Visual Effects

2010

Senior member of the lighting and modeling teams at Pixar Animation Studios; modeler creating the foliage and tree models used in "Toy Story," vegetation and pre-production model maker for "A Bug's Life"; modeling plants for the Clio-winning Listerine "Arrows" commercial; senior member of the lighting team and one of four lighting leads for "Toy Story," performing master lighting, shot lighting, training of team members and continued master lighting during "A Bug's Life," as well as master and shot lighting and serving as a sequence lead for "Toy Story 2"

Senior lighting and modeling technical director working on feature films "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2"; postdoctoral and graduate work recognized by SIGGRAPH as state of the art and published in two SIGGRAPH papers; contributions to two books, "The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants" and "The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells"

Book contributions

• P. Prusinkiewicz and A. Lindenmayer. "The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants." With J. S. Hanan, F. D. Fracchia, D. R. Fowler, M. J. M. de Boer and L. Mercer. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990.
• Hans Meinhardt. "The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells." With Contributions and Images by P. Prusinkiewicz and D. R. Fowler. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1995.

Conference proceedings

• D. R. Fowler, H. Meinhardt and P. Prusinkiewicz. Modeling seashells. Proceedings of SIGGRAPH '92 (Chicago, Illinois, July 29-31, 1992).
• D. R. Fowler, P. Prusinkiewicz, and J. Battjes. A Collision-based Model of Spiral Phyllotaxis. Proceedings of SIGGRAPH '92 (Chicago, Illinois, July 29-31, 1992).

"The first things that impressed me about SCAD were the small class sizes, personal attention by faculty, excellent equipment and extraordinarily experienced and distinguished faculty. I feel privileged to have become part of the Visual Effects Department.

"I continue to be inspired by the students' work each quarter. Watching different styles, techniques and ways of learning makes me a stronger mentor. At SCAD we provide personal attention and genuine interest in helping students thrive and succeed both here and after they graduate. Visual effects teaches fundamental concepts, not just software packages - this is absolutely key in an industry that experiences evolving software and rapid changes - and helps to develop adaptability in our students. Listening to the voice of the students as well as alumni and industry professionals is a strength at SCAD. Having a close liaison with industry adds relevance to our curriculum as well as providing examples of excellence for our students to strive toward and achieve."

• VSFX 428 Particles and Procedural Effects
• VSFX 721 Procedural Modeling and Animation
• VSFX 753 Motion Capture and Integration
• TECH 326 Motion Capture Technology
• ITGM 315 C++ Programming I

"Visual effects is the marriage of aesthetic and technical skills - it is 100 percent whole brain. In any field, constant renewal and upkeep of latest developments while maintaining solid fundamentals is crucial, and this is even more emphasized in our ever-evolving area of specialization. Many aspects of visual effects require visual creativity and a strong aesthetic as well as a basic understanding of mathematical principles, logical thinking and particularly problem-solving techniques. Enhancing the program by continuing to explore and learn while maintaining excellence along with an emphasis on fundamental concepts continues to be my number one priority. Listening to industry trends and demands is essential to remaining vital and current as well as continuing to be a life-long learner."

2004

3-D generalist in post-production, Post Effects; senior technical director, Rhythm & Hues Studios

Selected film credits: "The Chronicles of Narnia," look development and fur grooming; "Garfield," sequence lighting lead and sequence supervisor; "The Cat in the Hat," sequence lighting lead and look development lead; "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," look development and lighting; "It's Tough to be a Bug," 3-D stereoscopic theme park attraction in Disney's Wild Animal Park, sequence supervisor

Autodesk Maya Certified Instructor

SIGGRAPH Education Committee, Visual Effects Society

SIGGRAPH, CG source coordinator

"The students here at SCAD are eager to take on a challenge. It is amazing to watch as they grow as artists through their classes. It is also rewarding to witness them go through the process of finding their first gig. But what is most fulfilling is hearing them from the other side when they say, 'I love my job!' "

• ANIM 715 Character Look Development
• ANIM 737 3-D Collaborative Project
• TECH 316 Digital Lighting and Rendering
• TECH 420 Technical Direction for Compositing
• VSFX 425 Photorealistic Rendering
• VSFX 752 3-D Color, Lighting and Rendering
• VSFX 757 Visual Effects Creature

"Creating 'pretty pictures' with computer technology is no easy task. Sure, it takes dedication and hard work to learn the tools. But it is more important to have an eye for detail when making images from this technology that are so believable that a viewer would never question it as being a purely digital creation."

