About us
This group is dedicated to professionals in the animation, vfx, and gaming industry in Miami to meet and make connections. Miami is not a huge hub for these industries, but with remote work it has expanded. These events are so we can all meet, make friends, and network.
Check out our site to learn more
[https://www.avgguild.org](AVG Guild Website)
Upcoming events
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Nico and the Weighing of the Heart - FIU Public Showcase
FIU BISCAYNE BAY CAMPUS: Mary Ann Wolf Theatre, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, USA public showcase of Nico and the Weighing of the Heart, a game created by students from FIU's Caplin Game and Animation program.
Join us for an evening of storytelling, technology, and creativity as students from FIU’s Game and Animation program present Nico and the Weighing of the Heart, a cinematic 3D game demo brought to life through real-time rendering and narrative design.
Set in the Egyptian underworld, the project follows Nico, a young thief navigating a journey shaped by consequence, identity, and redemption. Through a live showcase, attendees will experience the game’s visuals, character performances, and world-building as it unfolds on screen.
Hosted at the Mary Ann Wolfe Theatre, this public presentation highlights the work behind the project, from concept to execution, offering a look at how students are blending animation, game design, and storytelling into a fully realized experience. We will also be collaborting with: The Animation, Visual Effects, and Gaming Guild (AVG), a Miami-based nonprofit dedicated to connecting and supporting the animation, visual effects, and gaming community. Through networking, education, and industry collaboration, the organization helps bridge the gap between students, emerging talent, and professionals. As part of this collaboration, four judges from the organization will evaluate student capstone projects and select a winning team. We hope to see you there!
Judges:
Oleksandr (Alex) Nyzhnyk
Principal Environment Artist with over 10 years of experience in the AAA games industry and a Master’s degree in Architecture. He has a solid track record of shipping 4 AAA titles, including Warface, UFL, and Off The Grid.Specialized in Unreal Engine 5, Alex uniquely combines architectural logic with deep technical mastery of Lumen, Nanite, and PCG workflows. Throughout his career, he has managed teams of up to 16 artists and successfully implemented production pipelines that have cut production time by 50%. Alex is dedicated to bridging the gap between art and technology to deliver world-class, high-fidelity digital environments.
Carlos D. Gonzalez
Game director and developer at Talegames, with experience in game design, programming, narrative development, production, and public leadership in indie game development. He leads the creation of Faeland, a 2D action adventure RPG, guiding the project across creative, technical, and business areas. His background includes presenting the game at industry events, leading community communication, and helping drive a successful Kickstarter campaign. His work reflects a broad hands on approach to shaping original games from concept to player experience.Valentina Echeverry
Founder of Batship Studio, Miami's only Epic Games Unreal Authorized Training Center, located in Kendall. With over 10 years of games industry experience, she has worked as Lead Character Artist, Tech Artist and Art Director on brand activations for major IPs including Wicked, Monster High, Alo, and Beetlejuice, and holds credits on games for SEGA, He-Man, SkateX, Barbie, Spongebob and more. An Epic Games Authorized Instructor and Knight Foundation grant recipient, Valentina is dedicated to growing Miami's creative Unreal Engine community through bilingual professional training and collaboration projects.Kyle Bunk
Senior VFX Artist at Bungie Inc. where he creates visual content for player abilities, as well as other elements such as grenade explosions, muzzle flashes, and water effects.
Before breaking into the industry he worked at a toilet paper factory full-time in his hometown near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He first entered the industry as an animator for Gameloft, then switched over to VFX at Firaxis Games on Marvel’s Midnight Suns. He has also worked on numerous indie projects, including a dating sim where you date…..board games??AVG spokesperson:
Carlos Sulbaran
Computer Science graduate and aspiring game developer who has been passionate about creating video games since he was a child. Along the way, he has developed experience as a web engineer, app developer, algorithmic trader, and, most importantly, as a game developer, building games using Unity and Unreal Engine, with additional experience in standalone C++ development.----
Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in a university event, program, or activity or need to request materials in an accessible format, please contact FIU’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility (CRCA) at 305-348-2785 or accomodations@fiu.edu. All requests for ADA accommodation or accessible materials for this event must be submitted to CRCA at least seven (7) business days prior to the event or at the earliest possible opportunity.1 attendee
Past events
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