Dinosketch

PregAlien

2011-10-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Having some fun on a friends project.

Paxton Quinn Stewart

2011-07-25T23:09:00.001-07:00

Paxton Quinn Stewart is my new little nephew...making me an uncle for the first time! So exciting! He's awesome and is just starting to smile regularly. I can't wait to spoil this guy rotten. Congrats to my sister and her husband!

So...update time....

I've been busy...mainly working on PUSS IN BOOTS. I've just been in a working groove for the better half of the year on it. Learning lots, teaching lots, and really enjoying LA. Another 5 weeks and we should be wrapping.
I've flown to Tennessee three times this year already, and can't wait to go back again in a few months.
I know I haven't posted for a long while, but have been keeping up pretty steadily on Twitter. A lot of what I use to post, I've just been quickly throwing up over on that feed, if anyone hasn't notice.
Once PUSS wraps, I'd like to jump back into some of my projects and hope to have those polished before the en of year...so look out for the completion of the shark and creature sculpt.

Greys

2011-03-21T00:21:00.001-07:00

So, I've been pretty busy with work and unable to really contribute in my Creature Design class. Though I've still been attending and learning tons about the concept side of the industry.
Appropriately, with the release of PAUL this week, one of the assignments is to design a bunch of "Greys". Above is a quick stab at one. Will try and have more up throughout the week.

P.S.
Saw PAUL tonight. It was alot of fun. Paul looks AMAZING! He is seamlessly integrated into every shot he's in. He's so well done, it seems as though critics of the movie are completely over looking the fact that he's not real and just accepting him as one of the actors. I wasn't sure about Seth Rogan's voice at first...but it works. This little guy deserve some major props. Bravo to all the talent artists that brought him to life. Check out the high res stills below.

Puss in Boots!!

2011-03-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well...yet again, it seems as though I'm working on another film that features talking cat-people. ;)
The teaser trailer for Puss in Boots hit the internet yesterday. The project is fun and the trailer tells you that this time it's all about Puss. I actually did all the skies in the trailer, simple for the most part, but I was able to squeeze in some photo reference I shot in Monument Valley on the sunset shot.
Download the High Res Trailer from Apple to see all the detail.
http://www.facebook.com/pussinboots
http://www.pussinbootsthemovie.com
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/pussinboots/

Creature Design Week 3 WIP

2011-02-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well....There are some ideas and elements I'm kind of liking here, but I'm not feeling it 100%. It's a bit sloppy, especially the colored one. I mostly stumbled around trying to find a strong design. I like the vented, hooded crest. Perhaps ideas developed here will overflow into other future designs.
NOTES: Make head a little smaller. Focus just on creature...pass on environment. Feels design is strong enough to get in there with photo reference and color.

Creature Design Class at CDA

2011-02-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a Creature Design Class at the CDA taught by Jerad Marantz on Saturday mornings, so my Friday nights are a bit tamed. I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I've been busy with work and had to fly home due to a death in the family. I'll post progress from the class here so you can see how some of these designs are coming about. The creature he wants me to focus on for next week is the squid head guy.
As for my sculptures....I'm currently looking for air compressors to power my airbrushes, but may need to hold off until this 10 week course is over.

1. Woodland Demon: Elements of pumpkin stems and antlers are incorporated into horny growths . The color-key helps define my layout for the antlers so you can see how he can move about.
Red-Head
Green-Shoulders
Blue-Spinal
Yellow-Elbow and Forearms
Notes: Instructor feels the antlers are all too similar in girth. Fears mobility might be hindered. I somewhat agree. In an orthographic side view that could layout the antler structure, I think I could argue that this guy could be quite agile.
2. Werewolf: Focused on slender-greyhound-like elements from thumbnails. Bat influence in the face. I wanted to stay away from having large claws. Real wolves can be extremely aggressive and fearsome and they don't really have large talons for claws. I'd like to explore one without the trilateral leg, but more of a human foot. The beast is sort of a halfway transformation when comparing it to other Werewolves in cinema.
Notes: Too lanky, not strong enough... Though likes the starkness of the pose/stance.
3. H.P.-Lovecraft-ian-type-beast: Chosen elements by instructor from thumbnails have been merged.
Notes: Instructor likes this one best. Need to really find a strong pose and add some asymmetry. Need to lose head spikes or down play them so his head has better mobility. Also add some crustacean like appendages around mouth area.

Final Sculpt!

2011-01-10T22:25:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!UPDATE!!! Here be a picture of the final sculpt, BAKED! You can see the final forms of the feet and legs. Next step is to get a mold made, so I can make a copy to paint and one to sculpt armor over.
Been busy lately. Lots of traveling over the holiday break....lots of stories to share. I won the winning bid on a piece of Crash McCreery concept art from Jurassic Park. Can't wait to share.
Hope everyone had a great break and are geting the new year off to a great start!

Aw...The Joys of Free Time.

2010-11-07T22:04:00.001-08:00

Updated: A few extra shots of progress from the other night.What am I doing now that I'm mostly settled in and working way more normal hours?...That's right! Time for all those personal projects I've been putting off! Hells Yeah!!
Here's a little sneak peek WIP("work in progress" for those that don't speak shop) of one of those projects, a maquette of a Beastly Brute. I actually started this guy in a creature sculpting class I took that was taught by talented creature designer Jordu Schell.

Still need to tighten up the arms and legs then texturize the whole thing with rhino like skin detail. More on this guy soon to come.

And yes, for those asking about the mako shark..I'm proud to report that it made it over the pacific ocean but is now stuck in customs....once here, I plan on finishing it. I'll also post progress on that one too.

Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition

2010-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

BEHOLD!
I still can't believe I was part of this. I'm so psyched that the world will see all the stuff that was cut. They(JC and FOX) may say that the theatrical version is the version they believe to be the definitive version, but I think that's crap. I'm putting it out there, my personal opinion based on my inside perspective is that this extended cut would have been the theatrical cut had it not been for Deadlines, Money, and Test Screenings. They had a release date, and had to make the film work in time for that. I'm stoked that this edition is being released! Click here!

Last Call/Smodcastle Spotlight!

2010-10-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

So when Andrea was here visiting, we attend a live podcast recording at Kevin Smith's Somdcastle-the worlds first live podcast recording theater. "Smodcast" is a podcast that Andrea and I became hooked on at work. It features filmmaker/funny-guy Kevin Smith and his producer-buddy Scott Mosier, just shoot'n the sh*t. I've been listening weekly for the past 3 years now.....tons of laughs.
Well...while waiting in front of the theater, "Last Call with Carson Daly" interviewed us for a piece that aired the other night! Looks like all of Andrea's talking was cut. ;p Click above to check out my 5 seconds of fame.

Smodcast
http://smodcast.com/main.html

Smodcastle
http://www.smodcastle.com

Video at Last Call with Carson Daly
http://www.nbc.com/Last_Call_with_Carson_Daly/video/kevin-smith/1253036/

All 7 shows from Smodcastle:
http://smodcast.com/

"Uncle Adam"...I could get use to that.

2010-10-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have an exciting little announcement. It's on their Facebook now, so must be public domain. Looks like my sister Meredith and her husband Shawn are expecting! I'm psyched! Can't wait to spoil him or her rotten. I should go ahead and get season tickets to LEGOLAND!.....Or get on the ball and make some cousins for them to play with. hehe ;)

Los Angeles Initiation: Complete

2010-10-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for all your concerns, well wishes, and advice. Can't believe how many of you check this blog.
I did end up seeing a doctor yesterday. He checked me out and explained what happened, what to expect, and set me up with some pain killers. I feel horrible today which is strange since I felt fine immediately after the wreck. I'm really sore in strange places and am a little nauseous, but that's evidently "normal" for this type of accident. Today should be the worst then will start feeling better throughout the week. Again thanks for all the emails and messages.
It's been an exciting Friday night! This city has been hazing me ever since I got here. But I feel like the initiation is finally over...I'm a true Los Angeleno now.
After having dinner with some friends tonight, I was heading East on The 10 when a woman slammed into me at a pretty high rate of speed. I think I'm ok, but am definitely going to feel it tomorrow. My new car, on the other hand, not so lucky. After retrieving my backpack from the middle of the interstate(which held my laptop) I'm testing my laptop here to make sure it's still working. So hopefully this post will post.....so far, so good.
My heart really goes out to the girl though. She was really shaken up, but seemed uninjured. However, once the CHiPs showed up, they separated us to get our reports down and ended up arresting her. I don't know what happened. My heart really goes out to her and I hope things work out.
The officer filled out a report for me to give to my insurance people, so we'll see if everything pans out.

Just rolling with the punches.

Abby 1994-2010

2010-09-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

She was the best dog ever and never forgot me, always recognizing me when visiting home. Our family dog, lived her pampered senior years with my mom. During high-school and college she used to burrow into my pillow case while I slept in the mornings. I miss those mornings. I taught her the the only trick she knew, balancing a treat on her nose and eating it upon my command, "1...2...3...Get it!"

I'm happy I got to hold her a little over a month ago before driving out.

I miss you Abby.

AVATAR Special Edition Aug 27th!

2010-08-15T01:56:00.000-07:00

The extended cut of AVATAR hits the big screen in 2 weeks, and includes some extra scenes that I feel make it a better film. You can see some of the new shots below. Check em out! :)

Roadtrip Pictures!

2010-08-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

So here is a small cross-section of photos I took of the insanely awe-inspiring landscapes I visited on my trek across the USA. I finally made it to all those alien worlds that Bill Watterson explored in Calvine and Hobbs. "kaZAM!" :)

Made it to Los Angeles!

2010-08-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Just made it to LA...I'll post some pictures from the road trip soon.

