Nikolay Atanasov

Born

1978-01-15

Birthplace

Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Biography

Niki Atanasov is visual effects producer and drone pilot with more than 20 years of experience in various areas of 2D and 3D VFX for TV and Film. Niki is responsible for the producing of complete VFX/CGI projects for the film industry as well on set CGI Supervising. He started learning 3D back in 1996 with 3D Studio for DOS and his first job was in 1998 as video editor on Premiere and 3D animator on 3DS Max for local advertising company. In 2001 shortly after his 1 year service in the army he started learning 2D compositing techniques on Maya Fusion and Aftereffects and got a job at the local music television channel (MMTV) as Motion Graphics designer and Virtual Studio online operator and supervisor. Niki's first film work started back in 2003 as 3D generalist at Nu Boyana's WorldWide VFX. At that time he have developed strong skills in modeling, texturing, rigging and animating including character animation as well very good compositing skills and basic understanding of the whole process. Through the years Niki mastered the whole process of the VFX creation, technically and conceptually as well added more skills in his arsenal like matte painting, lighting design, learned several render engines, basic scripting for automation, dynamic simulations of rigid, soft bodies as well fluids. In 2013 Niki moved to the next level and started producing Visual Effects by managing the whole VFX department at UFO that had 20 full time artists at the time. He build more efficient pipeline which improved the quality and reduced the costs by finishing the shows for short time than producers anticipated based on their previous way of work. In 2016 was Niki's first job as drone pilot which came coincidentally as his hobbies was flying RC planes, helicopters and drones as well his love toward photography were he had to shoot various subjects related to the VFX work for Crystal Inferno. After that he did his next drone job again for VFX needs for Death Race: Beyond Anarchy. Then several films followed with drone work and recently Niki's drone company Golden Sky Birds LLC was part of several Hallmark productions as well they shoot two scenes for For All Man Kind Season 4. For the last 10 years Niki have supervised and produced the VFX for more than 20 films and delivered more than 7000 shots. Meeting with producers, directors and heads of various departments, designing and estimating VFX approaches and their costs, from script to their final delivery.Nikolay Atanasov is known for his work on Pandora (2019), Firequake (2014) and Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015).