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John Emerson

@jemerson.bsky.social
765 followers 804 following 275 posts

VFX Artist | Tech Art | Professor | Opinions are my own. | MPA & Finance | He/Him Open To Work Topics: #visualeffects #vfx #fx #rtvfx #realtimevfx #techart #gamedev #finance #publicpolicy #education johnemerson.artstation.com

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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Completely my opinion; Its because there are too many old guard execs that did not have careers prior to video games. That's not to slight their work, just to say their frame of reference is tainted to begin with. Too many people think they're saving lives when they're just destroying their own.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Open to work. Tech art, vfx, shader, magic, sparkles, finance even. Let the cash, I mean sparkles flow.
static.klipy.com
Magic Confetti Clap
ALT: Magic Confetti Clap
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Its tax day tomorrow for estimated quarterly payments, USA freelancers. Don't sleep on it and catch a surprise bill next year. #freelance
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
How to learn something new. Make it hot!
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Sounds like an economist that didn't research the industry they're supposedly studying.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Trying something new with my resume to see if it converts into interviews for full time roles. Probably won't, but who knows? Put those personal unnamed projects on!
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Ripped wWise out of a project today to upgrade it and remove a third party need. Ouch.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Reminder to all the other US based freelancers and contractors... estimated taxes for Q2 are due on June 15!
static.klipy.com
The Simpsons: Bart's Savings & Tax Time
ALT: The Simpsons: Bart's Savings & Tax Time
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I see you encountered the legendary fx vomit. Its like a 21st birthday in the US. Everybody gets a little drunk (learns fx), make bad choices not stopped by friends (no style guide, let 'er rip; art director), and wake up groggy in the morning saying they'll never do it again (but probably will).
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Back on that ARPG game design train and it feels good. Doing some HUD elements at the moment. Next up will be menu modals redesign and states or enemy AI swtup. Enemy is higher priority but UI just feels so good to do.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
So we're making Outlaw Star now? Got it. Let me go get my caster.
media.tenor.com
a cartoon drawing of a red object with the letters eee on it
ALT: a cartoon drawing of a red object with the letters eee on it
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Yup, that helps!
media.tenor.com
a group of cartoon characters are standing in front of a castle
ALT: a group of cartoon characters are standing in front of a castle
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Curious what others are using for damage numbers. Are you using UI widgets or particles? Please explain. #gamedev #techart
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I gotta fight myself too much as is, can't add another opponent to the mix.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
That is a fine evening right there. Maybe add in Down Periscope for comedic relief (poor aging bits aside), or U-571 if you want to go WW II.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
I kind of like the idea that there are Hutt enforcers in their crime organizations and not just all bosses whose sole trait is being a rich worm. Gives me hope for a Hutt jedi someday.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Is it too much as an fx artist to dream of doing this for my business cards? Has been in the back of my mind for around 5 years now.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Welcome back .hack! Didn't even know CyberConnect2 was still around. www.cc2.co.jp/hackzero/en/
cc2.co.jp
.hack//Z.E.R.O. Official Website - CyberConnect2
.hack//Z.E.R.O. now under development. Welcome back to "The World".
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Having fun adding quantization to post processor shaders and UI shaders to make a game look low resolution arbitrarily. #Shaders #GameDev
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Its always some checkbox. I think I read all of the project settings today trying to find what I had missed. Then a Google search later (because of course) and I realize enabled isn't what I need. I need enabled with stencils. 🙄
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Annnnd now I have to go relisten to the phenomenal Yuki Kajiura soundtrack.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Turns out for stencils to work... you have to enable stencils.
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is standing in a crowd of people
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing in a crowd of people
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Trying to understand why a shader that works fine in one project does not work in another. Same exact setup, same engine version. Just... why?
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Reposted by John Emerson
Lee Scheinbeim @lee.scheinbe.im · 14/02/2026
"share a fight scene made by actual humans" its all of them, movies are made by humans. vfx artists are humans.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
One of the reasons I want to develop a Nintendo title someday is for the sweet box art. I mean the eye candy that expands upon what you see in game circa the 1980's/90's, not just a marketing made and approved comp shot. . . Something that adds weight.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Finally finished setting up the project my students will be working in this semester. Feels good to have that done. Now to just finalize blackboard (the educational app that drives me insane).
