Video Interview

Print interview

Khalid, tell us a bit about yourself. your background?
Well, My name is Khalid Muharraqi, my last name is Muharraqi which is a name that is well know in these parts due to my father, he has always been a well known artist in the region, over 40 years. I currently live in Bahrain, my home town, and I do 3D art and animation for a living. Like other artists I know I have always been interested to learn as much as I can in the creative field.

What made you seek education in this country?
Well, after I got rejected to be a pilot because I did bad in physics, I then had to do my second choice which is art, as I have been painting since I was 9, and I sold my first painting when I was 15. So then my young brother and Dr. Mohammed helped me find the best school that suited me in the U.S.. Also the U.S. is well known for it’s creative education, and I really wanted to learn from the professionals there how to think and how to make a business in this field.

What made you move into 3D?
Yes.. my background is visual communication, advertising, marketing and branding. I worked in that field for over 12 years now, but I have always been fascinated with the 3D art work that was online from different artists, also I had been playing with 3D applications for a long time but never really stuck with one, due to the fact that I used to be a Mac user only, and Mac at the time had very few good applications that are considered as professional. Mainly I did it as a hobby, I’m self taught, and I used to practice 8 hours a day after my working hours at the office, so when my friends used to go fishing, or wax there sport cars after there work day, I would practice 3D as my hobby.

What made you like Modo? Lightwave?
Well… I was using Lightwave first, the first version I worked with was 5.5 I did not like it at that time, but when I tried version 6 I fell so much in-love with the simplicity and from there onwards, I continued to use it and love it’s tools, they just fit with my hands. Modo, well I was using Modo’s demo version as practice, just to see if I would like it, that’s after I’d seen all the amazing reviews. I created my first image using the demo Modo “Myth of the Floating Islands” all of a sudden.. a lot of people from the Luxology forums got shocked, well it was easy for me to adapt to Modo, it is simple, well thought out, and feels close to LW, so.. Lux gives me a gift, a full version, so from then on I always us Modo in everything I do.

What do you hope to see implemented in future versions?
Many things, but mainly I wish that they have better tools for character animation, the ability to record actions and the ability to blend motions together with more control, something like Motion Builder from Autodesk, at the moment LW has Motion Mixer, and that is amazing… but still it’s old, and it was good for it’s time, but needs to be addressed, modified, simplified, and most of all optimized to be fast in OpenGL, especially after putting more tracks in the time line. I think the product just needs some tweaking, renaming… etc.

You do awesome work, what part of the 3D process do you like? Modelling, texturing, the whole process.
I do all of the above, concept to modeling, texturing, sculpting, rigging, lip-sync, animation, lighting and rendering, and the VFX. A lot of these topics are different professions, but as I said before, I did this as a hobby, so I did not care about the amount of time it took me, I was more focused on the results…and the fun and satisfaction it gave me to achieve. My fun parts are sculpting and rendering the final.

What was the best advice that was given to you?
Well.. I was once told by one of my instructors that I needed to specialize, that I can’t be good at many things, choose a direction and go for it! Well, at the time I took it personal and that I wanted to prove him wrong. And in the years that I have been in the industry, I have been involved in so many different majors in the creative realm, my portfolio is very colorful so I could show work under the Art: painting, design: product design, industrial design, interior designs, design-books, stamps, money, logos, concept for advertising campaigns, slogans, architectural visualization, cities, buildings, islands, interiors, landmarks & monuments, landscapes. CG ART: 3D illustrations with concepts as final artwork, character development. You see the trick is.. that I don’t learn it all at once, I learn one.. be good at it then move on to the next after a few years of work.

What would you say are some of the differences in 3D, between Western & Middle Eastern styles?
LOL!, there is no Middle Eastern, we don’t have high quality standards in these parts, and that is for many reasons, one of them is that clients don’t have a quality of standard, and taste is not linked to professions, what I mean is anyone that has money or a position is automatically a designer, or an artist that has a full right to comment. Usually things look like crap when you get clients that enforce their ugly ideas that just don’t work… but I usually say my opinion, then back off.

Where does a lot of your inspiration for your work come from?
A lot of it comes from my father, and his work, also he had a great big collection of books and magazines that I used to look at and study, like Frank Frazetta, Eerie and the Creepy Magazine, the original old Mad Magazine, comic books… etc.

What other software packages do you use?
Zbrush, After Effects, Painter, Photoshop, Sketchbook, Motion, Combustion, Vue

How have you found the new updates with LW10 & Modo 501?
I love LW10, all the new features are just amazing… I love the colors, the look… all of it… still needs work on things like the FiberFX, and the dynamics for it, the VPR is really nice but still needs to be faster. I like that it is built in, but I still like FPrime more, 3D stereo is amazing, and all the new MDD stuff… I just love that.

Modo 501, to be honest with you I did not get much of a chance to work with due to the lack of time, but soon I will have to upgrade to 501. I saw the reviews, and it seems really nice… but I will have to get back to you on my test drive.

Did you always have intentions on returning back to Bahrain?
Umm… yes… and no… If I enjoy my Job, I will stay anywhere… a few years ago, about two years, a friend of mine that works at Weta Digital, asked me if I was available to work there, some of his directors had seen my art, and needed me on the team. What he said was that, they have a film that they were working on and they needed someone like me to be on the team, the film was called AVATAR, and if would be interested. I did not know what AVATAR was at the time, and I was so full with my work that I said, not now. Funny I wish I went…..

Can you tell us a bit about your work process? Do you start with sketches or jump right in?
Always sketch… then I work, sketching to me is like my map, my plan, this saves me time.. and the quality is better.

Did you come from a traditional art background?
Yes.. I painted all my life, my father was my teacher, he made me appreciate and understand how and where to start as an artist.

Has there been a project come along that you weren’t sure how to pull it off?
Umm… to be honest with you, I never think this way… I always think forward, I always have a clear understanding on how this will work or how to achieve such a job, I almost always think from the end to the beginning. So rarely do I remember going like, shit… it’s not gonna happen!! Well only when my render farm breaks down…

Tell us about Muharraqi Studios? What type of work do you mostly do?
In the last 5 years, I’ve worked on mainly architectural visualizations, projects to be built. These days I do more creative work, related to TV shows, advertising, and story design for films.

Do you find it hard being a small studio doing the work sometimes?
Yes… it is, the expectations are high as I do go head to head with the big boys, and that’s because my work is compared with some of the top studios that have big teams working for them, I have to keep the level up all the time… (so, no matter what, the show must go on)

What are some of your hobbies you enjoy doing?
I love working out… I do Brazilian Jujitsu 4 times a week with my instructor Mr.Mohamed Mirza, and he makes sure that I am fit, especially since I sit in front of the PC for many hours. We do spar all the time, and the keeps my level up.

What would be a dream project for you?
My film project.. to start it .. and then finalize.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in the business?
Follow your dreams, and never look back… listen to people that are professionals, and put more then 7 hours a day on practice. Do not stop practicing! That’s all really.

Finally, I would like to thank you Don, for asking me to share and to participate on your amazing site, it is a great pleasure for me to have had this conversation with you.

Thanks for taking the time out to talk with us it was truly awesome! Go to Muharraqi-Studios to see more of Khalids work.
Thanks Khalid

Video Interview

Print interview

Khalid, tell us a bit about yourself. your background?
Well, My name is Khalid Muharraqi, my last name is Muharraqi which is a name that is well know in these parts due to my father, he has always been a well known artist in the region, over 40 years. I currently live in Bahrain, my home town, and I do 3D art and animation for a living. Like other artists I know I have always been interested to learn as much as I can in the creative field.

What made you seek education in this country?
Well, after I got rejected to be a pilot because I did bad in physics, I then had to do my second choice which is art, as I have been painting since I was 9, and I sold my first painting when I was 15. So then my young brother and Dr. Mohammed helped me find the best school that suited me in the U.S.. Also the U.S. is well known for it’s creative education, and I really wanted to learn from the professionals there how to think and how to make a business in this field.

What made you move into 3D?
Yes.. my background is visual communication, advertising, marketing and branding. I worked in that field for over 12 years now, but I have always been fascinated with the 3D art work that was online from different artists, also I had been playing with 3D applications for a long time but never really stuck with one, due to the fact that I used to be a Mac user only, and Mac at the time had very few good applications that are considered as professional. Mainly I did it as a hobby, I’m self taught, and I used to practice 8 hours a day after my working hours at the office, so when my friends used to go fishing, or wax there sport cars after there work day, I would practice 3D as my hobby.

What made you like Modo? Lightwave?
Well… I was using Lightwave first, the first version I worked with was 5.5 I did not like it at that time, but when I tried version 6 I fell so much in-love with the simplicity and from there onwards, I continued to use it and love it’s tools, they just fit with my hands. Modo, well I was using Modo’s demo version as practice, just to see if I would like it, that’s after I’d seen all the amazing reviews. I created my first image using the demo Modo “Myth of the Floating Islands” all of a sudden.. a lot of people from the Luxology forums got shocked, well it was easy for me to adapt to Modo, it is simple, well thought out, and feels close to LW, so.. Lux gives me a gift, a full version, so from then on I always us Modo in everything I do.

What do you hope to see implemented in future versions?
Many things, but mainly I wish that they have better tools for character animation, the ability to record actions and the ability to blend motions together with more control, something like Motion Builder from Autodesk, at the moment LW has Motion Mixer, and that is amazing… but still it’s old, and it was good for it’s time, but needs to be addressed, modified, simplified, and most of all optimized to be fast in OpenGL, especially after putting more tracks in the time line. I think the product just needs some tweaking, renaming… etc.

You do awesome work, what part of the 3D process do you like? Modelling, texturing, the whole process.
I do all of the above, concept to modeling, texturing, sculpting, rigging, lip-sync, animation, lighting and rendering, and the VFX. A lot of these topics are different professions, but as I said before, I did this as a hobby, so I did not care about the amount of time it took me, I was more focused on the results…and the fun and satisfaction it gave me to achieve. My fun parts are sculpting and rendering the final.

What was the best advice that was given to you?
Well.. I was once told by one of my instructors that I needed to specialize, that I can’t be good at many things, choose a direction and go for it! Well, at the time I took it personal and that I wanted to prove him wrong. And in the years that I have been in the industry, I have been involved in so many different majors in the creative realm, my portfolio is very colorful so I could show work under the Art: painting, design: product design, industrial design, interior designs, design-books, stamps, money, logos, concept for advertising campaigns, slogans, architectural visualization, cities, buildings, islands, interiors, landmarks & monuments, landscapes. CG ART: 3D illustrations with concepts as final artwork, character development. You see the trick is.. that I don’t learn it all at once, I learn one.. be good at it then move on to the next after a few years of work.

What would you say are some of the differences in 3D, between Western & Middle Eastern styles?
LOL!, there is no Middle Eastern, we don’t have high quality standards in these parts, and that is for many reasons, one of them is that clients don’t have a quality of standard, and taste is not linked to professions, what I mean is anyone that has money or a position is automatically a designer, or an artist that has a full right to comment. Usually things look like crap when you get clients that enforce their ugly ideas that just don’t work… but I usually say my opinion, then back off.

Where does a lot of your inspiration for your work come from?
A lot of it comes from my father, and his work, also he had a great big collection of books and magazines that I used to look at and study, like Frank Frazetta, Eerie and the Creepy Magazine, the original old Mad Magazine, comic books… etc.