Returning Schedule

2010-08-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'll be moving back to the USA in a few weeks. My schedule will be as follows. Note that I will continue to update this schedule once me and Josh figure out our road-trip plans.
July 17: Leave Wellington for Johnson City, TN
July 30th-Aug 5th: Nashville, TN
Aug 5th-Aug 9th: ROADTRIP!!! Taking I70, Arches, Monument Valley, Vegas!
Aug 9th: Arrive in LA, find and buy a house.
Aug 16th: Start work.
Sept 11th: Attending Shannon and Jessica's wedding in Monterey

Farewell Weta

2010-07-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Wow,
Tomorrow is my last day at Weta Digital. I can't believe how fast the
time has flown(2 1/2 years!). I'm a self proclaimed film-geek/fanboy and relocated to NZ specifically for Avatar. While here, I've contributed to a museum exhibit, a theme park ride, and the highest grossing film of all time. I can't believe how many childhood dreams I've been able to check off. I'm in awe of what I was able to achieve and feel truly blessed. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to my friends and colleagues. Weta fosters some of the most talented artist I've ever met. Your work is really some of the best on the planet and has set the bar so incredibly high. Because of you, I've learned so much and have bettered as an artist.

Thank you all so much!

I look forward to sitting in a dark auditorium, watching future projects lucky enough to implore Weta's services.

Thanks again,
Adam

P.S.
Tomorrow night(Friday) I'm planning on hanging out a bit at Southern
Cross, catching up with a few of you and anyone else that happens to
stop bye. I'll be there around 8:30pm. Looking forward to seeing you
there! :)

King Kong 360 | 3-D @ Universal Studios Hollywood

2010-06-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to ride it myself when I'm get to LA!
Here's a bootleg of the King Kong 360 3D ride I've been working on the past 3 months.
Crazy...I just finished working on it last week....and there it is.....running at the theme park already. It looks great! I love all the reactions. :) Congrats to everyone that worked all the long hours on it!

Update: DreamWorks Animation

2010-06-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hello guys,
Going to keep this update short and sweet, but promise to be back soon with tons more info.
Looks like I'm be heading back to sunny California, but this time...Los Angeles! I'm returning to DreamWorks Animation! Same great company I was at before, just new location. :) Will keep you posted soon on what my moving schedule will be and what dates I'll be in Tennessee.

Quick Update: Work, Life, Fun

2010-04-21T04:35:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I know, I know...I've been real busy. Work is pretty full on at the moment, but thought it was about time I posted a quick little update.

What am I working on?
Well, I'm now contributing to the new KING KONG 360|3-D attraction at Universal Studios. When I was a little kid I saw a Disney Featurette on the "Imagineers" that make Disney's theme park attractions and of course it was quickly added to the list of jobs I wanted assignment back when I was in kindergarten. Some 25 odd years later, here I am helping imagineer....wow, funny how things work out. Can't say much about it, but will say that I can't wait to ride it. ;)

What am I watching?
As for recent movies I've seen, I can't recommend enough HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON! It's a masterpiece! Seen it twice now in 3D. Had a bunch of friends that worked on it and I want to congratulate them on a job well done! If you haven't seen it yet, go now! As for TV shows...I'm hooked on the last season of LOST and HBO's WWII miniseries THE PACIFIC. I can't believe I have only 5 episodes left till the very last LOST ever! Aaaah!

Where have I been?
Just hanging out with Andrea and friends. Finally made it up to Martinborough. Andrea's mom lives on a small vineyard up there. It was gorgeous!

Where will I be?
I want to say that I'll be stopping by Tennessee around July and might be planning a cross country road trip to California, hitting the most picturesque landscapes I can find to shoot along the way. Come September, I'll definitely be attended my friends Shannon and Jessica's wedding in Monterey Bay.

What would I like to accomplish this year?
Going to buy the new iPhone 4G, can't wait!
Move back to the states.
I'd also like to get scuba certified with Andrea this year so we can shark cage dive with great whites sometime in 2011. :)
And speaking of sharks...yes, yes, I know....I'll be finishing painting my Mako sculpt. You'll be happy to know that I got may airbrushes in and will jump back on that as soon as work lets up.

What should you buy?
AVATAR on BluRay and DVD ;)

Avatar Wins Best VFX Oscar!!!

2010-03-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Joe Letteri's Acceptance Speech:
"Thank you, on behalf of all of us here. Avatar is a film about learning to see the world in new ways, and for that extraordinary inspiration I have to thank our director, James Cameron. Jim, it was an honor to work with you on this. It was amazing. Also, Jon Landau. Jon, you were such a champion of the film. Thank you very much for that. Everyone at Lightstorm who was so helpful. Eileen Moran and everyone at Weta Digital for your talent and creativity. John Kilkenny, all of our friends at Fox, Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, all of our great cast, thank you for trusting us with your performances. I know that couldn't have been easy.

To everyone watching, thank you for the great appreciation you've shown for our film. And just remember the world we live in is just as amazing as the one we created for you. Thank you."

Watch the speech HERE.

VES Awards+Friends=Awesome!!!

2010-03-04T01:26:00.000-08:00

"Computers don't make visual effects, people do." -James Cameron
(from his acceptance speech for the VES lifetime achievement award.)

The 8th Annual VES Awards were this weekend and I'm proud to say that Avatar snagged a few, including best matte painting and best environment in a feature film. Yay!!! Included in the pictures above are my good friends Dan Cox and Brenton Cottman accepting their awards. Several of you guys may know these fellas. ;)
For the complete list of winners, click here.
Be sure to catch the VES telecast on March 5th on the ReelzChannel.
The Oscars are coming up this Sunday! Wish Avatar luck!

Mako Maquette Project

2010-02-24T01:30:00.001-08:00

Mako_IMG_0008, originally uploaded by adamjely.

Hey Guys,
So in my free time, I've gotten this little project started. Remember my shark model that John Vegher printed to help promote his company www.moddler.com? Well, I've been wanting to to paint it and present it as a clean and very accurate maquette for a Mako Shark now for over the past year.
I've started documenting my process over on Flickr so you can check out the progress. Hopefully, if all goes well, this can be used as a reference guide for anyone planing to paint their 3D print.
Progress will run a little slow, large in part due to waiting on my air brushes to arrive through mail. I'll be going through the pictures adding comments that describe want I'm doing in each one, so check back.
Just thought I'd share....feels good working on something that's not on the computer screen! :)

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

2010-02-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

The USA has a real problem.
Not only is Jamie Oliver one of my favorite chefs, he is also a passionate food education advocate. America needs to change it's food culture and education. For decades I had pizza and chocolate milk for lunch EVERYDAY from my school's cafeterias. A fact that's disgusting to me today.
I've lost 30 pounds by changing my diet and exercise. I'm more healthy now, than I've ever been before. Changing my habits was one of the hardest things I've ever done and large part of that challenge was due to the food culture of the country I was raised in. Please educate yourself to what you are putting into your body.
"TED Talks" are some of the most inspiring and mind rejuvenating short speeches that you can feed your soul with. I highly recommend explore others. Click Here to check out more.

Academy Awards and VES Awards

2010-02-15T02:14:00.000-08:00

Academy Award Nominees:
Click Here
VES Award Nominees:
Click Here

Hey guys! Hope everyone's Valentines Day was as fun as mine.
Awards season is right around the corner and Avatar has swept the nominations. Especially in the Visual Effects Society Award nominations, in which the work from our department has been nominated for best matte painting in a feature film! Super exciting news!
Pictured above is a little gift bag and invitation for an Oscar celebration that work will be throwing for the Awards telecast. Pretty cool! Can't wait for the suspenseful ceremonies. ;)

www.AdamJEly.com

2010-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

After far to long a time, I've finally started putting together my professional website. In a few months, www.AdamJEly.com, will be the home of my resume, work examples, and demo reel.

2009-2010 Holiday Vacation

2010-01-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm going to try and keep this sort of short. After going through my pictures, I've come to the conclusion that I need to focus more on shooting friends and family than reference images for work. These are just a few pictures from the trip, but they don't come close to illustrating the time spent with family and friends, so apologizes if fun times are missing. And please send me your pictures if you took any.
For starters, this long vacation was much needed after all the hard work finishing Avatar here at Weta. It was a bitter sweet end, with people I'd grown very close to, embarking off on new adventures. Much like finishing high school, and all your friends moving elsewhere to start new chapters to their lives. I learned so much, grew as an artist, and made many lasting friendships. I'm so thrilled Avatar is doing so well and to have been apart of it. This trip allowed me for the first time to see a film I'd worked on with my family and close friends, whom have always supported me in my aspirations and endeavours. It was the cherry on top. But not to worry, I have much more to talk about Avatar in a post-mortem essay, that I'm hoping to have up soon.
My 5 week holiday was broken into two parts: Holidays in Tennessee and catching up with friends in San Francisco(which my girlfriend, Andrea, was able join the last leg of.) I left the long and warm days of Summer here in New Zealand to the short, freezing and snowy days of Winter in Tennessee. It's really the only way to spend Christmas. While in Tennessee, I ran back and forth between my hometown of Johnson City and Nashville, where my best friend Josh lives. I caught up on a bunch of movies include the masterpiece of animation, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Wes Anderson. I highly recommend this film, if you haven't seen it yet.
The unusually long visit allowed me to run into a large cross section of past acquaintances by just hanging around in town(it's a small town). It was very cool catching up with old friends from grade school, friends of my parents, and members from the church I use to attend. And of course many of you know that my mom recently remarried this year, meaning that there were many new family members to meet and enjoy the holidays with.
Shortly before leaving Tennessee, Andrea flew in for here first USA trip ever. We spent New Years In Nashville, where they had live music and a neon guitar drop in downtown. In true USA over the top fashion, we rented a limo for the evening festivities. Our new friends, Tracey and Patton were kind enough to open their gigantic home for us to stay. They are wonderful and kind and if Patton is ever playing when you're in Nashville, go give him a listen.
After New Years, it was on to San Francisco, where I now feel I'd like to settle down in, and start a family. I just love that city, it's so beautiful. Of course it was wonderful seeing friends again and in person. Everyday we were there, we had plans to meet up with someone or grab dinner with a group friends. We even got to catch up with friends and ex-coworkers at both PDI Dreamworks and ILM. It was rad.
And being Andrea's first time in the states allowed me to see the USA in a way I'd never seen it before. She had a blast. We drove all around the Bay Area and took a bunch a trips outside the city, including driving up to the Dry Creek Valley Vineyards. She even tried her first Krispy Kreme Donut! We did it right too! We waited till the "Hot Now" sign was on and watched our little donuts come off the belt. It was the perfect KK experience.
It's good to be back here in Wellington, where we're having the long, warm days of Summer. Just now getting caught up in emails and am hoping to send out some thank you emails soon. So if I miss you, I just want to say thank you to all my friends and family who were so hospitable and caring during my visit back. You truly represented that states well. ;) Miss all you guys tons and can't wait to get back.
Go see Avatar! :P

Made it Back

2010-01-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Just made it back to Wellington. Lots to catch up on. Cleaning and doing laundry now. The break was fantastic. Was great seeing family and friends and I'm so excited Avatar is doing so well. Hope to have pictures and stuff up within the week.

