Bhakar James
What project have you just finished on?
The Legend Of The Guardians
What was your involvement on this film and where there any challenges involved?
I was involved in a small team as a crowd TD. We were given the task to populate numerous shots with owls and bats . Many shots involved flocking and flying but we also covered behaviours like cheering and generally having a good time and also the zombified owls we called "moonblinked".
We used xsi ICE as a particle system and built proprietary tools to create and manage crowds. This was a challenge as it was the early stages of ICE and though it worked very well, we created many workarounds to address problems. It was fun though to use and build all our nodes and workflow from scratch.
What does a typical day at work involve for you while in the full swing of Production?
A typical work day in production usually means working on shots ...and more shots !
We had plenty to do starting with briefs from the animation director followed by setting up workable scenes . Then we would choose behaviours for our agents and request more from animation if needed. Crowd dailies involved the team ( 3 of us then later 4) , checking out each others work as a group and critiquing , usually followed by stroll for coffee or a hot chocolate .
Animation dailies would be with the sequence lead, animation supervisor and anim . director.
This would be where our shots would approved or given new direction. Of course the day would also be filled with meetings and collaboration between different departments and crew to make sure everything was working as it should.
What was the coolest project that you've worked on, and why?
I think The LOTG is my coolest project so far to work on .. Come on...battle owls are cool !
It also was my first main tech role since being a animation lead on other vfx shows and I really enjoyed it !
What made you want to work in the CG Industry?
I was introduced to CG by a friend who was doing architecture. I was studying multimedia at the time using 2d packages. He was prevising using 3dstudio max 2.0 and the renders blew me away, and thought this is the s#*t !
What was your first CG job?
This was for a company called Ambience Entertainment and the job was a Scion ad. for Toyota US. It was a real eye opener and loads of fun . I met many people that I work with still today , including cgCoach's very own Andrew McDonald ! :)
What educational training did you undertake to get into the industry, or are you completely self-taught?
I completed 2 Cert. courses In 3d Animation and Advanced 3D at the AIE in Canberra.
What "off-the-shelf" software do you work with ? (home + work)
Maya, XSI, Houdini, Photoshop, Renderman, Nuke
Do you use any Proprietary Software or Tools where you work? If so, what are they used for?
There are many proprietary tools used, including asset management tools and review tools , which allowed for scene builds and automated renders for animation review . Library tools for finding animation assets . Various plugins for openGL drawing and displaying large numbers of agents, and lots of other automated processing for particle data and ribs. They all help in ways to make the huge process easier to manage and quicker to do.
What advice or tips would you give people who are trying to get a job like you in the CG Industry?
My role is quite specialised and has a very technical way of being applied in production , but also requires a creative eye for motion and framing. So a sound knowledge of particles , dynamics , vectors and a scripting language helps. Looking at software like 'massive" is a good way to understand the processes involved in making cg crowds.
Are there any people, films or events in your life that inspired you to work in the CG Industry?
Films are what has inspired me the most over the last few decades. Star Wars (the originals) , Mad Max, Total Recall and off course Starship Troopers, to name a few. As a young guy these movies rocked my world and I knew I wanted to be part of it. At the time CG was in its infancy and moving into video editing and multimedia brought me closer to my goal.
What career goals or plans do you have for the future?
I would like to continue in crowds and work with developing more user friendly systems that are flexible.I also will continue my work with animation, rigging tools and auto riggers. I also hope to finish the screen play I've been writing ...maybe one day.
When you're not at work what do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time ? ....I think I lost that stuff after my 1st child :) but if I did have some , it would be used making music.
What are a few of your favourite films of all time?
Kronos, Fightclub ,Starship Troopers, LOTR, The Incredibles, Naussica ,...
What will you do if you had a time machine?
Dinosaurs..., that would be the first stop
Comments (2)
r3dvfxsaid:
 | ... wow wonderful project, total inspiration, a beautiful work of art for our professional lives. |