What other software packages do you use?
Zbrush, After Effects, Painter, Photoshop, Sketchbook, Motion, Combustion, Vue

How have you found the new updates with LW10 & Modo 501?
I love LW10, all the new features are just amazing… I love the colors, the look… all of it… still needs work on things like the FiberFX, and the dynamics for it, the VPR is really nice but still needs to be faster. I like that it is built in, but I still like FPrime more, 3D stereo is amazing, and all the new MDD stuff… I just love that.

Modo 501, to be honest with you I did not get much of a chance to work with due to the lack of time, but soon I will have to upgrade to 501. I saw the reviews, and it seems really nice… but I will have to get back to you on my test drive.

Did you always have intentions on returning back to Bahrain?
Umm… yes… and no… If I enjoy my Job, I will stay anywhere… a few years ago, about two years, a friend of mine that works at Weta Digital, asked me if I was available to work there, some of his directors had seen my art, and needed me on the team. What he said was that, they have a film that they were working on and they needed someone like me to be on the team, the film was called AVATAR, and if would be interested. I did not know what AVATAR was at the time, and I was so full with my work that I said, not now. Funny I wish I went…..

Can you tell us a bit about your work process? Do you start with sketches or jump right in?
Always sketch… then I work, sketching to me is like my map, my plan, this saves me time.. and the quality is better.

Did you come from a traditional art background?
Yes.. I painted all my life, my father was my teacher, he made me appreciate and understand how and where to start as an artist.

Has there been a project come along that you weren’t sure how to pull it off?
Umm… to be honest with you, I never think this way… I always think forward, I always have a clear understanding on how this will work or how to achieve such a job, I almost always think from the end to the beginning. So rarely do I remember going like, shit… it’s not gonna happen!! Well only when my render farm breaks down…

Tell us about Muharraqi Studios? What type of work do you mostly do?
In the last 5 years, I’ve worked on mainly architectural visualizations, projects to be built. These days I do more creative work, related to TV shows, advertising, and story design for films.

Do you find it hard being a small studio doing the work sometimes?
Yes… it is, the expectations are high as I do go head to head with the big boys, and that’s because my work is compared with some of the top studios that have big teams working for them, I have to keep the level up all the time… (so, no matter what, the show must go on)

What are some of your hobbies you enjoy doing?
I love working out… I do Brazilian Jujitsu 4 times a week with my instructor Mr.Mohamed Mirza, and he makes sure that I am fit, especially since I sit in front of the PC for many hours. We do spar all the time, and the keeps my level up.

What would be a dream project for you?
My film project.. to start it .. and then finalize.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in the business?
Follow your dreams, and never look back… listen to people that are professionals, and put more then 7 hours a day on practice. Do not stop practicing! That’s all really.

Finally, I would like to thank you Don, for asking me to share and to participate on your amazing site, it is a great pleasure for me to have had this conversation with you.

Thanks for taking the time out to talk with us it was truly awesome! Go to Muharraqi-Studios to see more of Khalids work.
Thanks Khalid

Dan, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Well, what’s there to say? I’m married and have one daughter, and live in Chicago. I’ve worked in the 3D animation industry for 17 years, and before that in broadcast and corporate television. Part of my work involves writing books on computer software and photography. I also own a portrait studio along with my wife.

What first drew you to 3D?
Honestly, it was about 1990 and I saw a Video Toaster with LightWave 3D 1.0. I quickly realized that I could create my own production environments in the computer. I love the look of 3D and the fact that I could create anything I could think of.

What were some important principles you learned on your early jobs?
Well, one of the main things I learned is that I wanted to work for myself. After college, I worked for 4 different companies doing video production work, and some 3D. It was through those jobs that I realized I wanted to have my own studio. I also learned that I had a lot to learn

You offer training in a wide variety of applications, is there one you prefer over another?
One application of the other? Not really. It all depends on the job. The software I use (LightWave, Modo, Cinema4D, Motion, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.) all have their place. I do a lot of medical animations, and Modo is great for that. Sometimes I have more cut and dry type of animation work, and LightWave is great for that. I’m getting back into Maya now too, with version 2011.

Do you find it difficult absorbing, learning & keeping up with updates with so many apps?
Not really – I think in many ways, learning software is like learning a language. That first one is tough, but then there are similarities in the second. Once you get that, you can use what you’ve learned there to help you learn the next, and so on.

What type of 3D do you enjoy doing? ie: medical, product, architectural
I really enjoy medical animation. Doing a lot of it this past year as well for the American Dental Association and Johnson & Johnson. But I also like architectural. It’s actually what got me going in 3D in the first place. I enjoyed re-creating places I had visited or lived. Product shots – I’ve done tons of them over the years and it’s a great way for me to incorporate my video production and photography skills into a 3D projects, utilizing lighting techniques from real world scenarios.

What’s been the most fun project you’ve worked on?
Hmmm…. Hard to say. I worked on safety animations for United Airlines that play on board all of the aircraft. That was a fun project. I did some work for a military contractor last year, building mobile offices and showing them deployed in different environments. Jobs like that are a blast.

Where do you see the medium of 3D/VFX headed?
I think 3D will continually evolve. There’s so much of it integrated into just about everything visual today already. But, for content creators, I think we’ll see more real time solutions.

What’s been the most challenging project you’ve worked on? Why?
Ugh… over the past 17 years, there’s been a lot of fist pounding, stress and more with many jobs. But if there were one that sticks out I’d say it was last year’s job with the American Dental Association. The project called for about 80 3D animations of teeth, gums, root canals, root planing, scaling, adult teeth, child teeth, etc. There wasn’t always a clear direction for each animation, and the frustration was that it was being rendered in high definition, more than one person was commenting on what had to be done, while others were simply wanting it to be done, in order to edit them into the final videos. On top of that, we were opening our portrait studio at the same time, doing a new training course for 3DGarage.com (for Modo 401) and working on another 3D animation project.

Which do you prefer doing, writing books or training DVDs?
I like both – but for the most part I like the training DVDs. I started 3DGarage.com about 7 years ago, and have slowly been developing and building it into a larger training site. We have 17 titles now, with three new ones on the way this quarter. I’ll also be creating some photography related titles for 3DGarage.com as well as with my friends at ClassOnDemand.net. The DVDs allow me to really explain my point, and they take much less time to create. However, the books are great references that can clearly list out various specifics.

Where do you think the economy is as far as 3D/VFX work?
Years ago, it was tough. You had to be a big boy, in a big studio, with lots of people and lots of fluff. But thanks to technology, it’s all different today. Many of the large post houses in Chicago are gone, and top notch players work from home, small boutiques studios, or even from a laptop at Starbucks. I’m thrilled with this migration because it’s no longer about your address, but about what you can do. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. I’m finding that my work is different than it was 10 years ago. Back then, it was many small jobs. Now it’s just a few large jobs, and I’d like to see that continue. 3D/VFX work in many ways is like desktop publishing. Everyone can do it. But, it doesn’t mean everyone is good at it. Same goes for photography. Just practice your craft, experiment, and listen to the client, and I think we’ll all be fine. At least I hope!

Who are some of the people whose work inspires you?
Hmmm…. while I’m not a character animation guy, I think John Lasseter at Pixar was someone who was inspiring in the very beginning. What these guys were doing was simply amazing and ahead of their time. Today, inspiration comes from many of the users that contact me who are doing 3D on the side, or the animator who has just that right gift for creating 3D art, regardless of whether or not they get paid.

How does a typical day for you go?
Well, we’re up about 6:15, get the kiddie ready for school. Then some breakfast, and off to the studio. I spend a good part of the morning following up on emails or doing bills and paperwork. Sometimes we’ll have a photo session in the morning and I’ll prepare for that. Our portrait studio is also where the 3D work is done. After lunch, I generally get into Photoshop to edit images, or work on 3D as needed. Sometimes I’m at the studio late until the night, other times I go home about 6 and then later work on my laptop. It’s at night at home that I’ll write articles or work on a book (if I’m doing one at the time) or update our websites.

There are other days that I’m on the road – training. This year sow many trips around the US helping people learn Modo, LightWave, and photography. This summer I was at the University of Notre Dame teaching LightWave, then Harmon International teaching Modo, then off to Washing to DC in July. Recently I was at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs teaching some Modo, then a week later at HallMark Cards, also teaching Modo.

I know be able to do what you do is a blessing but what would be a dream project for you?
A dream project? Well, I’ve animated and work on just about everything – so I’d have to say it’s the job that has a tremendous budget, and is easy to create, and there are no changes. Another dream project is to win the lottery, then not to have to worry about the jobs! When this happens, I’d probably start a 3D or Photography program for inner city kids.

What was the best advice anyone’s given you?
The harder you work, the luckier you get.

Do you find it hard balancing all your different work with family/personal life?
Not at all. In fact, I don’t know how I could do just the same thing every day. I’m constantly jumping from 3D work, to photography, to training, to family events, to answering emails, working on new deals, and so on.

What are some of your other interests besides 3D & photography?
Love movies. I see just about everything. Ironically it’s not because of the 3D aspect of the movies today. 17 years ago – maybe. Today, when I’m done with 3D work I generally forget about it. Movies are an escape. Other interests (although I don’t do them really) are travel and cooking.

I love your photography work, especially your b&w city images. What do you see & feel when you look into some of your pics?
Thank you! Those black and white city images at www.ablangallery.com are mostly from my high school and college days studying photojournalism. I’d say it’s not about what I see and feel when I look at those images, but what do YOU see and feel? Many of those old black and whites are lonely images. If you look, there’s a single person in a lot of shots, disjointed from the other people in view. Needless to say, this was before I was married and into my career. If you look at more current images, there’s a lot of color, and families and kids. I don’t set out looking for anything when I’m photographing, I just shoot. I still get around the city from time to time and just walk and take pictures. In fact, this is part of a two-day one-on-one workshop I created a few years ago. One person comes in for two days. I take them through the city with their camera and help them learn photography, learn their camera and learn to “see.” The second day, we process and edit the images learning Lightroom and Photoshop. And what’s great about teaching photography (as well as 3D) is that I almost always learn something new as well.

What new projects or training are you currently working on, if you can say?
Have a new project coming up for J & J, and then a new book for LightWave 10, new training for LightWave 10, and new training for Modo 501.

What advice would you give someone just starting out?
Well, it’s different today since I started. Back then, there was no 3D industry. There wasn’t digital photography. Yes, I’m that old. In 1989 when I got out of college, digital was at least another 10 years away. 3D software was simple and expensive. The advantage though is that as long as you got your head in the right place about 3D, it was really just about learning what buttons did what. As the software improved, I learned and grew with it. So today, for people starting out, I’d say don’t be overwhelmed by everything. Baby steps. Try to understand what a button does – don’t just click and hope for results. This goes for 3D, Photoshop, or any other applications. Take the time to learn why you’re doing something, not just how. From there, experiment, and learn to work with clients. Doing 3D or photography for a living is fantastic, but that doesn’t mean you can just create whatever you like. You have to create what they like. Once you find that balance, it’ll all fall into place.

It’s been great fun talking with you and getting to know you a bit better. We look forward to your future training and projects! If you would like to see more of Dan’s 3D and photography visit him at 3dgarage.com or danablan.com.
Thanks Dan!

