Nick Nakadate
Nick’s diverse background includes lighting and rendering, particle effects, paint and compositing, 3D modeling and technical animation. Key experiences include feature film projects such as Superman Returns, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Sin City, Shark Boy and Lava Girl 3-D, Ironman, and The Day after Tomorrow. Nick has also worked on numerous TV commercials. He also has seven years experience as an architectural designer. When not working, Nick likes spending time with his family, cycling, and BBQ.
Nick’s latest Journal entries…
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April 4 2012
Persephone: Colorful Transition
Working on Persephone (Mark Roush’s short film about a girl made of chocolate) has brought the opportunity to create a look that is painterly and dreamy. I have been creating CG backgrounds from 3D sets that are then treated in 2D for a more painted look and feel. In working on transitions among the shots, I have been exploring the opportunity to introduce more organic and painterly transitions. How does it move? What is the color palette and timing? How does paint move, or is…
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February 3 2012
The Quirky Mind
Quirky is a crowd-source invention company, whose process utilizes the web. People can submit an idea for $10.00 and pitch it, giving the problem and solution, in their mind, and the community votes on it and adds their comments. This is something I have been wanting for years, not being able to shell out the funds for a patent lawyer and the research. Despite Google’s push to put patent search online (currently in beta), it’s still a tough and expensive task for the individual to get an invention…
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December 12 2011
Dimensional Art
There has been a lot of hype around the film Hugo due to its use of 3D. As a movie fanatic, and VFX artist with 3D film experience, I knew I had to see it. I have to say, it was the best 3D film I have ever seen. No contest. Avatar has nothing on it, as do none of the 3D films I have worked on. Scorcese, one of the master directors of our time, did what many have stated and argued for a long time: 3D can…
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June 30 2011
The Future is Us–At Least Parts of Us.
I recently came across a video advertisement showing a Japanese band consisting of eight young women. It showed them singing a song and performing. Nothing really out of the ordinary (maybe their outfits though?). Then the stunner came in a related video: The 8th band member was a fake. How, you say? The 8th band member was created out of video clips of the other seven–each of them providing specific features. See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIpYpRobez4&feature=player_embedded I was fascinated that this was done and pulled off well, but…
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May 23 2011
No. 2,999
I was recently voted into the Visual Effects Society (http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/). What is this you say? I’ll tell you, straight from the VES: “The Visual Effects Society (VES) is the entertainment industry’s only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of more than 2,200 members in 20 countries, the VES strives to enrich and educate…
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