Vlad Gheneli, lecturer in the Distance Learning program at ARC Academy, who creates worlds for the big screen

Vlad Gheneli is a concept artist and illustrator based in Romania. His career started in 2012 doing small projects for table-top RPGs, book covers and various illustrations. Later on he started working on movies, doing key scenes, location designs and props. His most recent project was the pre-production of an upcoming Netflix movie- Thursday Murder Club. 

Why did you choose to do Concept Art professionally ?

For me, it was either illustration or concept art and the latter felt more appealing. I’ve always wanted to design things and push simplicity with my sketches. I end up asking myself how I can paint something recognizable with as few brush strokes as possible. This helps keep it clean and helps me paint very fast, as I usually have to deliver one scene per day when doing key scenes. It fits me quite well, as it keeps me from getting bored with working on the same piece for weeks, as it often happens with illustrations.

Which projects you have worked so far you are most proud of and why?

Both the Wednesday and We Were The Lucky Ones series have turned out amazing. I don’t think I can pick one purely based on the end product. If I had to compare my work on the projects, I’m prouder of the work I did for Wednesday. The genre was closer to my heart and I got to design monsters, a castle, tombs and such. My dream is to work on a full-fledged horror movie someday.

What are the most valuable lessons you have learned professionally?

As I’ve had to put in a lot of work on other people’s projects and ideas, I’ve realized that we must always find time for personal projects as well. We mustn’t forget to feed our own soul, because we won’t always be able to work on projects that are aligned with our own interests and directions.

Do you have a funny or interesting story about something that happened to you while working?

The funniest thing is not necessarily something while working, but I find it funny that the first movie project I worked on was Netflix’s Wednesday series back in 2021 and this year I’ve worked on an upcoming Netflix movie called The Thursday Murder Club. So I guess I’m now waiting for a Friday movie to work on.

What would you like to convey to the students – personally and professionally? 

I would like to convey the love for sketching, painting and designing. They need to be accompanied by a passion for the subject, which enables an artist to happily spend hours on research and expanding their knowledge. You simply cannot make it in this industry without that passion.

If you are interested in concept art, apply during the early admission period in our distance programs in Game Design, Concept Art and 3D Art, and benefit from a 15% discount from your tuition fees.