William, can you tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from?
Sure! Upon my release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, I joined my friend Dignan, who was far less sane than myself. Dignan hatched a hare-brained scheme for a crime spree that involved his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry. With the help of our pathetic neighbor and pal Bob, we pulled off a job and hit the road, where I found love with a motel maid named Inez.

…Actually, that’s the plot summary of Bottle Rocket, one of my favorite movies that was filmed in Texas where I was born, raised and lived most of my life.

I’ve since left Texas and I’m currently a Co-Owner and the Creative Director of AppleHead Factory, a design and toy studio based in Philly, as well as the Animation Director at World Wide Biggies in Manhattan. I live in South Orange, New Jersey and commute to Manhattan, which is an amazing daily experience that has no equal.

How did you first get introduced to 3D?
I was a major fan of Will Vinton Studios when I was growing up and followed their work closely. When they started getting into 3D, I started gaining interest as well. I went to school for design and illustration. Towards the end of my schooling another student started showing me his 3D work and suggested I start looking into it.

That student is now one of the best CG artists in the industry, so be sure to check out his work on his site: http://muharraqi-studios.com/ I think it’s wild that neither of us went to school for 3D but both ended up in this field using the same software. Khalid is an inspiration and I always enjoy seeing what he’s been up to.

I first became familiar with you when I started in LightWave, how long have you’ve been using it?
It’s been a little over 15 years now. Wow… I can’t believe I’ve been at this for so long, as it feels like only yesterday I was struggling with the concept of Inverse Kinematics.

I slowly introduced 3D into my workflow and tried to make it fit with every project that came through the doors at the multimedia studio I was working at. I learned LightWave on real projects with real deadlines. It was a sink or swim situation, and I think it helped speed up the learning curve. Within a six month time period, LightWave went from being a secondary application to my primary.

What was some of the best advice someone gave you when starting in 3D?
The best advice I was given was simply to “Give LightWave a try”. I knew that Will Vinton was using LightWave at the time, but the entire industry in Houston was using 3D Studio release 3 or 4. Everyone I talked to told me that if I wanted to be a 3D artist, I needed to learn 3DS. I gave 3D Studio a go for about 2 weeks… and was pretty sure I was not cut out to be a 3D artist after that experience. I was very discouraged as I couldn’t model the type of character work I wanted to create. A friend of mine suggested LightWave and within 8 hours I had already created a character model and felt right at home. It was scary how different the two apps were for me.

Your nickname is Proton, where did that name come about?
I was given that nickname in school and it kind of stuck. One of my instructors told the class that he had never seen someone so “Positively Charged” and the students started calling me Proton as a way to make fun of me. I actually saw it as a positive and took on the nickname with pride.

Years later when I started joining online communities, no one was using their real names so I used Proton for my user name. Of course now it is more common to use your real name, so Proton has slowly faded into the background.

I’d suggest to anyone just getting started to save nickname’s for your games and use your real name in your career as it is important to sell yourself and build your brand. I can’t tell you how many people don’t realize that Proton is William Vaughan. I’d avoid that kind of confusion at all costs if I were to do it all over.

What other software do you use?
Anything I can get my hands on that will help me make my deadline. My main 3D applications are LightWave, Zbrush and Modo. I also use Photoshop and After Effects on a regular basis along with a collection of other applications that get used from time to time.

Over the last year I have found myself working more and more in After Effects and have really fallen in love with compositing. I have the same excitement level about compositing as I did during the early days of me getting into 3D.

What part of the 3D process do you like most; modeling, animating, texturing?
This is an easy one… Modeling. To be even more specific, character modeling. My day to day work involves being a generalist but the only freelance work that I take on these days is character related projects.

I would like to add that I have found being a generalist has made me a better modeler. I believe that until you experience the other aspects of production, you are modeling in the dark and missing out on ways to improve the functionality of a mesh, especially a character model.

I always suggest to artists that they should have a key skill that sets them apart from other artists, though it is still very important to be as familiar with all aspects of production as possible. It can only make you a more valuable team member.

What are some of the projects that you worked on?
I’ve been pretty fortunate to get to work on a variety of projects over the years. My work can be seen in all types of media like Children’s books, Print (Fortune, Macworld, Rolling Stone, Entertainment weekly, to name a few), Multimedia, Toys (Sculpted toys for Pokemon, Polly Pocket, Littlest Pet Shop and more), Commercials (Compaq, Care Bears and Sky Dancers), Games, and Film.

Illustration by Joe Zeff Design at Splashlight

I’m a toy collector, so getting the opportunity to model Pokemon and Littlest Pet Shop toys for Varner Studios in LA was a real treat for me. (Cheesy segue in 3…2…1…) Speaking of treats, I recently worked on some of the celebrity m&m’s like the band Kiss and Brooks & Dunn while at Splashlight. A couple of months ago, I worked with Joe Zeff Design modeling hundreds of heads and faces for a website that allowed people to build mannequins that looked like themselves.

Illustration by Joe Zeff Design at Splashlight

Earlier this year I directed a pilot episode for Nickelodeon and I’m currently working on properties for SyFy and Spike in my role as Animation Director at World Wide Biggies. I look forward to being able to show some of the work soon. Until then, here are a few frames from the Nickelodeon pilot.

What was the most fun project you’ve worked on & why?
This is another easy question to answer. Getting to work with the amazing crew at Pixar on the animated short, “Partly Cloudy” is a tough one to beat. It was definitely a dream project getting to create a cast of characters for Pixar.

Copyright© Disney Pixar

If you would have asked me a few years ago whether I’d be working on a Pixar film or not I would have probably laughed at you. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. I keep going back and forth on which character model is my favorite but it changes every other week. This week it’s the Croc but last week it was the Ram.

Tell us about your time at The Dave School?
For several years, I was the Director of Industry Relations and Head of Curriculum at the Digital Animation and Visual Effects School at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I have trained hundreds of students to become professional animators at major studios such as Rhythm and Hues, Digital Domain, EdenFX, Zoic and EA Sports ,to name a few. It’s an amazing feeling to watch a television show or movie and see one of the students names scroll by. Getting to see several of my students names at the end of Avatar was probably one of my favorite experiences.

I’ve always enjoyed teaching and I wouldn’t trade my time at the DAVE school for anything. I’ve become close friends with many of my students and I think it’s safe to say I learned just as much during my time there as they did…if not more. I have a passion for teaching and I can definitely see myself getting back into teaching at some point in the future.

Where did the idea of Tofu the Vegan Zombie come from?
I’ve been a Zombie fan since I first saw Night of the Living Dead and wanted to put my own twist on the genre. I love the idea of a friendly zombie that also has the risk of turning at any moment. The basic story of “Tofu” is he is a friendly zombie, created from a botched experiment in Professor Vost’s laboratory. Monkey # 5, one of Vost’s lab animals, stuffed a block of tofu into the zombie boy’s open skull after accidentally losing the brain. As a result, “Tofu” eats only vegetables and grains and has no taste for human meat. However, if “Tofu” ever loses his “tofu-brain”, he turns into a dangerous zombie creature, craving human flesh.

You can read the birth of it in the teaser comic that was released at Toy Fair a few years ago here.

Although I have created thousands of characters over the years, Tofu by far one my favorites. I’m drawn to the story and feel he has a lot more potential then what we’ve seen from this little guy. I loved him so much I had him made into a Vinyl toy a couple years ago, which was my first step into the toy industry and Applehead’s first vinyl toy.

You can watch the animated short, play a game and even add the toy to your collection by visiting the official site here.

What’s a normal work day for you like?
My days at Biggies are so random it’s hard to say. One day I might juggle three different properties/projects. I’m usually the first one to arrive at the office which allows me to tackle any last minute tasks before any morning meetings start. I’m lucky in that I get to work on character designs most of the time as well as develop show concepts with an amazing team of people that are passionate about developing Characters.

For lunch, my choices are endless although I keep ending up at a Thai restaurant at least once a week. New York offers any type of food within walking distance no matter where you are located.

By 6 o’clock, I’m off to Penn Station to start my commute home where I now have the time to get back into sketching. I’ve filled over 20 books since I’ve moved here and feel I’m starting to get my traditional skills back to where they were before I got into 3D.

You seem to like the cartoony style, have you always done that?
It’s why I got into 3D to begin with. What most people don’t know is that for the first 4 years of using 3D I mainly produced technical animation for the Oil and Gas Industry in Houston. That type of work afforded me the time and tools to hone my skills on character work which is where my true passion is.

I’m lucky enough now that I get to focus solely on character related work, which sometimes I feel is getting paid to play.

Whose work do you enjoy looking at and that inspires you?
The list is endless. I’m inspired by everything around me, from artists that are just getting started, to the masters with years of experience. I get inspired when I visit online galleries, head over to the Museum of Modern Art here in NY, or when I’m staring at my toy collection in my home office.

I get inspired by the artists that I work with as well. I recently had the opportunity to work with Glenn Southern, who is simply brilliant and brought an amazing amount of talent to a project we’re in pre-production on for SyFy. I also follow the work of Rocco Tartamella, an amazing toy sculptor that has mastered the art of wrinkles. I have an entire toy shelf dedicated to his work and anytime I’m looking for inspiration I just look over at his work.

I have hundreds of sites bookmarked that I visit on a regular basis for inspiration. Like I said… the list is endless.

How do you find the process of getting projects? Is it mostly referrals?
I used to get all my work from my personal website, but haven’t had one in years. That changed a month ago, when I launched pushingpoints.com. I haven’t really been out looking for work for many years as all of my freelance work has come from referrals.

The trick is to remember that the 3D industry is very small and word travels fast. Always do your best and do what is possible to take care of your clients. They’ll keep coming back and can become your primary sales tool as they will come back with new projects and will even send new clients your way.

I also try and stay very active in the community and have had over 150 articles published in magazines and online sites like HDRI3D, 3D World, Computer Graphics World, and more. All of those have been a big help in bringing in new clients and projects.

What do you like most about Lightwave & Modo?
Ease of use! It’s obvious that both of these tools have been created by teams that understand the way an artist thinks. I’ve used just about every 3D application out there and have yet to find anything that matches the ease of use of LightWave and Modo.

You can read a small making of that I created for 3D total that talks about some of the things I love about Modo here.

I’m currently teaching an intern at work LightWave that has had a few formal years of Maya training in school, and it’s fun watching his expressions as he realizes how easy modeling really is with tools built with the artist in mind. Every application has its workflow and the trick is to find one that works the way you think. LightWave and Modo do this for me.

Where do you see the 3D market going?
It’s scary to think about sometimes.

I think we’ll continue to see smaller studios popping up which will increase the importance for artists to become proficient in all areas of production. This has been common for broadcast work for years but we’re already seeing more and more feature work being handled by smaller studios.

What do you attribute your longevity in the business to?
Luck!

I’ve always tried to stay active in the community and keep up on not only the software, but the industry itself. I try and be extremely open to every opportunity to that comes my way which has afforded me some amazing experiences that I would have missed out on if I was close minded.

Keep in mind… I’m a Texan living in New York City! (said with my best Pace Picante accent) If you’re up for trying new types of projects in new locations then you’ll stay busy without question.

