| CGX
: |
Hi
Bakri. How has life been since you left Malaysia? |
| Bakri
: |
Well,
not as interesting as it used to be when I was in Malaysia but
one day it will be…you know what I mean, ..when I go back.
:) |
| |
| CGX : |
Please tell us
a little bit more about your current company and what you do
there.? |
| Bakri
: |
Well, I’m working
as an Art Director in an advertising company called Propaganda
Advertising, based in Saudi, besides being the Art Director,
I’m mainly in charge of any work that has to do with compositing,
special effects for our multimedia CD- ROMs and CG TV commercials. |
| CGX : |
How long have
you been designing and creating graphics and art on the computer?
|
| Bakri
: |
Are you asking how
old I am? Ha ha … just kidding. Well, as a professional,
for about seven years now.. |
| |
| CGX : |
Over the past few years,
you have produced a notable amount of splendid work. How have
you become a better 3D artist over these years? |
| Bakri
: |
Hmm, thank you…well,
thanks to my brother for pushing me to do that and most of all
thanks to NewTek for producing such a wonderful software; ”LightWave”,
that makes an artist express his feelings freely. |
| |
 |
| CGX : |
Where do you derive all that
inspiration and imagination? |
| Bakri
: |
Watching lots of movies, TV
commercials, and of course …well I don’t know what
else!! |
| CGX : |
How did you get into 3D graphics
and how long have you been a 3D artist? |
| Bakri
: |
Ok, first of all I’m not
a 3D artist yet…but thank you again. I discovered 3D on
the Amiga when I was 12 but back then it was not as good as
it is today, so I stopped for a while and then I went back to
it again a few years later but the speed was not efficient enough
to get an immediate response to what you do. So I quit until
one day I was at the movies watching “Independence Day”…
I don’t know what happened but that was the day that went
back to 3D. Luckily I was in the right place, with the right
people and the right software…Malaysia, Click Grafix, and
for sure LightWave. |
| CGX : |
The first animation you ever
produced was … |
| Bakri
: |
As far as I remember it's a
Love Story between two letters when I was sixteen, I guess.
|
| CGX : |
When did you first begin
dabbling with LightWave 3D? |
| Bakri
: |
Let’s see, it was two hours
after watching the movie!! Ha ha … I forgot! Sorry. |
| CGX : |
In your opinion, what is
the beauty of that software? |
| Bakri
: |
Besides its so many features,
rendering quality, speed, and the interface, well it feels like
as if it was done to adapt itself to the way you work and not
you adapting to it. On the other hand, the interface is so transparent
you don’t have to worry where things are…they are
where they are supposed to be…it thinks like an artist
…do I make any sense here?!! |
 |
| CGX : |
Are there any additions you'd
like to see in the future upgrade of LightWave? |
| Bakri
: |
Oh yes…you know I never
say enough. I would like to see Motion Designer more integrated
with layout than what it is now…something interactive like
when you change the direction or speed of a wend or type of
materials, you see changes along as you change or play preview
with no need to start or stop simulation from the “motion
control” . As for the particles, motion designer and particles,
they should be able to affect each other because particles only
read the original geometry of the object and not the deformed
one that motion designer is causing. I also don’t like
the way particles are replaced with objects. Say you have 1000
particles and you want to replace it with an object, you end
up having 1000 objects on your “current” object list.
What else? Ok, the “clone current item” in layout
should have a requester just like Modeler does. And I think
it would be so nice if we have many of the Modeler functions
in Layout!! Imagine the “lathe” tool in layout and
it’s key-framable!! Too much to ask for huh? |
| CGX
: |
Bakri, what are
your strong points in 3D? Modeling, animating, etc? |
| Bakri
: |
Modeling! Nah, I think because
of my background as a graphic designer I could say animation;
compositing and lighting are my strong points. |
| CGX : |
Having produced so many works
so far, which is your proudest achievement? Tell us a little
about that particular piece of work. |
| Bakri
: |
I think it would be the introduction
for a company portfolio CD-Rom, since everyone liked it. Well,
it was a mixture of LightWave, AE and Adobe Photoshop. I think
this is a complete project that I have worked on from A-Z where
I did the storyboard, 95% of the animation and the music too
and the modeling was done by a colleague. |
| CGX
: |
Define a good
piece of 3D work. |
| Bakri
: |
I can’t. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder. If it’s done with LightWave
then it’s good…can I say that? :) |
 |
| CGX
: |
Most CG artists
and animators usually have a personal style or significant trademark
in their creations. What would yours be? |
| Bakri
: |
Paying attention to details
and lighting I guess. I don’t know, I think you guys would
probably know better than me. |
| CGX : |
Do you agree that traditional
art skills are required to make a good 3D artist? |
| Bakri
: |
It helps a lot. I think all
great modelers are good illustrators in the first place. They
see objects in their basic shapes and that helps them model
what they want faster than any one who doesn't have that "traditional
skill" and the same goes for animators, directors...and
the list goes on . |
| CGX : |
What's the best thing about
your profession? |
| Bakri
: |
New challenges and not to wake
up early to go to work. |
| CGX : |
What would you have been
if you had not become an animator? |
| Bakri
: |
Jobless…ha ha. |
| CGX : |
What was the funniest 3D
character or animation you've ever created? |
| Bakri
: |
Something I called “Mr.
Point”. It’s a short logo intro for a company; it’s
not that funny, more like cute I think … |
| CGX : |
Do you have any pet peeves
regarding this line of profession? |
| Bakri
: |
Yeah. Its like you don’t
feel the time passing, then suddenly you look into the mirror
and all your hair is gone!!!! |
| CGX : |
If you had the opportunity
to produce your ultimate 3D movie, it would be.. |
| Bakri
: |
It’s confidential…(a
nice way of saying I have no idea) |
 |
| CGX : |
Future plans ... |
| Bakri
: |
Go back to where it all started
- Malaysia, and give back some of what I got from Click Grafix.
|
| CGX : |
What's the secret of a successful
3D artist? |
| Bakri
: |
If I tell you then it won’t
be a secret any more right? But I will anyway…ha ha. I
think there are three things:
1. Get LightWave
2. Work 12 hours a day
3. And don’t look at your watch when you’re working
unless there is a deadline. |
| CGX : |
OK, one final question. Why
did you send us a picture of your back? Is the back view more
attractive than the front or are you just camera shy? |
| Bakri
: |
Ha ha...I can't take my eyes
off my LightWave. I’d rather stare at that than look at
the camera lens (actually that's the only one I have now, heh
heh) |
|
Click Grafix Sdn Bhd thanks Bakri for his time and effort
in this interview. For more information please email Bakri@propaganda-adv.com
or visit www.propaganda-adv.com
|
