Spring Break
Vizwhiz
Tim Mclaughlin was an artist in Hollywood when artists took over the big screen.
By: Lindsay Anderson
Issue date: 6/12/08 Section: News
Up to that point in time, the industry was filled with "either old school film makers or computer scientists who were into graphics."
"I was neither," McLaughlin said.
Recent visualization graduates like McLaughlin, however, could be both, a feature of A&M's program he lauded: "There remain very few schools that are as balanced in the approach as the Viz Program is."
But roughly a dozen years prior to McLaughlins entry into the industry, such dual training was not as prominent.
"It was odd, at the time, for someone to have been schooled as I was in both artistic image making and technology," he said. "Just about everyone else had received schooling or training in one or the other and picked up the rest through experience."
With the degree work pursued by McLaughlin, his specialty in the movie industry became creatures. Developing fantastical creatures that move realistically is essentially architecture, he said. His most recent example is the dragon animation from the film "Eragon."
Though Mclaughlin used his visual science education to enter the entertainment industry, he said that there are other uses for such skills beyond movies and video games. He said the skills could be applied to other purposes, such as forensics or climatology.
Though the most recognized use of a visualization sciences education is to enter the entertainment industry through work on movies or video games, McLaughlin said the skills could be applied to other purposes such as forensics. The the goal is to communicate.
"Our goal is to communicate through imagery," McLaughlin said. "The key issue that we tackle in each example is how to manipulate the technology and how to create and organize the visual experience to effectively communicate.
"Our students are both technical and visual problem solvers."
Students interested in entering the master's program can expect a focus on technology and creativity, which McLaughlin said the department tries not to separate. "Our students are wholly engaged" in left-brain and right-brain thinking.
"I was neither," McLaughlin said.
Recent visualization graduates like McLaughlin, however, could be both, a feature of A&M's program he lauded: "There remain very few schools that are as balanced in the approach as the Viz Program is."
But roughly a dozen years prior to McLaughlins entry into the industry, such dual training was not as prominent.
"It was odd, at the time, for someone to have been schooled as I was in both artistic image making and technology," he said. "Just about everyone else had received schooling or training in one or the other and picked up the rest through experience."
With the degree work pursued by McLaughlin, his specialty in the movie industry became creatures. Developing fantastical creatures that move realistically is essentially architecture, he said. His most recent example is the dragon animation from the film "Eragon."
Though Mclaughlin used his visual science education to enter the entertainment industry, he said that there are other uses for such skills beyond movies and video games. He said the skills could be applied to other purposes, such as forensics or climatology.
Though the most recognized use of a visualization sciences education is to enter the entertainment industry through work on movies or video games, McLaughlin said the skills could be applied to other purposes such as forensics. The the goal is to communicate.
"Our goal is to communicate through imagery," McLaughlin said. "The key issue that we tackle in each example is how to manipulate the technology and how to create and organize the visual experience to effectively communicate.
"Our students are both technical and visual problem solvers."
Students interested in entering the master's program can expect a focus on technology and creativity, which McLaughlin said the department tries not to separate. "Our students are wholly engaged" in left-brain and right-brain thinking.
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