Holiday Schedule

2009-12-06T02:42:00.000-08:00

UPDATED
I'll be flying into the USA for the holidays and my schedule will be as follows. Note that I will continue to update this schedule as plans become more solid, especially with San Francisco:
Dec 11: Left Wellington and was stuck in San Francisco for a day, Dinner with Liana.
Dec 12: Land in Johnson City, TN
Dec 16: Drive up to Nashville, TN
Dec 18: Watching the 3:40pm AVATAR in IMAX3D at OpryMills. Please come and join me if you can
Dec 19: Back to Johnson City
Dec 20: AVATAR again with the family, 3:15 at Tinseltown in Bristol.
Dec 25: Christmas
Dec 26: Family Dinner and ETSU reunion dinner
Dec 28: Back to Nashville
Dec 29: Pick up Andrea at Airport
Dec 31: New Years
Jan 1: Back to Johnson City
Jan 5: Back to Nashville and Fly to San Francisco, CA
Jan 14: Return to Wellington, New Zealand

Thanksgiving, Avatar Wrap Party, Hanging Out

2009-12-05T03:15:00.000-08:00

I'll do a write up piece soon. Stay tuned.

Making a Scene: AVATAR

2009-11-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is the best behind the scenes video yet. It really breaks down the process of how they accomplished the amazing performance capture. But not to poo-poo the animators that seem to be getting brushed under the rug in all the publicity. Remember, all the characters have tails and ears that move naturally and all the creatures have wonderful facial detail that are still animated by hand(or mouse). I just wanna give a shout out to all the awesome animators that added to the performance capture and made sure every aspect of the actor's performance was genuinely replicated. Great work! :)

Avatar Clip: Thanator Chase

2009-11-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

http://au.movies.ign.com/dor/objects/800318/avatar/videos/avatar_trl_thanator_chase.html

Strap In!!! Avatar is Pack'n Heat!

2009-11-21T00:40:00.000-08:00

That's right! This movie goes BOOM! I absolutely love how grounded the tech is in this movie. Check out the movie below for a special peek of what to expect.

Avatar Movie Video - Exclusive Featurette: Human Hardware

The Big 3-0

2009-10-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today's my big 30th Birthday! Can you believe it!?! It's been a great 3 decades thus far.
Thank you everyone for all the well wishes, parties, cakes, drinks, gifts, and friendships!!!

P.S.
My birthday is on November 1st and since I'm living a day in the future here in New Zealand...It's today!!! ;)

Avatar Theatrical Trailer!!!

2009-10-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Now, this is Epic! Please leave a comment below. A wanna know what you guys think! :)

Avatar Making Of

2009-10-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Deep Freeze

2009-10-03T04:47:00.001-07:00

Update! Another talented photographer here, James Ogle, has just posted pictures. Click HERE to check em out!
IIIIIICEBERG!!!
In the middle of crunch time here at Weta, what better way to alleviate stress than to add another creative project to your plate. Master party throwers, Eric Grimenstein and James Willingham organized a chill'n themed costume party, "The Deep Freeze". It was amazing. The cold themed costumes were unbelievable. These posted pictures of me as an Officer of the Titanic, were taken by my very talented buddy, Bradford DeCaussin. Check out more on his Flickr, HERE! More should be uplaod shortly. Also, as other people upload pictures, I post the links. Keep checking back! :)
.

I can't wait!!! Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009-10-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Road Not Taken

2009-09-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

hmm...Is that a fork I see up ahead?...Maybe?

The Road Not Taken
-Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

AVATAR Trailer Debuts!

2009-08-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's about time! This is the big one, the film I've mostly been contributing to for almost 2 years now. It's big, fun, and epic! It's basically the type of film that got me into this industry and that I always dreamed of working on. I've been a huge fan and admirer of James Cameron my whole life. He's made some of my favorite films like Terminator, Aliens, Abyss, and Titanic. The last of which I was a projectionist for 12 years ago. That's insane to think about! I would have thought you were crazy had you told me that I'd be working on his next feature back then. It's been a real honor the past 2 years watching him make this movie. My admiration has only grown. The teaser trailer is exclusively over at Quicktime.com. Please let me know what you think! Below are some of my favorite screen shots from the trailer. Tons of great work on display from an army of amazing artist! Enjoy! :)

The Lovely Bones Trailer

2009-08-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

The trailer for PJ's new movie, The Lovely Bones, just came out last week. This is a film I had the opportunity to contribute a bit to here at Weta Digital. It'll be opening a few weeks before Avatar. Let me know what you think! :)

North Island Weekend Roadtrip

2009-07-26T04:20:00.001-07:00

Me and my buddy Brenton roadtripped around the North Island this weekend, shooting tons of great reference. We hit up Mount Ruapehu, Lake Taupo, and Rotorau. Here a few pictures and poor photomerges of the landscape. The Geological Thermal spots are particular interesting and Orakei Korako is good one to check out.

Ghostbusters 3 Harold Ramis Interview

2009-07-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ghostbusters 3 would be my next dream project to work on. Here's an interview with writer/actor Harold Ramis from the folks over at MakingOf. I agree with his views 100%.

Engagement Announcement...Not me!

2009-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey! Just wanted to announce that my mom has just gotten engaged to her boyfriend! Pretty crazy news! I'm super happy for them both and am looking forward to meeting my new step brothers and sisters.
Congratulations!!! :)

Where have I been!? Part 2

2009-06-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

Updated: Just added a few more pictures from the trip. These were taken by Christian Kaester, our friend working in London.

So...like I mentioned, I had a pretty exciting break for 3 weeks attending Jason and Liana Fleming's wedding in Hawaii and scouting around the South Island of New Zealand. Thanks Jason and Liana for having your wedding in Hawaii. It was awesome! My friend, Cassie, met up with me and we had a blast. The Wedding was held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, just north of Kona on the Big Island. The resort was ridiculous and the wedding was beautiful. I'd never stayed anywhere like it before. They had Dolphins! So many of our friends from the states made it out. It was wonderful hanging out with everyone again. We did a ton of stuff in Hawaii; snorkeling with sea turtles, swam constantly, sailed, hiked Pololu, roadtripped it across the island to Hilo, went to the Black Sand Beach, and hiked Volcanoes National Park...After Hawaii, we made it back to New Zealand and ran around the South Island. I had been this past Summer, but wanted to return during Winter so I could see all the snow-capped mountains. We stayed in Queenstown at the Alexis, hiked Deer Park Hieghts, road-tripped it to Milford Sound, and spent a day at Millbrook Resort Spa in Arrowtown. I highly recommend it. I took heaps of photos, which this is only a small selection of. I've set links for most of the places we went, just click on the highlighted words.

These are some pictures from the wedding photographer and friend, Jet Villaflor. Pictured are mostly my chums from the Academy and proof that I actually bared my whiteness in Hawaii. ;)

Where have I been!?

2009-06-25T03:19:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Sorry I've not posted in forever, but for those of you with a keen eye, you may have notice that I'm now Twittering. If you look over on the left column, you'll see I've embedded my Twitter feed.
Basically in a nutshell, since my last post, I've been working really hard with my friends on AVATAR here at Weta and I've now just returned from a 3 week vacation inwhich I met up with Cassie and went to Hawaii for a week to attended my buddy Jason Fleming's wedding, and then returned to New Zealand to travel around the South Island in the middle of it's snow-capped Winter. The past 3 weeks have been amazing and I'm getting my pictures together for a blog posting about the trip which I should have up this weekend.
I'm really excited about AVATAR (the film I'm working on) and some Concept Art and Video Game Images are starting to pop up online, which are what these images that I've attached are. They are the first images that have been released. Also, 24 mintues was shown yesterday by James Cameron and Cast at the the CineExpo in Amsterdam. The reaction to the screening was phenomenal and you can read about it HERE. I can't wait till a trailer is released so you all can see the stuff! :)
I'm now back at work, trucking away for AVATAR's December 18th release date.
So that should catch you all up...I'll have my vacation post up soon. :)

Moddler.com

2009-02-09T02:21:00.000-08:00

That's my Mako! :)

John Vegher, my former supervisor and co-owner of the late Giant Killer Robots has started a new company, Moddler! When looking for digital assets to print for use of examples, John sent me an email and asked if I had anything that might help out. So I said, "of course!"...I mean...I have to help the guy that offered me my first professional job! :) I love the Mako Shark and had modeled a male in polygons, using both Maya and ZBrush. I thought it to be a perfect example of a clean-smooth-elegant-form, for his machine to print. I can't wait to see it in person once it arrives here!

For all you 3d modelers out they, please check out his site and hit him up if you'd like a print for yourself!

