| CGX
: |
Hi
Sham. Thank you for obliging us with this interview. How long
have you been involved in CG animation and how long have you
been a lecturer in this field? |
| Sham
: |
I’ve been
in the industry for seven years and have been teaching for 2
½ years. I started playing with computers in 1983 but
began to seriously dabble in computer graphics in 1992. That
makes it 18 years in computer related stuff, 9 years in CG,
8 years in 3D and 2 ½ years teaching 3D. |
| |
| CGX
: |
Hmm…that’s
quite interesting. So what was the first 3D software you started
on? |
| Sham
: |
Aha, that was a programming
language called Polyray that I got from a book in 1993. That
really got me hooked to 3D. Before that I just wanted to do
game programming. Then came PovCad, 3D Workshop, then 3D Studio
3, trueSpace and finally LightWave. I’ve been using LightWave
since its first inception to the PC OS. |
 |
| CGX
: |
Now in your opinion,
how is LightWave different in comparison to other leading 3D
applications? |
| Sham
: |
First of all, it's
got to be the superb rendering speed and quality. Heck, no renderer
can match it tit-for-tat on that basis. Secondly, it must be
the functions and tools available to do just about anything!!
Thirdly, its definitely gotta be the work-flow; you can do anything
anyway as long as you can think it up!! Some programs force
you to work in their way or style or ideology, blah, I hate
that, but LW3D lets you do anything as long as you can figure
out a way to do it. Then its gotta be the price and costs of
running it. I don’t think I have to elaborate on that point...
|
| |
| CGX : |
Could you tell us why LightWave
was chosen as one of the subjects for the students to learn?
|
| Sham
: |
Ah, that’s
an easy one...first of all its an industry standard software
that doesn’t cost the Industry. It’s also fairly easy
to learn (my students are comfortable with it after only 3 lessons!!)
and since the college runs MACS, LW3D can be used on them. Furthermore,
several of the kids at home might have LW also, its cross-platform
compatible! |
| |
| CGX : |
Now, I note there are a few
programmes in the college that include 2D / 3D and CG as course
subjects? How does LightWave fit into the relevant programmes?
|
| Sham
: |
It fits in very snugly indeed!
LW3D and animation (CG) is very relevant in these programmes
since it provides content generation from scratch and creative
freedom to produce for other disciplines such as Web, Interactive
CD-Rom's and image manipulation. LW3D is used extensively from
the start of the course for integration into other disciplines
and if students choose to major in 3D in the final semester
then the best tool to use is of course u-know-what... |
| CGX : |
From a lecturer’s point
of view, how do you find this 3D application? |
| Sham
: |
I think its a very good tool
for academicians to use since LW3D is a big name in the field
today. It gives the students a certain sense of security in
knowing that they are learning the best tool to equip themselves
with. And when they actually go through the programme, they
find out that LW3D means business, is easy to use, and most
importantly, is able to keep pace and more with whatever they
have in their heads. This is very important since it boosts
the students confidence of their abilities and motivates them
to produce even better work. |
| CGX : |
By observation and experience,
how long does it normally take for the students to grasp this
software? |
| Sham
: |
Heh heh … I
have developed an ultra secret teaching method so students are
actually able to produce an animation by the very first lesson!!!
Usually it will take 3 lessons to settle them in and they start
to really enjoy using the program after that. |
 |
| CGX : |
Besides Tan Jin Ho’s
success, what other student projects produced using LightWave
have won accolades? |
| Sham
: |
Well, “Rebirth"
by Chow Chern Fai was a finalist at MVA 2000, Justin
Foo's entrance into Toy Story contest, "Atan the Orang
Asli" made it to third place in '99, Loh Boon Teo's
"Chinese Chess" received critical acclaim by
Hong Kong film producers. |
| CGX : |
What are the important aspects
of CG that are emphasised to students? |
| Sham
: |
Design characteristics are the
primary concern, but the technicalities of production are really
emphasized to them. To me if you are able to master the tools,
then you can master your ideas.
|
| CGX : |
Many animators I’ve
spoken to usually never fails to mention the need for a CG artist
to be observant of things around them. How far do you agree
with this statement as a lecturer? |
| Sham
: |
I really agree. All things are
connected in life. One can really output better things just
by looking more at the world and think more openly, as well
as more creatively, processing ideas and thoughts to a higher
level. |
| CGX : |
Do you also believe it is
important to have traditional art skills to be a good 3D animator?
|
| Sham
: |
Definitely!! I have
always advocated the motto "Master your hands and you will
master the mouse"!. |
| CGX
: |
Hmm … that’s
an interesting motto. Tell us, how is a student’s 3D project
normally evaluated? What are the criteria looked for in a project?
|
| Sham
: |
Hmm ... I usually look for good
twist and plot leading to the story or message. Character /
element appeal and good, detailed movements are good traits.
