SHERAZ ASGHAR
Technical Artist / Solutions Engineer
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Six Country, Nine City
PHOTOGRAPHY
Six Country, Nine City
Apr 20, 2026 Photography

Six Country Escape is a visual journey through six countries and nine cities, captured through architecture, street life, landscapes, food, and quiet everyday moments. Each photograph reflects the feeling of being there, from historic streets and colorful markets to peaceful courtyards, coastal views, and late-night city scenes. /// Shot…

WebGPU Automotive Configurator
UNITY
WebGPU Automotive Configurator
Feb 20, 2024 WebGPU

This project is a real-time WebGPU automotive visualization study built in Unity, focused on material customization, browser delivery, and optimized asset performance. The goal was to create an interactive vehicle experience where users could explore different material looks directly through the web. /// I used Maya to optimize and…

A project about nothing
UNITY
A project about nothing
Aug 21, 2023 Animation

A Project About Nothing is a small real-time Unity study built around a field dog wandering through a desert environment. The goal was to examine the poses, movement, and interaction logic the dog might use while responding to a caretaker. /// The base dog model was purchased by Unity from TurboSquid and provided for this study. I…

Minion Mayhem
CINEMA
Minion Mayhem
Jul 20, 2016 CG Animation

This project was a stylized CG animation created as part of a licensed Mega Bloks campaign featuring the Minions universe in collaboration with Mattel and Illumination. The goal was to take the familiar toy aesthetic and push it into a playful cinematic world, where everything feels like it’s built, broken, and rebuilt from actual…

TMNT 80s Blockfied
CINEMA
TMNT 80s Blockfied
Jan 10, 2017 CG Animation

This project was a stylized CG animation inspired by the classic 80s Turtles theme intro, created using Mega Bloks toy-based characters and environments. The goal was to recreate the energy, attitude, and action of the original animated intro while translating it into a cinematic toy-style CG world. The project was developed as part of a…

SPARTAN MARK VI
CINEMA
SPARTAN MARK VI
Aug 20, 2014 CG Animation

This project was a stylized CG animation created as part of a licensed Mega Bloks campaign featuring the Halo universe in collaboration with Mattel. The goal was to translate the dramatic tone and scale of Halo 4 into a toy-based cinematic language, where the forms remained true to the Mega Bloks aesthetic while the lighting, staging…

World of Warcraft
WEB
World of Warcraft
Jun 14, 2013 Web

Created for Mega Bloks during their licensed partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, this interactive website brought the world of World of Warcraft into the Mega Bloks universe through a fully immersive digital experience. /// The goal was to create a web destination that captured the fantasy, scale, and storytelling of Azeroth while…

Destiny TVC
CINEMA
Destiny TVC
Jun 14, 2017 VFX

This project is a 7-second cinematic breakdown from a Destiny TVC sequence produced as part of an official Megabloks / Mattel Halo campaign. The animation was created by me directly for the TVC production, working from storyboard direction provided by Bungie and using manufacturing-ready character and vehicle assets supplied by the…

Halo FOD
CINEMA
Halo FOD
Jul 15, 2018 CG Animation

This piece began with something simple and physical, a Megabloks / Mattel Halo ship, animated through stop-motion frame by frame created by stop-motion animators at Mega Bloks / Mattel. It was never perfect. It jittered, it shifted, it breathed in a way digital animation often smooths away. But that imperfection became the soul of the…

Machine01
MACHINIST
Machine01
Dec 22, 2021 Machining

This is a personal project: a fully self-built CNC milling machine developed over the course of a year, designed and engineered from the ground up using Fusion 360 for mechanical design, structure, and system planning. The machine was custom-built rather than purchased as a kit, combining mechanical design, electronics integration, and…

Magnext TVC
CINEMA
Magnext TVC
Sep 21, 2017 CG Animation

This project is a 10-second cinematic TVC created for MagneXt, a magnetic construction toy line developed by Mattel. The concept focuses on a single continuous shot that demonstrates how individual magnetic components assemble themselves into fully formed vehicles, transitioning seamlessly into high-speed action across race tracks…