2007

Full-time, independent studio artist

Ten inclusions of work in Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics art gallery, 1998-2006, 2008; ongoing exhibition of work at Ars Electronica Center, Linz, Austria, 2009-present

Named "Maya Master" by Alias|Wavefront Inc., Toronto, Ontario, 2002; State of Florida Artist Enhancement Grant, 2007

Association for Computing Machinery and ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH)

• SIGGRAPH 2009, panelist, "Information Visualization," New Orleans, Louisiana, 2009
• New Jersey School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, 2008
• SIGGRAPH 2007, panelist, "Digital Art Techniques," San Diego, California, 2007

"I love what I do. I never have to give the same lecture twice. Practicing in a field that is changing at such a rapid pace is invigorating. That my personal artistic practice can be very different and yet at the same time completely overlap with the techniques used in motion picture visual effects and animation creates a fortuitous synergy. That I can walk beside students, for a time, on their individual journeys of discovery, and possibly point out some interesting things to them along the way, is a wonderful repayment of the energy and inspiration I have received from others."

• TECH 311 Digital Materials and Textures
• TECH 312 Advanced Application Scripting
• VSFX 321 Digital Fine Art
• VSFX 350 Procedural Modeling and Animation
• VSFX 360 Stereoscopic Imaging
• VSFX 424 Digital Visual Effects II
• VSFX 428 Particles and Procedural Effects
• VSFX 490 Visual Effects Portfolio

" 'Discover: to make known or visible; to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time.' At a distance, these familiar, organic forms engage the mind, beginning a journey of examination and interaction. With no reference of scale, the viewer is drawn closer until inches from the work, searching for additional clues that might aid in identification. With each step, the visual structures trigger subliminal reactions based on past experiences. In the end, the viewer is left with indefinable organic connections, suspended in the purposeful ambiguity of the work, not so abstract as to be esoteric, without connection to experience or nature.

"Discovery, contemplation and mindful engagement are core intentions of my body of work. Giving the viewer the possibility to see something they have never experienced before, whether the entirety of the work on first viewing or some small detail or aspect of movement on subsequent visits, makes possible the associated joy of discovery. Giving the viewer the possibility of a quiet, meditative experience allows the mind to wander without the barraging assault of rapid-fire imagery so common in contemporary media. Combining those contemplative qualities with the joy of discovery creates a constantly shifting engagement, a genuinely mindful experience."

kennethahuff.com

1997

Interned at George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic; worked at Oscar-winning MetroLight Studios; animated and designed at Fisher-Price

Dodge commercial that premiered at the 1995 Super Bowl

School of Visual Arts Award for animated CGI movie "Secret Agent Athena," 1995

SIGGRAPH contributor for animated CGI movie "Power of Dreams," 1993

"I bring a wealth of skill and expertise to the area of 3-D visualization and guide students to achieve their maximum potential in their careers."

• CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications
• VSFX 160 Introduction to Visual Effects Programming
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 490 Visual Effects Portfolio
• VSFX 790 Visual Effects M.F.A. Thesis

"I enjoy both the artistic and technical side of visual effects and delight in working with students who share the same passion. I am constantly at work developing new skills and incorporating them into the classroom."

davekaul.com

1997

Freelance computer graphics designer and programmer in New Zealand; head of computer graphics at the School of Design, Wellington Polytechnic, New Zealand; program leader with M.A. Image Synthesis and Computer Animation Centre for Advanced Studies in Computer Aided Art and Design at Middlesex University; computer graphics lecturer

