What will the future of cinema look like? Doug McKirahan thinks he knows.
"There are more computer-produced films like Toy Story in the works, and
it sounds weird, but I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years we're paying to
see computer-based characters that are as popular as real actors today," he
predicts.
McKirahan is a computer animator in the San Francisco Bay area. "I work
mostly freelance and by contract," he says. His clients are looking for animated
logos or demonstrations of their product.
"There's more to my job than just animating. I also build the actual mesh
models and create the textures for them, which can be a time-consuming process,
but is something I really enjoy." To animate his models, McKirahan uses "keys"
or movements and creates a series of frames on the computer. "Just like in
film," he says.
McKirahan majored in film production at the San Francisco Art Institute.
When he graduated, he found he couldn't support himself through filmmaking.
He tried other jobs, even training and working as a psychiatric technician
for a few years. "I enjoyed psychiatry and felt I had an aptitude for it,
but the creative thing was eating me up," he remembers. McKirahan says the
answer came during a visit home.
"I went back to the Midwest because my grandfather was dying. My little
brother, who is an awesome graphic artist, showed me a program...one day and
everything just clicked into place."
There was very little training available, so McKirahan had
to teach himself. He looked at every game he could find. "I was labeled the
computer nerd by my friends and co-workers, but I knew that if I kept plugging
away at it I'd get somewhere."
Soon he had a portfolio and started sending it out. "Get used to rejections,"
he warns. "That can still be a hard one for me, but as time goes by I hope
I'm developing a tougher skin."
Other computer animators have also found that breaking into the industry
can be tough. "It was really hard," says Bonnie Kane, a computer animator
in New York. Kane has a degree in art from the University of Philadelphia.
Kane wasn't sure how she wanted to use her training until she attended a Special
Interest Group on Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH ACM) conference in San Francisco
in 1985. The conference brought together artists and others interested in
computers.
"I got back in contact with people I knew in college," she says. Some of
those old friends had done the computer animation for the 1982 movie Tron.
When Kane was laid off from a job as a technical illustrator, they agreed
to train her. Kane found everything she wanted in a career in computer animation.
"Nothing else that I saw in the world charged me up."
"It's very exciting to create an animation that looks realistic," echoes
McKirahan. "You edit in sound and it sort of takes on a life of its own."
McKirahan has created some incredible and beautiful things with 3D. "It's
like having an entire production studio in a box; the sky's the limit."
The downside of being on the leading edge of art and technology is that
the technology is always changing. "There are more and more 3D programs being
introduced, and it can be a very expensive, complex and time-consuming process
to follow all the changes, especially if you freelance," says McKirahan.
"Don't go into this field unless you think you can groove with change every
15 minutes," warns Kane. "You've got to keep moving. It's like chasing a moving
target."
McKirahan says that it's also become a very competitive field. "Game companies
looking for modelers and animators have taken on a 'Don't call us, we'll call
you,' approach -- very much like the Hollywood scene, and it's become a very
trendy profession."
McKirahan says freelancing has growing possibilities. With refined video
compression techniques, McKirahan will soon be able to show his work full
screen with sound to anyone who wants to see it. "The Internet creates a level
playing field. I can compete with large companies."
What will the future of cinema look like?
McKirahan says you can expect games that will allow players to actively
participate, as though they're starring in a feature film. "I don't think
that's very far off, and I'm going to be a part of that when it happens!"
he says.