Hemant Singh – FX TD at CDL

CG Today : Developing new tools and software enhancements has been an important part of your career. Is technological research and development, where your passion lies?

Hemant : For success it is always important to understand where your passion lies and I totally agree with that fact. Being a part of development and research is always fascinating for me and if an art is involved in that then... It’s my passion which is always encouraging me to try something new and innovative.

CG Today : You generate particle and fluid systems for feature films. What tools have arrived on the scene in the past few years which have facilitated work in this area of animation, and hasn‘t some of this innovation been created by you?

Hemant : In the last few years, lots of tools and technology have come into picture, which has have changed the way of film production. Today’s computer generated effects and techniques have dramatically improved the process of generating visual effects for feature films and television and that is because of advanced digital technology and CGI programming. The tools have become so perfect to handle any level of complex vision which was almost impossible to achieve few years back.

Integration of python and other programming packages with CG software now give an artist the power to generate their own tools and techniques. Now the things are no longer confined by software limitations. In production, I always face a situation where I need to combine different elements from different software in one, to get the final output through creating a bridge between software. Thanks to CGI programming this has been made very easy.

CG Today : You have had many titles during your career in animation. Is there one title that sums up your skills and interests best?

Hemant : Art and technology have always been a part of my interest, and I always wanted a career where I can combine both of them. I personally feel that both artistic and technical skills are important and it is always good to try and understand both areas as much as possible. In my case I see myself as an artist with high level of technical skills.

CG Today : Is there anything, career-wise, that you haven’t done yet, but are looking forward to undertaking?

Hemant : Well, there are lots of things which I haven’t done yet and want to do. In future, I want to see myself supervising visual effects for feature films and doing some groundbreaking visual effects. I would also like to get involved in the development of some great tools but right now I am just trying to concentrate on what I am doing today and focusing on learning new things, so that when the opportunity comes I will be prepared for that.

CG Today : Who do you admire most in the animation industry?

Hemant : There are too many and all of their works are truly inspiring. So it is hard for me to choose one of them.

CG Today : Tell us about your creation of a stereoscopic camera rig inside the software Vue.

Hemant : I can’t tell you much about that right now. This is one of my resent developments in CDL and was a great chance to learn/understand and develop the stereoscopic process and techniques. I will definitely update the details on my blog in the near future to let others also use these techniques to speed up production.

CG Today : Staying abreast of new technologies and recent developments in the field of animation must be a time consuming part of your work. To what literature and/or sites do you go to keep yourself informed of the latest technological discoveries?

Hemant : I spend most of my time in studio doing production. It is sometimes really challenging to keep awareness of each and every technological development in this ever growing CG industry. And the best way to do that is internet surfing. I usually go through film & technology blogs and CG newsletters to stay aware of new developments. I am also a member of Maya-Python community and lots of other CG and programming related communities. I also prefer films & technology related magazines to keep an eye on latest developments.

CG Today : Thank you so much for your time, your insights, and your contributions to the field of animation.

Hemant : Thank you very much.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hemant Singh - FX Technical Director

Charuvi Design Labs, Delhi

e-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------