Gumpaway
WEB
Gumpaway
Jun 11, 2016 Web

This project documents my journey biking across Canada, from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic Ocean, covering a total distance of approximately 6,321 km in just 42 days. Averaging between 150–250 km per day, the ride was an intense test of endurance, discipline, and mindset, driven by a personal goal to push physical limits while…

Halo Scorpion TVC
CINEMA
Halo Scorpion TVC
Mar 15, 2014 CG Animation

This project was created as a 10-second cinematic TV spot featuring the Halo Scorpion, a canon armored vehicle within the Halo universe reinterpreted through Megabloks / Mattel's physical toy design language. The sequence follows the same structured approach as the Pegasus spot, beginning with official Halo branding and transitioning…

Halo Pegasus TVC
CINEMA
Halo Pegasus TVC
Mar 15, 2014 CG Animation

This project was created as a 10-second cinematic TV spot featuring the Halo Pegasus, a canon vehicle within the Halo universe reinterpreted through Megabloks / Mattel's physical toy design language. The sequence begins with original Halo gameplay footage, grounding the viewer in the established universe before transitioning into a…

Turrentblok Mixed Reality
MIXED REALITY
Turrentblok Mixed Reality
Nov 11, 2015 AR

This project is a mixed reality gameplay prototype developed in Unity, combining physical computing with real-time augmented reality. The experience is built around a physical MEGA Bloks-based environment enhanced with AR tracking using Vuforia, where real-world markers dynamically control and trigger digital gameplay elements. /// Two…

Rover Mixed Reality
MIXED REALITY
Rover Mixed Reality
Aug 12, 2015 AR

This project is a mixed reality prototype built around a physical Mega Bloks / Mattel rover, combining real-world toy hardware with a Unity-based control and feedback system. I modified the rover with custom steering components, including LEGO parts, and integrated motors, servo steering, LEDs, a piezo buzzer, and Bluetooth communication…

Shapeshifters
UNITY
Shapeshifters
Jul 18, 2018 Robotics

This project is a fully built modular RC-style vehicle system developed entirely using LEGO components, designed to explore physical computing, mechanical engineering, and real-time interactive control through Unity. /// The vehicle was engineered with functional steering and suspension systems built directly into the LEGO structure…

Roboblok
MICROCONTROLLERS
Roboblok
Jan 10, 2013 Electronics

This project is a wearable robotic hand system built using Mega Bloks Micro components as the structural base, combined with embedded electronics and wireless control systems to create a gesture-driven interface. /// The robotic hand is actuated using five servos responsible for finger curling and movement, allowing the physical…

Minion Tracking at Mattel
CINEMA
Minion Tracking at Mattel
Nov 14, 2016 Match-Move

This project explores motion tracking and visual effects integration using real-world footage combined with 3D animation and compositing techniques. The sequence was filmed using an iPhone 7 and used as a base plate for testing distant camera tracking and compositing workflows. /// The footage was tracked using Boujou to reconstruct…

Minions at Cafe
CINEMA
Minions at Cafe
Jan 5, 2017 VFX

This project is a motion tracking and visual effects experiment set in a real-world cafe environment. The background footage was captured on location in Montreal, and used as a live-action plate for integrating CG character animation into a naturally filmed setting. /// The scene was tracked using Boujou to reconstruct accurate camera…

Neoshifters
CINEMA
Neoshifters
May 12, 2008 CG Animation

This project is part of my early professional work, created during my time at a company where I had limited production access and tools. It represents an early exploration into real-time animation workflows using Adobe Flash, built under production constraints that required fast iteration and lightweight asset handling. /// The animation…

Robots in the Warehouse
UNITY
Robots in the Warehouse
Jul 27, 2025 Simulation

Robots in the Warehouse is a real-time warehouse automation demonstration showcasing autonomous mobile robots operating within a modern distribution center. Designed as a technical showcase, the project focuses on building a scalable industrial environment where multiple robots navigate the warehouse using Unity's NavMesh system, avoid…

