How to build a 3D career that leads to Tomorrowland

A conversation with visual artist Lucifear

Lucifear is a 27-year-old 3D visual artist from Rome whose work has made its way from early graphic design experiments to some of electronic music’s biggest stages. After moving into 3D and developing a clear focus on character-driven visuals, he went on to create work for artists including ARTBAT, 999999999 and Massano — most recently for Tomorrowland.

We spoke with him about breaking into live visuals, building a recognizable specialization, working for large-scale festival stages, and what it actually takes to turn years of experimentation into a career in 3D.

How did you first get into 3D, and what eventually pulled you toward creating visuals for music and live performances?

I've always had a creative mind. Between 2016 and 2017, I started getting into graphic design, initially using Canva and Photoshop to create mostly 2D graphics for small local artists and friends.

My background was in IT studies, and at first, I thought that might be my path. However, I felt an increasingly strong need to create and work in the visual world. Having always been passionate about cinema and fascinated by special effects, I decided to attend a two-year special effects academy in my city, which led me to discover my true passion: 3D.

Around that time, I got into the Melodic Techno scene and started watching huge shows by artists like Anyma. What struck me the most were the massive screens, the animated human bodies, and the characters. I immediately realized that was the direction I wanted to take: creating 3D characters specifically designed for big music events.

So, I started following 3D artists and communities, including Polyspheric. I reached out to them multiple times without getting a response, but I didn't give up. When they finally gave me a chance, I had to earn their trust, and my first major project with them was for ARTBAT. From there, I began building my own path independently, constantly looking for new clients and collaborations.

Was working on stage visuals always something you wanted to do, or did you find your way into that world by accident?

It’s something I came to realize gradually. As a kid, I had completely different ideas about my future, but as I grew older, I realized how deep my need to create actually was.

I spent all my time thinking about graphics, composition, typography, visual effects, and imagery. After a few experiences working as a graphic designer and as an employee, I realized I didn't want to follow a traditional career path.

I wanted to merge my passion for visual arts with my love for music, creating something that could live on massive screens in front of thousands of people. The feeling of seeing the crowd record your work during an event, even if they don't know who made it, is truly incredible.

If someone had told me years ago that I would be creating 3D visuals for big music events, I probably wouldn't have believed them. I think some paths emerge unexpectedly, but they are driven by passion. For me, it was essential to find a career that allowed me to be both creative and free.

You mentioned that passion has played a huge role in getting you where you are today. What did your path actually look like from your first experiments to working on productions at this scale?

Passion has been and continues to be fundamental. When passion becomes an obsession, it means that you go to sleep thinking about 3D and you wake up the next morning with 3D still in your head.

It’s great to have so many ideas, but it’s even more rewarding to turn them into concrete realities, instead of letting them wander into the abstract. In the beginning, I experimented constantly: I published some projects and deleted others. Today, looking back at certain early works, I might not fully recognize myself in them anymore, but they are all an essential part of my journey.

Before you can create realistic and complex work, you have to experiment, make mistakes, and continuously learn. I started studying 3D around 2021/2022. After about a year, in 2023, my first major project arrived for ARTBAT through Polyspheric.

That was a key turning point because it proved that all the hard work and relentless practice were finally translating into real, tangible opportunities.

You created visuals for Massano at Tomorrowland this year. How did that opportunity come about, and what was your role in the project?

Yes, I created a visual for a new track by Massano and Glowal, which was later projected on stage at Tomorrowland. I designed a character, which is my main area of specialization, and built a visual synced to the music.

The opportunity came through Telepixel, a studio specializing in stage visuals and installations for music events, working with artists such as ARTBAT, Korolova, Argy, Massano, and many others.

I first got in touch with Telepixel in 2025 through 999999999, for whom I had created some visuals. Thanks to them, I got connected with Joel, founder of Telepixel, and Diego, the Art Director. After our first collaboration, we stayed in touch, and they began trusting me with more work, appreciating my style and creativity.

That sparked an ongoing collaboration that continues today. There's a great sense of support and creative exchange with the other artists and professionals in the team: we share ideas, advice, and above all, the same passion for digital visual arts applied to music.

When you create visuals for an artist like Massano, where does the direction start — with the music, the artist’s identity, the stage itself, or something else?