"Moddler is the premier 3d printing company for today's digital entertainment producers, including digital film studios, visual effects companies, video game companies, and individual artists. We specialize in turning your digital models into incredibly detailed physical models to be used as maquettes for design validation, high-end swag for clients or team members, or physical props. These models are printed through a digital process, just like inkjet printing, that results in the creation of very fine detail with a high degree of accuracy."
-Moddler.com

Below are a few views of the actual polygon model.

Awards Season

2009-02-02T03:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys...things have gotten a little busy here and I've just not had a chance to post. As many of you know, we are in the middle of awards season! I just wanted to quickly point out a few wins and nominations for some projects I was lucky enough to contribute to.

The big news is that Kung Fu Panda swept the Annie's this year! It completely beat Wall-E in every single category! I'd like to give a big congratulations to Tang Heng and Raymaond Zibach, who were the Art Directors that I answered directly to. They were both brilliant and I learned so much from they guidance and critiques. And of course I'm excited for everyone else who contributed, especially one of the co-directors, John Stevenson. John has an amazing vision and truly knows how to inspire. He talk to me for a good 40 minutes, just explaining how important my tiny piece of the puzzle was to the whole. Please check out the whole list of Annie wins HERE.

Kung Fu Panda was also nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar this year! it's up against Wall-E which has more nominations, which often spells a win....but who knows. ;) All 3 nominations for the category are excellent films; Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, and Wall-E. Click HERE for all the Oscar nominations.

And lastly, one fx shot that I contributed to in The Day the Earth Stood Still is up for a VES award for Best Visual Effects Shot of the Year! The shot is called "Klaatu Newborn". it's a particularly unsettling shot of a slimy newborn/fully grown man, laying on a table, curling up in slime and skin which he has just shedded...yeah...like I said, kind of creepy. :) I digitally modeled several strands of slime and a disinagrating "sock of skin" which Klaatu pulls his leg out of. Although the shot is well done, I'm not so sure it'll grab the win. Click HERE for all the VES nominations.

New Day, New Leader.

2009-01-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

My flatmate, Dan, woke me up this morning at around 5:45am to watch Obama's Inauguration. What a wonderful way to start the day off, to witness history and be uplifted by inspirational words from a inspirational man. I'm so proud to say President Barack Obama is my new leader. 2009 has been an amazing year so far, and it keeps getting better and better... I can't wait to see what happens next.

South Isle Update #3: A Primordial Landscape

2009-01-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

I've never in my entire life seen such a vast array of environments that invoke such a primordial power. The one word that I kept using to describe what I was seeing was "prehistoric". While on the fiord tour of Milford Sound, I felt like I was sailing into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World. Utterly haunting, mysterious, awe inspiring, and unworldly, as massive mile high cliffs covered with water falls, crept out of obscurity as our boat slowly passed through the rain and fog. These are just a fraction of the images I captured and not one of them does any of the views justice.

South Isle Update #2: Meeting Alexander Payne!

2009-01-05T03:19:00.001-08:00

So, I've packed a few dvd's of my favorite movies to watch while me and mom wind down in the hotel at night. Amongst these dvd's are a collection of films from my FAVORITE director, Alexander Payne. As the sun was setting here in Queenstown this evening, I told mom that we should head back a watch "Election" tonight. As we are walking back to the car, I kid you not, we run into the Director of Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways himself, Alexnder Payne!!!!!! Needless to say, I was a bit stunned by the circumstances and a little star struck to be talking to my favorite director and believe that Mr. Payne was a little baffled that I even recognized him. Mom, Alexander, his girlfriend and me chatted for a bit. He's here on vacation and is also location scouting for his next film. Alexander also, highly recommended the Glow Worm Caves in Te Anau which we'll be checking out tomorrow. He was such a nice guy and was genuinely excited that I knew who he was! He told us that our next President to be, Barack Obama himself told him that his film "Election" was his favorite political satire. How cool is that! ...I'm still at a lost...Really! How random was this...I can't believe it...Crazy! :p

I absolutely love his work! You wouldn't think it either, me being in visual effects and all. His films have hardly any fx work in them at all. They are mostly about normal, average individuals that experience a fair amount of relationship drama. His films are so authentic, honest, and haunting. He is the absolute best at rendering the perfect, quirky portraits of average America. I just strongly relate and connect to his films in their flawed character portrayals of life, emotion, and reflection. It was such a treat to meet the man.

Writers Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor pose with the Oscars for best adapted screenplay for their work on "Sideways" at the 77th Academy Awards.

South Isle Holiday Update #1

2009-01-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years! I sure did! :) For my post holiday vacation, I've taken my mom to the South Island of New Zealand for a road trip from the north tip to the south tip, stopping along the way for all the "must see" attractions. I've uploaded just a taste of some of the pictures we've taken on our journey over land, sea, and air. Our current location is Queenstown, and we still have Glow Worm Caves and Milford Sound left!
note: when one orders "Whitebait" at a resturant,...that's exactly what you get. ;p

The Lovely Bones

2008-12-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

It's official. I've now transitioned over to working on Peter Jackson's next film, an adaption of Alice Sebold's amazing novel The Lovely Bones. I believe this is going to be a pretty powerful movie. For those of you who have read the book, you understand the fairly heavy and somber subject matter that the story revolves around. To check out the book click here. To check out the film's IMDB page, click here.

My Dad WAS on Sesame Street!

2008-12-12T00:43:00.001-08:00

Yeah, you heard me. That's right. To all you 1st graders that never believed me,...HA! He was in one of those awesome short film vignettes, like the classic "How Crayons Are Made". Dad appears in episode 666 which I believe aired in 1974. So without further ado, here's the proof! :)

Yeap, that's my dad, several years younger than I am now. ;) A handful of years before I entered existence, my father, Paris D. Ely, was in a class at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. For one particular course, he and some classmates were asked to build a log cabin in the woods adjacent to the campus and be filmed by a small crew during construction. The rest is history! My dad was in Sesame Street and now I have the proof! How cool is that!:)

Stand Still This Weekend!

2008-12-09T04:39:00.001-08:00

Yes, The Day the Earth Stood Still comes out this weekend and I just saw a screening tonight! I thought I'd chime in with my review.

To be honest, other than some cool effects, my expectations were low for this remake of a classic that I hold dear. That being said, I was pleasantly suprised how much I enjoyed it. I believe it's due partly in the fact that it's a short movie. Get in, get entertained, then get out. More films should go back to the "under 2 hours" format. Another reason I liked it is because I'm in love with the beautify Jennifer Connelly. ;) You can put her in anything.

All in all it's not as good as the original, but is a fun ride with some heavy ideas lightly misted over the audience. It could have been grand like Cameron's similarly themed Abyss(special edition), but is not. Here you'll get an enjoyable theme park ride with a positive message and a lot of product placement.

And lastly, for the family members that keep asking, my name is on the very left side of the screen with the "modelers" under Weta Digital during the end credits. They roll fast so be alert!

Be sure to let me know what YOU think! :)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T01:24:00.001-08:00

Although, we had to work over Thanksgiving here in New Zealand, about 17 of us Americans(and a few Canadians/Kiwi's) set aside our Saturday to celebrate. Our friends Shannon and Jessica were gracious enough to open their home for all of us to feast. I served as Dan's Igor as we gather components to deep fried the star attraction of the dinner table. The Turkey came out perfect! Everyone one brought tons of good fix'ns. Dinner was tasty and good! ;)

Among the guest was Roger Wong, who is a phenomenal photographer and took the photos above. Click here to see more of his work!

3D Entertainment, In Your Home, In 5 Years

2008-11-21T03:10:00.000-08:00

Yeap...it's coming at you and is going to poke you in the eye. I've had the privilege to see some amazing stuff with this technology. Imagine watching a live broadcast of the Super Bowl or the next Summer Olympics in 3D. I bet you hadn't thought of 3D in that context, huh. Next year, a total of 9 movies are slated for 3D release and the following year will double that number.

Here's part of an article highlighting DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffery Katzenberg's keynote during a Singapore Festival on the new technology:

""In five to seven years, all films, regardless of budgets or type, will be made in 3-D," the DreamWorks Animation boss said here Wednesday during his keynote at the inaugural 3DX Film and Entertainment Technology Festival.

"3-D is how we see, how we take things in. It's natural," Katzenberg said. "This is not a gimmick, it's an opportunity to immerse the audience, to heighten the experience."

He added that the migration to 3-D will happen on all screens, including mobile phones and laptops. "

Click Here for the rest of the article.

Over the Front

2008-11-19T02:04:00.001-08:00

So, it seems like we're finally finishing up on this short film that I've been working on here at work. It's to be part of a museum exhibit at the Australia War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. The exhibit, which opens November 28th, explores the story of military flight and aircraft during WW1 and was directed by military aviation enthusiast, Peter Jackson.

I've been extraordinarily overjoyed to contribute to this exhibit. Many of you, who are close to me, know that I've voiced a great deal of interest in getting involved with visual displays for historical museums . After moving to New Zealand and starting work at Weta Digital, the last thing I thought I'd be able to do was to work on part of a museum exhibit! I've made many new friends on this project and have learned so much, both professionally and historically. These pilot's stories are truly amazing. If you ever find yourself in the capital of Australia, the memorial is something to be sure to check out!

The photo below is of an SE5a that I found on Flickr. It's one of the Allied planes that will be featured in the exhibit.
The follow write up was copy/pasted from an ABC.net.au article, dated Oct. 9, 2008. It dives into a few details on the project:

" Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is producing a new light and sound show for the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Jackson, who won three Academy Awards for his work on the Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy, is a World War I aviation enthusiast. Jackson and Wingnut Films are currently working on a 10-minute multimedia display for the AWM's upcoming exhibition Over The Front. The AWM's Helen Withnell says the film will explore the story of military flight and aircraft during WW1. She says it will feature replica aircraft in-flight and extensive computer graphics by Weta Digital. "What we're trying to do is give visitors an idea of what it would be like to fly in those aircraft," she said. Jackson is chairman of the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust in New Zealand which has a collection of original and replica WW1 aircraft. "That's what they've been using in the last few days in New Zealand to actually do some of the filming," she said. She says the memorial has an ongoing relationship with Jackson. "Quite a number of years ago Weta Digital very kindly digitised our Ashmead-Bartlett Gallipoli footage for us - they donated their services," she said. "And obviously Peter has always been very interested and often comes to look at our First World War aircraft because he's such an enthusiast. "The relationship has grown from there into this partnership." Ms Withnell says Jackson is donating his services and providing the replica aircraft for the filming. "He's been extremely generous with his time and that's the way we're been able to do this," she said. Over The Front: The Great War In The Air will feature five restored planes including two rare German fighters - an Albatros DVa and Pflaz DXII."

