Blocking animation

Some blocking animation for an upcoming basement site.

rendering thumnail

"rendering thumbs" are drawn when you are watching buckets render in 3ds max. They normally live right between a "To-Do List" and phone number that will get misplaced.

Mental Ray rendering Tip (I didn't need the last two hours anyway)

I'm currently using Metal Ray for a 3D character / composting project. I chose to use MR because of its intuitive Daylight system and for the fact that I'm composting my character on an outdoor plate. I built my model (in the User view), applied the Arch Design shader and when I would render I noticed these black edges on my model. It looked as if I applied a MR contour map. So I checked the properties tab, Applied a standard material, hit the help menu, checked and unchecked numerous boxes in the MR rendering tab... nothing! Then I came across a forum post that said to switch to a Perspective view. They're gone.

balloon walking guy

balloon walking guy

RIP Stan Winston

I read an article today that the legendary Stan Winston died today of cancer he battled for 7 years. Stan Winston was the reason I went into the animation field. I always idolized Mr. Winston as a monster maker and wanted to create characters for a living just like him. I would always pause the VCR to get a fuzzy glimpse of his designs and lighting. Stan Winston won 4 Oscars and numerous nominations for his work in special effects. Here's a list of my favorite features he touched:

Terminator 2

Pumpkinhead
Edward Sissorhands
John Carpenter's The Thing
Aliens

The Relic

Predator


Raise a glass to a legend.

Animal Logic Interactive Launches

Animal Logic is an Australian based visual effects studio that can be found near the top of the food chain in the industry (The Matrix, 300). Today they announced their new business division Animal Logic Interactive.

“As production values for games increase exponentially, so do the opportunities at the convergence of high end digital film making and game creation. ALI is uniquely poised to lead this convergence with its commitment to visual innovation, quality, talent and great ideas.”
-Zareh Nalbandian, Animal Logic’s CEO


This move is not only significant for the entertainment and gaming industry, but the advertising industry as well. It is another glimpse into the shift in media towards story, interaction and experiences. Established studios like Animal Logic do not jump into new industries without qualifying the opportunity, they are following the gaming industry's multiplying revenue increases. As mega brands like GM allocate 1.5 billion to online, I'm sure they are looking for visual innovation, quality, talent and great ideas.

rhino something you don't know

ok, so the title is a bit lame :) This is a doodle I did in the back of a friend's car. We were on the way back from a bachelor party last weekend. I'm working on a series of animal character's for a nursery, but this sketch came out a tad sinister.