This VFX compositor demo reel was created by Shanthini Balasubramanian at Think Tank Training Centre in 2025.
The reel showcases a series of compositing shots that blend South Asian Bharatanatyam movement with a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired temple world. Shanthini filmed all plates on green screen and composited them with a strong focus on clean integration and interactive lighting. As a result, the work brings together projected geometry, animated elements, and detailed roto and grading. Together, these choices create a cohesive visual world where cultural tradition meets speculative design.
Creative Approach
Shanthini approaches compositing as a storytelling tool rather than a purely technical process. Because of her filmmaking background, she pays close attention to cinematography, colour, and emotional flow. In every shot, she uses technical problem-solving to support clarity and performance. As a result, the final work feels grounded, intentional, and visually connected.
Training & Workflow
During her training at Think Tank Training Centre, Shanthini built a strong foundation in professional compositing workflows. In addition, she learned how visual effects fit into a larger production pipeline. Through collaborative and deadline-driven projects, she developed an efficient and organized workflow that balances precision with creativity. Overall, this training shaped her ability to work confidently across production and post-production.
This shot focuses on preserving performance while adding digital elements. Shanthini mapped the eyes onto spherical geometry and animated them frame by frame to match the dancer’s movement. Then, she roto-graded the lighting and colour to maintain realism. As a result, the shot keeps its emotional impact while integrating complex visual effects.
In this shot, Shanthini projected temple stone textures onto simple geometry to build a grounded environment. She carefully refined edge integration, interactive lighting, and ground contact. Because of this attention to detail, the dancer’s movement feels physically connected to the space.
This shot brings together projected temple geometry, layered environments, and animated elements to create a living, futuristic space. Shanthini created the water reflections using an animated plane with inverted city and sky projections. This approach gave her greater control over movement and timing. Meanwhile, she animated the temple lighting to suggest energy growing from within the structure.
Throughout her training, Shanthini received mentorship from Karla Vasquez and Nick Whiteley at Think Tank Training Centre. Their guidance helped shape both her technical growth and creative confidence.
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