Recent Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis graduate off to a stellar career start, landing a gig with Rockstar Games

When Silivia Lawson-Vilches began her collegiate studies with Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, she originally intended to pursue a career in the film industry. The graduate of the School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI knew from the start of her freshman year that she wanted to focus on becoming a lighting artist in 3D media. Lawson-Vilches stayed focused on that passion and in her first two years of college developed an interest in applying her education to a career in game design rather than film. Working with that goal in mind, Lawson-Vilches threw herself into learning and achieving all she could at IUPUI, earning her respect from her instructors, and recognition as a top-tier talent from one of the biggest names in video game design.

In a recent article published by IUPUI, Lawson-Vilches' accomplishments were detailed, alongside praise from former professors. Zebulun Wood, co-director of the Media Arts and Science undergraduate program, was Lawson-Vilches' academic advisor and noted that in 15 years teaching at IUPUI, she is one of only a handful of students that reached out to meet with him before even beginning their first semester and the only to directly pursue a career in 3D media lighting. Wood said of the opportunity offered to Lawson-Vilches by Rockstar Games, "It's right up there statistically with a football player getting drafted into the NFL. It's pretty rare and special. She totally deserves this - it wasn't a fluke. She put everything into what she did."

Lighting artists play a critical role in the design of video games. In addition to adding realism and setting the mood, lighting effects help guide players through a game. As Lawson-Vilches explains, "My responsibility as a lighting artist is to send signals to the player so they have an understanding of where to go. Light is really important, as it helps give the world shape." When she started her college career, Lawson-Vilches imagined working in the film industry, originally being drawn to her craft after watching a TED Talk presented by an artist working on Pixar films. However, as she advanced through her studies, she found that she wasn't ready to fully devote herself to a career in movie animation. Lawson-Vilches realized what she wanted to do when she saw a trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, created by Rockstar games. As she explained, "The experience was so gradual and organic. I didn't know you could have this kind of an experience with games…The game affected me on such a deep, visceral level. It's a part of me now." At that point she knew she wanted to be a part of the creative process that brought games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to players around the world.

According to IUPUI faculty, Lawson-Vilches worked tirelessly to ensure she would learn all the necessary skills and take advantage of every opportunity to develop a portfolio to land a position like the one she has with Rockstar Games. Her efforts paid off, with Rockstar Games offering her a position before she even graduated. She was able to start work remotely in March while working on the last few credits she needed to complete her degree. She has since relocated to San Diego and will be based out of Rockstar's studio there. Wood commends Lawson-Vilches' focus and determination during her college career, "She knew what she wanted to do and, unlike many other students, she knew what that meant. She was doubling up on everything to make sure she got what she wanted as soon as possible. It's a special mindset that I'd love to see in more students." The extra efforts taken by Lawson-Vilches included working on special projects for her portfolio with fellow students. She also served as president of the IUPUI chapter of SIGGRAPH, a worldwide organization for computer graphics professionals.

Lawson-Vilches says her new colleagues at Rockstar Games have welcomed her kindly into the industry. When she completed playing the game Red Dead Redemption 2, Lawson-Vilches watched the entire 30 minutes of credits, reading the names of all that contributed to the project. Now, she looks forward to the day when her name is among those listed.