Holograms in the Media!!!!

2008-11-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

Well, sort of. ;) I've known of this technology now for a few years as "Augmented Reality". I've been very excited to see how it would trickle into our lives and think there's a HUGE amount of potential in my industry. I'd keep my eyes on the gaming industry too. Very,very, very cool stuff!!! I'm almost living in the future I've always imagined. All we need now, is to get some engineers on those flying cars! ;)

Michael Crichton 1942-2008

2008-11-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

In wake of the triumphant news of Obama's win, I'm afraid to report some sad news. Best selling author Micheal Crichton lost his battle with cancer today. He of course was the visionary author of the novel and film that means so much to me, Jurassic Park. He's the second loss that we had this year from the team behind the film. The first one being Stan Winston. His book "Congo" was the first novel I ever finished cover to cover. My thoughts and prayers go out to Michael's friends and family. Thank you Michael for sharing your incredible imagination with the whole world.

Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

2008-11-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

I've never been as proud of my country or as happy to be an American as I am today. This is truly an awesome day filled with tears of joy. Wow...just wow!!! I'm afraid that there are still some Americans that have no clue what this means on a global scale. I'm in New Zealand and everyone here is cheering and celebrating! It's truly phenomenal! The entire world just witnessed the United States of America vote in a black president. Do you know what that says to the world, how respected this makes the USA, and how much hope this gives people? What a monumental message of unity this is, as we move forward toward a future that unites the planet in this truly globalized era. Think about it, while I eagerly await Barack Obama's next spiritually fulfilling, inspirational, and moving speech. Wow...Obama IS a hero! You can achieve anything in America...
...I did.
Click HERE to see what the world is saying!

Thanks for the Birthday Well Wishes!

2008-11-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Yeap, my Birthday was Saturday and I'd like to thank everyone for all they cards, gifts, company, and well wishes. I'm 29 now! One last year to live up the twenties! I had a great time this weekend! Thanks!
The "best gift I received" award goes to Shannon Thomas and Jessica Ponte for their very thoughtful die cast metal Gort figurine from the 1951 version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". He's 5 inches tall and heavy enough to kill a man. Thanks guys! :)
Click here to compare Old Gort to New Gort!

Wishlist: Item #1

2008-11-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Tyrannosaurus Rex VS Triceratops Diorama

I'm always coming across stuff that I think to be uber awesome, and then a few days later, I'll totally forget about it. Well, I've decided to start posting "Wishlist" postings of things that I would love to have!

So, that brings me to this bad boy. Who, doesn't like two giant monsters fighting! And on top that, these things were once real living animals!!! I mean, what a sight that must of been! A figurine such as this inspires awe and wonder my imagination and fuels my creative fire to produce more works. This piece is wonderfully sculpted, painted, and is all around badass. Maybe I'll grab it when I return to the states. :) Here's the link if anyone else likes it.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" Extended Trailer

2008-10-30T02:32:00.000-07:00

20th Century Fox has released a five minute trailer for The Day The Earth Stood Still on Yahoo! It's one of the films I've been contributing to down here in Kiwi Land. I've done a bit of 3D modeling and concept design work on the film. Some of my work can be seen in the two stills above and the trailer below. :) I know that's a little vague, but that's what you get when signing a Non Disclosure Agreement. ;) I'll be sure to go into more detail once the film opens. Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think!

'The Day the Earth Stood Still' 5 Minute Trailer @ Yahoo!7 Video

Jon Favreau Calls James Cameron's Avatar 'The Future'

2008-10-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

"He's sort of tireless in how much he invests into it as far as his time and effort. You know, he doesn't make a lot of movies, so a lot of thought and effort goes into each one. And I think that he's trying to present this format in a way where it is a game-changer and in seeing it I think it's the future. I don't think it's a flash in the pan. I think it's going to open up a whole new door and I think more so than the glasses it becomes about how many screens could actually present it in its pristine form."

"The amount of screens is just growing at a very, very fast rate in the States and I think in Europe as well and I think Avatar is going to be the kind of movie that's an event that you have to go see and you want to see again just to understand what you're looking at. And then you still have his very effective storytelling. He really creates an adventure and draws you into it in the hero's journey sense of storytelling, the Joseph Campbell sense of storytelling."

Here's the awesome article with Favreau's thoughts on Avatar. Click here to read the whole thing.

New Y-Wing Concept Art (follow up to last post)

2008-10-15T03:19:00.001-07:00

So, looks like I came across some more goodies to follow up the last entry with! Over on the official SW website I found a little blurb about the design along with some nice concept art.

"The look of the Clone Wars-era Y-wing bombers stems directly from the design of the original Y-wing and speculation from Episode IV Visual Effects Art Director Joe Johnston that the Rebel Alliance Y-wing was a "chopped" version of an older craft. An earlier idea of a skinned or fully faired Y-wing appeared in the Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections book from DK, but that design differs from the final look of the Y-wing bombers seen in this episode, which more effectively bridges the design aesthetic of the prequel and original trilogies."

The mid section of the design in the above concept art is a bit thicker/chunkier than where the final model ended up. I like the visual weight and strength in the above art better.

Agree? Disagree? What do you think?

Below, I've uploaded some of the original designs by Joe Johnston and concept paintings by Ralph Mcquarrie completed back in in the late 70's. Note the "bubble turrent" in the one painting; this design was an idea abandoned for the feature film, but has now been resurrected for the teseries. Pretty cool!

Click Here to learn everything about the Y-Wing.

Cool Y-Wing "re"Design in Clone Wars

2008-10-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

Well, many of you know that I used to be a HUGE Star Wars fan and like many others in the visual effects industry, the Original Trilogy was one the big inspirations that got me into this field. I basically owe the existence of my job to George Lucas. That being said, I now often describe my relationship to Star Wars, like it is an ex-girlfriend that I'm still friends with. There was a time in my life that I acknowledge my enthusiasm for the saga was border line unhealthy.

After all the movies, we now have a 3D animated Clone Wars television show that is expanding on the Star Wars universe. The writing at times my be down right bad, but it's the absolute best looking weekly 3D animated show every made. I would like to also point out that I felt that the Clone Wars theatrical release sucked, but find the 20 minute weekly episodes amusing and at times fun. The one thing I really hate though is the cheesy 1940's style narration. A few friends of mine worked on many of the later episodes to come and the buzz is that the installments get better and better.

Like I said, the Original Trilogy is what I was a big fan of growing up and one of my favorite starship fighters featured in these films was the Rebellion's Y-Wing. In the most recent episode of Clone Wars, we are shown what these bad boys looked like in their prime, back when they were a bit cleaner and covered with paneling. It's a great design and kind of took me back to a time before I was so...is "jaded" to strong a word? Check out both the old and slick new Y-Wings below.
If your at all curious, you can check out full episodes by clicking HERE or check out the trailer below.

Trip Back to the States Recap...more complete

2008-10-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I have some more pictures here from trip back to the states last month. This is sort of a continuation from that post. Click Here to catch up.
The pictures below are from our small get together at Landis and Anna's place.

And for good measure...here's an awesome picture of me and Josh at one of my favorite buildings, the exact replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. This looks to be the album cover art for our new single, "Looking for Inspiration".After fun was had by all in San Francisco and Nashville, I headed back to the hometown of Johnson City, Tennessee. The last two things I can think to chime in about, was first a gift I got from my sister, and second, an opportunity to talk to a class at my under grad that I had. My sister, Meredith, rocks!. She put together one of the most professional scrap books I've ever seen, made up of pictures from our cross country road trip together. It's awesome! I've been passing it around to everyone here and they all love it. The last thing is, while I was in town I stopped by my undergrad at East Tennessee State University. Cher Cornett, the department head, kindly asked if I'd stop by and chat with this semester's Portfolio Class. It was a great experience to be able to recount my professional journey post under grad. I had been sitting in the very seats that these students were sitting in a mere 6 years ago and knew exactly how scary the thought of find work and/or venturing outside North East Tennessee could be. The student run organization that I used to be president of is still kicking strong, EDGE! EDGE is now a Siggraph chapter! Click Here to find out more about the student organization EDGE.

Volcano Ski Trip

2008-09-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Made it back safe and sound from the awesome road trip/ski trip this past weekend to Mount Ruapehu. 16 of us rented a chalet and had a blast. Thanks, Joe, Roget, and Jess for the pictures! And thanks Daniel for organizing it!

Note: If you ever find yourself in Bulls, New Zealand...it's a MUST that you hit up "Donor Kabobs"!!! Best Lamb Kabobs..EVER!!! Thanks Jose for the recommendation!

The 5 Year Anniversary of....

2008-09-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

...leaving my hometown of Johnson City, TN will be tomorrow, September 27. It's been 5 years, now that I got on a plane to San Francisco. It was a pretty exciting and scary day for sure. Much has happened since then and I've now some how ended up in New Zealand. To celebrate, I'm heading north this weekend on a ski trip to Mount Ruapehu! A bunch of us are renting a cabin in Ohakune! Wish me luck!......and yes....it's a volcano.

