Interview with Richard Rosenman
Hello Richard how are you, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in CG?
My name is Richard Rosenman and I’m 34 years old, living in Toronto, Canada. I’ve been involved in the animation industry (both classical and digital) for over 12 years now and to this day, I absolutely love what I do.
Early in my high school years I caught my first glimpse of the budding CG industry and I knew that was what I wanted to do. In researching where to study this new medium, Sheridan College was recommended. I took the three-year Classical Animation program at Sheridan in order to take the one-year post-graduate computer animation program but decided upon graduating that I wanted to work in the classical industry instead. Throughout the years thereafter, projects involving more and more CG eventually led me back into the CG industry.
Eventually, I decided to work exclusively in the CG industry, first at TOPIX, then at Redrover, and eventually at Hatch which I currently own, along with two other partners.
Please tell us something about the Hatch Studios, what services offered and on the projects your studio has worked on?
We launched Hatch on June 5, 2006 to continue creating the art that all three of us love so much. I am in charge of all the 3D related productions, Larissa Ulisko is in charge of all the Motion Graphics related productions, and Randi Yaffa is in charge of all Executive Production. We had all worked together in the past and were good friends so it was simply a matter of time before the three of us decided to launch Hatch.
Hatch specializes in 3D and motion graphics commercial production for broadcast, film, web and print. We are always expanding our range of formats and I believe this has been a large part of our success as you have to continually change with the times. Technology is advancing at an exponential rate and we make sure to keep up with the latest creative and technical trends in order to produce cutting-edge work.
In addition to our current realm of production, we also have an in-house short film and we’re also working our way into series production.
Since opening Hatch 2 years ago, we have been lucky to continue receiving amazing work and therefore expanding our creative crew. We are in the process of moving into a space twice the size of our current one and our staff is now at approximately 20-25 people.
Above and beyond anything else, we strive to maintain a healthy, creative and fun environment at Hatch which I believe encourages enthusiasm to produce outstanding work.
You have done various commercials in Hatch Studios; please tell us about your role in those commercials and which is your best commercial till date? If possible then please also tell us what problems you have faced in that commercial?
Yes, there have been so many commercials produced since we launched Hatch that I cannot remember them all.
My role is director for all commercials that are 3D related. Likewise, Larissa’s role is director for all commercials that are motion graphics related. We don’t simply direct – we have always enjoyed working hands-on and so I actively participate in the lighting, rendering and compositing of 3D productions. Likewise, Larissa participates in the compositing of her motion graphics work. Occasionally we work together on various projects as well which call for a mix of 3D and graphic design work (Ford “Rollercoaster”).
Unfortunately, as we continue to receive more and more projects, I have less and less time to invest in the lighting and rendering. My role as director is critical so I am at a point where I must unfortunately hand my role as a lighting artist to someone else in order to be able to continue directing. This is the one downside of your company growing, although there are ways in which you can always participate in a production hands-on, even if it’s minimal.
I’m not sure I have a favorite commercial but many come close. The Ford “Rollercoaster” spot is among the top because it’s so unique to anything else we’ve ever done. Likewise, the Kraft “Geyser” commercial is also one of my favorites because of the wonderful characters and beautiful animation.
Without question, every single commercial we produce always had one big technological hurdle that must be overcome. While this can be very frustrating, it’s also a great learning experience because you learn how to effectively deal with technical issues, troubleshoot them, and resolve them. Whether it’s scenes that are too complex for rendering or HD frames taking too long for global illumination solutions to compute, or fluid dynamics looking blobby – there’s always something.
At the end of the day, these hurdles keep you on your toes and allow you to continue to learn from your experiences and mistakes.