It usually starts with a moodboard and a storyboard to define the concept, the overall mood of the track, and the character's identity.

In Massano's case, for example, the visual direction was dystopian. Before reaching the final result, I create several rough drafts and collaborate closely with both the client and the Art Director to define every single element: from the character's appearance and materials to the hair, clothing, and movements.

The creative spark starts with me, but it is developed around the artist's vision and the Art Director's guidance. Once the concept is locked in, we move on to animation, which has to be built and precisely timed to the music.

Then there is the entire technical side tied to the stage itself: screen format, resolution, aspect ratio, and dimensions. When working directly with an artist, I am sometimes provided with stage blueprints, lighting rigs, and full technical specifications, which are vital to properly adapt the visual to the live performance.

How closely do you work with the artist or their team when developing the visual world for a show? How much creative freedom do you usually have?

It depends heavily on the project. Sometimes I work directly with the artist, other times with their manager or creative team via Telegram, WhatsApp, or email.

In some cases, I am provided with very specific references and a rigid creative direction; in others, I am given total creative freedom. I often prepare multiple concepts so we can decide as a team which direction to develop.

It also happens that artists reach out to me specifically because they’ve seen my previous work and want something that fits that exact aesthetic. In those instances, they just give me a general idea and grant me carte blanche.

When they do have a clear vision in mind, I always make sure to honor it while still infusing my own visual language and interpretation. For me, it's all about finding the right balance between my creativity and the artist's vision.

What changes when you design something for a huge festival stage compared with making an animation that will mainly be watched on a screen?

Absolutely everything changes. When you design for a major event, you know your work will be seen by thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of people in real-time, so the attention to detail becomes even more critical.

Compared to vertical content made for social media, a visual for a massive stage demands far greater precision, control, and overall care, both creatively and technically.

I am extremely detail-oriented, and I often hide tiny elements that only I might ever notice, but I know they elevate the final production quality.

That said, it’s not just about the scale of the event or the prestige of the artist. Whether it’s an emerging artist playing for a few thousand people or an international star in front of a massive festival crowd, I always give 100%.

The most rewarding moment is watching videos of the event afterward and seeing people film the visual, sing along, jump, and react to something I created. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe: knowing that something born inside your mind managed to evoke real emotion in thousands of people is unbelievable.

How much do you think about individual tracks and moments in the set? Are you designing visuals around very specific musical cues, or building a broader world that can live throughout the performance?

It depends on the type of visual. Sometimes I let myself get completely carried away by the track's overall mood and build an overarching concept that spans the entire song.

Other times, I create a shorter, more specific visual tailored to a key moment, like a build-up and drop. In those cases, the visual is engineered specifically to react to the music — something impactful needs to happen at the exact right moment.

Then there are "filler visuals," designed to loop continuously and accompany longer sections of a DJ set. These don't necessarily require a specific action tied to a drop, as they need to flow smoothly in the background without distracting from the set's momentum.

So I use both approaches: sometimes I build a small visual universe around an entire track, and other times I craft a sharp, tightly synchronized moment designed for a specific peak in the music. It always comes down to what the track and the live performance demand.

What does your actual workflow look like? Which tools or techniques are most important in your work right now?

When I find references on social media, I usually start directly from 3D. I don’t draw sketches in 2D because I'm not good at drawing (ahaha), but I create a reference grid and start developing the idea directly in Blender.

I often start with a clear concept, but during the creation phase, the idea evolves. I love this dynamic process because the end result can turn out completely different from what I originally envisioned.

Blender is my primary tool, though over time I’ve experimented with Cinema 4D and originally started my journey learning 3DS Max and Unreal Engine. At the end of the day, I believe the software is secondary: what matters most is feeling comfortable with your toolkit and delivering a great final result.

Over the past year, I’ve also started experimenting with AI, mainly for materials, textures, 3D elements, and select animation tests. However, I prefer using it as a complementary tool alongside 3D rather than a replacement. The foundation remains my own 3D work, maintaining my personal style and artistic identity.

Sometimes, AI actually helps me discover visual solutions I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. I appreciate that aspect because it can expand creativity rather than restrict it.