Trip Back to the States Recap...90% complete

2008-09-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

Wow! the trip back to the states was great. If my life was a television series then this trip was the final episode that bought back the entire cast from all seasons and spin offs programs. It was pretty nuts!The beginning of my trip began with a inspiring day in Sydney, Australia. The city is gorgeous! First off the public transportation is very easy to figure out and is kept very clean. I took the train down to the Rocks and toured the famous Sydney Opera House. I explored around the bay, bought some boomerangs, ate at some wonder local restaurants, and listened to some live Didgeridoo performances. The Australian people are so nice.
After Australia and my drug induced coma for the long flight over the Pacific, I arrived in San Francisco. There I met up with my new "pen pal" friend Kristen. Since there are no Mexicans in New Zealand, there is a lack of Mexican Restaurants. :( I made it a point to eat as much authentic Mexican as possible while back in the states. I'm also in love with Northern California's wine country. Me and Kristen one day drove on up to Healdsburg for lunch and wine tasting in the Russian River Valley Vineyards. Two of my favorites would have to be Lambert Brid ge and Quivira. There is a place right in the main square of Healdsburg call the Oakville Grocery. They make fantastic sandwiches in their deli that you can take on to a vineyard. This time around I tried the Tri-tip and added Balsamic Vinegar. You HAVE to try it if you find yourself up there! It's unbelievable! We also ended up catching Wall-E in Santa Rosa. It had not yet opened in New Zealand and I had only heard great things about it. All I can say is that it is a shear Masterpiece...period.

The follow day I met up with my good friend Grant Whitten, whom by now has made his cross country move to Chicago. We ran around San Francisco all day, shopping and effectively not catching cabs. It took use walk half way across the city and about an hour to finally hail a taxi. We met up with Jason Fleming, Chris and Jet at the mother of all visual effect studios, Industrial Light and Magic. I had been before, but Grant had not. It's an amazing place, really. It's like a museum with movie memorabilia dating back to the original Star Wars films. I have to say that my favorite piece would be the giant painting of "V igo", the villain in Ghostbusters 2. It's like 12 feet high!

That night we all met up with my "West Coast Mom and Dad", "Landis and Anna Fields". They are two of my closest friends and a true inspiration of what being happily married can be like. I love them to death. Without hesitation, the both of them are the kindness and most giving couple on the planet. Anna literally gave me the keys to their car and said, "it's yours while we're at work!" Landis and Anna were also gracious enough to allow me to throw a party at their place on Saturday night. I was only in San Fran for a week and felt it would be too difficult to run around and see all my friends,so I just invited everyone to one spot for a party. It was awesome! A ton of people made it and there was booze'n, laughter, and merry making till the wee hours of the following morning. Once you get Grant, Landis, and me together, we are are an unstoppable force! :) Oh...I also have to point out that Heather made my favorite cake(Carrot Cake) and Bryan's wife Tiff made some of her famous cookies for the event! Thanks everyone!

The rest of my stay in San Fran was chill. I mainly just hung out with Landis, Anna, and Grant. We had a cookout at Jason's place on night. I ended up swinging by my storage unit and grabbing some Transformers of mine to scatter around my desk at work. :) The two days before I left I drove down to PDI Dreamworks and had lunch with the old Matte Painting gang and ex Giant Killer Robot workmates! I miss those guys a ton and wonder when I might work with them again. :)

My next stop was onto Nashville, TN and Kristen was gracious enough to drive me to the airport. I had a layover in Las Vegas where I successfully lost about $40 bucks. ;p When I finally landed in the best of all "red states", I anticipated the standard "Lando Calrissian" greeting from my bestest friend Josh Hayes. Every time I land in Nashville, Josh greets me the same way Lando greets Han Solo when he arrives to Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back. Though, this time around was a bit different. I kid you not, Josh dressed up as Lando Calrissian this time, complete with a make shift blue cape and real mustache! There he was standing amongst average everyday normal people that were running around baggage claim! I CRACKED up!!!! That's some true friendship right there! :)Awh...Nashville....I love that city. I've leaved there before and absolutely love it. Now that I've been working I often times think about ways I could possible move back. It's got everything! My best friend lives there, it has great art culture, wonderful music, and it's a hop, skip, and a jump away from my family! Nashville is great!

Josh and his girl Elizabeth have finally become home owners! Though I think their timing for the big move was strategically planned to overlap with my time being there. So I found myself doing the one activity I absolutely hate a have vowed that I will now always pay someone else to do....PACKING and MOVING! But.....I guess if you're going to do it, it's best to help out your best friend. Thanks...buddy. ;) For real though, their house awesome and can be seen in the picture below. It was built in 1933 and has all the original art deco light fixtures! It's was truly inspiring to see them buy a place and has gotten me thinking very hard about possibly purchasing a house, if only to use it to build my equity. The cost of living and homes in the Bay Area is ridiculous, but back home in the Tri Cities and Nashville isn't so terrible. I've actually been dancing around the idea of getting a house and hiring a service or getting a friend to landlord it for me. My friend, Drew also lives in Nashville and is suggesting a grab the place across the street from his.....hmmm. I will definitely keep you posted on this matter. Of course, my stay in Nashville was far to short, but was very fulfilling to spend it with some of the people I care most about.
After my excited stay in Nashville, I hitch a ride to my hometown of Johnson City, TN with my buddy Drew. Once I made it to my mom's, I had a short period of time to get ready for my 10 year high school reunion! You heard right! It's been 10 years!...CRAZY! I had a blast at it! It was soo surreal! The second I walked around the corner and saw about 5 people I recognized, I instantly felt self conscious and was worried about old stupid things like if I was wearing the right type of shoes...haha. :) As more and more people showed up, I was amazed at how my brain has locked away memories that I have literally not accessed one time over the past 10 years and all of a sudden are opened. Memories came flooding back into my head, classes I had, classmates I use to chill with, and just a state of mind I use to have when I was young teenager! I was also amazed at how great everyone looked. I don't know what I was expecting, but generally the class was looking just like we had left off! After the reunion, about half ran on over to a local bar and we continued to share laughs, stories, and memories till late late late at night. I think I won the award for now being the farthest away. ;)

Ok Ok, I'm almost done here, I while finish writing about this trip in the next day or two and will post more pictures. Note that I've added some links in the text above.

UPDATED! Click Here for the rest!

The Past 6 Months...(the recap)

2008-09-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know, I know, I know. ;\ It's been far to long. I'm sorry, but I really do hear all the request. I've just been in a steady groove as of late.

I've just returned from one of the best vacations I've ever taken...A massive trip back to the states which was basically a "season finally reunion episode" that completely touched on just about every aspect of my entire life! :)

First off, a quick recap of the past 6 months....

I needed change. I needed to kind of "reset" my life and move forward, experience new things, travel, and get over wallowing around in this psychotic self loathing funk brought on by these feelings of intense short comings. Yeah, you heard right,...I had issues! You wouldn't have thought it either. I mean, I had an insane amount of great things going for me. It had been about a year after finishing my Masters and about 2 years of working professionally when the funk hit critical mass. I had actually completed my childhood dreams! A goal that I'd spent over half my life aspiring to and working hard towards, I had reached..working in Visual Effects on major motion pictures. I feel extraordinarily lucky and blessed to be where I'm at now. I'm insanely happy doing what I'm doing. All that I can figure is that I've had a hard time adjusting to my life just working out and running self sufficient. I'm no longer stressed out. That's the biggest difference now. I'm not that stressed out kid anymore, due to not having any money, tying to finish school, and having the looming dread hovering over my head that I might never find work and be buried under a mountain financially and emotional debt. Great Scott, I was in school to become an "Artist" and Lord knows how many people roll their eyes when they hear that one. I had spent such a long period of my life in that mind set that it's taken a good year and a half to adjust to a new perception of life...I'm also starting to recognize that while having goals, dreams, and a drive to achieve them is fulfilling, it should also be balanced with what's more important...i.e. friends and loved ones. Does that make sense? hehe. I guess I'm a classic "Artist", I'm passionate to an unhealthy degree, while experiencing emotionally high highs and dreadfully low lows. Not much in between. ;p

An opportunity presented itself for a move to New Zealand. I felt it was just the ticket I needed.

Now that we've gotten the emotional crap out of the way, onto work and other things....

Weta Digital and New Zealand Rocks!!!

Click on the Weta below to check out the new site. The reels are alot of fun to watch!

I've been working steadily in the Modeling Department on Avatar, Tintin, and The Day the Earth Stood Still. As of several weeks before my trip back to the states, I had a Concept Art opportunity and really ran with it. Now that I'm back, the Matte Painting Department is "borrowing" me for a bit to help complete an exciting short film. I'm stoked! :)

The work is looking FANTASTIC! The World is truly in for some amazing visuals and some grade-A story telling! I can't wait to hear ya'lls reactions! :D

Kung Fu Panda opened and it blew audiences away! That movie is pure "Ska-doosh"! Note the most awesome coworker ever, Pamela Hobbs-Jarvis, pictured below. My stuff looks good becuase she took me under her wing. Thanks Pam! You rock!

I've been published in a book!!!!! :D You can purchased me in most Borders, Barnes and Nobles, Books-A-Millions, or here on Amazon! It's just a photo of me though. The book is great. It all the work that the Art Department created for the movie. Basically my job was receiving the artwork found in this book and translating it for the movie so the painted background married nicely with the 3D render foregrounds. Try to find me! It's like "Where's Waldo?" ;)

I've seen some beautiful places in and around Wellington and am waiting for summer before my trip to the South Island. I've made some very cool new friends, and have been bowling a lot lately! I'm trying to join the "200" club. I'm bowling a 166 right now. You can see my very professional coworkers in the picture below. I look like their dad back there in the background, all disapproving and all. haha.

I designed a T-Shirt for the Modeling Department which we've since had made(would like to do a posting on "the making of" later). It's based on the kit models me and many other of the modelers use to glue together and paint when we were younger.