Association for Computing Machinery

• "Virtual Schools of Art and Design - challenges from a new model of education," published by PRODESIGN, Auckland, November 1995
• "Virtual Reality - Beyond the Hype," conference, London University, 1992
• "CG International 89," Seventh International Conference of the Computer Graphics Society, University of Leeds, 1989
• "Introduction to RenderMan," SIGGRAPH Asia - Korea, December 2010
• "Introduction to RenderMan," SIGGRAPH Asia - Japan, December 2009
• "Pixar's RenderMan," SIGGRAPH Asia - Singapore, December 2008
• "Pixar's RenderMan," ACM Graphite - Perth, Australia, December 2007
• "RenderMan for Visual Effects," Nanyang Polytechnic - Singapore, December 2006
• "Pixar RenderMan Training," Whistling Woods - Mumbai, India, December 2006
• "RenderMan for Artist and Designers," ACM Graphite - Kaula Lumpur, December 2006
• "RenderMan for Artist and Designers," ACM Graphite - Dunedin, New Zealand, December 2005

"To show students that Hokusai's wish [below] can become reality through computer programming."

• VSFX 319 Programming Models and Shaders I
• VSFX 419 Programming Models and Shaders II
• VSFX 502 Programming 3-D Models and Shaders
• VSFX 705 Programming Concepts for Visual Effects
• VSFX 755 Procedural 3-D and Shader Programming

"From the age of 6 I have had a mania for sketching the forms of things. From about the age of 50 I produced a number of designs, yet of all I drew prior to the age of 70 there is truly nothing of any great note. At the age of 73 I finally came to understand somewhat the true nature of birds, animals, insects, fishes - the vital nature of grasses and trees. Therefore, at 80 I shall gradually have made progress, at 90 I shall have penetrated even further the deeper meaning of things, at 100 I shall have become truly marvelous, and at 110 each dot, each line shall surely possess a life of its own. I only beg that gentlemen of sufficiently long life take care to note the truth of my words."

fundza.com

Digital production manager, digital operations manager, Rhythm & Hues Studios; 20-years experience at Pacific Data Images, Digital Domain and DreamWorks Feature Animation

Being associated with the visual effects industry and watching its technical and aesthetic growth; gaining recognition for talent coming from academic communities, and SCAD in particular

Black Programming Consortium, Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant, Brody Arts Fund grant, Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles grant, Western States Black Research Foundation grant, National Endowment for the Arts grant, Julian Adderly Scholarship, UCLA

ACM SIGGRAPH, Women in Animation

• SIGGRAPH 2009, educators program, Discussion on Rhythm & Hues Faculty Education Program
• SIGGRAPH 2008, educators program, Student Industry Opportunities
• SIGGRAPH 2006, educators program, Preparing Students for Job Hunting-CG Industries
• SIGGRAPH 2004, educators program, Student Opportunities: Industry Scholarship, Internship and Apprenticeship
• Pan African Film Festival, panelist
• Antenna Cinema, speaker and presenter
• Black Filmmakers' Hall of Fame, Oakland, Museum, speaker
• The Woman's Building, board of directors
• UCLA Children's Film Workshop, instructor
• Black Women and the Arts, UCLA, guest speaker

"I take my inspiration for teaching from great teachers I have experienced who, in addition to their knowledge of their discipline and their ability to share that knowledge, have tremendous respect for their students and show by example how to respect the humanity that binds us all."

VSFX 490 Visual Effects Portfolio

"I aim to reveal the richness and greatness of smaller segments to the worth of the whole. I have as my quest through the examination of the visual terrain, to extract the magical from the seemingly mundane, to expose its music and poetry."

2001

Director/producer, opening titles, "Twilight Zone: The Movie"; director/co-producer, "Ride Queue Commercials," Disney's Start Tours; animation director, 12 commercials, Pillsbury Doughboy; animatronics technician, T-800 and additional character animatronics, "Terminator 2"; directed/produced, Disney Home Video main logo, 1985-94

CEO/Chairman of the Board/Co-founder of the Animation Hall Of Fame

Special Jury Award, Winnipeg International Film Festival 2007, "The Madness of Being"; Best Independent Animation Award, Tampa International Film Festival 2007, "The Madness of Being"; Oscar-winning crew member 1992, The Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences, "Terminator 2"; Oscar-winning crew member 1989, The Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences, "The Abyss"; Oscar Winning Crew Member 1997, The Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences, "Titanic"

The Animation Hall of Fame, Society for Animation Studies

Presentations

• Savannah International Animation Festival 2010. Savannah, Georgia, director and master of ceremonies.
• Savannah International Animation Festival 2011. Savannah, Georgia, director and master of ceremonies.

