(click for larger image)
(click for larger image)
Q: Tell us a little about yourself?
As far as personality; Goofy, nerdy, giving, silly, smart, lazy, talented, selfish… depends on who you ask. I am self taught and started doing graphics for hire while I was finishing high school. Later formed ComputerCafe, renamed CafeFX with partner Jeff Barnes. Then the Syndicate and Sententia. I am married and have the most amazing little boy Miles who is just turned 1 years old.
(click for larger image)
Q: Why Computer Graphics, what turned you on to this industry?
From the time I was a kid, I drew, painted, played music. When I was in 3rd grade I started learning logic, circuit board stuff, logo, basic after school. I was hooked. I spent all my time programming arrays and other artwork displays on the computer monitor using my pc jr. In high school I started doing freelance animation and logo graphics when the Amiga computer came around. I was just lucky that just as I was getting good and starting a professional career, the industry just started and the technology and demands kept up.
Q: How did you meet Jeff Barnes?
A friend at the local tv station brought Jeff over to my studio. My uncle and I were doing video production and graphics. It was a loft over an accounting company and had the walls painted black. Shelves upon shelves of albums and cd’s. It was cool at the time.
Q: How was the company born, were you looking for a partner, or was this like the video toaster where you saw someone doing computer graphics in a Radio Shack?
It wasn’t like that at all. We met at the video studio and we both got along. He carried himself in a professional way as a responsible, likeable and talented commercial editor, and I was this computer graphic fiend who would work all night on whatever I was doing at the time. So initially he took on more of the business and sales side of things, while I figured out how and executed the art work.
Q: Tell us why you first chose NewTek’s Video Toaster back in 1992?
At the time I had an A/B roll video editing system with an Alta Centaurus switcher/tbc/stillstore. My Laird character generator was a little weak with only a few font choices. I bought the toaster as soon as it was released for the digital video effects and titling capabilities. I found out how easy and more capable LightWave 3D was over the other 3D applications I was using at the time.
