Meet Georgios Cherouvim | Computer Animator & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Georgios Cherouvim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Georgios, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I spend many of my teenage years dreaming of becoming a commercial pilot. At the time I would consume anything related to aviation, from building plastic models to learning the various flight procedures in flight simulators. Before I finished high school though, a friend introduced me to a few computer graphics and animation applications and I instantly got hooked up. I started learning on my own by experimenting and making simple images and animations, while trying to figure out what is possible. I quickly realized that Computer Graphics offer a whole new world for exploration, but also a creative outlet which I was trying to fill by making plastic planes. My fascination for the physics and the technicalities of flying, were replaced by programming and mathematics and somehow the boundless nature of creativity felt a lot more appealing than flying the same route on a regular basis. I remember being worried that eventually the excitement of flying could be replaced by a monotonous routine. In retrospect I am glad my life took that course. Other than avoiding a massive or probably prohibiting tuition fee, I feel very lucky that my current job has enough variation to keep me excited about the next project. It’s a job that requires to constantly learn new skills and tools but also keep observing nature which fulfils my curiosity for the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I work in Computer Animation and Visual Effects for Film and Television. It’s something that started as a hobby at a young age when I first started experimenting with computers. With my first job though, I quickly realized that it wasn’t offering the same satisfaction. Even though VFX is a highly creative job, it’s not a medium for artistic expression. This led me to continue working on my personal projects in parallel to my full time job. It is not an easy habit to maintain, especially with the typical long hours and demanding deadlines. Somehow even though it’s very exciting to work in big productions where everything looks perfect, I find more pleasure in creating my own animations and embrace the imperfections of my limited resources. In my own practice I deliberately move away from photorealism and enjoy using the sophisticated tools of the industry in different ways and in an attempt to discover new digital representations. Over the years of working with computers, I have come to appreciate the power and beauty of programming, mathematics and the vast space they offer for artistic exploration. I am fascinated by how computers can scale up simple rules to produce complex patterns, many of which are even found in nature. Human’s ability in recognizing patterns can be used as a visual language and convey emotions. The aim is to strike a balance between highly controlled systems and expressive bursts of randomness to create a visually compelling interplay between clean forms and textural chaos.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently line in East Williamsburg / Brooklyn, so I would probably start from the near by neighborhood to highlight the diversity of the city. I would head a few blocks south to Bushwick to get a taste of all the warehouses in the area that have turned into artists’ studios, covered in massive murals. We’d then continue to Greenpoint and prime Williamsburg. I try to avoid the busy touristic areas of the city, but I would definitely go by Chinatown and East village which still holds a fascinating character. If we had time I’d suggest a short train ride along Hudson’s river to Dia Beacon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely my parents who offered me with the solid foundations of who I am, but also supported me with my studies and career path.

Website: https://ch3.gr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ch3.gr/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgioscherouvim/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ch3_gr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgios.cherouvim
Other: https://vimeo.com/georgios https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2160174/