Live visuals sit somewhere between animation, VFX, 3D, graphic design and show design. Do you think artists entering this space need to specialize, or is being multidisciplinary becoming more important?

I believe specialization is key. Even in the film industry, there are dedicated roles for every stage of the pipeline: modeling, animation, lighting, groom/hair, cloth, simulations, and so on. One person doesn't need to do everything perfectly.

Personally, I specialize in creating and animating human bodies and characters. Working as a freelancer, I naturally need a solid general foundation in 3D to manage materials, lighting, simulations, and rendering, but I chose to anchor my artistic identity primarily around character work.

I prefer doing one thing I love exceptionally well rather than trying to do ten things without truly excelling at any.

At the same time, this industry moves incredibly fast. You have to stay curious and be willing to experiment with new software, techniques, and workflows. I was very skeptical about AI at first, but once I decided to test it, I found it can be a fantastic creative tool.

Curiosity is essential in this field. You can never stop learning because technology constantly evolves.

For someone seeing work at Tomorrowland and thinking, “I want to do that one day,” what would you tell them to focus on first?

When I started out, working at Tomorrowland was one of my absolute biggest dreams. It's arguably one of the most iconic platforms in the electronic music world.

But a milestone like that doesn't happen overnight. It takes years of constant practice, perseverance, and hard work. You have to keep creating, refining your craft, and putting yourself out there.

There were times when I felt discouraged and wondered if my efforts would ever lead anywhere. But I never stopped believing in it, even when I briefly thought about a plan B. I eventually realized that my plan B had to be my plan A: to keep pushing digital visual arts into the music world.

It's also fundamental to have genuine people around you — people who believe in you from day one, not just when results start showing up. Reaching a stage like Tomorrowland doesn't mean you've "made it"; it just means you've earned a new opportunity to raise the bar even higher.

For me, working at Tomorrowland was a major milestone, but I want to keep growing, collaborating with new artists, and bringing my vision to even bigger stages.

What’s something about creating visuals for major live shows that people outside the industry probably don’t realize?

Behind a single 30-second or 1-minute visual, there can be weeks of work, dozens of iterations, rough drafts, references, and revisions. What the audience sees on stage is only the tip of the iceberg.

Often, multiple creative minds are involved behind a single visual: artists, Art Directors, managers, and 3D artists constantly brainstorming and making decisions together.

Technically, there’s an immense amount of work required: studying lighting, camera angles, motion, materials, textures, and keyframing, running endless render tests before reaching the final product.

On top of that, a live visual must perform flawlessly on a massive screen. It needs to be perfectly synced to the music, readable from great distances, clean of visual artifacts or glitches, and strictly compliant with stage dimensions, safety margins, and technical specs.

And, of course, there are tight deadlines, which are notoriously strict in the event industry.

It’s a lot like filmmaking: we watch a two-hour movie, but behind those two hours lie months or years of work. It’s the exact same with live visuals — what looks simple on screen is often the result of an intricate, complex workflow.

Is there a particular show, artist or project you would love to create visuals for in the future?

I actually can't answer this question — I'm way too superstitious! Hahahah.

Let's just say there are several projects in the pipeline: some are already locked in, while others are still being finalized. I know what’s coming up in the next few months, and there are some exciting things lined up for next year as well, but I prefer to keep things under wraps for now.

I've always been this way: I prefer to let the work speak for itself. When the time is right, I’ll be the one sharing what I’ve been cooking up.

What are you personally trying to push or get better at next?

I want to keep pushing my visuals toward a more cinematic and immersive quality while maintaining a strong visual identity and, above all, telling a story.

I don't just want to create pretty images; I want them to carry a distinct atmosphere, hold real meaning, and evoke genuine emotion.

At the same time, I want to keep exploring new software, tools, and workflows. One of the main things I actively try to avoid is monotony. Since a big part of my work revolves around human bodies and character design, I constantly ask myself how I can keep my work from feeling predictable or repetitive.

My specialization defines my identity, but I don't want it to become a limitation. I want to build diverse visual identities where every character and project has its own distinct soul, personality, and motion style.

If I had to choose one word to describe my goal for the future, it would be diversification: staying rooted in my world while continuously exploring it in fresh, new directions.