Movies on which I've worked



The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Hercules (1997)

Mulan (1998)

Dinosaur (2000)

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Evolution (2001)

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Minority Report (2002)

Sinbad (2003)


The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

technology support

Actual work that helped Hunchback extended exactly as far as adding a set of cut, copy, and paste buttons in a piece of custom Disney software. Mostly I stood around and watched, learning a lot in the process and laying the groundwork for the future. I still love the film because I couldn't stop pinching myself to see if I would wake up as I watched it being made. Of course, this did not merit a credit but it apparently did merit a wrap party invite so I listed it here.

 

Hercules (1997)

additional technology support

For Hercules I spent about eight months trying to create software that would make life easier for the Animation Check department, a bunch of underpaid and overworked animation professionals whose job it is to make sure that every line is perfect and all the pieces fit together. This did merit a credit for "additional technology support," and the only thing "additional" about the support was that I'd moved onto another project six months before the end.


Mulan (1998)

technology support

Well, in this case I didn't do all that much work. No credit, no wrap party invite. However, I did have to get up at seven in the morning twice a week for a few months for videoconferences, so it counts in my book.

 

Dinosaur (2000)

process engineering

This was the big one, three years of my life. I love this project though I have no idea how it will turn out or what people will think of it. Some say it's the most expensive motion picture ever made, but I think we can rely on Disney to ensure that if that's the case I'll never know for sure.

My job was to identify and document everything each and every digital artist had to do in order to do their jobs, then figure out how the shots would pass smoothly from hand to hand. There was other stuff in there too but it's a blur and I don't remember all of it perfectly. I supervised a department for a while and was a fly on the wall in some really interesting circumstances that I may never be able to talk about. Someday when my career is waning I'll write a tell-all book, but not soon and I'll probably protect my friends.



The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

technical supervisor

My first project at PDI/Dreamworks, in the now-defunct Commercials and Feature Effects (CAFE) division. Our work on the film consisted mostly of 2D effects. Lots of lighting fixes and the occasional digital golf ball. However, it was not a particularly small project, at 85 shots.


Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

additional technical supervisor

I helped get the ball rolling on our work on this project while we were starting up Bagger Vance. Our work was mostly compositing in the Spanish Car Chase sequence, as well as a CG dove flying through a burning door that was in all the trailers.


Evolution (2001)

animation tools developer

Our work didn't make it into the film, wouldn't you know?


A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

technical support

Helped out in a few small ways on a couple of CG shots for the Approach to Rouge City sequence, and consulted on some of the effects editorial and compositing issues for the show.


Minority Report (2002)

character animation tools lead

We animated those creepy robotic "Spyders" that scan Tom Cruise's recovering retina. Got a lot of nice attention for that sequence... I was responsible for developing the character animation tools that the animators used for the Spyders as well as a system for attaching lights to the characters. (If you're Maya-savvy, you'll ask "why is that difficult?" Long story.)


Sinbad (2003)

character animation, effects, and lighting technical director

I'm currently helping support a team of character animators working on Dreamworks' traditionally-animated film Sinbad. Earlier in the year I spent four months working as an effects and lighting TD at Dreamworks in Glendale, and now I'm back in Palo Alto. Feature animation again!!


What's next?

Who knows?


created by Mark R. Wilkins (mark_wilkins@yahoo.com)
updated sunday, october 17, 1999