nestor costa

Work History

• 

  Houdini FX - Teacher

  Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

  April 2021 - Present

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  I have had the rewarding experience of mentoring and teaching Effects and Simulation courses at Tianjin University of Technology in China and UQAC/NAD in Montreal, QC, Canada. In these classes, I guide students in mastering Houdini, focusing on creating a wide range of effects, including particles, water simulations, destruction, vellum elements, and pyro (fire and smoke). Sharing my industry knowledge and helping students develop their technical and creative skills has been an incredibly fulfilling part of my career.
• 

  Fx Supervisor

  Reel FX

  September 2019 - Present

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  As an FX Supervisor at Reel FX, I lead a talented team of artists in delivering high-caliber visual effects, ensuring projects are completed on schedule and to the highest creative standards. My role involves not only pushing the creative limits of the team but also mentoring each artist, fostering both their technical skills and career development. I emphasize cultivating strong, supportive relationships within the team, knowing that a well-supported group produces exceptional work. I've had the privilege of working on high-profile animated features such as SCOOB, The Monkey King, SpongeBob, and Back to the Outback, collaborating with industry giants like Paramount, Warner Bros., and Netflix. These experiences have honed my ability to manage complex projects while consistently delivering results that exceed client expectations.
• 

  Lead FX Technical Director

  Double Negative

  January 2018 - September 2019

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  As a Lead handling supervisor responsibilities, I actively participated in all show meetings, making key decisions regarding FX to ensure the project stayed on track. I conducted daily check-ins with production, assigning and tracking artists' work while providing detailed feedback to keep the team aligned and on schedule. One of our standout achievements was the Lasso FX, which was shared across multiple locations to maintain consistency in quality. Beyond that, I ensured the team remained engaged with a variety of challenging and exciting tasks, fostering motivation and creativity throughout the production.
  
  *Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
  --> Lasso FX, Destruction, Dust, Glass, Grits, Sparks
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7126948/
  *The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
  --> Vortex, Smoke, Destruction, Debris, Lightning bolts...
  :: www.imdb.com/title/tt6811018/
• 

  FX Technical Director

  Industrial Light & Magic

  October 2018 - February 2019

  Vancouver, Canada Area

  StarWars / Aquaman / Captain Marvel
  --> Explosions, destruction, sand, debris, sparks, liquid interaction.
• 

  FX Technical Director

  Cinesite

  February 2015 - January 2018

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
  --> Blowing leaves, Blossoms, Clouds and Fire Torch.
  :: IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt5028340/
  
  The Commuter (2017) - Vera Farmiga, Liam Neeson, Patrick Wilson
  --> Sparks
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590193/
  
  Assassin's Creed (2016) - Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons
  --> Dust, debris.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcTtP1JnJ_E
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094766/
  
  Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) - Maika Monroe, Liam Hemsworth, Joey King
  --> Dust, Clouds, Explosions, Smoke Plumes, Truck Trails and Building Glass Breaking.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0q0Gax0aYs
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628841/
  
  RND for X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)--> Tank Exhaut Smoke, Propeller Bubbles, Smoke Plumes, Dust and Fire.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jer8XjMrUB4
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/
  
  Now You See Me : Second Act (2016) - Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson
  --> Water and Smoke explosions. Hands matchmove to add CG cards.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzZh8kJJwe4
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3110958/
  
  The Revenant (2015) - Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Poulter
  --> Matchmove from the guts to add wispy smoke when Leonard removes the guts from the horse.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRfj1VCg16Y
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663202/
  
  The Last Witch Hunter (2015) - Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood
  --​> Dust, smoke explosion and flies using particles system.
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQaYwtJTIhk
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618442/

  

  

  

  

  

  
• 

  FX Technical Director

  Industrial Light & Magic

  April 2017 - July 2017

  Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

  Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) - Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill
  --> Fire, Smoke, Embers, Thrusters
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB4I68XVPzQ
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/?ref_=nv_sr_2
• 

  FX TD

  Framestore

  January 2014 - February 2015

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  Movies:
  - Pan (2015) - Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Jimmy Vee
  --> Crowd System
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjW1mKwNUSo
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3332064/
  - Jupiter Ascending (2015) - Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski (Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis,..
  --> Structure system (Destruction)
  :: Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCyL_Pqzu8
  :: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1617661/
  Training:
  Fluids solver: particles, foam, splash, smoke, cloud. (fLush)
  Bullet solver: structure system, destruction, debris. (fBounce)
  SOFTWARES: MAYA, GOLAEM.

  

  

  

  
• 

  FX Technical Director

  Framestore

  April 2013 - February 2015

  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  Movies:
  
  - Pan (2015)
  - Jupiter Ascending (2015)
  - Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
  - Paddington (2014)
  - Robocop (2014)
  
  Duties:
  • Creating particle, rigid-body, fluid, cloth, fur and/or hair simulations or animations
  • Applying lighting and shaders to produce the final rendered image or passing the
  simulation on to a Lighting Technical Director
  • Using a variety of commercial and proprietary FX tools including Maya, Houdini and
  Naiad
  • Working in partnership with other departments to ensure that shots are delivered to the
  highest possible standard
  • Working within the team to determine the various design solutions needed to create the
  effects
  • Designing and creating images, elements, effects, pipelines, tools and techniques
  • Helping to design solutions involving a more procedural approach in order to create the
  effects required
  • Producing reviewable composites of all FX elements for a shot. Sometimes FX TDs will
  be expected to produce final renders too
  
  * Some Tracking, Matchmoving and Layout work was done has my entry-level position for Framestore.
• 

  Matchmove Artist

  Framestore

  April 2013 - January 2014

  Montreal, Canada Area

  Matchmove, Tracking and Layout.
  Movies:
  - Jupiter Ascending (2015) - Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski (Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis,..)
  :: Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCyL_Pqzu8
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1617661/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  - Paddington (2014) - Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1109624/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  - Dracula Untold (2014) - Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829150/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  - Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - Doug Liman (Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt...)
  :: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  - RoboCop (2014) - José Padilha (Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman...)
  :: My reel: https://vimeo.com/102594882
  :: Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLSpmAtc1Q
  :: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234721/?ref_=nv_sr_1
  SOFTWARES: 3D EQUALIZER AND MAYA.

• Professional Freelancer

  Nestor Costa Digital Arts

  January 2004 - January 2014

  Montreal, Canada Area

  Creating web sites animated, 3d medias for TV, logos and visualization.
  Started in Brazil since I completed my degree at Unibratec in software development. Later, in 2010 I moved to Montreal, Canada where I kept doing some work for clients in both countries.