Talia
UNITY
Talia
Dec 11, 2022 Visualization

This project explores high-end product visualization using Unity HDRP, showcasing how real-time rendering can achieve the level of quality traditionally associated with offline rendering. Working from a chair model provided by Unity Technologies, I developed the surrounding environment, authored custom materials, created shaders, and…

HDRP Ocean & Volumetric Clouds Showcase
UNITY
HDRP Ocean & Volumetric Clouds Showcase
Aug 24, 2024 Environment

This HDRP showcase was created for a Unity workshop I delivered at Boeing, demonstrating the visual fidelity possible with Unity's HDRP water system, volumetric clouds, and atmospheric lighting. The goal was to build a real-time scene that highlighted realistic ocean rendering, dynamic skies, cinematic lighting, and large-scale…

HDRP Path Tracing Studio
UNITY
HDRP Path Tracing Studio
Jul 17, 2023 Rendering

This project was built in Unity HDRP to showcase high-end automotive visualization using path tracing, custom shaders, lighting, and material development. The scene was designed as a rendering-focused demo where the car could be viewed under different lighting conditions, color configurations, material setups, and studio-style…

Skidloader HDRP
UNITY
Skidloader HDRP
Jun 6, 2022 Rendering

This flagship HDRP project was one of my first major projects at Unity. Unity provided the skid loader model, while Shadow and Light Studios in Paris developed the materials and shaders specifically for the vehicle. /// My role was to create the surrounding environment, establish the visual direction, and build the complete real-time…

High-Fidelity Unlit Car Paint
Shader Graph
High-Fidelity Unlit Car Paint
Jul 10, 2026 Shaders

This R&D project explores how a high-fidelity URP Lit car-paint material can be rebuilt as a lightweight custom Unlit shader for performance-sensitive hardware. I retained the visual features that define the original material — body colour, baked vertex AO, a colour-shifting Fresnel flare, environmental reflections, smoothness, metallic…

Airflow Shader
Shader Graph
Airflow Shader
Jul 23, 2026 Shaders

This lightweight airflow effect uses vertex colors as control masks on a simple mesh. Darker areas remain anchored near the vent, while the greener regions allow progressively more movement, making it possible to redirect the airflow without shifting the entire mesh. /// The shader combines three systems: adjustable directional bending…

SurfaceForge
Shader Graph
SurfaceForge
Jul 24, 2026 Shaders

SurfaceForge is a custom Unity shader inspired by the layered material workflow found in Substance Painter. It allows artists to build and modify detailed surfaces directly inside Unity without creating a separate texture set for every material variation. /// The shader provides independent controls for base colour, normal, smoothness…

The Mosaic
+ Featured Work / CINEMA

Minion Mayhem

This project was a stylized CG animation created as part of a licensed Mega Bloks campaign featuring the Minions universe in collaboration with Mattel and Illumination. The goal…

+ Featured Work / CINEMA

TMNT 80s Blockfied

This project was a stylized CG animation inspired by the classic 80s Turtles theme intro, created using Mega Bloks toy-based characters and environments. The goal was to recreate…

+ Featured Work / UNITY

Robots in the Warehouse

Robots in the Warehouse is a real-time warehouse automation demonstration showcasing autonomous mobile robots operating within a modern distribution center. Designed as a…

+ Featured Work / UNITY

Talia

This project explores high-end product visualization using Unity HDRP, showcasing how real-time rendering can achieve the level of quality traditionally associated with offline…

+ Featured Work / UNITY

Skidloader HDRP

This flagship HDRP project was one of my first major projects at Unity. Unity provided the skid loader model, while Shadow and Light Studios in Paris developed the materials and…

CINEMA

Minion Mayhem

A chaotic Minion adventure through invention, disaster & escape

About the Project

This project was a stylized CG animation created as part of a licensed Mega Bloks campaign featuring the Minions universe in collaboration with Mattel and Illumination. The goal was to take the familiar toy aesthetic and push it into a playful cinematic world, where everything feels like it’s built, broken, and rebuilt from actual blocks. The storytelling followed pre-defined storyboards provided by Illumination/Universal, and the production was designed to bring those beats to life in a fast, energetic, and highly visual way for promotional release.

