Studio: Zoic Studios
Website: http://www.samjam.com
Jamie Clark is a artist with a wide range of credits to his name. In addition to his work on the shows CSI, CSI: Miami, Cold Case and Justice, his portfolio also includes a number of box covers for the Need for Speed game series, a documentary for NASA, and the cover of the October 2006 issue of Popular Mechanics. Currently working as a VFX artist at Zoic Studios, Jamie took some time out to talk to us about his experience in the industry and with LightWave 3D producing work for both the small screen and the printed page.
Jamie Clark is a artist with a wide range of credits to his name. In addition to his work on the shows CSI, CSI: Miami, Cold Case and Justice, his portfolio also includes a number of box covers for the Need for Speed game series, a documentary for NASA, and the cover of the October 2006 issue of Popular Mechanics. Currently working as a VFX artist at Zoic Studios, Jamie took some time out to talk to us about his experience in the industry and with LightWave 3D producing work for both the small screen and the printed page.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your history with 3D?
I started as an actor in the "biz" and as a day job I did web design. More and more people wanted 3d on their websites, so I was basically forced to learn it. I started with Bryce, then moved onto 3d Studio Max, but once I found LightWave I was hooked.
I read many books and just spent hours and hours in front of my computer. I became friends with Kevin Quattro, who at the time was working on Buffy and Firefly at Zoic. I had sent him some of my work and he helped me more than I can say. He let me hang around Zoic for a while watching him and others work and after a while, helped me get me my first job on Battlestar Galactica, the miniseries. It was a very simple tracking shot, but it was MY shot and when I saw it on television it was truly an amazing feeling.
Not long after that, Lee Stringer gave me my first paying gig on Battlestar.
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How were you first introduced to LightWave?
The first time I opened up LightWave was after I got an issue of, I believe it was 3d World magazine, but it may have been Keyframe magazine, I'm not sure. Anyway, there was a demo disc on there, and I installed it and opened it up. I had been using 3D studio max up to that point, so when I opened up Layout and saw that Modeler was separate, I thought, "Well this is weird." I closed the program and didn't go back to it for about six months. Back then I would mostly go on newgroups on Usenet and see people's artwork, and it seemed like all the LightWave guys were making the most amazing things I had seen in 3D. So after seeing those results over and over, I decided to give LightWave another shot. I remember vividly the very next time I opened LightWave. I fired up Modeler and made a sphere. I then managed to open up the surface editor and found that to change the color of my ball, all I had to do was go to "Color" and click on the box and then click on the red box.
No Phong, Phong-e, Blinn, etc. Just simple and to the point. I LOVE that about LightWave. I think the fact that we now have the node editor and the ability to use all of those different shaders is great. but I sincerely thank Newtek and all the programmers for giving us the OPTION so that we can still use the simple surface editor if we want to.
What feature of LightWave do you like the most?
That's a tough one. If I were to say program-wise, it would probably be the render engine. But as a whole, what I really like is the speed of the program and how you can create something the looks outstanding fairly quickly compared to other apps.
Are there any plug-ins you use on a regular basis?
FPrime is a huge timesaver. I use that daily. I also use G2 from time to time and Sasquatch.
What does being a VFX Artist at zoic Studios entail?
I'm currently at Zoic Studios working on mainly CSI and CSI: Miami. I am a 3d artist or visual effects artist, whichever you like. Many of the shots we do on CSI are "in-the-body" type shots where we fly into someone's lungs or fly down an artery. Sometimes we do bullet shots where we follow a bullet's trajectory into a person or object. The latest shot I completed involved a dream sequence where a woman had fallen off a cliff and the back of her skull was blown out. She has to have a conversation post-mortem, and I was in charge of creating the hollowed out skull and eyeballs. Pretty gross stuff but very fun!
How was LightWave used to produce the VFX for the CSI episode Toe Tags?
For my particular shot I had a track of the plate which was done in BouJou and from there I added the CG skull and eyeballs. Originally I had parts of the brain left over and veins that kind of hung down into the skull, but we decided that it was a little TOO gross with the veins and brain so we took those out. The eyes were also animated so that they moved slightly as she spoke.
Photoshop was used for the texturing. That's my main tool for texturing. We use After Effects and Combustion a lot for our compositing. I believe that shot was comped in After Effects.
What was the schedule for Toe Tags? How long did it actually take?
We had about three days for the shot. Our days usually run about nine hours, but there are occasions where we have to work weekends, although that's a rarity.
The way I see most of my work is it's never really finished. There always seems to be something more that could have been done, but at the end of the day you run out of time and have to move on to another shot. If I was allowed to work on a shot as long as I wanted it would probably take three times as long... good thing we have great producers that keep us on track hehe.
Was it necessary to have any interaction with the cast?
