{"id":820908,"date":"2025-08-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/?p=820908"},"modified":"2025-08-27T11:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:13:16","slug":"a-conversation-with-disney-lighting-artist-pasquale-giardino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/a-conversation-with-disney-lighting-artist-pasquale-giardino\/","title":{"rendered":"A Conversation with Disney Lighting Artist Pasquale Giardino"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you watch a Disney movie or a stunning Netflix title sequence, you might not think about the artistry that goes into every glimmer and shadow. However, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pasqualegiardino.com\/about-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pasquale Giardino<\/a>, a 3D Lighting Artist with over 15 years of experience in the industry, light is where magic truly happens. His passion for detail, composition, and storytelling through light has brought some of our favorite characters and worlds to life in projects such as Moana 2, Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire, and Stranger Things 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pasquale\u2019s story starts with a childhood dream: working on animated movies. Growing up, he was always drawn to photography and illustration, and these interests eventually led him to the world of lighting and compositing. Even though he started out studying Computer Science at the Universit\u00e0 degli Studi di Salerno, Pasquale quickly realized his heart wasn\u2019t in it. \u201cI was doing something that I didn\u2019t like,\u201d he admits. Everything changed in 2006 when he stumbled upon a 3D school in Florence, Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThanks to my parents, I took this class where I started learning 3D software like Maya. Afterwards I moved to Rome where I attended a VFX master class where I learned an overall approach to the production pipeline and VFX and I started to work on some projects with small studios as an apprentice. I am so grateful for that! I think doing an apprenticeship is very important.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In these small studios, Pasquale wore many hats and learned a great deal. But it was lighting and compositing that really captured his imagination. \u201cI was fascinated by lighting and compositing as they are fundamental parts in art,\u201d he says. The big turning point came with a job offer in Canada \u2013 suddenly, those childhood dreams of working on major films were coming true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"How a professional 3D lighting artist uses Wacom Intuos Pro\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xVWoHtWi02M?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Pasquale, lighting and compositing are much more than technical steps; they\u2019re about emotion and storytelling. The approach is different depending on the project. In VFX, he focuses on making CG elements blend seamlessly with real footage. Animation, on the other hand, is all about using light to set the mood and guide the audience\u2019s feelings. \u201cAnimation is more about putting together all the elements in order to create the mood and the emotions you would like to transmit to the audience,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His creative process is a blend of careful study and inspiration drawn from a wide range of art forms. He looks at the sequence he\u2019s working on, checks out the surrounding shots, and draws ideas from master photographers and painters, especially those who are experts at portraits and lighting. \u201cMy inspiration comes from art in general as art is around us,\u201d he says. Observing real life and how light interacts with the world is a big part of his process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working at Disney means collaborating with a lot of talented people. Pasquale is quick to point out how every department is connected and how each project brings its own unique challenges. For him, the most important qualities aren\u2019t just technical skills, but attitude and mindset. \u201cThe attitude and mindset to me are the most important qualities,\u201d he emphasizes. He encourages aspiring artists to really look at the world around them and notice how light shapes everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One project that stands out for Pasquale is Moana 2. Seeing his name in the credits alongside Disney legends was a dream come true: a full-circle moment for the kid who always wanted to work on animated films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"607\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Workstation-Photo-1080x607.jpg\" alt=\"Pasquale Giardino Workstation Photo\" class=\"wp-image-820918\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Workstation-Photo-1080x607.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Workstation-Photo-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Workstation-Photo-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, having the right tools helps too. Pasquale has been a fan of Wacom tablets since the very beginning of his career. \u201cWith Intuos Pro everything is easy. I can paint with light, telling stories and convey emotions in a very beautiful and efficient way,\u201d he says. For him, Wacom products are essential for staying creative and meeting deadlines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pasquale\u2019s journey is proof that with passion, dedication, and the right mindset, dreams really can become reality, one beautifully lit frame at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"749\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-820920\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Headshot.jpg 500w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/08\/Pasquale-Giardino-Headshot-480x719.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 500px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the artist<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pasquale Giardino is a 3D lighting artist with over 15 years of experience in lighting, compositing, texturing, and shader development, who has worked for companies such as Disney and Netflix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to see more of Pasquale\u2019s work or learn more about his journey? Check out his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pasqualegiardino.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a> or his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artstation.com\/pasqualegiardino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ArtStation<\/a>, check out the projects he's worked on via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm11945708\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_pasquale%2520giardin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IMDB<\/a>, or follow him on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pasquale_g.ardino?igsh=MWo5YmVscGM5NmF6&amp;utm_source=qr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/pasquale-giardino\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you watch a Disney movie or a stunning Netflix title sequence, you might not think about the artistry that goes into every glimmer and shadow. However, for Pasquale Giardino, a 3D Lighting Artist with over 15 years of experience in the industry, light is where magic truly happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":820919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2438,2326,2481,2329,2337,6034],"tags":[6084],"class_list":["post-820908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d","category-animation","category-artist-feature","category-intuos-and-intuos-pro","category-media-arts","category-vfx","tag-pasquale-giordino"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/820919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=820908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=820908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}