Interview with Chris Nichols
Have you also felt the heat of recession, according to you what’s the current status?
Yeah it definitely affected the studios here. Money got tighter and work was pretty lean. I thought I had moved here at the worst possible time and really felt lucky when I got hired at the studios I worked at. Now work seems to be coming in and a lot more studios are opening up here again. The biggest problem for me at least is that it’s also attracted a lot higher caliber of artists with way more film credits so it just got even more competitive for work here.
What are your hobbies and please describe your free time, if you have any or are you the kind of person who lives for the work all the time?
 To be honest I think 3d is my hobby as well as my job. I’m pretty aware of where I am and where I want to be and constantly feel there isn’t time for much outside CG. I really enjoy working on models and love the time I have, away from work to create my own creatures and characters without time constraints or under the direction of someone else. I feel really fortunate to be able to do this and try to dedicate about 8 hours a day to working on personal stuff when I’m not at a studio.
On which projects you are working these days, if you like to share?
I finished up doing a short contract on ‘The Last Airbender’ and working back at CIS on a project which is remake of Red Dawn. At home I’m working on a Dragon Slayer model which I’m considering changing to an Ogre Slayer. :-)
Your website name is interesting (www.porkpiesamurai.com), what’s the story behind choosing this name?
He..he! When I was living back in Perth, Australia, one of my housemates gave me the nickname The Porkpie Samurai and he was known as the Ginger Ninja because of his red hair. I can’t remember how that stuck as a moniker but the credit belongs to him. I really like how visual it is.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to any artist looking to work or want to make a career in this field?
Man it’s hard to narrow it down to just one piece of advice. Probably to show you’re diverse in all areas, Environments and props, creatures and characters and vehicles. If you’re competent in those areas you will have more chance of getting hired and from there you can start to focus on a more specialized area.
Anything you like to add? It is your chance now to state your opinion about anything!
Ha..ha! ummm.... anything?
OK since I have the platform, I really wish people would stop making Hulks, Orcs and Wolverine’s unless they are really interesting versions. There’s just so many clogging the forums and galleries and its way more interesting to see original creatures and characters than the same old thing. Being in a creative industry I think most people have enough imagination to come up with something other than those overdone characters.
Thanks a lot Chris for taking out sometime for us from your busy schedule.
Sure no problem :-)
Chris Website - www.porkpiesamurai.com
|
