NICOLAS ROCHA

About

Tech artist/VFX specialist who shipped Unity effects for mobile games including Card Guardians (cards, enemies, heroes across world space and UI canvas). Demonstrates strong real-time optimization skills—profiling GPU/CPU/overdraw, targeting 60 FPS on mid-range devices, using pooling, texture atlases, and a reusable RGB-mask recolor shader to create many enemy/element variations without blowing memory budgets.

Key Strengths

• Mobile VFX optimization with clear performance budgets (targeting 60 FPS on mid-range devices)
• Built reusable shader system using RGB masks to generate many VFX color variations from a single atlas (memory-efficient)
• Data-driven performance tuning using profiler metrics (GPU/CPU/overdraw/build size)
• Implemented pooling to control GameObject counts for frequently-triggered UI/inventory VFX
• Strong cross-functional workflow aligning VFX with game visual style (designers + artists)

Reference Highlights

• Consistently high-quality VFX delivery
• Strong technical skills
• Solid understanding of the game pipeline
• Creates clear, readable, well-balanced effects
• Enhances gameplay clarity and visual feedback without overwhelming the screen
• Elevates overall game feel and quality
• Balances visual impact with performance/efficiency
• Collaborates very well with the team
• Receptive to feedback
• Understands design needs
• Adapts quickly to changes
• Refines VFX without losing quality
• Consistently produces solid results
• Efficient delivery against documentation/requirements
• Broad experience across different game genres and moods
• Quick learner who ramps up fast on existing projects
• Proactive in suggesting improvements beyond assigned tasks
• Improves player immersion and enjoyment through creative VFX ideas
• Careful attention to real-time performance constraints
• Strong cross-functional collaborator (design, programming, art)
• Flexible and adaptable when problems arise
• Willing to iterate or restart work when necessary
• Helps improve team workflows by creating usable tools
• Strong technical knowledge
• Strong team knowledge
• Proactive in implementing high-value improvements
• Detail-oriented; cares deeply about look and feel
• Open to feedback
• Collaborative; works closely with engineers and artists
• Acts as a bridge between disciplines
• Patient and helpful with teammates’ questions
• Highly effective at iteration
• Good judgment in evaluating feedback and proposing better solutions
• Flexible and adaptable
• Strong learning mindset; masters new areas and applies them effectively
• Improved game performance enabling more VFX/juiciness
• Reduced build size and loading times
• Strong game references and domain knowledge
• Shader and UX knowledge that improves clarity and immersion
• Good artistic taste
• Balances visual quality with performance constraints
• Proactive and solution-oriented
• Gives strong visibility into his process
• Very communicative and a great coworker
• Asks questions to understand requirements
• Contributes valuable insights and feedback
• Takes feedback very well
• Delivers high-quality results with minimal iteration

Experience

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