"The students! After working in the entertainment industry for 25 years I was invited to come to SCAD and work as the special project supervisor for SCAD President Paula Wallace's animated short film 'Rick and Rocky.' I had always known that I would eventually pass on my years of knowledge and industry experience to students on the college level and this gave me the chance to see if I would truly love it. The year that I spent working with and instructing them on this project was so extremely rewarding. When we finished the film, I was planning on returning to Los Angeles when SCAD invited me to stay with them and not only have the wonderful opportunity to teach, but also to help develop the newly formed visual effects major and additionally help in expanding the stop motion animation section of the animation major. With the wonderful experience that I had with the students and the great potential that I had seen in SCAD, I was so very honored to accept the position. My ability to be here and see on a day-to-day basis what our wonderful students are not only learning, but also creating, is truly inspiring."

• VSFX 130 Visual Effects-based Cinematography I
• VSFX 270 Compositing
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 495 Special Topics in Visual Effects
• VSFX 709 Visual Effects Theory and Application
• ANIM 218 Stop Motion I
• ANIM 318 Stop Motion II
• ANIM 408 Senior Animation Project I
• ANIM 448 Senior Animation Project II
• ANIM 760 Stop Motion Animation
• CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications

"As my mentor, Ray Harryhausen, said, 'It is the thrill of breathing "life" into one's own creations and at the same time giving them individual personalities that makes an animator's work so uniquely exciting and fulfilling.' This is the single sentence that has driven my artistic creativity over these many years. From my early teenage days of experimenting with the many art forms that make up animation and visual effects to my latest creations, the drive to continue to learn and stretch one's abilities then see those creations come to life is still truly magical. Now, with having created the Animation Hall of Fame, it will hopefully give everyone that same special feeling of creation and understanding of this artistic process that has been so special in my life."

halmiles.com

2008

Digital matte artist - Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Dinosaur"; HBO, "Lansky"; Boss Films, "Outbreak," "Species," "The Fantasticks," "Ace Ventura II"; digital compositor - Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Kangaroo Jack," "Dinosaur"; Digiscope, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"; digital artist - Walt Disney Feature Animation, "102 Dalmations"; visual development digital artist - Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Dinosaur"; effects supervisor - Aoki Mrozowski Productions, TV commercials; director/cameraman/green screen supervisor/plate photography - "Mambo Kings," "Super Mario Brothers"; animation/motion control cameraman - R/Greenberg Associates, various TV commercials and "Ladyhawke," "Weird Science," "Predator," "Ghost Busters," "Goonies" and "New York Stories"; motion graphics - Zeplin Productions, NBC on-air graphics; lecturer - college-level and trade-networking groups - "The Art of Visual Effects"

Working as the only person on the creative crew of Walt Disney Feature Animation's film "Dinosaur" and contributing to the visual development, matte painting and compositing departments

Visual Effects Society, The Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques

Lectures on the art of visual effects and the history of visual effects at Rhode Island School of Design, Johnson & Wales, Otis School of Design and Boston University

"While lecturing at the college level, I found it highly inspiring to interact with young students. SCAD then offered a more full-time opportunity to not only lecture but to mentor and enjoy an academic-team environment. The position I have with SCAD offers an even greater incentive to keep up with the changing state of the industry and its technology. As a result, I am often called upon to make recommendations on teaching tools. I have thoroughly enjoyed passing on my knowledge of visual effects to the next generation of visual effects artists. I feel invigorated and privileged to work with young people. As I strive to inspire them, they inspire me."

• VSFX 130 Visual Effects-based Cinematography I
• VSFX 270 Compositing
• VSFX 310 Matte Painting
• VSFX 503 Cinematography for Visual Effects

"I have been passionate about visual effects since the age of 14 when I wrote a letter to George Pal (producer/director of such classics as 'The Time Machine' and the original 'War of the Worlds'). I continue to pay respect to persons who were initially responsible for visual effects artistry and who had tremendous talent within their craft. Stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen and matte painter Albert Whitlock are just two persons I've admired.

