Chinese visual-effects artist: Technology can enhance a story's soul

A United States-based award-winning Chinese visual effects (VFX) artist who has contributed to multiple Super Bowl commercials is proving that visual power and cultural reach do matter.

Yang Wu has contributed to advertisements including Doritos' Jack's New Angle (2023) and Kawasaki's Work Meets Play (2024) that had a combined audience of hundreds of millions.

After earning her bachelor's degree from Beijing University of Technology, Wu went on to receive her Master of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. There, she refined her skills in terrain, crowd, fluid and destruction simulations, developing a strong foundation that would later define her distinctive approach to visual storytelling.

"Artistry and science, when united, can make the invisible visible — and turn light and water into living art," she said.

In an ever-evolving world of visual effects, Wu has stood out for her rare blend of artistic imagination and scientific precision.

Born in a small city in Inner Mongolia, she discovered her passion for both art and mathematics early. Over time, she realized that visual effects represented the perfect fusion of creativity and logic — a harmony of art, math and physics.

In the US, she has worked with internationally renowned studios such as The Mill (Technicolor) and WET Design, developing a diverse portfolio that bridges cinematic storytelling and large-scale experiential design.

At The Mill, Wu contributed to The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, which achieved global recognition last year. Several other projects she has worked on have also received international awards and nominations at major festivals.

At WET Design, Wu played a leading creative role in the design and production of the Rain Vortex Light and Sound Show at Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. Collaborating with global creative partners including JJ Lin, Disney and BTS, Wu helped conceptualize and craft a series of immersive shows that blend music, light and fluid motion into one continuous performance.

Wu says that beyond her technical achievements, her artistic philosophy emphasizes emotional depth and human connection.

"Technology itself is not the art, it's the bridge that allows imagination to touch people's hearts," she said, adding that her work is driven by the conviction that technology should never overshadow the story but rather enhance its soul.

Wu says this guiding belief has shaped her approach to every project — whether designing intricate particle effects for a cinematic explosion or orchestrating a monumental light show.

Her peers describe Wu as "an artist who understands both the poetry and the physics of motion", while Wu adds that she hopes to inspire young artists who, like her, are drawn to both numbers and colors.

She has earned respect across the industry for her balance of artistry and discipline, her technical fluency and her leadership in projects that bring together teams from different continents.

From the vast plains of Inner Mongolia to the world's most iconic creative landmarks, Wu has transformed imagination into spectacle.

Please contact the writer at hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn