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| Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai Isa Alsup, 2011 |
Now I'm back in the USA, vacationing with family and visiting friends for a while. Might head back to India, or elsewhere, but first there's many people to see to catch up with events and the state of visual effects here.
GEON Studios supervision tour 2010
My duty tour at GEON began in the height of the monsoon and lasted through mid-winter. The work was demanding and the days often long, but nothing too tough for this vfx veteran.
During my time at GEON, the work we were doing required us to use the most recent technologies and methods. We broke new ground, experimented with new ideas and approaches, undertook some interesting design challenges and made great progress. As a supervisor, I found the work stimulating and challenging on aesthetic, technical and managerial levels.
My responsibilities at GEON, as "DFX cum CG Supervisor" embraced a broad portfolio of activities, including VFX supervision of one major project and close DFX supervision of several others. Projects at GEON included film and television and embraced a wide swath of CG, Roto and Compositing technologies. All the projects were significant, some local and some international in scope, and the one I supervised was a behemoth project with hundreds of shots.
My main supervisory activities included pipeline development and management, oversight of CG, Comp and Roto departments, leadership development and aesthetic and technical guidance. While quality assurance was part of my portfolio, I have to say the team did such great work that my 'quality assurance' was often more about interpreting client direction, a familiar role for any vfx supervisor.
I worked with some fine people there, including the producer and production department and the line supervisors, leads and senior department artists. Much as I would like to name names and give credit and applause to all the fine people I worked with -- supervisors, crew and support; and as much as I'd like to compliment the fine director's I worked with and mention the outstanding projects we were doing, the barrier of confidentiality requires some discretion until the work is all released and other milestones passed. Let me just say that the people working in VFX at GEON can stand with the people I have worked with in the USA.
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| Photo to illustrate a teaching point. Isa Alsup 2011 |
In addition to supervising the artistic crew, I worked with the capable production staff. The main responsibility of every vfx production staff is to communicate and coordinate the essential command and control information. GEON has a great system; still, I shared with them my unique experiences and thinking. I've been publishing some of these ideas in my blog, The Art of CG Supervision. http://cgsupervisor.blogspot.com,, over the last two years.
As I often do with my clients, I shared my CG scripts and customizations, many I authored and some collected, with the CG team. In addition, I wrote a Comp few scripts and lead/guided with some R&D in their Roto and Matchmove departments. The training I gave included some expression tricks. I have done a great deal of R&D in the past -- mostly scripting and some C programming together with systems analysis and product specifications and testing, so working with GEON's team to push the envelope was a real treat
I just want to give a big shout out to all my colleagues --dare I say new friends? -- at GEON Studios. Thanks for all your hard work and making my time with you comfortable and professionally exciting.
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| R City Mall Isa Alsup, 2010 |
It wasn't all work -- I did get a chance to see GEON's fine vfx work in a a screening of the film Warrior's Way and at the all-India theatrical premiere of Gulliver's Travels (in stereo 3d). GEON's role and work has been praised in the trades, so I won't repeat it here.
While I personally was not involved in Warrior's Way and had a trivial role in Gulliver's vfx post, nothing to really mention, it was fun to see the films with the team. Both were fine films, and I realize that I've missed the VES and ATAS film screenings I attended with my peers in the USA. It's sort of quite fun to discuss the vfx and film merits with co-workers.
I also took a break and saw the film Sanctum (in stereo 3d) on my own at the R. City Mall (a very 'western' style hang-out with great restaurants, shops and a bowling alley). This was a great film, but seeing it alone underscored my feelings that I missed seeing films with peers.
By the way, I had a great time at the stereo 3d films. Stereo 3D has long been an interest, and I've been delighted to see filmmakers returning to this medium. I've been researching and testing, on my own, stereo conversion concepts. Just before going to India I made a major review of the topic --for my own interest --and had some time in off hours to do some reading.
I don't know how my readers may feel, but I believe that stereo 3d is giving the vfx industry a new energy.
While I personally was not involved in Warrior's Way and had a trivial role in Gulliver's vfx post, nothing to really mention, it was fun to see the films with the team. Both were fine films, and I realize that I've missed the VES and ATAS film screenings I attended with my peers in the USA. It's sort of quite fun to discuss the vfx and film merits with co-workers.
I also took a break and saw the film Sanctum (in stereo 3d) on my own at the R. City Mall (a very 'western' style hang-out with great restaurants, shops and a bowling alley). This was a great film, but seeing it alone underscored my feelings that I missed seeing films with peers.
By the way, I had a great time at the stereo 3d films. Stereo 3D has long been an interest, and I've been delighted to see filmmakers returning to this medium. I've been researching and testing, on my own, stereo conversion concepts. Just before going to India I made a major review of the topic --for my own interest --and had some time in off hours to do some reading.
I don't know how my readers may feel, but I believe that stereo 3d is giving the vfx industry a new energy.
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| Hiranandani Gardens fountain Near ny home Isa Alsup, 2011 |
Living in Mumbai
Aside from a minor injury in November and a brief illness in January, my time in Mumbai was exciting and filled with productive days.
My residence in Powai -- an upscale development called Hiranandani Gardens, was a 12th floor flat with a view of some really nice garden areas and attractive architecture. As an artist, I always enjoy being close to nature and like architectural and structural beauty. The flat was modest --I made no demands -- yet comfortable and well appointed, although not the same as home, but really first class.
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| Finding artistic inspiration in a fine java at Gloria's Coffee Isa Alsup, 2010 |
When my needs were more (shall we say, wider or extravagant?) I took the autorickshaw to R City Mall, which gave a slightly more upscale shopping experience and had a variety of goods and services I could not find at the local mall. There was also a nice Thai restaurant there.
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| Mohamed Ghouse and Abdul Rasheed, great shopping companions Isa Alsup, 2011 |
My second India tour went very fast; ending in early February after six months. I had a great time working at GEON and found India a comfortable place. While the culture can at times seem more formal than the USA, I found the people to be generally warm and easy going.
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| At home in Palmdale It has just started to snow by Khadija Alsup, 2011 |
Recharging My Batteries
in Sunny California
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| Alsup Manor Dressed in Winter Whites Isa Alsup 2011 |
I love going to natural history museums and aquariums and zoos. I find the life and nature very inspiring, and as an artist I'm always inspired by the exotic creatures.
We took a leisurely drive back --passing through Santa Cruz, the Salinas Valley and then cutting through the mountains to get back home. Driving in the country is especially good for me to recharge my batteries and get my visual aesthetic refreshed. I was driving, but my daughter got some good photos. Maybe we can talk her into uploading them....
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| Snow on the plum tree Isa Alsup 2011 |
After all the rain in Mumbai the weather turned warm, although the locals said it was a cold winter. I was shocked at the cold weather here -- was wearing two pairs of socks one day. It snowed this week and that was a blast. I got to play a little, and threw snow at the kids and took lots of pictures. I especially like getting up close.
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| Isa Alsup In Mumbai India Sineeth Shetty 2011 |
Anyway, the engine is recharged and I'm thinking about getting back to work soon.... just want to play a tiny bit more and take a few more pictures.
Maybe jump on Lynda.com or DigitalTutors for a day or so.
And then back to work.....
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| Yeti Footprint? Seen in Palmdale, CA Isa Alsup, 2011 |
if you want to see more .... 
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