"After receiving a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute in advertising and film, I had my first job as a production assistant and from there I went on to doing on-air graphics for NBC. I then became a motion control operator and tabletop director of photography for television commercials in New York City for a 10-year period at R/Greenberg Associates. I then went on to Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank as matte artist and compositor. My inspiration is to mix my knowledge of fine art and design with technology in the pursuit of illusion - where the technical and artistic aspects come together flawlessly to create a complete visual experience that is believable. While I enjoy using cameras and software, I view them the way that a painter views his brushes. My true interest is in how they can be used to create art."

robertmrozowski.com

1999

• VSFX 160 Intro/Visual Effects Program
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 749 Visual Effects Portfolio
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications

1991

Computer graphics instructor, Pre-College Art Program, Carnegie Mellon University; computer graphics instructor, Carnegie Mellon University; photography instructor, design instructor, Seton Hill College

Contributing to the growth and continued success of SCAD's original computer art program that evolved into five separate majors

Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities

• ACM - Association for Computing Machinery
• ACM SIGGRAPH
• CAA - College Art Association

Art educators workshops

"Over the years there have been many inspirations for teaching…from the kind elementary school art teacher who encouraged an incredibly shy child to acknowledge artistic abilities…to the humility, grace and benevolence of three extraordinary graduate school mentors whose patience and insight illuminated the journey ahead…to the remarkably talented SCAD students who have shared an important time in their lives with us before joining the industry ranks. All of these individuals have instilled a renewed awareness in me of the dedication to purpose, devotion, passion and commitment necessary for teaching."

• CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications
• CMPA 241 Survey of Electronic Art
• VSFX 406 Concept Development for Visual Effects
• VSFX 310 Matte Painting
• VSFX 101 Survey of Visual Effects
• VSFX 101-RS/Survey of Visual Effects for Rising Star
• VSFX 485/Independent Study Faculty
• VSFX 479/Internship Faculty Advisor

"While born an artist, I was also born to teach. Because the two are interwoven in my personal tapestry, they've been a source of joy and my life's greatest gift."

2010

Gang-run printing layout designer and prepress supervisor, PK Graphics, Miami, Florida

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society

"Having trained many people in different areas of production, I realized that being part of the learning process is an extremely rewarding experience. Passing on that production experience back into the academic environment means not only to acknowledge the role that higher education played in my life but also to contribute to someone else's goals and aspirations."

CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications

"The strong foundations of composition, figure and narrative are an essential part of my aesthetic background. Upon these foundations I have gained a deep respect for the collaborative efforts of artists in different disciplines. The gestalt present in most works of art is also at work in collaborative artistic disciplines such as movie making. The sum of the joint efforts by every artist generates a final result bigger than anything they would be able to achieve on their own. It is within these collaborative ventures that my skills find not just a practical use but also a way to grow and evolve."

manuelprada3d.com

2008

Visual effects production from 1973 to 2004 including feature budgeting, planning and supervision of on-set and location photography, miniature photography, visual effects editorial and postproduction; supervisory and hands-on experience in all aspects of digital VFX postproduction, including digital compositing, CGI animation, digital matte painting and practical special effects and VFX photography; experienced in both in-facility and feature production environments; clients and employers include Columbia Pictures, Paramount, New Line Cinema, MGM, ABC Television, Miramax Films, Centropolis FX, Industrial Light & Magic, R/GA New York and Los Angeles; credits on more than 20 feature films and past professorship at Florida State University in Tallahassee

Academy Award, Achievement in Visual Effects, "What Dreams May Come," 1998; British Academy of Film and Television Arts, nomination for Special Effects, "Zelig," 1983; Visual Effects Society, award nomination, "Stephen King's Rose Red," 2002

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Visual Effects Branch, Visual Effects Society

Contributor, "The VES Handbook of Visual Effects"; Focal Press, 2010

"Teaching the next generation of visual effects artists is a very satisfying culmination for a professional career."

