Russell Higgins
Effects Artist
About
In 8th grade my favorite game was Halo. There was one mission in particular where you see the ring for the first time, and from that moment I knew I wanted to work on games as a career. So I reached out to Bungie Studios and asked where they hired out of. They said DigiPen.
All through high school I knew I was working towards DigiPen, a college in Seattle. Seattle was an 7 hour flight from Buffalo so I was encouraged to go to Finger Lakes Community College first. There I got my Associate's Degree in Game Design and Development. I helped run the local video game club and directed our teams capstone project.
While there, I received my acceptance letter from DigiPen and jumped on the opportunity. I first moved out to Redmond in 2015 and worked various part time positions to pay for my own rent. I graduated in 2020 during the peak of COVID 19, earning my Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Digital Arts and Animation.
I found a passion for VFX art, combing the math and organization I excelled at in Finger Lakes with my eye for timing and composition I honed at DigiPen. Specifically with the program Houdini, which I've used on every single project I've worked on since.
About 5 months out of college, I received a call from a recruiter who heard my Halo story. Halo Infinite was looking to hire an entry level VFX Tech Artist. I applied, told my story and was hired the same week. I moved back to Redmond and began establishing my permanent life out here. I had accomplished my goal and officially shipped a Halo game.
In 2021 I met my future husband, Apu Dutta who has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement since the moment we met. Apu is a soft engineer at Microsoft and an incredibly talented tech artist. Together we run a few side projects that have lead to portfolio pieces for both of us.
In 2022, my contract with 343 came to an end, moving me right next door to Turn 10 where I worked as a regular VFX artist.
During this time Apu and I began hosting the Labor Day Game Jam. A 3 day event where Apu, myself and between 15-25 game devs work on a video game from scratch. By the end of the 3rd day we all have something we're proud of.
My time with Turn 10 came to an end in July of 2024, with my contract expiring and position being downsized. I joined a game team known as Muddy Robot, working on a yet to be released game that I'm excited to share more about in the future.
Additionally, I founded my own Indie game company, Rice Pudding LLC whose website will launch alongside our first TTRPG.
I have plenty of projects in the works right now and I'm thrilled to be able to share them with you. If you'd like to inquire about my services as a VFX artist, game designer or narrative designer, don't hesitate to reach out.
GLHF
-Russ