What are some of the challenges you’ve had in balancing family, fun & work?
I’ll be honest…. I’ve struggled for years and still don’t have the balancing act down, though I’m getting better at it. The problem for myself, and most people that I know in the industry, is that we get paid to do what we would do as a hobby, which makes it difficult to walk away from the work after a full day.

I also have so many things I want to accomplish outside of work ,that I never seem to find enough time to stay ahead with my personal projects. I’m without a doubt a workaholic, but I’ve changed up my schedule over the past year to allow for time with my grandson and my new interest in motorcycles. I recently got my motorcycle license and a Russian bike with a sidecar so that my dog Jack can hit the road with me. You can follow my ride reports here.

What advice would you give someone starting out in 3D?
Love it or Leave it!

If you don’t have a passion for this kind of work you’ll never last. Although I believe 3D is an easy thing to pick up, it requires a massive amount of time and patience. If you’re in it for a cushy job with a 9 to 5 schedule, you’re looking down the wrong career path. Don’t expect there to be a plug-in or script to do all the work for you. Sometimes the only way to accomplish a task is to muscle your way through it. Remember that knowing a piece of software isn’t as valuable of a skill set as problem solving. Hone your problem solving skills and you’ll be more valuable then someone that knows what every button does in a given piece of software.

Always remember that no one started creating Pixar/ILM quality work right out of the gate and that anyone can over time. Set realistic goals for yourself and take full advantage of all the free resources that are available online.

William, I have to say that I really enjoyed your responses and look forward to doing another interview in the near future, Thanks for you support and we look forward to seeing what comes next from you.

Thanks William!

Andy, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m 40 years old, married, with two kids. I live in a town called South Shields, which is half way between Sunderland and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North of England. It’s a beautiful part of the world. Lovely countryside and coastline, I just wish it was bit warmer!

Art and drawing has always been a huge part of my life. My family didn’t have a television until 1978 so I had to be creative to keep myself entertained. I spent a lot of my childhood living in imaginary worlds that I used to create on rolls of plotter paper that my dad brought home from work. I’m still a bit of a day-dreamer.

I was lucky enough to be part of the Star Wars generation. I can still remember my father taking me to see it when I was eight years old. It had a huge effect on me at the time, and not having a TV at home made it even more impressive. It really fueled my imagination.

I graduated from art school in 1993 where I studied Fine Art. As well as painting and drawing I made short movies with a friend of mine. We were both huge film fans and used to regularly go to all night film festivals at the Scala Theatre in Kings Cross, London. I have very fond memories of eight hour David Chronenberg all nighters! Some of the films we made are sill in existence. It was all 16mm film back then, nothing was digital. In fact computers weren’t that available then. We had one room in college that contained ten PCs and they were for writing your essays. It’s no wonder they were universally hated!

After leaving college I set up in business as a printer but it was really tough. Times were changing, and I soon realized that if I was going to get anywhere I had to learn how to use a computer. Back then computers were really rubbish. Everything was slow and expensive and the internet in the UK was even worse. It took a few years for things to get faster and cheaper and that’s when 3D became more accessible.

The angry art student in me still has a problem with computers. I remember watching a film that a fellow student had made in which he smashed an old computer up. We thought it was great. Little did we know the effect they would have on our lives. I’m just glad I jumped on the digital train when I did!

You are originally from London, I think, how do you like it on this side of the pond?
Actually I’m not from London. I was born in Liverpool but moved around a lot when I was a child, although I did live in London for three years when I was studying. I get over to the US a few times a year thanks to Luxology, and most of the work I do is for US clients, so I do have a ‘special relationship’ with you lot on the other side of the water. Every time I’ve visited I’ve loved it.

How did you originally get started in 3D? Modo?
I was working for an advertising company about 10 years ago and a co-worker brought a copy of Bryce into work. From that moment I was hooked. I tried just about every application out there at that time and soaked up as much information as I could about the subject. There were lots of late nights. It was a difficult time, wanting to learn something as complicated as 3D, holding down a full time job, and bringing up a young family, but when you want something enough you go for it! As far as Modo is concerned I just saw it as a natural progression from Lightwave in terms of modeling. I bought it as soon as 101 was released.

You seem to do a lot of traveling for Luxology, what do you enjoy most about going to some of these places?
There are lots of things I enjoy about the trips I go on. It’s always exciting to visit different countries, and the food is always good, but the best thing is the opportunity to meet other 3D people face to face. The internet is a wonderful thing, but at times it can make the world you inhabit appear to be a mirage. When I go on a trip, that world is made flesh.

Where’s been your favorite place that you’ve gone to? Why?
That’s a difficult one. The coolest city I’ve been to is Berlin. The old East Berlin is very atmospheric and has become a hot spot for artists to live and work. I always like going to San Francisco, mainly for the fresh air and sunshine, but I think Shanghai had the biggest impact on me. You read on products that they’re made in China, but it’s only when you go there that you realize the extent to which China has become the world’s factory. I have a vivid memory or driving over a bridge and seeing the Shanghai docks, it was literally container ships and cranes as far as the eye could see.

The best thing about the traveling I’ve done is it’s made me realize how similar we all are. We all share the same hopes, dreams and daily concerns. The only barriers in the world are language and politics. This is where the art student in me love’s the computer, because in terms of global communication, and freedom of expression, the internet really has changed the world for the better.

So the best answer I can give to the question is ‘everywhere’. No matter where I’ve been I’ve always been made to feel welcome, and I’ve always come home with great memories.

Which do you enjoy more, training or working on actual projects?
I like both, and they go hand in hand. Working on design projects gives me the ideas and inspiration for tutorials, and because I also get paid to do tutorials I don’t see them as being of any less value, although I have to say I find making tutorials harder. When you work on a design project you may have a week to build some models and you put as much time into it as you need, but with a tutorial you have to boil something down into 90 minutes, not make any mistakes, and also entertain people, it’s tough.

What was the hardest thing to grasp when working in 3D?
When I started I found everything difficult, mainly because it was such an alien way of making things. I found topology a difficult thing to grasp initially because back then you had to model things in a very technical way. Nowadays we have sculpting, which is bringing more and more fine art people into the industry, and the quality of some of the modeling you see these days is insane. Topology is still there, but it’s now just a technical problem.

I also had to learn how to look at things differently. When I was drawing and painting I always looked at things in terms of two dimensional areas of color and tone. Suddenly I had to think about three dimensional surface qualities. I still find that tough!

Something I tell students all the time is that computers and software don’t make the business of creating something any easier. They allow you to do different things, and some things faster, but at the end of the day you have to deal with the same creative issues that you would face if you were using a pencil and paper. The hardest thing is to get past the software, so you’re being creative without worrying which button to push, and the only way to do that is through experience.

What part of the process do you enjoy more; texturing, modeling, animating?
Modeling. The reason is it’s such a direct process. When I’m building something I can see what’s taking take shape in front of me and everything happens in real time. Creatively that’s very important for me. I find texturing and rendering a very technical and slow process which is why I find it less rewarding.

What other software products do you use to create your images?
I have a number of 3D applications, Modo 401 of course, Maya, Z-Brush, an old copy of Lightwave which I still use for some things, and also Cinema 4D. For images I just use Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3. I think people can get obsessed with tools, and collect them like trophies. I’m a great believer in the phrase ‘less is more’, which by chance is a Modo development mantra.

What do you feel are Modo’s strengths? It’s weaknesses?
Modo’s strength is the people involved in it. Not just the developers but also the users. 3D software is very similar these days. We have a phrase in the UK ‘you pay your money and you take your choice’. At the end of the day you use the software that suits your needs and your pocket.

What I love about the Modo community is you have such a wide variety of creative people involved in helping to move the product forward. When I started in 3D it was quite a narrow field to work in, now it’s everywhere, and Modo really reflects this.

I’m also lucky enough to see Modo from the inside, helping directly with its development and communicating with the developers. The people working for Luxology are a wonderful collection of eccentric individuals, extremely bright, and totally dedicated to the cause.

Modo’s weakness is also a strength. Luxology is a small company. We don’t have the financial muscle of an Autodesk so development is perhaps not as fast as people would like. But I know what type of company I would rather deal with, and work for.

When starting a new project what is your work flow process?
Reference is always the starting point. It’s very difficult to experiment in 3D so you need a very clear idea of what you’re going to create before you start. Consequently good proprietary drawings and photographic reference is vital. Then you have to do a lot of looking. Before modeling something I spend a long time looking at images of it so I understand its form and structure. Once that’s clear in my minds eye I’m able to plan a modeling strategy, and only then do I start creating polygons. There are also other things to take into account, like what the intended use for the model is, is it going to be animated, and how close to the camera is it going to be. This all has a bearing on how you start the project.

Who are some of your inspirations and work you enjoy?
3D is a funny thing because the work you see in films is very rarely the work of one person so it’s difficult to pick out specific 3D artists who inspire me. I love the work that Passion Pictures produce. It’s very creative and they’re not afraid to use different mediums. 3D is just another tool to them. I know some of the artists at Passion and visit the studio when I’m in London. A lot of studios I visit are quite corporate, but Passion just feels like an art school. My kind of place!

You only meet a few people in life who are truly inspirational, and they’re never pop stars or celebrities. My lecturer in University was one of them. When you’re young you surround yourself with things in an effort to hide your insecurities but he had a talent for seeing straight through it, realizing what you were good at, and making sure you released what you were good at. I can honestly say I’m a better person for meeting him.

You have a wide variety of tutorials out, what do you enjoy working on; characters, automobiles, architecture, products?
I enjoy making something that allows me to learn something too. I loved making the real time content tutorial a couple of years ago because Seneca Menard answered lots of questions for me when I was preparing it. I learned a ton of stuff which was exciting, and if I’m excited about the information I’m tying to convey then that excitement is likely to come across in the video. I made a few mistakes in it, but I found out later that Black Rock Studios (Disney) used it to train new members of staff on Modo, and I’ve met people who had watched the videos and gone on to get jobs in the game industry. I’m not claiming credit for it but it’s nice to know I was a small piece of the process.

So to answer your question it’s not so much the content, but the motivation behind the tutorial that’s important.

modo 401 demonstration by Andy Brown from Brad Peebler on Vimeo.

What would be a dream project for you to work on?
Ten years ago I would have said to work on a Pixar film, but at my age and with my responsibilities I would find it very difficult to live the nomadic lifestyles that studio artists seem to live these days.

If I’m honest, every time someone is prepared to pay me to make something it’s a dream come true. It’s the best validation for all the hard work I put in at the beginning. Long may it continue!

What are some of your other interests outside of 3D?
I’m a big football (Soccer) fan. I used to play when I was younger but I wasn’t that good. Now I just shout advice from the crowd, sing songs and verbally abuse the opposition supporters. I take my son to watch Sunderland AFC struggling to survive in the Premier League every other weekend. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s great fun. It must be really boring supporting a team that always wins! Haway the Lads!

I also like to cycle. We have lots of cycle paths up and down the coast here which is really convenient. It gives me time to think, and helps me avoid the 3D artist physique!

What are some of the challenges in maintaining a family with your work and travel schedule?
When I’m not traveling it is ideal. My wife works full time so I get to do the school run. That’s definitely one of the advantages of working from home. When I’m traveling it’s hard on my wife as she has to deal with everything, but she’s very understanding and more than capable. Last year was crazy for traveling. I made eleven trips. That’s a lot of time sitting in airports.