I bought a MacBook! That's right! I'm now using Apple! :) When it comes to everyday use(music, media, Internet, photos, organization), you just can't beat it! Here' t is as seen in my new favorite movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshal". :)

So that's the "Cliff's Notes" version of the past 6 months. I'll be back soon with details of the trip. :)

Believe It or Not! Updating Soon!

2008-09-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

That's right! Stay tuned for new updates and post! :)

Stan Winston 1946-2008

2008-06-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone....

Well, we finally have Internet up and running with a new provider. Sorry I haven't been posting all that much. The reasons being a mix between Internet difficulties, working long hours, and having fun in New Zealand.

But this post is something I really wanted to touch base on. Stan Winston's death earlier this week really hit me hard. Wanting to work on fantastic creature features is why I got into this industry to begin with and the film that, for me, had the most influence was Jurassic Park, which Stan had a huge hand in. In my early beginnings, when I started to contemplate the possibility of pursuing interest in movie magic, I was absolutely terrified of computers. Stan and his team worked in animatronics and puppetry. Not being "computers", this Art Form seemed more accessible to me. Through watching the "behind the scenes" documentaries and reading the "making of" books, I fell totally in love with with the work and felt it was the most realistic area of the film making process that I could perhaps contribute to. When I was 14, I secretly made long distance phone calls to Stan Winston Studios in California, asking anybody I could get on the phone what schools they recommended and what they looked for in a portfolio. To my surprise, I found several helpful voices on the end and a bountiful abundance of inspiration.

Long story short, my path took me into computers...but I never play favorites. I've had awesome opportunities to do a multitude of contribution to film and one thing always stays the same...Tools are tools and art is art. It doesn't matter how you get something done as long as it looks the best it can be and serves the script as well as it can. I in love with it all.

While finishing my grad studies at the Academy of Art, I was able to attend Stan Winston's honorary doctrination ceremony. I got to meet Stan that night and thank him personally for all that he had done. He was an awesome guy. That night, he showered the entire audience with inspiration, hope, and wonder. During the question and answer block, a young women asked him how he felt that many of the things he's studio's creation embodied fear and how that might effect children around the world. His answer made me grin ear to ear. He said that as humans, we are given the opportunity to experience and feel a full range of emotions. To not feel that rush of adrenaline, or that moment of heart stopping fright, is to miss out on one of the most wonderful things in life, our ability to experience. It's why we get on roller coasters, sky dive, and go to exciting movies.

The LA Times has published a wonder write up with Stan Winston's Studio's press release and a list of Stan's charities of choice. Click HERE.

Then over at "Ain't it Cool News", they have posted an ongoing tribute where big names in Hollywood, co workers, and family members have been able to post farewell letters. One of the most touching, being James Cameron's: "We all know Stan's work, the genius of his designs. But not even the fans necessarily know how great he was as a man. I mean a real man --- a man who knows that even though your artistic passion can rule your life, you still make time for your family and your friends. He was a good father, and he raised two great kids. His wife of 37 years, Karen, was with him in the beginning, helping him make plaster molds in their garage for low budget gigs on TV movies, and she was with him at the end." Click Here to read the rest.

And lastly...while searching Youtube for a nice demo reel of his studio's work, I came across this one. By no means is it a complete copulation, but in it's editors words, "My humble attempt at honoring one of the true greats of the movie business." I think he did nice job. :)

Being a "fanboy", a "geek", an "artist", I don't know who'd I be without growing up with the Terminator, the Hive Queen, The Predator, or the Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. Stan's words and philosophies towards story telling, art, family, and life will resonant with me for the rest of my life.

Thanks again Stan, for everything. I'll miss you and will share your art for years to come.

Kung Fu Panda Update!

2008-05-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! My work is on the web! Crazy!! If you head over to Kung Fu Panda's IMDB page, You can see they've uploaded the above promo still from the film. This shot of Po doing sit ups on the tree is arguably my favorite shot that I was assigned. I painted everything behind the tree and characters, which included the sky, peaks, and fog. Though I can't take 100% credit for it. The Art Direction for this film is GORGEOUS! The Art Department team lead by Raymond Zibach and Tang Kheng Heng, completely designed every aspect of this film, a unique look which distinguishes the film from DreamWorks' other features. I can't remember who exact painted the concept art for this shot, but it was an absolutely beautiful piece, for which my task was to make work for the film. My Matte Painting Supervisor, Scott Brisbane, and co-worker, Pamela Hobbs are rock stars and really supported me when I had any questions or when I needed a fresh pair of eyes to take a look at my shot.

And in other news.....Kung Fu Panda premiered at the Cannes Film Festival today!!!

It's weird to think that Angelina and her zillion kids watched it today...huh.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the "sure to be fun" DreamWorks premiere at the Chinese Theater(fitting) in Hollywood. :(

Pam, Jason, Eric,...the whole Team, you better down a shot for me at the after party! ;) I'll be there in spirit! And can't wait to see the finished film here in Wellington. Luckily KFP has a world wide release date, so I get to see it the same time as the states!

Internet Status

2008-05-10T01:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal.

Getting Internet set up at our place has been a huge headache. We finally got our modem on Thursday and guess what,...it doesn't work. It didn't even turn on.
In Theory, a newer, better, working-er one is being sent to us asap. Most likely we'll get it on Monday.

I've had Internet access only at work so I have been able to check my email, but that's just about it. Since I'm working at work and am carpooling with Dan I can't just stay later to blog/email. On the weekends, I've been connecting at a Starbucks to call some friends and family, but can only stay connected for about an hour cause it's a bit pricey. Fingers crossed, on Monday, I should be Back to the Future.

Speaking of.....New Zealand charges for the Internet by the amount you download....hmm. We'll see how pricey that gets.

In short, the past several weeks have been well. I've been working on "Avatar" and now a little bit for "The Day the Earth Stood Still" remake. Other than that, I've just been chilling, cooking, grilling, baking, reading, sketching on the Cintiq, playing Mario Galaxy, and watching movies. Same ole. :)

Moving this weekend. No Internet for bit :(

2008-04-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Dan and I are in the process of moving to our new pad this weekend, so I'll not have Internet access for a bit, until we get everything set up at the new place. I won't be able to call and email as much for this next week, but I can check email at work.

Here's a picture of Dan, me, and our new living room/kitchen. Our buddy, Sathyan, can be seen on the couch. He just moved here this week from the L.A. to work at Weta. We're glad he made it here safe and hope to see his girlfriend, Pavani, soon! ;)

.....Gotta love the zebra print couch!

Hope all is well!

Adam

James Cameron on Avatar and 3D!

2008-04-14T03:38:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'll be linking to articles and info that is released on the web regarding the project I'm working, James Cameron's "Avatar".

Looks like Variety has published a wonderful interview with the man himself, James Cameron, discussing everything about the new stereoscopic technology that's being pioneered on Avatar.

"Director James Cameron's upcoming "Avatar" must rank as one of the most anticipated film projects in recent memory. His first narrative film since making the No. 1 box office hit of all time, 1997's "Titanic," "Avatar" will be the realization of Cameron's long-held dream of melding digital 3-D stereo with epic bigscreen storytelling. Variety's David S. Cohen conducted this email interview with Cameron; it is the director's most extensive exploration of 3-D to date, however he is keeping specifics about "Avatar" under wraps."

Just click on the link below to check out the rest:

James Cameron supercharges 3-D
'Avatar' helmer reveals the art & science of stereo

The Past 6 Weeks...in Audio!

2008-04-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Well, I've made it here to Wellington and have been here for about a week now. I'm sorry I haven't been able to post for awhile either. My life over the past few weeks has been a crazy tornado for me. So many of you have been on my back to get some new post up so I'm trying something new here. I've recorded a "Podcast" on what's been going on for the past 6 weeks and it can be found by clicking here on PODCAST 001 This is an experiment, so we'll see how this works. :)

And...here's a link to the building that me and Dan's new apartment is in. Just click here on The Dominion Building

Please leave me feedback on this post and if you like this format. It was much fast to post than sitting down and typing. But don't, worry. Like I said in the podcast, I'll now be posting more regularly.

Thanks guys!

P.S.
I'm way behind on emails, but I promise I'll catch up to em!

Made it to Wellington!

2008-03-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hooray! :)

Wondercon, Skywalker Ranch, Pending Roadtrip, and New Zealand Update

2008-03-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Sorry for the delay in posting and double sorry for the briskness of this post.

Moving to another country is not small task, but I'm happy to say that everything seems to be coming together some what smoothly. Hopefully my Work Visa is in mail.

OK, here's a quick update on the exciting stuff of the pasted few weeks. First, my best friend, Josh flew in for an extended weekend of hardcore geeking out! First we attended a stimulating evening with Ray Harryhausen and friends as I posted about here.

The next day, Josh got a special private tour of Image Movers Digital(I couldn't go cause I worked I was in the "industry")with our good friend Anna Fields. After Josh got his sweet walk around and I got to read my Variety articles in the main waiting area, we were both treated to delightful surprise. We met up with Anna's husband Landis Fields who works at Lucas Film Animation and got to have lunch at Skywalker Ranch! OH MY GOD! That place is INSANELY surreal! The only word I can think of to describe it is "elegant".

Then Wondercon began which was a marathon. For three days straight we subjected ourselves to numbed asses, celebrities, and exciting sneak peeks of some really cool films slated to open this year. I might try a dive into a more in depth review later.

Now my sister, Meredith, has flown out to San Francisco to hang out with me for a few days and then me and her we'll drive cross country back to our hometown of Johnson City, TN. I can't wait! I've always wanted to drive cross country! We are going to stop in Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Largest ball of Yarn, Tornado Alley, Nashville, and who knows where else!

Sorry for the sloppiness of this post. I'll clean it up soon. Just wanted to get something up. Will be back soon! :)

I'm moving to NEW ZEALAND!!!

2008-02-15T00:50:00.000-08:00

That's right, I'm moving to Wellington, New Zealand! It's all official! The papers are signed!

