An Interview with Peyton Thomas and Ryan Shea
By David Torrente, Game Design Director, IT Coordinator and Tutor CLE Austin
To many college students, college courses and homework are thought to be a chore that stands in the way of their free time. To some students, however, the assignments are fun and enjoyable. These students do not wait to be told what needs to be done, but rather take the initiative and work ahead. They complete extra work outside of class and work through each assignment with care and detail. Here in Austin, Peyton and Ryan are perfect examples of students who go the extra mile and already love their work. With another successful semester over, I took a moment to ask these two some questions about what drives them to work so hard and what they hope to accomplish.
Peyton is currently working on a degree in Associate of Applied Science in 3D Animation with a specialization in video game art. As the tools and technology change, Peyton stays on top of it all by reading about the latest trends and tools. Peyton has mastered the modelling phase of design and is now tackling his next interest. His current focus in on simulating highly accurate real-time lighting on his models using Unity3D and the Unreal engine.
Peyton’s current portfolio can be found at: https://www.artstation.com/peytonthomas
What drives you to do 3D modeling?
My drive is to make worlds and places come to life. Anything from sleek spaceships to fictional buildings, it’s the creative drive to see the final version, textured and everything that drives me.
What was your favorite class?
My favorite class is probably Video Game Art 3. Not only because we could choose our own assets to build, but also because David Fernandez, my professor, was a very good professor. He was very helpful and laid back as well.
What advice would you give to a new student?
Always make sure your drive to create is strong. Watch movies, games, or anything that you love. Get yourself inspired to create by the things you enjoy seeing. That’s the first step to create great work.
What was the hardest part of your degree?
I would say the hardest thing was learning the ropes for 3DS Max. But that didn’t last long. I learned the software well by simply messing around with it for a while. The more you use it, even if you don’t really make anything, you’ll retain that knowledge. Practice buttons and functions consistently.
What do you plan on doing after earning your degree?
My hope is to get a job as a 3D environment artist in the gaming industry. I would love to get paid for what I like doing, which is creating intricate models that people can see or interact with.
Ryan is currently working on his Associate of Applied Science in 3D Animation degree as well. He has already turned his academics into a “full-time job” and typically comes in to “work” here at CLE early each day. Ryan picks out a work station with Maya and then animates until the work day is done. Rather than just sit at the computer and hope his animations are accurate, Ryan fully involves himself in the project and acts out each animation. He also has a knack for recruiting CLE staff members to help with his animations.
Ryan’s Portfolio:
Ryan has the following to say about his experiences in 3D animation:
What drives you to do 3D Animation?
What drives me to do 3D Animation is making people feel good and seeing a smile on their face.
What was your favorite class?
My favorite class would be 3D Animation 1, 2, 3, and 4 because I had to opportunity to show my talents and test my limits. I liked all of them and they each continued to branch off from the earlier class.
What advice would you give to a new student?
My advice would be to follow your dreams, don’t let anyone take that away from you. It is not always easy but you can always find some part of it to enjoy.
What was the hardest part of your degree?
The hardest part of my degree would have to be rigging characters. I prefer the creative side of animation and didn’t really enjoy rigging. I still went through with it though.
What do you plan on doing after earning your degree?
I would love to work for Disney. As I go through my degree, I was made aware of additional animation studios. While Disney is my dream, I wouldn’t mind working at a local studio to get to know other animators that are currently in the field.
