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Category Archives: Artists Interviews
Constantine Krystallis
What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Constantine Krystallis and I am a Senior Character animator and Visual Effects artist in the Computer Game company in Athens, Greece.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Animation was always my goal so I tried to get into it immediately after college. I landed a job in an advertising firm doing mostly visualization and graphic design work. There was very little animation involved so I was on the look out for something else. I have also worked in an archeological site scanning pictures for the digital database. The place was so hot I had to place a wet cloth over the scanner for it to work because it was overheating.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I would say that my greatest fulfillment so far comes from my last personal short film which I created in 2008 for my MA of Animation course, called Mariza. It was my final project and has done very well in the festival circuit winning both national and international recognition and awards. It is always great to be in a theater and hear people respond and laugh with your work. I am also very proud of the current project I working for, Darkfall online. It is the first major attempt Continue reading
Don Cameron
What is your name and your current occupation?
Don Cameron and I am currently background and prop supervisor on the Ultimate Spiderman at Film Roman.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Probably Dead Space. When you consider the schedule we had the fact it was even completed was astounding. It was cool to be a part the The Batman Animated Series but I was a small part of that.
How did you become interested in animation?
Warner cartoons and Disney, wouldn’t the answer be pretty much the same for anyone my age?
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born in Glasgow Scotland. I got into animation from a chance meeting at the Christmas party DC Comics used to hold out here. It was at the Wilshire Abel Theater and I was introduced to Chuck Patton by Mike Vosburg. Chuck offered to Continue reading
Mark Lewis
What is your name and your current occupation?
Mark Lewis. On my most recent gig, I did prop design, color and board revision. I’ve also done character cleanup and design.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I worked in one of the art departments at Lawrence Livermore Lab. People say artists are nuts, but there were stories about things some of the physicists had done… Also, I worked for a while in a sign shop that was headquartered in a storage facility. You were surrounded by corrugated metal, no real insulation, heating or cooling. So it would get freezing cold during the winter months, and into the 100’s inside during the summer months. Hard sometimes to make your hands (and your brain) work in those conditions.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Conan: Red Nails has to be one of the coolest projects I’ve worked on. We got to do some things I’d never seen done before in a western-produced animated film. I hope to see that released one day, finished at the same level of quality with which it started. And I was glad to get a chance to work on what turned out to be the last outing for the classic Warners Batman, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. There are lot of other projects I could mention, but that’s probably a good place to stop, before the list gets too long.
How did you become interested in animation?
I always liked it (grew up seeing Disney cartoons and the like, and had my Saturday morning favorites), but it was actually secondary to my interest in Continue reading
Starr Allen Shaw
What is your name?
Starr Allen Shaw
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
“I once made a 3D pre-vis film for Nextel that ending up making a multi million dollar sale. I help design the Nascar Car of Tomorrow inspection platform that is still used in Nascar today. But, by far one of my most favorite… and proud of projects is a game my brother, a friend and I made together in just a little over 2 months for the Apple iPad & iPhone called BattleNoidz (Available on iTunes) LOL. ”
What would you say has been your primary job in animation?
For most of my Computer Graphics career (Since the early 90’s) I have been a 3D artist. I have done my share of animation, video, short corporate films, and web media. The smaller the company I work for, the more animation I seem to do. I often have to wear an Animators hat when its called for. So, I would say I primarily do 3D Pre-Visaliaztion Animated films, well at lest I did for many years before I started working in the game industry.
How did you become interested in animation?
“I remember when I was young I was lucky enough to meet Don Bluth at a mall in southern California. I think it was the mall. He was sketching there and I was able to walk away with a signed sketch of Dirk from Dragons Liar. I do not remember where the hell that sketch ran off too… I lost it. But, anyway, I remember going to the art warehouse somewhere in Pasadena, and getting my parents to buy me tons of Cels, Pegboards and Cel paint for my next animated feature film. 🙂
My dad made me a Rotating Light Table for painting cells and I somehow got a 8mm film camera with a stop motion trigger for doing animation. I can not remember if I actually even finished any animation…. but do remember working allot on my own kid version of the next dragons lair. LOL”
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am from Southern California. My first CG job was in Hollywood. I started making little animated banners for websites, and Shockwave Director applications. Now I am a bit of a CG nomad and really move to where there is work to be done. I have travel and worked from coast to coast.
What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
These days I work in the game industry. I am a CG generalist, so I will do a lot of Tech Art, Rigging, 3D Modeling and Animation.
Steve Schnier
What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Steve Schnier. I’m an animation screenwriter and story editor, also a producer and director. I specialize in creating pitch bibles and pilot scripts – usually for animated programs, but some live action as well. I’m best known for creating the animated anthology series, “Freaky Storiesâ€. We produced 3 seasons of the show which amounted to 140 4-minute short stories. Here are some links:
FREAKY STORIES: “The Suspectâ€
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