MICHAEL RICH VFX
WHY I DO ...
When Disney’s Aladdin came out in 1992, the Cave of Wonders scene made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I knew I wanted to create computer graphics for movies more than anything else! A few years later in 1995, Pixar’s Toy Story was released and that sealed the deal. I had to work at Pixar! But when Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) offered me a job as I was finishing my Computer Science degree, well, naturally I took the job. That was a very nice fork in the road to my dream, and what an amazing experience I had with ILM for over 17 years! I have been fortunate to contribute to over 33 major motion pictures, including 5 of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time, as well as many other films, commercials and projects. This brought experience in lighting & rendering, compositing, particle effects, camera match-moving, and rendering and software pipelines development. I have also had the opportunity to fill many leadership, teaching and mentoring roles. It was truly a dream come true!
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With completion of a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Effects Compositing at Academy of Art University, I am preparing to teach. I love helping others to succeed. I want others to have the opportunity to live their dream, as I have been able to do. And so I’m moving toward a career in teaching VFX and animation at the highest levels, to help the next generation find their way to their dreams. For years, both at ILM and in my educational endeavors, I have been mentored, guided and taught by some of the very best the VFX industry has to offer, and it’s time to give that back. The future of our industry is out there; our next leaders and visionaries. I look forward to helping them propel our industry into a magnificent future!
WHAT I DO
With over eighteen years experience in VFX and feature animation, I have significantly contributed to over 33 major motion pictures.
In my 17 years at Industrial Light & Magic I worked in many different artistic and technical development roles:
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lighting & rendering
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compositing
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particle effects
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camera match-moving
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software and render pipeline development
As well as many leadership roles:
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Lighting Supervisor ( San Francisco unit )
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Sequence Supervisor
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Lead Artist
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Katana Users Group (software development advisory committee)
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I have filled many different teaching, training and mentoring responsibilities, both in my time at ILM and during my schooling (undergraduate and graduate work).
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In December I will complete my MFA in Animation & Visual Effects with an emphasis in Compositing from Academy of Art University. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Brigham Young University in 2001.
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You'll find more details in my resume/cv. Just click on the link below.
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The "Filmography" page lists the movies I've worked on and has a link to my IMDb page.
You can also find a link to my demo reel there, to see some examples of my work.
( A password is currently required for the demo reel, due to some included work from not-yet-released films. You can contact me through the "Contact" page.)