Can you tell me what you're doing for EQII?
I'm a character animator for EQII. I'm also responsible for most of the character rigging.
What titles have you worked on for SOE?
I've worked on EQII, EQII Kingdom of Sky, EQII Desert of Flames, EQII Echoes of Faydwer
How did you become an animator?
I got into it almost by accident. I initially went to college for architecture. I hated it so much that after two years of architecture, I switched my major to graphic design. In this major, we were required to take one computer animation class. I enjoyed it so much that I continued to work on computer animations on my own free time. It eventually became my senior project before graduating. After graduating, I kept in touch with one my college friends, Ben, who moved to San Diego to work in a comic book company, by emailing him animations that I was working on at that time. One of Ben's friends from a gaming company happened to visit his studio and saw my animations on his computer. Interested, he asked Ben for my contact information and the rest is history.
As an artist, where do you get inspiration from?
I would say seeing people in athletic motion. This can range from sports, martial arts, to dancing.
You worked in SOGA studio in Taiwan for quite a long time. How did you like it and what's the difference between San Diego studio and SOGA studio?
I had a blast while I was in Taiwan. That was the first time that I had to oversee and mentor a group of animators. There's not that much difference between SOE and SOGA, although SOGA is a lot smaller, so everyone is familiar with each other. The office space in SOGA is also a lot more open, so it's easier to see what people are working on. It was really a rewarding experience and I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
You have been working for game industry for a long time. What did you see over the past 10 years and how it changed?
The obvious answer is the quality of graphics. The quality of gaming graphics are getting really close to the CGI used in films.
You are known to produce strange creatures. Where does your idea come from?
I've never had formal training in animation, so I think by looking at animations from a non traditional perspective, it allows me to approach animations from a more unique perspective. Plus, I used to watch a lot anime when I was a kid, so I take a lot of their stylized look and applied them in my own way.
How do you describe yourself? Do you think you are a game geek?
I'm definitely not a game geek. Heck, I've only played EQII once in my life (and that only because my company made that mandatory for me) and I don't own any game consoles. Artistically, I consider myself a jack of all trades. In terms of 3D, I also do modeling, texturing, and lighting but I don't get that opportunity here at SOE. In other fields, I also do illustrations, photography, video editing, and graphic design. I feel guilty whenever I'm not productive, so I usually try to stay active.
What do you like to do for fun?
I either go traveling, do still photography, or dancing.