What are some of the differences you’ve noticed between the English culture & American? What are some of the similarities?
We’re very similar, but the British have fewer guns. Seriously though, I’ve always found us to be very alike. I actually have close family in New Jersey so my connections to the US are closer than you may think. What I love about America, and Americans, is your willingness to take a risk. You seem to be hard coded for it. Us Brits tend to be more cautious, but we’re better at soccer!

How has your family and personal life helped in your 3D?
I couldn’t have done anything without them. It’s as simple as that. They’re the reason I get up in the morning. My wife had to put up with all the late nights I spent fueling my 3D obsession, and she supported me emotionally and financially when I left my job and started out freelance. I have a lot to thank her for, but don’t tell her that or she’ll want my credit card!!

What would be your favorite 3D movie and why?
That’s a difficult question. There are lots of films that have had a profound effect on me, but not many are 3D films. Films like ‘A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Dr Strangelove’, ‘Videodrome’, and everything David Lynch has ever made to name but a few. If 3D had been around then I’m sure they would have used it, but it would never have detracted from the story.

To many films these days are just a series of VFX set pieces held together by the thinnest of storylines. The 3D may be impressive but that’s not enough. Pixar gets it right though. Their films are so beautifully written that you forget you’re watching a 3D film, so I guess ‘Toy Story’, ‘Monsters Inc’ and ‘The Incredibles’ have to be some of my favorites, mainly because I watched them so many times when my children were babies.

More recently I really enjoyed District 9. It reminded me of the early Peter Jackson films that I used to watch when I was in college. If you haven’t seen ‘Bad Taste‘ then you’re missing a life changing experience!

Andy, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and talking and sharing with us and hopefully you’ll grant us a chance to do a part 2. I really enjoyed it and like everyone else love your work and your great tutorials. Can’t wait to see what comes out next.

Thanks Andy!!

Bruce, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Growing up, my older brother was always into filmmaking. I was often recruited as an extra or to hold a light, So, I was exposed to that since I can remember. The idea of making stories with a camera just seemed second nature. When I was 12, my father bought an Apple II, and I quickly immersed myself in programming and all things computers. I studied industrial design at the University of Kansas. As part of those studies and part-time work as a graphic designer I got into 3D and realized you could tell stories with this new tool. About this time the Video Toaster came out on the Amiga. A friend of mine, Jeff Scheetz, who started the DAVE School, split our savings and bought one, almost exclusively for the Lightwave program that at that time you could only get bundled with the Video Toaster hardware. I worked for an ad agency after college and started the first 3D department there. And then followed my dream of working in movies and television out to Los Angeles to begin working for John Gross and John Parenteau at Digital Muse.

Your initial background is in architecture and engineering, did you find a it a hard leap to the visual effects you do now?
I only spent a semester in architectural engineering before finding industrial design. But I think the education I got there, where we were versed in painting, color, and basic design theory, actually prepared me better for this career than a lot of my friends who came from film school backgrounds. I found that a lot of what I learned about basic design principles also applies to a spaceship blowing up or the way a shot cuts with another shot. I didn’t know screen direction from a jump cut, but those things I was lucky to learn on the job.

You’ve worked on some pretty interesting projects, how did you find working on episodic television?
I like working on episodic TV a lot. It is sort of like a never-ending marathon, but it keeps you sharp. Some of the most exciting times were in the early years of Voyager and Sliders. There was no precedent and no real expectations, so every week we were pushing what was possible. Even then, though, there was a desire to have effects like what we saw in the movies that year, on television for 5% of the time and budget the next year. That trend continues and today television is much closer to feature films in expectation, but not budget. But it is still exciting to work on shows like Lost and Flash Forward and be able to compete and succeed at such a high level.

You moved back to the mid-west, what was your main reason for leaving Hollywood?
I met my wife on the Digital Muse co-ed softball team. We are both Midwesterners and had thought at some point we saw ourselves moving back there with a family of our own. In 2003-04 Jeremy Hunt and I had a company called Strange Engine, and we had just finished a great and busy year but at the end of the year we looked for the giant bucket of money and after overhead, and taxes and the over-all cost of living in LA, it wasn’t there. So I figured if I could do half the work I was doing in LA back in Kansas City, we could have the same or better quality of life, as well as be nearer to family. So I was able to make the move and keep in touch with some of the people I had worked with throughout the years in LA, and so far it has worked out nicely.

Tell us a little about your company BranitFX; is it small? What are your main types of projects?
We are a small company. Today, we have 6 employees, and are staying quite busy. The last 2 years we have juggled 75% television and feature work from Hollywood with about 25% commercial work for local and regional agencies. Like everyone else in the business we are fighting lowering budgets that the recession and the competition in the VFX market have brought about. But being in a place like Kansas City allows us to be a little more maneuverable as the cost of living here is so much less we can pay our artists less, but keep them as staff year round. At the end of the year they have more in their pockets than friends working in LA for twice as much but going from gig to gig and having much higher living expenses.

How do you find the market for visual effects in the Midwest? Is a lot of your work, now, built on the reputation/contacts you made while working in Hollywood?
Exactly, that is the whole secret. There are a lot of small boutique FX shops both in LA and around the world. The key with all the successful ones, are personal relationships with VFX Supervisors and Producers. I think working remotely is more and more common every year but there has to be some assurance that if something is going wrong, you wont just disappear. If you are in LA a supervisor can come by and sit with you and your artists, and work things out. We can’t do that as easily so we have to be more proactive, more foresight with potential problems before that might become last minute problems. I work “side by side” with a couple other artists who are these sort of islands outside of LA, “Hollywood Ex-Pats.” And in every case they are people who have built trusted, personal relationships that prove they are not going to fuck something up.

Your short film, 405, how did that project come about?
At Digital Muse a producer asked about what it would take to land a jet on a freeway for a potential spot. The capabilities and the budget were so out of kilter that nothing ever happened beyond that. But I kept thinking about it and driving home from a friends’ house on the 405 I started snapping pictures for background plates and started building environments for a test shot. Jeremy and I looked at the shot and right there and then decided we needed to shoot something that told a great story. That weekend we shot and by Monday or Tuesday had a rough edit assembled.

What software/hardware do you use to pull your projects together?
Today, we are mostly a Lightwave and Fusion company. I love both programs and can personally do anything I need to with them. We also have seats of Maya and After Effects and hope to grow our Maya capabilities with the right artists in the next year. I am also looking to Nuke, as I have never seen a platform spread through all the post houses so quickly. It seems to have dominated market share in the blink of an eye.

Is there any one type of project that you like working on more than others?
I love television and film. We could stand to do a little more film work in the next year to balance out the pace of TV. I have directed and supervised the post on a few television spots and enjoy the process of developing the creative alongside the agency and bringing it together through production and post-production. Even commercials are little stories or short films if done right. It goes back to being involved and being able to donate some creativity into the project and have it accepted.

What type of formal training do you have in visual effects editing?
None really. Like I said, when I came to Hollywood there was a lot I did not know about film and staging and editing. I learned a lot from friends who had film school backgrounds. Jeremy and John Parenteau in particular. I found that I knew a lot intuitively, but still had to make some mistakes to learn what I didn’t know. The first time Dan Curry said that I had “crossed the line” on an effects shot on Voyager, I had to discreetly find out what the hell that meant. I enjoy editing a lot. It turns into another part of writing a good story. It makes you ask yourself what story and in what order are you trying to tell it. It becomes similar to what I like most about VFX work; a logic puzzle disguised as art.

Your new short, World Builder is amazing, and the storyline very touching, what was your inspiration for that?
Thanks. I had an idea for something along the lines of World Builder shortly after 405. But could never put the pieces together. At first it was similar to an idea featured in an old Twilight Zone where construction workers build our reality in the hours before we arrive at the present. I thought our current 3D tools made this work much better now than with 2 x 4′s and hammers. But it was an idea like 405 without the old lady, a cool thing to watch, but without something that connects the viewer to it it’s just an FX showcase. At a much later date, after I had moved back to KC, it occurred to me that it should be a love story and not just the story of a cool interface and a twist on reality. After that the story came out quickly.

What was the toughest part of putting that project together?
I was lucky on the shoot. The largest stage here in town was going to be green for another month and after that painted white for a while, so I reserved the stage and that set 100 balls in motion whether I was ready or not. My brother, the same brother I held lights for as a kid, is now a very respected DP and AC in this market. So he was able to call in some personal favors on my behalf and get an A-list crew to come in on a Saturday to help with the shoot. The toughest part started after that. That was realizing how long things were going to take while balancing paying jobs and sleep. You ask yourself a thousand times, “What am I doing and why am I working on this thing?” but once you are half way into something like that you have to finish or it becomes sort of a sad tragedy, and you really HAVE wasted your time. My wife became pregnant during the post and I set the due date as the due date for World Builder as I thought I would have no more free time after that. I didn’t make it but I managed to finish it about 6 months later. It is really not finished. There are a hundred things I would fix and change, but at some point you abandon it in the best condition you can leave it in and see if anyone likes it. I’m glad they did.

I saw where you used Lightwave on World Builder, how long have you been a Lightwave user?
I have been using Lightwave since 1992, probably version 2.0? Since before it was ported to PC’s from the Amiga and after that through the DEC-Alpha processor days.

How does your process or pipeline go when starting on a project like that?
I grew up writing stories and had a few published as a teenager. So I still write and develop in prose for a while to get the meaning and back story in my head at the very least. Then I get into story beats and script phases and how the story will work from fade-up to fade-out. And before shooting anything, a good animatic or rip-o-matic is a necessity today. From script to animatic to editing to post production, it is all about the story and those stages and tools can all work together to make sure the story is there and getting across to the end user.

I hear the production time on that was very quick, can you tell us about it?
Yes, the actual shoot was one 14-hour day. I had an animatic of the whole thing worked out in advance. When I showed it to my brother 2 or 3 days before I could feel the air draining out of the room as he watched and the animatic went on and on and on. It looked like an impossible day. But I printed out a frame of each take and each set up and sorted them on a board for like-minded shots so we were able to shoot off all the tight shots or all the hand interface shots in a very short period. On some cases we shot one take and moved on. We planned it so that for the builder there was one general lighting set up and shot all of that in the first 2/3s of the day, and then brought out a swingable key light and shot all of the woman’s scenes the rest of the day. it was a tough shoot but more because of the pace and not because anything broke or we had to stop and think or argue about anything. In the end the crew and talent made it happen and I owe them a lot for what they accomplished.

What do you like most about using Lightwave 3D? What do you think about the new incarnation, Core?
I always refer to Lightwave as an old truck. If it breaks, I can pull it over, open the hood and bang on it with pliers and it will work. I know what it will do and what it won’t and knowing that I can get it anywhere with oil and duct-tape. I feel that some other packages are more like a Ferrari and if it breaks I’m going to have to bring in a specialist in a clean suit to get it to do what I want. I know I am swimming against the current with this old-school thinking and am one step away from talking about “these kids today!” and I get that. I think CGI has been around long enough that there is actually already a generational division. When the programs were new, we had to find a way to make the software do things it was not made to do. We had to improvise and hack things together. Today there seems to be a tendency for the artist to be at the whim of the software, and not to think pragmatically. When I hear an artist say, “It won’t do it,” I want to scream. The software is a tool and sometimes the simpler the tool the better. That being said, I think there are astonishing things being achieved today through sheer technology alone that break that outlook into pieces. So my mindset is to find the simplest way to do something, always knowing that there are breakthroughs and new tools out there that can let us do them faster. But don’t ever loose the art for sake of the technique.

