Film

Change is good. And change is also terrifying. Keep. Creating.

2D Graphics, 3D Graphics, Creative Work, Film, VFX / By

I’ve been a bit frustrated with this site for a while, because there’s all this fascinating work I do at Meta Reality Labs, that I’d really love to share. While I know many people are reeling under the changes from AI technology as well as the difficult time both game and visual effects creatives have been facing as everything changes beneath us… Please don’t think I’m unsympathetic (or unaffected) when I say this: there has never been a more exciting time to work in CGI.

“Exciting” and “challenging” go together. It means we are in a period of great change. But I’ve found over the years that these are the kind of times when people also tend to do their most meaningful work. This is one of those points when reputations (and fortunes) are made, and when new paradigms and possibilities abound.

If you’re a professional struggling to find work or establish relevance in a world which may not demand some of your formerly most attractive skills, allow me to suggest that you step back a moment and remember that you ARE still relevant. Yes a toddler can now seemingly generate an image or video that would only have been possible through great effort just a few years ago, or vibe code an application that formerly took a team of engineers. All that means is that YOU can do the same, as well as so much more, by leveraging your less obvious skills which have now become massively relevant.

– Eye for quality and detail. – Understanding of process principles to achieve top results. – Industry understanding of tools, methods, ways to approach challenges and visualize your end goals early. – Discipline to slog through difficulties to get to somewhere extraordinary.

You may not be able to do the work you’ve spent decades doing. But that doesn’t mean you lack value. Do NEW stuff. Ride this wave, and go further, faster than you ever dreamt was possible. Or, to be a bit more militaristic in tone: Adapt. Overcome.

Change is struggle. But it’s also opportunity. Figure out where your brass ring is, and reach for it.

Misc Shots

3D Graphics, Creative Work, Examples, Film, VFX / By

I haven’t edited an “official” demo reel in a very long time. People know who I am, and hire me for projects based on peer testimonial and having seen past work directly. A reel just hasn’t been needed, since I’m fortunate enough to be a freelancer who gets approached regularly. So when I started teaching students who knew nothing about me I had the challenge of presenting myself to an entirely new audience who were eager to see some work I’ve done in films. I really haven’t had time to edit much, so instead I spent an evening grabbing various shots from films and the like. Stuff I’ve either worked on directly, supervised, or had some hand in.

I have only grabbed a portion of the films I’ve worked on, plus some TV and game stuff, pretty much in the order they were stacked on my desk. The choices are fairly miscellaneous – at the moment I just don’t have time to go through film after film and say “oh yeah, I did that,” then tighten it all down into an edit with music and polish. I know, this breaks all the rules where I’m supposed to present only the very very best, nothing less. But the policy that seems to work best for me is to just be open, good or bad just get it out there and get back to making the next thing. I will never be a charismatic showman or clever self-promoter. I’m a creative geek and frankly I like showing failures, too. It’s part of the process, and that’s what really motivates me.

So all of that said, here’s about 6 minutes of footage and, well, stuff. I basically play it in the background when I introduce myself to students, so it is what it is. Enjoy!