It seems to me that I never really post up here. I'm gonna try and change that, though I can't promise weekly updates or anything, I'll put something up every once in a while. My newest demo reel is up here now too. There's a little link for it up along the page top, check it out! Let me know what you think. Also, a little bit about me. I have plans for a tutorials and scripts page, as those things are kind of what I do. So, if you're so inclined, keep an eye out, there's more to come.

long time!

so it's been quite a while since i've updated anything, and since i'm on my way to GDC tomorrow i thought i'd change a few things around and brush up on my demo reel. that link over on the side leads to my website, wherein you'll find my new demo reel. i submit it for your perusal. I've also entered the digital age even further by putting it up onto youtube. it's right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYnJwG8psF0

can i tell you what a pain it was getting that into a format that youtube accepts? geez louis, it was like pulling teeth from an invisible... something. with teeth. adobe premiere needs to havea few more options for exporting movies. especially now that they own macromedia. though i suppose i could just get the newest version of premiere... but who has that kind of money laying around? not me i tell you, not me.

anyway. it's late. or early. whatever. i'm off to sleep. for a wee bit.

just to let you know

just letting you guys (all 1 of you) know that i'm still alive. I have moved my beloved family out here to the desolate wastes of utah, bought a house that was too much for what we got (someday i will tell of the awfulness that is the utah real estate market) and now i drive 40 miles to work everyday. we keep hoping gas will go down, but doesnt seem too likely.

anyway. i think thats about all that's really new for me. maybe i'll start putting up new artwork. that is, if i ever do new artwork!

-ian

New Job!!

so, it's been quite some time since i posted anything, mainly because i've been too busy trying to find new job. and i found one! or one found me, i dunno how to say it.

i started work yesterday at Sensory Sweep, a cool little company in utah that makes games for all platforms. they are currently working on some very cool titles, which i cannot reveal. so there, thptptptp!

it's a great place though, the people i am working with are _very_ talented, and i feel very lucky to be able to work with them.


now all i need to do is find a house, get funding for it, buy it, and move myt family out here...


exciting!

Character a Fortnight

This past weekend my school, CCAD, held a Women in Animation Symposium, and whilst listening to a few of the speakers (one from Blue Sky, the other from Rachelle Lewis Talents) I decided to sketch a little. the first few things that came out led to others, and the final sketches i had ended up cool enough that i thought i might try to make a go at the character creation again. so here are the best sketches, and hopefully i'll be able to get decide on one or the other and get to modeling it soon...

so, let me know what you think!

well, it's been quite a while since i've posted anything, a month to be exact... but that's how it goes. being out of work is much more busy than i thought it would be. my morning scheduale used to consist of trying to stay awake in front of a computer screen at work, now it consists of always staying awake watching a cute baby cruise around and beg for attention... and occasionally i can get a little work done. it's pretty nice, except i know it'll end sooner or later...

while i've been looking for a job i have also been participating in some art challenges on CGtalk. this past 2 weeks there was a character creation thingy going on, so i worked on that. the goal was to take something organic and turn it into something mchine-like, and the first thing that came to mind was using a spider, a black widow really, and i got excited about the idea, but then, like 3 other people were using a spider, or arachnid type thing too, so i moved on to a giant flying fox. which we saw at the Columbus Zoo recently... those things are HUGE, but very cool. i never got further than a half-hearted sketch on that one. then my wife came up with the idea of a bean. afterall, what's more organic than a plant?

so out of the few sketched i did here is the final sketch that came from that:


so that's what i ran with, cause i think it looks pretty neat, and with the right coloring/lighting/ etc it could be purty cool...
after a few days hectic work this is the final image i came out with:



I like it, though it could be much better, i'm sure... if i had a creative team with me, critiquing and refining the idea, imagine how awesome it would be... or even if i had been able to start on the day the challege started... oh well.

-marvel

Coincidence?

So my sister, Sarah, lives out in Utah, and for some reason they have a profusion of game companies out there (?!) I know! Utah? games? WEIRD!

so, I did not know this when I told her of my desire to get into some animation studio, be it game, movie or tv. I have a nice family, and consequently, when Sarah happened to meet a person in the game industry, she told them about me, got an email address and sent it to me. she got 2 email address's this-a-way, one for a gentleman with (surprisingly) my name, and one for a fellow she goes to church with.

so i email both, and both respond, and i think this is swimmingly fantastic. one forwards me to his boss, the other is kind enough to forward me to his friend who is a rigger (that is my primary interest) but works for a different company and when i get to the rigger, i realize that i have contacted a coworker of the first.

re-reading that, it sounds incredibely confusing. so, i'll name them. one we'll call 'cool guy at sensory sweep' the other we'll call 'awesome dude at avalanche' or "cool guy" and "awesome dude" (hmmm... methinks i see a webcomic beginning!)

so, i got cool guy's email address from my sister, as well as awesome dude's email. i email cool guy, and he hooks me up with his boss. then i email awesome dude, who is, naturally, awesome, and he answers some questions, then directs me to keen rigger, at sensory sweep. i email keen rigger, and he hooks me up with his boss, who is the same boss as cool dude's boss.

and i thought to myself "how coincidental is that?! that awesome dude was good friends with cool guy's coworker, and both have given me a chance to talk to nifty boss fellow." then i realize that it can't be all coincidence, since my sister gave me both these contacts, they obviously live in the same area, and are in the same industry. consequently, they are probably at least somewhat known by each other. on top of that, they live near BYU which has a pretty good CG program, from what i hear.

so, not much of a surprise at all, but still pretty cool, if you think about it.

but hopefully all that will fall out into at least an interview, and (crossing fingers and praying) a job, where i can become a productive and contributing member of society.

-ian