I'll be getting a house with my good friend, Dan Cox, who has been working there for the past year. I'll be working as a 3D modeler for Weta Digital, the company that brought us the amazing visuals in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Weta is now lending their talents to director James Cameron's next film titled Avatar. It's going to be huge. I feel very honored to work for both Weta and on a Cameron film. Many of the films and visual effects that inspired me when I was young were at the direction of Cameron. He really pushed the technology in the early days of computer generated imagery in his films The Abyss and Terminator 2 and is no stranger to large scale epic fun as seen in Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic.

I was holding off making the big announcement until I reach the point of no return.The giant boulder is rolling now and it can't be stopped. I'm both excited and scared, but am sure everything will work out.

My stay at Dreamworks/PDI has been an amazing experience. I'm excited about Kung Fu Panda and feel lucky I was able to contribute to the project. I've also become friends with many of my coworkers and have learned so much. As paralleled with my experience of working for Giant Killer Robots, the list of good people that I'd very much like to collaborate with again, continues to grow.

So how did I end up deciding to take the Weta offer, some have asked. Well, the some what short version begins with finishing my masters last May. I can't explain the feeling exactly but others have told me they went through similar feelings upon finishing such a lengthy commitment. After working my ass off for such a long time, finishing school while working full time, and trying to negotiate a failed relationship, I found myself floating in an emotional vacuum. I had reached a mental state that I'd never reach before. Things were done. I had reached the point were I felt, "ok, this is my life, now what?" The craziness of the go-go-go attitude had been nulled. I guess I slowly started to grapple the concept that I was an adult and, boy, was that weird. I found myself wanting to invest, looking at property, trying to salvage things I'd destroyed. I even went through a lot of crazy ideas, including looking into adopting a kid. I know, right!? I was going nuts! Me a dad!?

Dreamworks was the perfect experience after the hell of finishing my thesis and wrapping up at GKR. The work environment at DW is very comfortable and the schedules were all good with little overtime needed. I found myself able to reflect during this calm time. Luckily, having a visual job allows me to listen to music, podcast, film commentaries, and pondering about my past, present, and future. I thought about things I wanted to do and things I'd have done differently. I thought much about my life. About a week after New Years some shit hit the fan. I couldn't focus. I realized I'd been going so strong for so long that I just needed to take a break. I didn't know where, but I knew I needed to travel. A few weeks back it became official that I wouldn't sign on at Dreamworks immediately after KFP. I had the travel bug in me. I was seriously thinking about visiting Italy and had spoken to several of you about your thoughts of Europe. After that possible trip, it seemed like I might have a great opportunity to work on a small short term project with some dear friends over the summer. Nothing was certain but I felt confident that something would work out and it looked like I could come back to Dreamworks towards the end of the year.

Well, another place I wanted to visit was New Zealand. Dan really wanted me to come visit. He was also keeping an eye out for me "job wise" and said we could room together if I decide to move. Seemed like a good idea but I thought there to be way to many "what ifs". Not to long after that, my friend Shannon Thomas(who is a modeler at Weta) said that his supervisor asked if his team recommended any artist. Shannon called me up to find my demo reel and Dan chatted about me with some people, and before you knew it, I had a phone interview. Not long after that, I received an official offer. The only catch was that it was for a 1 year contract. I had sort of been looking for shorter term gigs, so after hard thinking and asking many of my peers their thoughts and opinions, I began tackling the idea of heading over seas. Since I'm currently single, only 28, want to travel, have always wanted to live aboard, and have a best friend that I can move in with, I figured, "what the hell, why not!". If I hate it, I can always come back in a year. It just seems like an experience that I couldn't pass up.

So, it looks like I'll be moving to New Zealand! I can't wait to learn to surf and spear fish. Something that my buddy Dan has taken up. But don't worry, I'll have a wet suit to cover my white, honky ass. hehe...But for real, I think this is just the change that my soul is in need of. New Zealand is beautiful and i can't wait to explore it.

I now have so much to take care of before moving in mid March. What happens to my car isn't set in stone yet, but I'm toying around with the idea of driving across the country to store it at my dad's place. The cross country trip is something I've always wanted to do and I'd like to throw out an invitation to anyone that might be interested in joining my on a drive from San Francisco to Tennessee. Again, I should have a better idea of how things will go down next week.

Alrighty...I've rambled on enough here. I'll catch you later!

Adam

Valentine's Day...eh

2008-02-14T01:40:00.000-08:00

Prepare for Awesomeness....

2008-02-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

I'll update the big annoucement soon, but in the meantime...Check this out!

On the Edge

2008-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I'd chime in with a somewhat cryptic journal entry. Things have been a bit chaotic in my life recently. When I awoke from bed, a mere 2 weeks ago, I wouldn't have believed it if someone told me the decisions I'd would had to have made by the end of this week. It's amazing just how fast one's day to day life can flip upside down in an instant. I want to apologize to all if I've seemed a bit short as of late. I have been unable to return calls, meet up with some of you, and reply to all emails. I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching. Plato once said, "The moment of choice is man's greatest peril."

I have an enormous announcement that I'll post on this blog shortly. Soon I'll be beginning a exciting new chapter in my life. A giant change so I can recharge my batteries. I'm only holding off on posting it until a few loose ends are tied up.

The picture above was taken with my cell phone on Ocean Beach today during sunset. It's one of my favorite places to reflect on the many things that weigh heavy in my soul. Standing on the edge of the ocean helps remind me just how little I am and just how big life's possibilities actually are. This evening, I was pondering something that I was just recently discussing with my friend Aaron. A fascination I have with the personal lives of any particular artist I look up to, admire, and/or respect. They could be any artist I work with, icons in the industry, or even artists that are no longer with us. In preparing for a trip to Italy, I read for a second time, Lives of the Artists: volume one, by Giorgio Vasari. This book is great. Vasari was an artist himself that actually lived during the Renaissance and wrote intimate biographies chronicling some of the greatest Masters like Da Vinci and Botticelli. Vasari's insights aren't at all boring They sort of read more like a super market tabloid featuring the day to day lives of "movie stars and socialites" of the 1500's.

Being an artist is more of a lifestyle than a profession. It's about passion and gaining a deeper understanding through the practice of observation. Because of this, an artist's personal life effects his work greatly. I love trying to understanding this, seeing how the relationship with an artist's loved one intertwines with his passion for creating. I love to learn when a artist had their first child and then go back and compare their pre-parenthood works to their post-parenthood works. You'd be surprised what a devoice will do to a director's movie by watching his before and after films. You can't find this stuff in school.

I've been extraordinarily fortune in my career goals thus far and want to thank everyone whom has supported me along the way. However, while there's been positive momentum going forward in my professional life, there's been a bit of a downward dive in my personal life. Maybe I've been a little depressed lately. I'm just now dealing with some issues that I've been putting off far to long.

Now, I'm sharing all this to give a little background on my point.

My kind of bummed out perspective is having a huge effect on my spirit to create and be creative. I'm in need of change. I need to jump start excitement back into my heart. A zest for life. The childlike giddiness I use to get while holding a pencil over a blank page of a sketch book. I need all this to reset.

I decided not to renew my contract at Dreamworks just yet. I was kind of unsure what I was going to do, but I knew what ever I did, it had to involve travel. I need to push myself, learn, experience, and wonder again. Change is just around the corner.

I'll have more soon.

Scratch Dialog!

2008-01-29T23:48:00.000-08:00

I was asked to do something insanely cool at work today! I got to read and record a few lines of scratch dialog for one of the films!

Scratch dialog is used temporarily in the story process before being replaced down the pipeline by a professional voice, but sometimes...just sometimes, the scratch dialog works well and they decide to keep it.

I gave it my all, but feel I could have done better if only I had another take. My fingers are crossed for a call back. I mean, I am one of the only employees at work with a Southern drawl. That's gotta count for something. Right!? ;)

Ray Harryhausen & Friends

2008-01-29T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

I'll have to forgive my friend Bryon for basically copying this post from his blog, but I just wanted to spread the news. If you live in the Bay Area and are into this stuff, then this is a must see!

On Feb 20th, I'll be attending the Raphael Film Center for an inspiring evening with a group of men which one could argue are chiefly responsible for creating the "monster" I am today!! Ray Harryhausen, Craig Barron, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert!! Now that's an ensemble! This will be the second time I've seen Ray and the third I've seen Phil. You never know what other surprises these special events may hold. The last time I attended, I was lucky enough to spot Ben Burtt in the audience and got a chance to share some thoughts with him!

Hope to see you there!
Here's the show info: Ray Harryhausen & Friends

LEGO turns 50!

2008-01-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

I'll update this with more info soon. Click on the picture above to see LEGO history!

The Magic of the Mystery Box

2008-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

This is a great 18 minute speech from Writer/Director J.J. Abrams, the creator of Lost and producer of Cloverfield. It's a great inspiration and he highlights the concept of less being more. I strongly agree with this philosophy. The ability for the human mind to fill in the blanks is an astonishing tool that all artist should take into consideration when leading the viewer. Please give the clip a view and feel free to leave me a comment on what you think.

If you like the discussion and would like to listen to more, head on over to TED.

The Hollywood Saloon

2008-01-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

If you consider yourself a film enthusiast, then Andy and John's podcast are a must listen!

They do their homework. Here, you'll find hours of some of the best lectures and film history discussions ever. Click on the banner above to attend your Master's level film history and philosophy courses, without the steep fees of tuition.

Be sure to keep a watchful eye on their new podcast series "Workshop". ;)

Welcome!

2008-01-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Dinosketch!!!

Dear Friends, Family, Colleagues, and Visitors,

WELCOME ALL!

Dinosketch has been a long time coming. Though, my website is still in the makings, I'm proud to say that I have finally started this blog.

I would like for this small outpost, located in the vast ocean that is the internet, to be a beacon of light for anyone looking to share inspiration or is trying to find it. I will share my adventures/travels, thoughts/philosophies, and news/highlights of all things "me".

Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

Adam J. Ely