On the production side, the work covered a full CG pipeline, from reshaping and preparing toy-based geometry for proper deformation, to rigging characters, animation, lighting, rendering, and final compositing. A lot of the challenge came from making rigid “toy” forms behave like expressive characters while still keeping that iconic blocky charm intact. The final visuals were built using 3ds Max and Mental Ray, with post work in After Effects and supporting tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, all stitched together into a polished short-form animation experience.

Sound design and story direction were provided by Illumination / Universal as part of the licensed IP pipeline.

Disclaimer: This project was produced as part of a licensed commercial animation campaign in collaboration with Mattel (Mega Bloks) and Illumination’s Minions IP. All characters, story elements, and audio assets are owned by their respective rights holders.

Project Highlights

  • Category CINEMA
  • Year 2016
  • Type CG Animation
  • Role Technical Artist
  • Pipeline 3ds Max, Mudbox, Mental Ray, FumeFX, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator

Pipeline & Workflow

  1. Storyboard provided by Universal / Illumination Studios
  2. Modeled Minion characters based on provided Mattel design files in 3ds Max
  3. Sculpting different environments for POC
  4. Created deformable topology and optimized mesh for animation
  5. Materials and shaders in 3ds Max
  6. UV unwrapping, materials, and texture creation in 3ds Max
  7. Rigged and skinned characters for animation in 3ds Max
  8. Animated Minion wagon and character sequences in 3ds Max
  9. Simulated dust and environmental particles using FumeFX
  10. Lighting setup and scene lookdev in 3ds Max
  11. Rendered final sequences using Mental Ray
  12. Exported animation passes for compositing
  13. Final compositing and editing in After Effects
  14. Added sound design and mix provided by Universal / Illumination Studios

Tools & Technologies

3ds Max
Mudbox
Mental Ray
FumeFX
After Effects
Photoshop
Illustrator

Credits & Collaborators

Acknowledging the teams, studios, and collaborators behind the project.

Sheraz Asghar
Technical Artist / CG Production
Modeling, rigging, animation, materials, lighting, rendering, compositing, and final presentation.
Mattel Design Team
Design Reference / Brand Direction
Provided character design files, product references, and visual direction for the toy-based world.
Universal / Illumination Studios
Storyboard & Creative Direction
Provided storyboards and creative direction for the animated sequence.
Universal / Illumination Studios
Sound Design
Provided final sound design and audio mix for the piece.

Early Concept – Minion Mayhem (Desert Chase Study)

This was an initial exploration for the Minion Mayhem animation, set in a stylized Mojave desert environment. The focus at this stage was on establishing mood, composition, and environmental storytelling rather than final visual language.

The scene was built and developed in 3ds Max and Mudbox, with emphasis on sculpted rock formations, terrain variation, and a simple road-based narrative path. Lighting and rendering were tested using Mental Ray to evaluate how atmosphere and depth could be achieved in a more grounded, semi-realistic approach.

The Minion vehicle animation and scene blocking were also explored early to understand timing, camera flow, and spatial layout within the environment. Additional post-processing and dust effects were later experimented with in compositing tools like After Effects and FumeFX to enhance motion and environmental energy.

Although this version established the core cinematic direction, the project later evolved into a more stylized and playful block-based Mega Bloks aesthetic, shifting away from realism toward a stronger branded visual identity and simplified geometric language.

Approved Animation Test – Minion Mayhem (Sales Presentation)

This project was developed as a fast-turnaround animation test created for a sales presentation, focused on evaluating character rigging, blocking, and rendering within a stylized Mega Bloks environment.

The scene was built around a simplified production workflow using a CAT-based rig setup for the Minion character, allowing for rapid animation iteration under tight time constraints. The environment and props were constructed with a minimal, block-based visual language to align with the branded toy aesthetic and maintain clarity during motion and staging.

The final scene was rendered using Mental Ray, with compositing handled in After Effects to refine timing, visual balance, and overall presentation quality. Despite the short production window, the goal was to maintain strong character appeal and readable staging suitable for a sales and presentation context.

This piece was ultimately approved as part of the wider animation pipeline and helped validate the approach for subsequent stylized production work.