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"When I was 10 years old, I went with a bunch of kids from asummer program to watch this brand-new film that was getting alot of talk. It was 1977, and we were going to see the first Star Warsmovie. I was in the fourth row, in the seventh seat from the aislewhen the opening credits rolled. When the first ships flew overheadat the start of the film, I was amazed! I knew right there I had to dosomething like this when I grew up."I first started chasing my dreams when I enrolled in Al CollinsGraphic Design School. I graduated with honors in 1993 with myAssociate of Arts in Visual Communication and then went back andattended the first Maya animation classes that Collins College hadto offer. Shortly after finishing the classes, I found work in Arizonaat Bridgestone Multimedia working on the children’s DVD series,Kingdom Under the Sea. I was hired on as a generalist, but as theteam and the project grew, they asked me to become the productionmanager/coordinator in charge of the animation department."After the DVD series, I found myself with a lack of real 3-D workin Arizona. My first work was in Burbank at a small boutique studiocalled 3dBOB. After months of working for free, learning Max,and doing whatever they needed around the office, they rewardedme with a paid position as a generalist artist. I served as the motioncapture supervisor on a project, Book of Hope, in charge of twoother artists, and we were responsible for the recording, cleanup andediting of motion capture data for the project."It was while I was working at Lowry, a digital restoration film place,that I got my big break. I had seen an ad for motion editors monthsbefore on a popular 3-D web site and had sent my demo reel andresume to them. After the interview and before I knew it, I receivedan email offering me a job to work on the company's first animatedfilm, Happy Feet!"After, I saw a job listing on another popular 3-D web site lookingfor experienced MotionBuilder artists. Not 10 minutes after sendinga link to my demo reel and resume, I got a call from the productionmanager at Lightstorm Entertainment wanting to interview mefor the position. A week later I was working for one of my all-timefavorite directors and Hollywood heavyweights, James Cameron, onhis next film epic, Avatar! I spent the next year and a half puttingall my skills and education to the test as I worked one of the mostgrueling schedules I had ever experienced as we rushed to getthe film finished on time and meet the director’s incredibly highstandards for detail!"As my part on the film began to wind down on Avatar, I receiveda call from a friend and fellow co-worker on Happy Feet, EricLeidenroth. It seemed that writer/director George Miller had startedhis own production studio back in Sydney called Dr. D Studios andhad hired Eric, as well as several other artists from the first HappyFeet movie, to help start up his new company and start work on hisnext film, Happy Feet 2. I was flattered to find that my name was oneof the first on their minds. They hired me as a lead motion editor,and I will be lending my experience and expertise overseeing a smallteam of artists."I now find myself back in Sydney, living a very blessed life. Iam helping establish the pipeline and procedures for the mocapdepartment while we quickly approach the start date for primarymotion capture. (The film has a 2011 release date.) And after this,the studio has a slate of movies that they wish to work on that couldextend my work in Sydney for eight to 10 years! Only time will tellwhat movies I’ll be working on next." ◄John BucholtzCollins CollegeVisual ArtsCEC and its schools do not guarantee employment or salary.Career success will depend largely on the effort put into studies, job search efforts, experience andattitude. Collins College does not and cannot guarantee employment, and the experience of thealumni is not representative of all students.john WHAT'S AT RISK? | 64