No we never interact with the cast, our supervisors do though. Andrew Orloff and Rick Shorten are frequently on-set and they make sure that VFX shots are done correctly so that when we get the plates back at the studio our job is that much easier.
What are some other projects you've worked on?
Other than CSI, and CSI: Miami, I've just finished some work on Cold Case, Justice, and 3 Pounds. I also just completed the latest cover for EA's Need for Speed franchise. This is the third box cover I've done for them, including Need for Speed Underground 2 and Need for Speed Most Wanted.
Last year, I worked at Eden FX on a project for NASA called Deep Impact, which was a program to study the internal makeup of a comet.
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Are there any projects that are particular favorites?
Most of the work I do is really fun and challenging, so it's tough to pick one over another. Each show has its own set of challenges and they are fun in their own way. One of the things we battle daily is lack of time, so I do particularly like to work on personal projects when I get the chance.
With personal projects, I get to take my time and make everything exactly how I want it without compromise. The last thing I did was a simple desk scene called Study in Light. I really wanted to see if I could mimic real-world lighting in a very simple scene. The result was something I'm very proud of. I only wish sometimes that I had more time to do stuff like that. But I don't get paid for that, so it's a tradeoff hehe.
LightWave and Photoshop are my main tools, that and Google. We use Google for reference images all the time.
Are there any projects that were particularly challenging?
I just completed a shot for a show where I had to create 3D dandelions and place them in a scene so that they looked completely real. That was tough because the dandelion has such intricate pieces and textures that it took a while to get it right. I only had a few days to do it, and I doubt I could have accomplished the same result with another package.
How did you come to do the October 2006 cover of Popular Mechanics?
I was contacted by Michael Lawton, the Design Director over at the magazine. He had seen some of my work and thought I would be good for a project he had in mind. Unfortunately the first one fell through because I was booked and just didn't have the time. But for the airship cover, it was perfect. I was on hiatus and had enough time to complete the project before the season started for CSI.
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How was LightWave used to produce the cover?
It was used to model, render and light the airship. Photoshop was used for all the texturing and also for the clouds in the background. The background was a photo I took from a 737 on my way back East. There was quite a bit of work done to make the clouds work in our favor but in the end it all worked out.
What was the schedule for Popular Mechanics? How long did it actually take?
I had around three weeks to complete the cover. Much of the work was done in the first week or so. The last week was devoted to mainly notes and adjustments. I worked many nights and weekends. I tend to do that when I do freelance work just because it's easy, the computer is right there and I don't have to go to an office to work on the project.
Were you provided reference material to work from?
Yes I had several photos of the prototype airship that was being built, as well as some CAD models and drawings.
Do you prefer print or VFX work? How do they differ for you?
I like them both equally for different reasons. For print it's nice because you don't have to worry about anything having to move. That gives you a lot of freedom with how you are going to light and render the scene because you only have to render the one frame. So I can get away with using a radiosity solution for print where I may not be able to for television.
Ironically, for TV what's fun is the fact that you DO have to animate. There 's a lot more problem-solving that I have to tackle for VFX work because not only does the scene have to look real, it has to move realistically or the jig is up. The other thing I love about VFX work is the team. For my freelance work, I'm alone and I have to solve all the problems. When I'm on the show, I have a huge group of people that I can bounce ideas off of, and it's just a pleasure to work with some of the amazing artists at Zoic.
Have the recent changes made in LightWave impacted the way you work?
Absolutely. The Hard Dynamics and Soft Dynamics in 8 were a great addition. With v9, it's just a whole new ballgame. Everything is just better, it seems. Things render faster, the program is very solid, and the new surface node editor seems like it has limitless possibilities. But again, what I really love about LightWave and am so thankful for is that the programmers made huge improvements but left the things that work alone.
Are there any new features of LightWave v9 you've found particularly useful?
I have enjoyed playing around with the node editor. It's nice to have all of those new options for surfacing available. The OpenGL speed improvement is VERY useful. The fact that we can see procedural textures animating in real time is a massive time saver.
Do you have a "LightWave tip or trick" others might find helpful?
The best tip I could offer is to always have an open mind with your work. Don't think that one solution is the only solution and never be afraid to try something. just make sure you save first. ;)
What's next for Jamie Clark?
I'll be at Zoic for a while I imagine. Beyond that, who knows. I was fortunate enough to get invited to speak at the DAVE School in Orlando this year, and I really enjoyed that. So perhaps one day I might teach VFX, if I'm given the opportunity.
Do you have any advice for someone new to the 3D industry?
Don't be afraid to speak up, and don't ever pretend you know something when you don't. Have a positive attitude and don't be hard to get along with. The 3D community is pretty darned small, so if you're not easy to work with, it spreads like wildfire. Oh, also make sure you put your name on your demo reel... you'd be surprised how many people forget that.
Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Jamie!
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Zoic Studios
http://www.samjam.com
