A trained architect with considerable experience in designing experiential environments, I have decided to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an artist in the film industry. Although I have chosen to move into a new field, I truly feel my new direction in digital animation will only be complimented by my experience in architecture and design.
In 2008 I began working as a skate park designer in San Diego, CA. Starting out as a draftsman and moving up to a designer and project manager, I was able to work on the design of over 70 skate parks both nationally and internationally, including Northern Europe’s largest concrete skate park located in Denmark; Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory; and the Etnies Skate Park in Lake Forest, California which is designed to be the world’s first carbon neutral skate park. Working in a design firm required not only individual motivation but also the ability to collaborate with a team of people, whether it be colleagues in the office, skate park advocates in the community, or city officials; the capability to adapt to new ideas and situations is an important characteristic. The production of an animated film not only requires individual efforts but the unity of a production team; my adeptness to this type of environment would be an asset to the studio. My role as project manager also required me to oversee the construction of designed projects in coordination with contractors, consultants, and city officials.
In the summer of 2011, I had the opportunity to intern in the Technical Undergraduate Program at Pixar Animation Studios. The program allowed me to gain firsthand experience in all aspects of a production pipeline while working in a Unix environment. It was this experience that led to my understanding of how a background in design and project management can be an asset to an animation studio. As an architect, I have always been fascinated with how light can define the mood and ambiance of a space; it was this interest that led me to specialize in lighting during my time at Pixar. I learned the importance of composition, color, contrast, subtle detailing, and gained a broader understanding of the work dynamic for a lighter within a studio setting. Whether it be trouble shooting problems with other departments or baking out maps to improve rendering times, to compositing a final image, I feel confident that I can meet and exceed the responsibilities and expectations required by a lighting artist.
In the summer of 2012, I worked as a CG Lighting Intern at Laika/Laika House in Portland, OR. This experience not only allowed me to work in CG lighting, but also in physical lighting on a stop motion animated project. My CG lighting experience at Laika includes working as lead lighter and compositor on an M&M's commercial, and a lighting/compositing artist on an in-house animated short film. My duties as lead lighter on the M&M's project included setting up and finalizing each shot's lighting, pre-compositing the rendered sequences in Nuke for daily viewing, trouble-shooting any pipeline issues that came about, attending daily reviews, and outputting frames for final compositing in Flame. I was able to work closely with both the director and animators on this project to ensure the success of the commercial.
The understanding of the relationship between the individual and the space in which they inhabit is an important aspect to the design of a successful skate park; this is also true for a successful animated film. My experience in both the design of physical environments working as a productive member of a larger collaborative creative team and a thorough understanding of the advanced lighting techniques are two of the most valuable skills I would like to bring to an animation studio.
Thanks for visiting!
-Jeff Gipson
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