• VSFX 101 Survey of Visual Effects
• VSFX 270 Compositing
• VSFX 401 Visual Effects Supervision
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 485 Undergraduate Independent Study
• VSFX 715 Digital Compositing I
• VSFX 735 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 758 Digital Compositing II
• VSFX 775 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 790 Visual Effects M.F.A. Thesis

"For me, visual effects is a discipline that allows me use art and science to try to make sense of the buzzing phenomena of the world. I also like having people bring me problems that they want to have solved - it's nice to be actually useful."

2001

Freelance 3-D artist and animator, Frisco, Texas; senior artist and designer, Liquid Pictures/VERTIS, Irving, Texas; senior 3-D artist, Paradigm Entertainment, Carrollton, Texas; 3-D animator-QTVR artist and web designer, EDS / c2o Interactive Architects, Plano, Texas; graphic artist and photocompositor, McMann & Tate Advertising, Dallas, Texas; digital imaging assistant manager, BWC Photo Imaging, Dallas, Texas

First place in the abstract category at the International Color Awards, Masters of Color Photography, London, England, May 2006

• 2010 - "Samples of Savannah" exhibition - SCAD Annex Gallery, Memorial Hospital, Savannah, Georgia
• 2009 - "St Patrick's Day In Savannah" photography book, Pelican Publishing, lead photographer, Savannah, Georgia
• 2008 - "Color Imaging: Fundamentals and Applications" by Erik Reinhard, book cover image "Tybee Lighthouse Shadow," A K Peters Ltd., Wellesley, Massachusetts
• 2006/2007 - "More of The Other Savannah" exhibition, Moon River Brewery Gallery, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Commissioned 2007 calendar - "The Other Savannah" Hilb, Rogel & Hobbs, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Masters of Photography International Charity Exhibition, Curitiba, Brazil
• 2006 - "Day on the Island" charity fundraiser - Isle of Hope, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Commissioned interactive kiosk - "Building with Light" Telfair Museum of Art, Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Georgia
• 2005 - Book Acknowledgement: "High Dynamic Range Imaging: Acquisition, Display, and Image-Based Lighting" by Erik Reinhard, Greg Ward, Sumanta Pattanaik and Paul Debevec

Presentations

• 2010 - Featured guest speaker, SCAD SIGGRAPH student chapter, "An Overview of HDRI," Savannah, Georgia
• 2009 - ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA 2009 course organizer and co-presenter, "HDRI for Artists," Yokohama, Japan
• 2008 - ACM SIGGRAPH 2008 course organizer and co-presenter, "HDRI for Artists," Los Angeles, California
• 2008 - Featured guest speaker, SCAD Digital Media Club, "Chrome Ball HDRI," Savannah, Georgia
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Savannah College of Art and Design, "Spherical Panoramic Photography and HDRI for Photographers," Savannah, Georgia
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Tamkang University, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Danshui, Taiwan
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Yuan Ze University, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Taipei, Taiwan
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Oneighty, "Topic: What does God have to do with Art?" Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Featured guest speaker, Digital Media Club, "Topic: The History of Digital Photography," Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Featured guest speaker, Asia International Education Center, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Taipei, Taiwan

"I have always enjoyed teaching others, and I have always been a technically oriented artist. My love of constant learning and trying to stay on the cutting edge helps me to help my students stay up with the latest industry trends, technologies and methods."

• ANIM 250 Digital Form, Space and Lighting
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications
• ITGM 240 Modeling, Materials and Lighting
• VSFX 210 Digital 3-D Visual Effects
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 430 High Dynamic Range Imaging
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 708 Modeling for Visual Effects
• VSFX 763 3-D Environmental Rendering

"As an artist, I strive to be different from everyone else. I think it is easy to make a postcard-type image; the challenge is to go beyond that and create something that no one has seen or noticed before. I try to instill this philosophy into my students so they will not be average."

