Member Profile: Yolanda Charlo
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
Currently I am a Senior Technical Consultant at SideFX. I have been doing it for a little longer than 5 years.
I am an FX TD with more than 12 years of experience.
I started as a 3D Generalist with tracking skills and some basic knowledge of composition.
2. What was your first job?
My first job ever was brand promoter and parade smurf actor.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I studied a BA (Honours) & MA in Media at University of Carlos III in Madrid, Spain.
A Master in Journalism: Radio and TV at Escuela CES in Madrid, Spain.
Several courses on Computer Aided Design (Kensington and Chelsea College), Storyboarding, Cartoonist Fundamentals and Maya Animation (Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts, London, UK).
3D Advanced VFX Technical Director at Escape Studios in London, UK. UE for Visualization training program by UE in LA, USA.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I have been attending since 2014 and finally this year I started volunteering with Women Of SIGGAPH Conversations (WOSC).
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
I attended my first SIGGRAPH remotely from my couch in London in 2014.
The highlight was getting selected at the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” panel where the Concept Artist draw the foodimal idea I submitted via twitter. A “Pandoreo”; a panda made of oreos who eats red vines candies.
My teacher (from London) who was physically in Vancouver attending the panel texted me being surprised that I was “everywhere”.
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
I am currently enjoying the 3D printing world.
It opens a world of creative possibilities from artistic to mechanical & engineering perspectives.
I currently own a Bambu X1C but I am planning to expand as well as find solutions for repurposing 3D filament waste.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
Probably Hedy Lamarr because I would love to talk about having different passions that people may find mutually exclusive but aren’t. The challenges at the time and the creative process behind her inventions.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I studied several years of B.S. in Psychology and also a year of law while working just for fun.
I was a journalist for a while covering politics and finance topics for a main radio channel in the Monday to Friday primetime news.
Funny that I studied journalism because I thought a master’s in 3D would probably offer fewer career opportunities…
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
There are two people who made a huge impact on where I am today.
Vicent Woodcock and Chris Ayers.
Chris gave me the confidence to chase my dreams and taught me the true meaning of resilience. I will forever be indebted to him.
Vicent taught me that you do not have to be the best to be good enough. You just have to keep at it. Discipline will always outlast talent without it. And talent and discipline together are a unicorn, hard to find. Just keep practicing.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
AJ Christensen and Mark Tucker as well as the women of WOSC who I met several times through the years attending their talks.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
I will never forget the first time my work was recognized.
I was a student looking for a job. I was living in Seattle and went to a job fair in Vancouver. Having studied in London the last thing I could imagine was that a recruiter would see my name on my resume and recognise me. I told him he was probably mistaken but he then proceeded to talk to me about my reel and what he loved about it.