Alumni Success Stories

Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver
Grad Year: 2009
Program of Study: 3D Modeling for Animation & Games
Degree: Diploma

Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Zoic Studios
Location: Vancouver
Job Title: Compositor
Primary Responsibilities: Compositing CG elements and FX onto live action footage.

Describe a Typical Work Day:

• Coffee and breakfast
• Check assigned tasks for any new work
• Split tasks into hard/medium/ easy
• Develop plans for how to tackle each of the three categories
• Start working on the hard tasks
• Lunch at noon
• Finish the hard tasks
• Start easy tasks as a break
• Finish the day with medium tasks to keep myself from slowing down
  

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to hold on to my creative passion for creating art. Also that I have been able to utilize the skills I have learned in my career to further evolve and advance the type of personal artwork I do in my free time.

What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?

A lot of my creative influences and heroes exist as aliases in online databases such as ConceptART.org DeviantArt Sijun Cghub. Off the top of my head, Jama, Velocity Kendall, El Coro, Danny Gardner, Feng Zhu, Sparth, Khang Lee. These are just a few, my inspiration folder has much more.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

The thing I like the most about my career is that with every new company I work for, I learn something new. Some different methodology for accomplishing a similar task or way to work. It forces you to open your mind and think outside of your own “box”. A skill that, I think, everyone can benefit from.

How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?

LaSalle College Vancouver, first and foremost, introduced me to the industry of Film and Television. Without that I would not be where I am today, and that is a fact. I also learned the basics of softwares that are used in the industry, from which I was able to have a solid foundation to build upon when starting industry work.

What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?

My advice to beginners is to be dedicated and be focused. We are all distracted by our fast paced lives, and focus is an extremely valuable asset for any employer. You are going to change your mind many times, but whatever your path may be, do it 100%.

Your profession is constantly evolving, from the technology you use to new career opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago. What trends do you see on the horizon that will affect how you do your job or your profession at-large?

Adapt or get left behind. Technology is moving faster than anyone, right now, realizes it. Your career depends on your ability to work in a technology- environment efficiently. I hate to say this, but computers are getting smarter. The tools I use now are more efficient at what they do than they were 5 years ago. When new software comes out that makes your job easier, you better learn it, or else someone else will, and they will be able to do your job more efficiently because of it. Embrace change and adapt, or get left behind.