KirtWitte.com

2010

Tutor, SCAD

• CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications

joshwood.net

2002

Editor and video engineer in Los Angeles; high-definition video editor at Sony Pictures; film compositor and digital artist

Online editor for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX broadcast networks; editor on the first HD miniseries for the United States, "World War II: When Lions Roared"; film compositor and digital artist on the films "Independence Day" and "What Dreams May Come," which won Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Visual Effects Society

• VSFX 130 Visual Effects-based Cinematography I
• VSFX 270 Compositing
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 490 Visual Effects Portfolio
• VSFX 503 Cinematography for Visual Effects
• VSFX 715 Digital Compositing I
• VSFX 735 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 749 Visual Effects Portfolio
• VSFX 775 Visual Effects Studio II

2001

Adjunct professor at Syracuse University and The Ohio State University

National and international sculpture and digital animation exhibitions

Greater Columbus Arts Council Grant

"Neoconservatism And Its Discontents," The New York Times, Jan. 7, 2004. "The Innocent Die," The New York Times, Feb. 25, 2003.

"I have always loved to teach and my inspiration is seeing my students blossom and mature into artists who are able to make work that expresses something tangible and meaningful. It is equally inspiring to see my students go into the effects industry and build successful careers."

• CMPA 100 Survey of Computer Art Applications
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications
• VSFX 101 Survey of Visual Effects
• VSFX 210 Digital 3-D Visual Effects
• VSFX 321 Digital Fine Art
• VSFX 350 Procedural Modeling and Animation
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 428 Particles and Procedural Effects
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 501 Digital 3-D Effects
• VSFX 721 Procedural Modeling and Animation
• VSFX 735 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 775 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 779 Graduate Field Internship

"My sculpture has always investigated the interface and intersection of technology and nature. The sculpture I have produced is about the forms, shapes and systems that are derived and developed from objects and machines that have to interact with nature and with the forces that nature produces. In other words, the forms I work with are affected and shaped the way they are because of their motion through the physical world and the materials that the world is made of. Airplanes, ships, spacecraft and other human-made objects or vehicles are all shaped as they are, at least in part, because of what they must move through - i.e., fluid dynamics and other such physics-based models play a part in how almost all of my forms are developed. That is to say, how an airplane moves through the air necessarily determines it shape, thus my forms based upon an aircraft are by default related to the science of flight and motion.

"My digital work has followed the same path, but placed in a more narrative context. My forms from sculpture have moved over into the virtual arena, and I have consequently overlaid the arc of story upon them to create more meaning and a common area for viewers to understand them. In addition, my digital work has, on occasion, become far more literal and based predominantly upon human forms and situations."

2008

Digital trainer, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Culver City, California; senior technical director, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Culver City, California; technical director, Santa Barbara Studios, Santa Barbara, California

Look development lead for key digital characters in "Matrix Reloaded" and "Stuart Little II"

Contributed to Academy and VES Award-winning and Award-nominated blockbuster films, including "Spider-Man 2," "Matrix Reloaded" and "The Aviator"

ACM SIGGRAPH, College Art Association

• Presentation and professional workshop: Lighting Concepts Series, Artistic Image, Atlanta, Georgia, 2007
• Speaker: representing Sony Imageworks in "Studio Views of Demo Reels" panel, SIGGRAPH Conference, Los Angeles, California, 2005
• Presentation: "Becoming a Digital Effects Artist," George Lindsey Film Festival, Florence, Alabama, 2005
• Session artist: Image and Meaning II, workshop on scientific imagery, Los Angeles, California, 2005
• Display: "KIA Interactive," electric image booth, SIGGRAPH Conference, Los Angeles, California, 1996

"What most inspires me about teaching is helping others achieve their goals and dreams. My career in film was made possible by the time and aid given to me by many people along my path, in the form of co-workers, teachers, family and friends. Teaching is my way of 'paying forward' this debt of gratitude. I strive to help each student who comes my way and, at the same time, feel that if I am able to make a difference in even one student's life then my job has been a success."

