertising anymore. Simply, it’s not my cup of tea. The entire environment is so different to the gaming industry, and that’s where I started and I was enjoying it much more than making ads. In my opinion, game development allows for more creativity and freedom. So when I got a message from QORPO recruiter Antonín, I was so stoked I simply had to take it.
I’m delighted to hear that. How do you like your QORPO experience so far?
Great so far! I hope it stays that way, but so far I like everything about it. I’m surrounded by great people, I work on the project I really enjoy working on, and I don’t feel unreasonable amounts of stress, which is a good thing. So I see a huge perspective in this role.
What are the highlights of working at QORPO Game Studio compared to your previous experience?
My colleagues. 100%! And as I said, I truly enjoy what I’m working on. Currently, I’m working as a 3D animator and motion graphics designer of the AniMates, the little mythical creatures & monsters from our upcoming game, AniMate. I’m so thrilled about where the development is going.
Aside from your professional life, tell me a bit about your hobbies.
There are so many things I’m into. I'm really into horse riding. I also like to draw and paint, I do sports… So many activities, so little time, I guess.
Thank you for your time, I’m so looking forward to seeing the results of your work on screen asap. AniMate is taking shape and it indeed looks amazing.
True… Thanks for having me!
Stay tuned to meet another one of us. We will bring you fresh interviews and behind the scenes on a regular basis. In the meantime, check out AniMate and make sure to hit follow on our social media, so you never miss out on news, updates, special giveaways, and contests.