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
What is "past performance does not indicate future performance"?
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is standing behind a podium
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing behind a podium
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Started replaying Dark Cloud earlier this year. Spent too much time developing the town and laying it out precisely.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
Torn between setting up a Halo like template project for my students or an ARPG. Right now leaning towards the latter so I don't have to deal with multiplayer replication.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
The classic wrap around: youtu.be/uDTPv4gHd54?...
youtu.be
Steel Drum Explosion (Games) Cached Playback
YouTube video by John
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
Decided to wrap the explosion work here. There are things I could clean up further, but its OK to call a thing done. #realtimevfx #gamedev youtu.be/mfZKI2FUVbc?...
youtu.be
Steel Drum Explosion (Games)
YouTube video by John
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Watching Sesame Street and can't help but notice Abby and all fairy magic sparkles do not have alpha opacity multiplied. I know nobody probably cares, it does not diminish the show at all and she is my daughter's favorite, but the fx artist in me really wants to fix it.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Explosions gonna explode. Still a little left to do for clean up, but not bad. #realtimevfx #gamedev vimeo.com/1145778298?s...
vimeo.com
OilDrum_Take_04
This is "OilDrum_Take_04" by John Emerson on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
We have had 3 live action Sonic movies and only 1 Pikachu movie. That ain't right. Pikachu is worth at least a sequel, if not a trilogy.
media.tenor.com
a picture of a stuffed animal with the words i 've been so lonely
ALT: a picture of a stuffed animal with the words i 've been so lonely
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Reposted by John Emerson
Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Is Figma still the tool for this? Cause that's how I'm doing it at least.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Tron: Legacy
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Or just use A (kei), AA (midi), AAA (formerly AA or AAA depending), and Majors (former AAAA) at the top. Easy to understand and use. Just knuckle balling here.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
My only problem with this is the naming. We started with baseball terminology to describe the bigs so why not just keep using that? A (Kei), High A (Midi), AA, and AAA work.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Getting that next level up on my demo project out there. Enjoying stretching myself in non-VFX ways. #UnrealEngine #gamedev youtu.be/sysc1B44VTc
youtu.be
Hoeae Design Demo
YouTube video by John
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Started making the demo scene today and realized I had worked with a key mesh asset 2.5 times it's imported size so my scale was completely off for the rest of the world. Thankfully it was only 1 day and I can easily correct but... dang.
media.tenor.com
a man in a tuxedo with a microphone that says imdb on it
ALT: a man in a tuxedo with a microphone that says imdb on it
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
As someone who never saw the anime and was not over attached, I loved it and I wish it got more seasons. I'm convinced fandoms are killing their own stories because, gasp, someone chose to try it in a different medium. Here's hoping One Piece keeps rocking!
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Reminder for all the USA freelance and business owners. Quarterly tax payments coming due soon. I just spent an hour categorizing 2 months worth that I had back burnered. Don't be like me.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Some basic math today revealed I need around 800 dialogue entries for the demo of my game without considering duplicate use. At a max of 250 characters per entry that is 200,000 keypresses. I better start writing before the carpal tunnel gets me. #gamedev
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Unpopular opinion: Akira (1988) is not as good as people want to believe it is, everybody just likes Tron style motorcycles.
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Now character specific dialogue is in and working. Fixed up a couple issues as well. Still some fine tuning but its working. Lots of writing to come in the future. #gamedev #UI #narrativedesign
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Getting a dialogue (narrative?) system up and running was easier than I imagined. Now I gotta come up with the words though. Something like 40 characters and 30 quests? This is gonna take a minute. #gamedev #UI #narrativedesign
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
It seems to me that CommonUI should be automatically enabled and used by Unreal. Course I'm on 5.3 so maybe it is in 5.6?
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
I see other parents of young children and can't help but feel so young in comparison. Is this impostor syndrome for parenting?
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John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Wrapping up a contract and am available for work as either contract or FTE in real time VFX. If you need assistance meeting your goals, please reach out. Together we can achieve something great! #gamedev #realtimevfx #vfx #unrealengine johnemerson.artstation.com
johnemerson.artstation.com
John Emerson
VFX Artist
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