Ringling College of Art and Design is proud to announce its official recertification as a Houdini Certified School, a distinction awarded by SideFX, creators of Houdini, a leading 3D procedural animation tool used in film, games, and immersive media.
Houdini certification is granted only to institutions that demonstrate consistent integration of Houdini into their curriculum, with qualified instruction and proven student success. Ringling’s recertification reaffirms its commitment to equipping students with industry-standard skills in visual effects, real-time development, and procedural content creation.
A major benefit of this certification is that Ringling graduates are eligible for a free commercial license of Houdini upon graduation, allowing them to bring their production-ready skills directly into professional pipelines.
Recent graduate Finley Southwick ’25, Game Art, exemplifies the value of Ringling College’s use of Houdini. Their senior thesis project, Mold, is a surreal, third-person exploration game and technical art showcase that fuses eerie storytelling with horrific subject matter presented in a hauntingly beautiful way. Set in a damp, forgotten sewer system, you play as an insect gathering corpses to sustain your grotesque, mold-ridden queen. The project allowed Southwick to explore procedural workflows in Houdini, with a focus on building tools and effects to support environmental storytelling. One of the standout technical achievements was the creation of a custom Houdini Digital Asset (HDA) that reinforced the grimy, organic world.
“One of my favorite tools I created for this project was the Mycelium Web Generator, a Houdini Digital Asset,” said Southwick.
“Seeing my HDA running live in the engine was incredibly satisfying. Being able to procedurally generate creepy, organic webs to set dress with just a few clicks was my goal.”
Mold has earned Southwick a finalist position in the prestigious 2025 Rookie of the Year competition in the Game Development category, a global showcase of the best emerging talent in creative media.
Ringling College’s continued certification would not have been possible without the leadership of Faculty Member Joe Jobst, who has championed the integration of Houdini into the Game Art curriculum. His efforts have helped ensure that students not only learn the technical capabilities of procedural tools but also use them creatively to enhance storytelling, design, and worldbuilding. The College thanks Jobst for his ongoing commitment to student success and technical innovation.
With this recertification, Ringling College continues to deepen its integration of procedural tools and technical artistry across the Game Art curriculum. Faculty and students will continue to explore new possibilities in real-time visual effects, digital storytelling, and game design through project-based learning, industry mentorship, and ongoing innovation.
For more information about Ringling College’s Game Art program and student work, explore the Game Art webpage.
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