Roll The Credits

 Artist Spotlight

 

This week I will be examining the work of artist Mike Campau.  In his recent interview with 3Dtotal Mike discusses his technique in combining CGI with photography.  From a collaborative standpoint, Mike emphasizes the need to understand light setups, backgrounds and camera setups in order to convey the message and mood of the image.  Additionally, Mike adheres to Law #7 of Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power via the utilization of contracted services of outside artists to create specific elements of his work that may be too time consuming to learn.  In taking this approach, Mike is able to utilize his expertise effectively in meeting the needs of his clients and any applicable deadlines regarding a given project. 

Artistic Reference   

The techniques used in the work of Mike Campau primarily focus on the artistic aspects of composition, resolution, and rendering.  In the production of any artistic work, the purpose and function of the final image should be the key factors that dictate elements such as perspective, lighting, textures & shading, and positioning.  Additionally, formal artistic rules, such as the Rule of Thirds, serve as a guide to artists in the overall composition of any piece once these initial factors have been decided upon.  Understanding these factors fully allows artists to maximize their time and resources with reference to the scope of a project.  Artistically speaking, the general rules of photography are equally important, as they will ultimately define the style of an artist in conveying the thoughts and ideas behind each image they produce.  The combination of these principles is extremely evident within animation, particularly within the storyboard and/or progressions of a project.  As shown in the work of Mike Campau, the precision with which CGI is used in conjunction with photography ultimately affects the final result as factors such as the setting, materials, design, and perspective change throughout the creative process.