• TECH 311 Digital Materials and Textures
• TECH 316 Digital Lighting and Rendering
• TECH 420 Technical Direction for Compositing
• VSFX 160 Introduction to Visual Effects Programming
• VSFX 319 Programming Models and Shaders 1
• VSFX 425 Photorealistic Rendering
• VSFX 502 Programming 3-D Models and Shaders
• VSFX 705 Programming Concepts for Visual Effects
• VSFX 752 3-D Color, Lighting and Rendering
• VSFX 755 Procedural 3-D and Shader Programming

"I am passionate about creating imagery which tells a story through color, light and mood. I especially enjoy working as a team with other creative and dedicated artists, all contributing their talents to produce the highest quality work possible. The medium of computer-generated 3-D art particularly inspires me because of the endless creative possibilities it provides. While technical mastery is a must to create CG imagery, my motto is 'the technical is always a servant to the artistic.' The computer is only a tool. It is the human vision that drives the tools."

2001

Freelance 3-D artist and animator, Frisco, Texas; senior artist and designer, Liquid Pictures/VERTIS, Irving, Texas; senior 3-D artist, Paradigm Entertainment, Carrollton, Texas; 3-D animator-QTVR artist and web designer, EDS / c2o Interactive Architects, Plano, Texas; graphic artist and photocompositor, McMann & Tate Advertising, Dallas, Texas; digital imaging assistant manager, BWC Photo Imaging, Dallas, Texas

First place in the abstract category at the International Color Awards, Masters of Color Photography, London, England, May 2006

• 2010 - "Samples of Savannah" exhibition - SCAD Annex Gallery, Memorial Hospital, Savannah, Georgia
• 2009 - "St Patrick's Day In Savannah" photography book, Pelican Publishing, lead photographer, Savannah, Georgia
• 2008 - "Color Imaging: Fundamentals and Applications" by Erik Reinhard, book cover image "Tybee Lighthouse Shadow," A K Peters Ltd., Wellesley, Massachusetts
• 2006/2007 - "More of The Other Savannah" exhibition, Moon River Brewery Gallery, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Commissioned 2007 calendar - "The Other Savannah" Hilb, Rogel & Hobbs, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Masters of Photography International Charity Exhibition, Curitiba, Brazil
• 2006 - "Day on the Island" charity fundraiser - Isle of Hope, Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Commissioned interactive kiosk - "Building with Light" Telfair Museum of Art, Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Georgia
• 2005 - Book Acknowledgement: "High Dynamic Range Imaging: Acquisition, Display, and Image-Based Lighting" by Erik Reinhard, Greg Ward, Sumanta Pattanaik and Paul Debevec

Presentations

• 2010 - Featured guest speaker, SCAD SIGGRAPH student chapter, "An Overview of HDRI," Savannah, Georgia
• 2009 - ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA 2009 course organizer and co-presenter, "HDRI for Artists," Yokohama, Japan
• 2008 - ACM SIGGRAPH 2008 course organizer and co-presenter, "HDRI for Artists," Los Angeles, California
• 2008 - Featured guest speaker, SCAD Digital Media Club, "Chrome Ball HDRI," Savannah, Georgia
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Savannah College of Art and Design, "Spherical Panoramic Photography and HDRI for Photographers," Savannah, Georgia
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Tamkang University, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Danshui, Taiwan
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Yuan Ze University, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Taipei, Taiwan
• 2007 - Featured guest speaker, Oneighty, "Topic: What does God have to do with Art?" Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Featured guest speaker, Digital Media Club, "Topic: The History of Digital Photography," Savannah, Georgia
• 2006 - Featured guest speaker, Asia International Education Center, "Topic: High Dynamic Range Imaging," Taipei, Taiwan

"I have always enjoyed teaching others, and I have always been a technically oriented artist. My love of constant learning and trying to stay on the cutting edge helps me to help my students stay up with the latest industry trends, technologies and methods."

• ANIM 250 Digital Form, Space and Lighting
• CMPA 110 Advanced Survey of Computer Art Applications
• ITGM 240 Modeling, Materials and Lighting
• VSFX 210 Digital 3-D Visual Effects
• VSFX 408 Visual Effects Studio I
• VSFX 430 High Dynamic Range Imaging
• VSFX 448 Visual Effects Studio II
• VSFX 708 Modeling for Visual Effects
• VSFX 763 3-D Environmental Rendering

"As an artist, I strive to be different from everyone else. I think it is easy to make a postcard-type image; the challenge is to go beyond that and create something that no one has seen or noticed before. I try to instill this philosophy into my students so they will not be average."

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