Where do you want to take BranitFX in the future, as far as projects?
I would like to continue to grow a little but not much. The key for us is artists that can do the work and bring something more than is being asked for to each and every shot. With that in place we can choose projects that are exciting and rewarding. It is hard to run a company and be a creative artist doing shots. Ultimately, I enjoy doing the shots so we are bringing on some producers and managers to run the company to keep me doing what I do better. I have spent the last year developing the story of World Builder as a feature film. We are close to getting it off the ground with the help of my agents at ICM, so hopefully in the next year we will be able to talk about the beginnings of the World Builder feature animatic and pre-viz work.

Whose work do you admire and has been an inspiration for you?
I’ve always been fond of Joseph Kosinski. His commercial work and visual storytelling are so far ahead of the game it’s hard to comprehend. I can not wait to see where he goes with Tron and cannot believe that such a perfect pick to direct that movie was actually selected and given the chance to do it as a first time director. It gives me hope in Hollywood, and I hope Tron is awesome. For general filmmaking and creativity from inspiration to execution, it is J.J. Abrams hands down. I think he is the Spielberg of this era.

If there is one person you can thank for your success, who would that be and why?
No, I can’t think of one. I owe a lot to my dad, my brother, friends in high school and college, co-workers, business partners, bosses and supervisors.

How do you find balancing your family life with having your company, BranitFX?
That is a very hard part of this business. Deadlines get pushed around shots get added and dropped so it becomes very hard to answer whether you will be home on a certain night on a certain week. My wife learned early when we were dating after we had to cancel a vacation at the last minute. The demands and expectations on VFX get more every year. Ironically part of the theme of the World Builder feature I am developing involves a man who is consumed by the demands and distractions of his work in a virtual world to a point where he is neglecting his real life and his family. It is only after something terrible happens that he realigns what is most important in life. I think we all need to sometimes take that step back and remind ourselves that it is only a movie, or only a TV show and unlike some other nobler professions, people will not die if our work is occasionally only 99%.

What other interests do you have outside of what you do now?
I enjoy sports like basketball and baseball. I am a huge and loyal Kansas Jayhawk fan. I used to golf and sail before having a company and a son, someday soon I hope to get back to those pursuits. Both me and my wife like to travel and my wife is the best travel planner I have ever known. She has a knack for finding out of the way places to stay and visit. We hope to expose our young boy to other cultures and parts of the world as much as possible.

What would a dream project for you be and why?
I am starting it now. And that is developing, writing, producing, directing and doing visual effects work on my own film, World Builder. When I am able to get away from the day-to-day deadlines of the visual effects business and spend days on story development I find myself reinvigorated. But I do not ever want to leave the VFX world behind; I think it has become as crucial to telling stories and the camera.

And lastly, what advice would you give someone trying to get started in visual FX?
It used to be to teach yourself and challenge yourself. Today there are a lot of good education options out there. But it is still possible to break into the business without going to one of those. You need to be able to break a shot down into steps and find a way to systematically go about executing your vision. Do something that inspires you; try to make a shot similar to something you loved in a movie. Compare your work to actual work you are seeing on television and in the movie theater. A lot of artists start out in a bubble and see their work as great because they made it. Grab some frames of a movie and compare the quality, because that is how your work will be judged; by those who would hire you. If you can make a shot that looks like anything you would see done professionally, that’s it, you’ll get a job somewhere.

Bruce, I want to thank you for an awesome interview. I and I know everyone else found the talk immensely entertaining and informative. Can’t wait to see what exciting stuff that’s going to come from you and BranitFX.

Thanks so much, Bruce!

I just finished reading an article that Wired Magazine wrote on Pixar Animation Studios and the making of Toy Story 3. I, like many other people, am a big fan of the studio and the great movies they put out. I have always been fascinated by the company and the success that they’ve had and like many artists and animators, would give my right arm to work for them… well, maybe not my right arm since I’m right handed. I love the passion that the Pixar employees and personnel show for their work and it got me to thinking about how my love for comics, cartoons and animation started.

Just a little background on me, my love for animation really grew from my passion and love for comicstrips & books, as far back as I can remember Charles Schultz and the peanuts gang was my sole reason for getting into art. I LOVE drawing comicstrips and that was what I wanted growing up, to have a syndicated comicstrip in the newspaper, of course I loved my Saturday morning cartoons as well, and like many kids would grab my bowl of cereal and plop down in front of the TV and lose myself for most of the morning. I wasn’t as much a Disney fan as I was a Looney Tunes, Warner Bros. fan, their style of slapstick, three stooges kind of humor really appealed to me and made me laugh out loud.

Since starting in 3D & animation about 3+ years ago now, and I am by no means calling myself a professional in it yet, have come to appreciate the whole process and time involved in creating something in 3D. I love the behind the scenes and making of parts of DVD’s almost, if not more, than the movie itself. Pixar, I would say, is the pinnacle of how a studio should work, animation or otherwise. I know of no other studio that has that kind of track record, where every movie they’ve put out has been not only a box office smash but been critically praised as well and where the employees genuinely love working for the company. Believable characters and great stories are a big part of the equation, be it 3D animation, comicstrips, or comic books, if they are to be successful and long-lasting. That was why I loved comicstrips as a child, Charles Schultz made me believe in Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang as did all the other comics and cartoons I love. Who didn’t feel bad for or laugh at Wile E Coyote and his ever quest to catch the roadrunner, or Tom’s back and forth with Jerry.

I think as artists we long to create something that people can connect with and that stands the test of time, long after we’re gone. Pixar has managed to do just that, create characters and stories that people can connect with in some form or fashion and that will stand the test of time long after the people that started the company have gone.

Pixar has a great mix of elements that makes them such a successful studio. Starting with interesting characters, a great story, talented directors, animators and production people, add to that a totally collaborative effort and environment where even the most junior person has some input, which I feel is their strongest point, and top it with a burning desire to make everything you do better than the previous thing, to constantly push yourself and your craft. You can’t help but come out with a great product. Even the simple layout of their office, where everything from the bathrooms, lounge and eateries are centrally located and everyone can co-mingle with people from other departments, fosters a creative and collaborative environment.

So, Thank You Charles Schultz for initially putting in me that spark and passion for art, comics and cartoons, and Thank You Pixar for helping to keep it alive!! :0)

Ryan, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Well, my name is Ryan Drue and I was born and raised in San Jose, California. I’m currently happily employed as the resident artist here at Luxology. I have worked in most all aspects of digital multimedia. My first job in the “industry” was for a small production company creating DVD content. I was just out of school and did not get paid much but it was something. They sort of just threw me into production which, ended up teaching me a lot. I was the only full-time artist so I did all the DVD authoring, video editing and occasional After Effects work, which ended up being the high point of that place. Once they closed their doors I went back to driving a truck for my father’s construction company for another year or so until I was done with that life. I went back to school and took a 3D modeling class and shortly after I got my first real job in the industry as a full time 3D artist. At that company I spent a few years doing tons of 3D and motion graphics work for a wide range of clientele. From there I did the freelance thing for a bit until being picked up by Luxology.

When did you first get involved with 3D?
We actually had a copy of 3D Studio Max at my high school, but I maybe only ever spent an hour or two in it. After high school I went to a computer arts trade school of sorts and took my first Lightwave class in 2000. It’s funny I went to that school to learn video production but after seeing 3D my career plan changed very quickly. We were using version 5.6 but once Lightwave 6 came out I bought myself a copy and never stopped with 3D after that.

How did you get the job with Luxology?
That is probably a better question to ask Brad who hired me. I never would have thought I’d be working for a software company. Although I do remember a conversation with an old co-worker of mine when I first started producing a good amount of work in Modo. I distinctly remember saying “Man I just wish I could work for Luxology just making cool stuff”, or something like that. Two years later I received an email from Brad asking if I wanted to create some content for 401. I had demoed for Lux before and was pretty involved in the Bay Area Modo User Group so I knew him and the team a bit at that point. The fact I was local and was somewhat decent in most aspects of Modo made for a good match I suppose. I was freelance then, and had a few projects in production at the time so I did some material presets on the side, but once my schedule freed up I came on full time with Luxology.

What do you find most challenging working in 3D?
For me it would be animation, but probably only because I have never really focused on it. To be honest the most challenging aspect for me is never mastering any one area of the medium. Other than animation I really love exploring all areas of 3D. But that has resulted in never becoming a great modeler or texturing/lighting artist. I focus on one thing for a bit then another, then, try something new altogether. It is also very challenging just keeping up with today’s technology, there is always something new to learn.

I participated in your presentation on The Modo User Group, which was good, what was the main inspiration behind the HDRE Kit.
Thanks Don, I had fun with that one. The inspiration for the kit was to help streamline the process of High Dynamic Range lighting. Obviously you can just add a HDRI as the environment and turn on GI, but that only gets you so far. You still are left with aligning the camera and settings to a matching backplate, which can take some time. Also, we wanted to make it fun to just explore different environments and moods. And that is really the inspiration behind all the kits, making it quicker for users to create. You might not be any good at setting materials thus the PAD kit. You might have a great model and want to show it in a real world environment quickly, well that’s where HDRE comes in. Also, Brad and I both have interests in photography, so when sitting down thinking of the next kit this just seemed a logical next step. Yazan was in the midst of creating a more interior/studio lighting kit, SLIK, so we thought the great outdoors would make for a nice addition.

HDRE Presentation with Ryan Drue from Geoff Swartz on Vimeo.

What process do you enjoy more, teaching or actual 3D creation?
That is an interesting question for me because I never thought of myself as a teacher of 3D. Although at this point I guess I have done a bit… The creation of 3D imagery is my first passion and is very enjoyable, although it is extremely rewarding seeing what others are creating with some techniques I have shown through Luxology.TV. Hopefully I can continue to come up with ideas to pass onto everyone. I know how daunting it can be to learn 3D so any help I can give is actually very enjoyable. I think my personal work had slowed down a bit in terms of the amount I produce, but very few things in life are as fun to me as creating whatever it is in my mind.

You work is great, what type of 3D do you enjoy creating i.e. automotive, product, architectural, etc.?
I don’t think there is any one thing I enjoy the most. Definitely not characters, or at least photoreal humans. I’ve tried and failed miserably many times. Other than that I love it all. If you take a look at my body of work I hope you don’t see a consistent theme. Too often I see people pigeon hole themselves to one type of style. That’s great if that is your passion but there is too much out there to create for me. The most rewarding images I have done are just abstract shapes and colors. I was really into creating these glass like sculptures for a while. For me those are the most fun. Really I just like to explore form, lines and color. Whatever the subject matter may be.

What is a typical day at Luxology like?
Nothing is typical at Luxology… that’s why we all love it here. Brad normally starts the day with a break dancing battle, which he never wins. Normally that is followed by a Segway race around the campus. When we get tired of that we normally hit the pool for some laps, followed by a sauna and massages. The companies’ softball team normally gets an hour or two of practice in after lunch, we got to beat Autodesk this year. After that we are all pretty tired so it’s off to nap time. Somewhere in there some code gets written and I try to make something cool. All in all a pretty normal workday, if you ask me.

