I'm currently working with my roommate to create a short original CG
film that I hope to have done later this year. Although I would love to pro-
vide some shameless self-promotion for it here, we don't have a web site
URL for it yet.
Q: Where would you like to be in five years?
A: I actually have trouble looking just six months into the future, let alone
five years, but I would really like to get into doing special effects for
movies. I have worked in the games industry for almost six years, and
although I enjoy creating games and I love the freedom that I have when
working on them, I'm starting to feel like I need to look to the next step. I
feel that my artwork could benefit from new creative inspiration in a dif-
ferent field. As I mentioned before, I grew up near ILM and the whole Star
Wars hype, which was the catalyst that got my imagination soaring. From
the age of five, I would spend hours dreaming of the final assault on the
Death Star and of the Millennium Falcon swooping in to save the day. It
was a favorite pastime for me during those years, and it would be a great
personal achievement to be able to work on the current series of Star Wars
movies.
Therefore, at some point in my career I would like to work at either
Industrial Light and Magic or Lucasfilm. I realize that the waiting list to get
into such places is huge, and the competition is fierce. My chances are
slim--and some would say impossible--but on the other hand, I wonder
where I would be right now if I had not followed my own dreams and
defined my career and myself in the process. For me, the point of follow-
ing a dream is to not let any limitations govern your actions. It is to know
your final destination without knowing the specific road to take; that way,
you make your own road and grow to meet the demands that come of it.
I'd like to thank Mike for taking the time to share his thoughts and
experiences with us. Mike's personal web site can be found at
www.DigitalArtMonkey.com
.
Modeling the Star Wars Universe: An Interview with
3D Artist Richard Green
Richard Green was born in 1963 and grew up in a "boring suburb" in
Southern California. Finding little of interest going on in his general sur-
roundings, he concentrated on creative endeavors. He became an avid
model builder when he was around eight years old. He also liked to draw,
3 D G
R A P H I C S
& A
N I M A T I O N
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