The work must present itself without the interference of the
author. |
 |
| CGX
: |
Having said that,
how would you define good 3D work? |
| Sham
: |
Aha...the intended
looks and story content. It does not have to be photo realistic
(Power Puff girls, manga, etc) but the gist or essence of what
the animator is trying to envision and convey is very important.
|
| CGX : |
The 3D industry appears to
have grown by leaps and bounds and is still rapidly moving in
Malaysia itself. This can be observed in the increase of programmes
offering CG and 3D courses, as well in the influx of students
signing up for 3D courses. What is your view on the current
local 3D industry and where do you think it’s headed in
the future? |
| Sham
: |
I personally feel that we have
so many unearthed natural talent but these talents are difficult
to uncover probably due to the majority of the population not
appreciating it as it should be. But stating this, I believe
that the industry is heading very fast into the right direction
to become a knowledge and visual based society. |
| CGX : |
What’s the highlight
of teaching 3D to young aspiring animators? |
| Sham
: |
Of course the biggest highlight
is when I can brag (at an award ceremony); “That’s
my student!!!!! Heh heh ... think it would be when successful
students calls address me as “GURU!” when they phone
or visit me. |
| ... |
|
|
Having heard the lecturer’s opinions, Click Grafix also
took the opportunity to extract several excerpts from a couple
of LICT students using LightWave 3D. Here’s what they have
to say. Timothy Shim Vun Liung & Belinda Hadiwidjaja
|
| |
| CGX : |
What do you like about LightWave
3D? |
| TimShim: |
Well, there are lots of things
to like about LightWave. Firstly, the rendering engine. Definitely
one of the best and fastest in the industry. And, oddly enough,
even after having tried Maya's renderer and Hypershade, LightWave
still seems to do better in terms of quality. Or maybe I'm just
using Maya wrong - which brings me to another aspect of LightWave
which I like - its ease of use. It's not so much of its ‘graphical
user interface' (which still retains much of the Amiga look
- even after being carbonised for OS X!), but more towards its
'interface design', which is simply the arrangement and categorization
of specific tools and functions. Very intuitive. And infinitely
customisable as well - think LScript. Of course by saying this
I am not blatantly overlooking the fact that LightWave really
is a very sophisticated 3D application. So much so that it gives
users most of the (film/tv) industry's commonly used tools straight
out of the box. Polygonal Modelling, Subdivision Modelling,
Morphing, Cloth Simulation, Hybrid IK/FK, UV Mapping, Particles,
even Radiosity - and more - right out of the box! And using
these powerful tools has never been easier. Try using MAX or
SoftImage and you'll know what I mean. It really does free the
artist from having to think about the where (is that tool?)
and how (do I use it?), and instead lets him create freely and
naturally. Also, the Modeler is a helluva program. I can create
just about anything my sick mind can conjure up. Of course,
technique also counts but that is another matter altogether.
As far as the animation or film/tv industry is concerned, LightWave
still rules the airwaves and you can count on me using this
great app for all my future projects, including my next big
project, which I'm targeting to complete by July 2002. I'm hoping.
|
| Belinda
: |
I like it because I'm familiar
with it and it works fine with my Mac. |
 |
| CGX : |
You chose 3D animation because
... |
| TimShim: |
Director, Storyteller, Animator
... 3D animation allows us to be all and do all. Why, you ask?
The answer - Control. Yeah, and also remember that saying which
goes, 'if you wanna do it right, you gotta do it yourself'?
The ability to create everything, from the props to the actors
really allows me to achieve the style or look I want. Plus,
how much can you push a 'real actor' before he starts suing
you for trying to make him do Yoga-like contortions, then pushing
him off a 100-storey building, causing him to break his spine
and paralysing him from the neck down? Too bad there aren't
any Undos in real life |
| Belinda
: |
Because people made me believe
I have potential in it. Without them I might not have realized
that. I do enjoy 3D animation compared to other things and I
just can spend hours at it without feeling bored. |
| CGX : |
Are there any 3D animators
out there whom you admire or who has inspired you in any way?
|
| TimShim: |
One guy - Taron
- Very cool stuff - www.taron.de |
| Belinda
: |
No. I get my inspiration
from other things not related to 3D. |
| CGX : |
Many CG artists have a personal
preference for specific types of 3D work, for example Stan Lee
prefers to create 3D cartoon characters but others may prefer
futuristic scenes or fantasy inspired productions. What do you
prefer and why? |
| TimShim: |
I have no preference for any
one genre, but most of the time, for my personal work, I strive
for a more gothic look, something surrealistic, something along
the lines of distorted reality. I don't see the point in doing
extremely hyper-realistic 3D since it's so much more cheaper,
faster and believable hiring real actors to do the job. Besides
the point is to tell a story, and nothing else. Something unreal
is the stuff 3D was meant to do in the first place. It's what
it's best at anyhow. |
| Belinda
: |
I prefer cartoon characters,
cute ones. Futuristic 3D productions look tougher, but that
actually depends on the artist's personality I guess. |
 |
|
So there you have it all. The ‘voices’ of the a
lecturer and his students. Click Grafix thanks Sham,TimShim
& Belinda for their time and very enlightening
feedbacks. We also wish TimShim all the best in his big project,
which we hope to bring you more info on. Here’s looking
forward to another interview on that.
|