Allen Hastings, Stuart Ferguson & Brad Peebler seem like great people to work with, what’s it like everyday working with them?
They are all actually really cool people to work with and to know as friends. I was somewhat intimidated by them when I first was hired. But to be honest they are actually the most down to earth bosses I have worked with. Brad and I chat quite a bit on the future of Luxology, and being a part of something this special is very rewarding to me. Allen loves to talk rendering, as do I. Only problem is I can barely remember most things he tells me. I have asked him the same questions so many times, but things are finally starting to stick. Stuart is the brains behind the code and having the ability to sit and tell him the way I think things should work is pretty cool. Although he is always ten steps ahead of whatever I can think of.

Who’s work do you enjoy seeing and who inspires you?
In terms of modo users they are many, but a few always come to mind. Gelmi of course, the man is beyond prolific. It has been a great ride watching him become the modo master. Actually all those Brazilians get me going, Sampaio, Lightshock_Studio. Tim Cooper has always been on my list of favorites. To me his work is the epitome of photoreal. Yazan Malkosh is always inspiring me as well. Khalid Muharraqi might be my most beloved if I really think about it. His work had inspired me longer than any other artist. I could go on for a while here, Sha Ali, Jacques Defontaine, John Hayes, Eric Tobiason, Chris Morris, Rockmed, Boyang Zhu… and so many more. Sorry to all I forgot.

What outside interests do you have besides Luxology & 3D?
My main passion has been and will always be skateboarding. It can also be beyond frustrating trying a trick for hours and never landing it, falling, bleeding, screaming at the gods. Yet there are days when everything just falls into place and words really can’t describe it. Also, you’re outdoors with your friends having fun, can’t beat that. Photography has been quite an enjoyable passion of mine over the last few years.

What was the hardest part in creating the HDRE Kit?
Well nothing was overtly hard. More time consuming if anything. There was a challenge in framing the shots for sure. I was essentially shooting something that does not exist yet. So framing the composition took a bit of imagination. What sort of objects would people put it the shot, how large, and where, those were the thoughts going through my mind while shooting the backplates.

What would be a dream project for you to work on?
Not sure really, that is a hard one to answer. I sort of stopped dreaming of what’s next. Kinda sad really when I actually say it. I used to think I wanted to work on films and that was a dream of mine, but not so much anymore. If I had to pick something I would say any project that First Ave. Machine has done. No other company excites me on every new completed project like they do. I find them to be forward thinkers with an almost flawless track record of artist vision and execution. That is a team I guess I dream of joining.

What feature would you like to see implemented in Modo 501?
I don’t think I am at liberty to say because I already know all the features that will be in 501. So I think anything I say to that would get the conspiracy theories going. I can say I am very happy with everything that has gone into 501 already, and look forward to everything that ends up getting in. It will be a great release.

What other software packages do you use?
Nowadays only Photoshop and After Effects. I used to play with Maya and Lightwave but now it’s all Modo for 3D. If I were to pick up another 3D app it would be Houdini or RealFlow.

Do you find it hard balancing your personal interests with family and work?
I used to, but I think I have found the balance these days. I have no wife and kids so that makes things much easier in that respect. There was a time all my free time went into getting ok at creating 3D imagery and nothing else mattered. Friends would call to hang out and I would just say I am working on the computer today. Also when I was freelancing I always had a couple of jobs going at any given time. I became extremely stressed out and unhappy with my life. Made great money but I learned then money does not bring happiness. It does help, but it can’t be my driving force in life. I get offered freelance work all the time but that requires leaving work at night just to go home and start a new day, which lasts late into the night. Nowadays I do my job at Lux then try to spend the rest of my time with friends. Which is why you probably haven’t seen much work in the gallery from me as of late.

What other training videos do you have in the works, if any?
Nothing in works right now. The Shader Tree series was really the only training that was ever in the works. All the videos on Luxology.TV are just ideas that come to my mind, normally the day of recording. If I get an idea I think is worth sharing I will whip up a video for you guys. There are some 501 videos I have in mind, but again you will get nothing out of me on those.

If you weren’t doing this for a living what do you think you would be doing?
Think I would be doing or want to be doing… I would not want to think of what I would be doing. If it were what I want to be doing it would be a skateboarding videographer. That is what got me into digital arts in the first place. I still work on little videos with my friends and occasionally help out with some bigger videos.

Where do see the future of 3D and VFX heading in the future?
This is not so much where I see things going, but where I would want to see things go. No more 3D, stereoscopic that is. I don’t care if things appear to come off the screen. Just write better scripts and worry about the artistic side of things. I would love to see more abstract imagery that takes the story places you couldn’t other wise. I did not see the new Alice In Wonderland film but from what I’ve seen it seems as if VFX helped create something new and fresh looking. Again I could be way off, not seeing it and all. But the proportions of the Queen of Hearts and Tweedledee and Tweedledum just look cool to me. But I guess saying that takes away from my better scripts comment.

What advice would you give to anyone trying to get started in 3D?
Sit down behind your computer and don’t get up. It takes time to find yourself. I always focused on projects that were not overly ambitious, things I knew I could complete and complete well. If you try to complete a shot you saw in Avatar you will probably get frustrated and quit before you ever get started. That is probably why most of my work is very simple, in terms of the amount of content in a shot. But it gives me the ability to really dial in the materials, lighting, modeling and so on. You could spend a good amount of time just making a photorealistic pencil. I would try that before trying to make the whole room in which the pencil lives. But that is just me, and for the most part it has paid off. 3D is hard to learn technically but that is nothing without the artistic side of things. So you really must spend time learning both if you really want to succeed, in my opinion.

Ryan, I want to thank you for being so gracious in granting me an interview and sharing yourself with the rest of us, this was awesome! I and everyone else, looks forward to seeing what comes from you next, both in your personal work and Luxology work. If you would like to check out some of Ryan Drue’s work go to Luxology.com.

Thanks Ryan!!

Lee, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
This is pretty scary to me, but I’m in my 30th year of working in broadcast. I started when was 14 years old, as an intern on a TV show in San Francisco. That was in 1979 and I also owned a TRS-80. Those two things — video production and personal computers — have turned out to be real sustaining interests of mine, even at age 44.

Today, I write, teach and make films. I spent about five years working at NBC on the television show Access Hollywood as part of the animation and graphics team there. Prior to that I had worked in visual effects and production, where I did everything from 3-D animation, compositing, visual effects supervision to producing and directing. I was also the editor-in-chief of a couple of magazines, and worked in marketing and product evangelism for a few different companies.

I became familiar with you when you were with Newtek and doing training for Lightwave 3D. Do you still use the software? What do you think of its new incarnation, CORE?
I really haven’t done  much 3-D graphics in the past year or so, but I still have a copy of the latest version of LightWave on my computer and if the need to do 3-D comes up it is my go to program. I haven’t worked with CORE but I think that Jay Roth and his programming team are bunch of really smart dudes who’ve taken on the task of creating an entirely new framework. That’s tricky, because there are all kinds of market pressures and legacy issues that make development even harder than it normally is. So it’s a very tough road to hoe, but if anyone can do it those guys can.

Can you tell us about your new venture, VFX Boot Camps?
I have a company called Film School Boot Camp that is creating these unique, intense life training events for people interested in filmmaking and effects. I’m trying to fill in the gap between sitting at home watching a tutorial video and taking a couple of years to go to film school. It’s for people who are starting to hit a roadblock in what they can learn on their own and who want to make the big step to getting better jobs or creating their own projects.

We did a visual effects Boot Camp back in December and it was incredible. We had Emmy award-winning VFX pioneer Ron Thornton and a bunch of other really talented people, teaching, on set supervision. One of the things we did on that was that everyone was able to take home a hard drive with all the Red Camera footage that was shot, so a small group of people were able to get on set experience, and then develop a custom real resume.

We have three events coming up; a horror film boot camp, that is going to feature among other instructors one of the absolute top directors in horror today – Darren Bousman, who directed Saw II, III and IV. Horror films have traditionally been a great way for filmmakers to break into the industry and this class will cover everything from no budget productions to studio franchise films.

We also have a 3-D stereoscopic boot camp coming up. That’s going to be outstanding — people are going to have a chance to work with a dual Red Camera stereoscopic rig that is absolutely motion picture quality. For anyone interested in visual effects, I’ve got to say that stereo is really where the jobs are going to be in the next couple of years. And this is a chance to get in early on this. The guys we have teaching the class — Jason Goodman and Daniel Smith — are both absolutely booked solid right now in a time where many people are worried about work.

The other camps we’re going to be announcing is an action/sci-fi film boot camp in August. That’s going to be taught by (among others) a really multitalented guy named Bruce Branit. If people haven’t seen Bruce’s film World Builder, they should look for it on Vimeo and they will instantly see why Bruce is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years. As far as I’m concerned, this is like getting a chance to learn with Jim Cameron before he was famous.

It seems more & more artists are getting into training videos, podcasts, writing books, etc. Do you see that as being the norm?
I’ve been teaching about 20 years now and I’ve always said that teaching is one of the absolute best ways to learn anything. The Internet is just made everything explode, and I think it’s great that so many people are sharing their knowledge. In addition to the big losses are due to make a living, I’ve also tried to put out free tutorial videos on a bunch of subjects.

You have re-enforced the importance of social networking & marketing, tell us your thoughts on where you see sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin & more going?
I love social media, and I think the thing that people who are skeptical need to realize is that sites like Facebook and Twitter are not just the future, they are where people are right now. Facebook has over 100 million active users. In my mind, learning to use these tools effectively is as vital for artists today as learning to use desktop publishing was 25 years ago.

You’ve worked in Hollywood at a few studios what was your main reason for leaving that environment?
I left Access Hollywood a year ago and moved my family to New Mexico, which is an incredible place for filmmakers right now.  I really loved working with the great people at Access and working on the NBC lot every day was very exciting. But I want to start doing my own projects full-time.

There’s never going to be a “right time” to quit a job like that so I talked it over with my wife. And we just kind of went for it — I only had about three weeks of savings when I left the show. And we lived in a hotel for about six months – me, my wife, our two young kids and two cats. It was cramped, but I was doing stuff that I love doing every single day, and it all worked out in the end. We ended up in a great house, that we never could have possibly afforded in Los Angeles.

What discipline do you enjoy more; writing, VFX, editing, animation, interviewing, blogging?
It’s all kind of a blur to me at this point. I like doing cool stuff and getting projects completed successfully, and usually that involves doing a bunch of those things.

You recently wrote an Open Letter to James Cameron, I found it very interesting, about a VFX artist union or guild. Have you gotten a response from him yet?
No, but I didn’t really expect to. The response I did get close from the visual effects industry as a whole and has been incredible.

What do you see as a benefit of having such a union? What has the response been from other VFX artists on the subject?
The most common response was “thank God someone is finally talking about this” and I’ve been trying to do things like the VFX Town Hall events that are keeping the conversation going.

I should point out that I’m not in favor of or opposed to a union, really. I think some sort of union or guild is inevitable, because every other craft in filmmaking has one. But to me, later, it was about saving the industry as a whole. And that’s a much wider issue than just unions.

