Backstage

Sup of the Day – Digital Supervisors

Sup of the Day – Digital Supervisors

Title: Sup of the Day
Sponsored by The Creative Talent Network
Length 45 min

This panel will discuss the varied roles of the Visual Effects Supervisor:  organizer, inventor, technician, tactition, politician, accountant, mediator, producer, and creator.   As the filmmaker at the center of the digital revolution the VFX Sup must manage the schedule, the crew, and the process for creating amazing artificial imagery.  The panelists will discuss the process on projects ranging from hands-on small projects to giant studio films.

A moderated round table overview of the world of a Digital Supervisor on a feature film project. After the presentation we will retreat to the “Shop Talk Lounge” to carry on the conversation and have Q+A.

Moderator: Bill Kroyer
Bill Kroyer is an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films. Trained in classic hand-drawn animation at the Disney Studio, Bill was one of the first animators to make the leap to computer animation as Computer Image Choreographer on Disney’s ground-breaking 1982 feature, “Tron.” Founding his own company, Kroyer Films, Inc., Bill and his wife Susan pioneered the technique of combining hand-drawn animation with computer animation. Bill was Director of such projects as his Academy Award® nominated short film “Technological Threat” and the theatrical animated feature film “FernGully: The Last Rainforest”. Bill is currently Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles, where he supervised animation “Garfield”, “Scooby Doo”, “Cats & Dogs” and “The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.” He has directed animation in commercials for Cox Communications, Novell, AT&T, Cheetos, Hankook, and the Coca Cola Polar Bears. Bill’s animation has won awards at festivals all over the world. He serves on the Executive Board of the Animation Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Karl Herbst_thumb

Panelist: Karl Herbst

Karl Herbst is a CG Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks where he recently completed work on the animated feature Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.

Karl has been with Imageworks since 2005 with credits for Monster House and Surf’s Up.

Prior to joining Imageworks, Karl worked for Rhythm & Hues Studios and Blue Sky Studios on a wide range of projects including

credits for Serenity, Elektra, Garfield The Movie, X-Men2, Scooby Doo and Ice Age.

rlurye_thumbPanelist: Robert Lurye

Robert Lurye has been working as a computer graphics artist since 1986 when he began studying at the The Ohio State University’s pioneering Computer Graphics Research Group founded by Charles Csuri in 1971. He is currently a  Computer Grahics Supervisor of Lighting and Compositing at DreamWorks Animation, recently completing work on the Studio’s first 3D film “Monsters vs. Aliens” and the Halloween television  special Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. Since arriving at DreamWorks Animation in 2004 he has also worked as a lighting artist on Shark Tale and Madagascar and as a  Lead lighter on Over the Hedge and Bee Movie.

Before joining DreamWorks Animation, Robert  was an artist at Disney Feature Animation’ Hammerhead Productions and Rhythm and Hues where he started his professional career working as a generalist, animator, and CG supervisor on Films, theme park ride films and television commercials. He also worked  freelance creating animated demos for 3D studio Max which was the source of many of the internets earliest viral videos including a simple dancing baby.

Robert received his B.F.A at the  University of the Arts in Philadelphia as an animation/film major, and has taught computer graphics and photography at Texas A&M, The Ohio State University and The University of Texas.

bmyrick_thumbPanelist: Bud Myrick

Visual Effects Supervisor/Digital Effects Supervisor/Art Director

With over twenty years of experience creating animation, visual effects and motion graphics for movies, commercials and special venue films, Bud Myrick is one of Rhythm & Hues Studios’ most diversely skilled supervising talents.  He is currently supervising a team dedicated to special projects at Rhythm & Hues.  Recently, he directed the “Snake Charmer” commercial for Delta faucets and “Snowman” for 7-11’s holiday campaign. He also oversaw visual effects for R&H on “Serenity”.

Since first joining Rhythm & Hues in 1993, Bud has adroitly handled both animation and visual effects assignments for numerous feature films, including “Around the World in 80 Days,” (digital effects supervisor/art director/animation director); “The Chronicles of Riddick,” (pre-vis/animation supervisor); “The Rundown,”(3D effects supervisor); “X-Men 2,” (choreographer); “Dr. Dolittle 2” (animation lead); “Scooby Doo” (animation lead); “Men in Black II” (animator); and “The Nutty Professor” (animation lead).

Bud’s commercial credits include the recent campaign for Jack-in-the-Box: “Fry Fight” (digital sup/art director), as well as Pop-Tarts (animation director), and The Coca Cola Polar Bears.  Bud’s special venue credits include “EFX” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and “Star Trek: The Experience” at the Las Vegas Hilton (art director).

In 1997, Bud left R&H for the newly formed DreamWorks SKG, where he worked briefly on “The Prince of Egypt,” and later served as 3D effects supervisor for “The Road to El Dorado.”  After “El Dorado,” Bud went to Vancouver to be CG supervisor for the never-made “IMAX Gulliver’s Travels” at Mainframe, before returning to R&H in 2000.

Bud began his career designing on-air graphics and news openings for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC.  His first exposure to 3D graphics was on a CubiComp Picturemaker as art director at Take One Productions.  In 1990, Bud, as 3D director at Henninger Video in Arlington, VA, was responsible for animating Circuit City’s “plug” animation that trailed its commercial campaigns for seven years.

A native of Fort Walton Beach,  Florida, Bud graduated from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota with a certificate in Illustration.  He won the first Ringling President’s Award for Illustration.

Please help us welcome these “Sup’s of the Day” to CTN-X. Quick register Now! http://www.regonline.com/ctnanimationexpo2009

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