How do you see producers and directors feeling about dealing with a VFX union?
Producers and directors are really the ones who care much about it. And I don’t think it’s even really the studios or facilities that have stopped it from happening. I think there has been a visual effects unit in because at the end of the day the artists themselves haven’t wanted one.

I agree with you that the recent movie trend is going towards VFX ladened or animated films. How do you feel about the opportunities out there for a career?
I still think they’re great opportunities for careers in visual effects but like any field, you can’t really rest on your laurels. As I mentioned before, the guys I know working in stereoscopic 3-D are booked constantly right now. But a lot of times people become comfortable and complacent, and this isn’t really a good industry for that sort of mindset. I’d argue that’s a wider issue, too – but the whole economy is changed, and nobody can be complacent.

Speaking on movies, what did you think about Avatar and the VFX? As a VFX person yourself.
I think the biggest innovation about Avatar is the way that Cameron made the visual effects process part of production. Not just previsualization not postproduction — actual on set production. As part of why say the visual effects are the future of filmmaking, quite literally.

You also have very strong political views. How do you think that helps or hinders your VFX or artistic side?
Well, it certainly doesn’t hinder it. For me, it’s a matter of being honest. I’m not really good at the “blind loyalty” thing. I was a big Obama supporter during the last election, because I thought he really represented something new that would take on the special interests and the influence of corporate money. But he’s been a tremendous disappointment to me. I’m sort of a liberal/libertarian; I believe there needs to be a social safety net and I think there is some services that are better provided by the government, but think the government has proven itself to be a very dangerous thing. And it’s especially dangerous when giant multinational corporations get involved with the government and they work in tandem to make a small elite rich and powerful.

So, I have a few ways I can express those ideas; one is through writing editorial pieces, as I do for the Huffington Post. The other is through art — I can write satire, or I could make short films or I could even write fiction. They’re all just different ways to try to express something.

What would a dream project for you consist of?
Well, I’m really happy with my life. So in that sense every day is kind of like a dream project. But if you want a specific one that would be like winning the lottery — it would probably be developing a new move version of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead with Iron Man director Jon Favreau. I know that Favreau was inspired by the book and he is a very good filmmaker. For my part, I think I know exactly what to do with that novel in terms of the script and production to make it a great movie.

You recently had a new baby, congrats!, I also found your blog on your wife’s natural child birth interesting. How have you found balancing a family with your work & personal interests?
My oldest son Shane turns 18 this year and our baby, Van, just turned three months old. Plus I have a daughter Olivia who’s almost 11, my son Blackjack is almost 9 and my wife has a son, Steven, who is 24 and just had a baby himself. (Well not himself, but you get the idea). So we have this amazing spectrum of human beings at all ages of development — and we home school.

When I was touring doing seminars, my kids would often go on the road with me and help out with things like setup. Even at NBC, the kids would often come in and hang out in my office and have Jay Leno tease them.

I guess what I try to do is not so much balance work and my family, but to blend them.

Do you feel that the rise of social networking sites has leveled the playing field as far as getting artists work seen by the masses?
The Internet in general and social media sites specifically have created a real world of opportunity for any artist who wants to get their work out there. But I think you have to start really enjoying the promotional aspects as much as you enjoy the production aspects.

What is the best thing you love about your profession? What is the least?
I’ve really been able to meet and work with some amazing, interesting people. That’s the best part. I guess the worst part is probably people, too. I do not like people without curiosity or who play back room anonymous power games to hold onto their little kingdom.

If you weren’t doing this for a living what else do you see yourself doing?
Most of the “jobs” that I’ve had have been things I’ve made up, so I don’t really know how to answer that question.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in the VFX/Animation industry?
Find something you love doing and become the best in the world at it. Don’t be a generalist. Don’t wait for someone to find you — just go out and do cool stuff that you love doing, share with the world, try to keep an open heart and an open mind and watch what happens.

Lee, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and chatting with us, look forward to seeing what’s coming down the pipe with you. If you would like to learn more about Lee visit his sites at leestranahan.com or Film School Boot Camp.

Thanks Lee!!

Warner, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in Jackson, MS. My parents both were visual artists and my brother Scott is an accomplished screenwriter and theater artist. I grew up drawing, painting and doing creative projects. I studied art at the Savannah College of Art and Design where I majored in Illustration. Worked for 3 years as an illustrator for American Greetings. I’ve been freelancing since 1995. Most of my career has dealt with juvenile subject matter in some form. I do a lot of work in the Children’s book market and work with all of the major publishers. Some of my clients are Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop and Big Idea. I work from my home based studio in Savannah, GA. My wife is a writer and my 2 young boys keep me laughing.

I love your style, have you always done the cartoon style?
I never really considered myself a “cartoonist”. I never read comic books or strips either but I was always drawing. I started off drawing caricatures and portraits and still do to some degree. I love animation and character design too. Of course the Disney artists were always a huge influence on my work early on. Then Pixar and DreamWorks came on the scene and really raised the bar even higher. The style that I enjoy working in is very structural but flowing. At least that’s the idea. Regardless of subject matter I love structural things. That’s why I’m drawn to 3D I guess.

When did you first discover Modo? What software do you use?
I’ve been with Modo since 101 when it was only a modeler. I was truly amazed at how cool the images coming out of that app looked. It was affordable and I’m glad I took the leap. It was was first 3D app. I also use Zbrush and am getting into C4D right now. C4D seems like a very nice compliment to Modo. It does things in a very “modo” way (intuitive) and I really am enjoying the dynamics module. Of course Photoshop and Illustrator are my 2D tools. I dabble in motion graphics too and enjoy Apple’s Motion and Final Cut.

What is your workflow process? Do you always start with sketches?
I always start with sketches. I draw better in my moleskin sketchbook with a ballpoint pen but it’s hard to beat the flexibility of working digital with my Cintiq tablet. I’d say about 95% of my sketches for my paying work are digital. Because I’m all digital from start to finish I work very fast. I’ll develop some sketches, fine tune them, drop them into my final document PS, IL or Modo and finish the project.

Do you also do other styles of 3D styles like realistic?
Yes. I work with some regional advertising clients that call on me from time to time to do things like Medical illustrations, industrial products and the like. Not very interesting work to me but it pays okay.

How do you balance work, family and personal interests?
I work from my home based studio with my door open. When the kids are not in school I love the sounds of “life” going on in the background. Working as an artist can be lonely at times unless you stay connected with people and the world around you. I love what I do as an artist so I “work” a lot. I’m passionate about making cool imagery so even in my down time you can find me sketching or building a model or some similar creative endeavor. My art is woven into my life with my family.

It’s hard to balance it all and especially as a freelancer. “If I don’t work then we don’t eat sort of thing” you know. That kind of pressure can weigh heavy on you if you let it. I pretty good about staying busy doing the right things and always working on my balancing. My family is great! They support and love me.

I’ve noticed that your work is primarily print, do you prefer to do that rather than animating?
I’m known as a character designer and illustrator. Over the last 8 years my work has largely been in Children’s Publishing. Most of the art styles in these books don’t lend themselves to 3D so my growth as a 3D artist has been slow until a few years ago. As my needs and interests change or evolve from still images to moving images I’m sure I’ll grow in that direction as well. As long as I enjoy the work and can make a living at it I’ll do it. Modo (my primary 3D tool) does not currently offer Character animation tools and I’m not interested really in animating robots (ha ha). C4D however can do character animations of course among other things so I WILL be getting into animation as long as it makes sense professionally speaking.

What would a dream project for you be?
Lead artist/character designer for a major film or licensed property. Working with other talented artists on an kick ass project like this. I do my best work when I’m surrounded by people that are better than me.

What was the most important thing you pulled from Savannah College of Art and Design?
How to draw really. I mean how to draw better and more structurally. Of course my illustration classes were great but this was at a time before computers so drawing and painting were pushed more. I benefited a lot at the time by asking a lot of questions of my instructors and visiting artists. I really enjoyed critiques too.

What would you like to see implemented in Modo 501?
64bit for Mac. Animation tools that humans can use and understand. Right now the power seems to be there under the hood but the interface tools are not there to make it easy to follow an understand. More fur controls would be nice too. I think it’s too early to wish for things like dynamics and particles. Maybe for 601.

If you weren’t doing art & graphics what would you see yourself doing?
Well, I am doing art and graphics. I want to do more ad work for sure. More highly detailed images that would pay more than books do.

In your video presentation you did a lot of work in post or Photoshop, is that your preference?
I know PS very well and what it can do so sometimes it’s easier, quicker and better to do things in post than in the Modo render. However the better I get at rendering the less I lean on PS. Yazan Malkosh has been a big influence on me regarding rendering. He goes to great lengths to get it right in the Modo render so there’s very little post work needed. I really appreciate his skills and have adopted some of his practices.

What part of the 3D process do you enjoy more; modeling, texturing, concept?
I like to both draw and build so it’s hard to really choose but I’d say the process of modeling is what I really enjoy most. Of course it’s nice to see that really clean render in the end but sometimes I’ll just stop at the end of a good model and consider it as a success.

What was your career path once you left Savannah college?
I was recruited by American Greetings right after I graduated SCAD in 1992. Worked there as a staff illustrator until 1995 when I moved back south to Charleston, SC to freelance full-time. I live in Savannah, GA now and still freelance.

What type of equipment do you use to create your projects?
I’ve always used Mac computers. I have a 21″ cintiq tablet and a 20″ Apple display run by my MacPro. I run Modo, Zbrush, C4D, PS, IL. I use Screenflow 2 for video captures, Transmit for transferring files. iWeb for my site, I use my Canon 30D with various lenses to photograph reference etc. iPhoto and Aperture to catalog my photos. iMovie, Final Cut and Motion for any video work I do.

If there is one area of 3D that you would say you need improving in, what would it be?
There are lots of areas that I’m interested in and even more than I need practice with. Modeling I’d say. I’m a good modeler but I can always get better and faster. I’m far from mastering it. I’ve not put in my 10,000 hours yet.

Was it a difficult transition incorporating 3D into your traditional artwork?
The learning curve was hard to deal with in learning 3D. Once I gained some confidence with my 3D skills it was more natural. It’s no different than a painter moving from watercolor to oil really. They have to know what the tools can do and what they can’t do before they produce their best work. I’ve had some successful 3D projects but I don’t consider any of them my best. They are the best I could do at the time.

Where do you think the future lies in 3D whether it be print, movies, videos and more?
I see 3D moving in all directions. Still images, moving images , interactive imagery and combinations of them all like Augmented Reality. This is a very exciting time to be an artist. We have 3D tools that can make amazing images and experiences. It’s important to align yourself on a growth path with tools that are powerful but not at the expense of losing the art in what you make. That’s the unique part of the equation.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in the wacky but fun profession?
The 3D world is growing daily with people that can do amazing things. There are many directions and career opportunities. Focus on what you’re passionate about doing. Do the thing that you LOVE to do and be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to get there. Don’t spread yourself too thin or you’ll never reach your full potential.

Warner, I’d like to take this opportunity for taking the time out of your busy schedule and sharing some of your insight with my readers. You truly are a blessed artist and am glad to have met you. Hopefully in the near future you’ll grant us a video interview with us. If you would like to see more of Warners’ fantastic work you can visit his website, www.warnermcgee.com.

Thanks Warner!!