Download Terrence Masson

Terrence Masson
Visual Effects Supervisor
phone: 413-822-4949 - [email protected] - www.cg101.com
My overall role includes working with creative executives, producers, artists and R&D teams to help
establish the overall success of a project; especially optimizing and improving the quality and workflow between the
creative, technical and management aspects of production. It is my belief that strong leadership, clear direction and
teamwork are the key to getting the most quality (and fun) out of any endeavor.
Cinematography, animation direction and story telling are my main creative interests and what I have the
most specific experience doing. Operating under tight deadlines for projects large or small and maximizing
production efficiency are some of my strongest points. I take (and give) direction very well operating both on my
own and as part of a team. I also operate with a “grace under pressure” that comes from over 17 years of feature film
and commercial production experience.
What have I done lately?
As Chair of the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival I Executive Produced and Directed
over 5 hours of programming over an 18 month period including the Electronic Theater “Etch-A-Sketch” pre-show.
In addition to developing studio business plans for a number of start up ventures, I recently enjoyed a year
at Technicolor Creative Services in Toronto as Visual Effects Supervisor on pipeline optimization.
Last year I served as CG Supervisor on the Fantastic Four visual effects film for Meteor Studios. I
developed, optimizing and supervising a team of 60 from modeling through shading, lighting and compositing.
For Dreamworks Animation as pre-production Head of Layout on Flushed Away (an Aardman feature
film project) I evaluated software tools and established procedural pipeline standards for their previously 2D
experienced production environment. This experience was in collaboration with the film’s Directors, Production
Designer and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Two years ago consulting at C.O.R.E. Feature Animation as pre-production Director of Photography I
established their camera and lighting standards and procedures. I also interviewed and staffed the 35 person lighting
department for the Toronto based, Disney backed feature length animated film, The Wild.
Hand-on skills
 Camera, Lighting and Compositing: Fifteen years of fulltime digital cinematography experience;
including eighteen major feature films, interactive games, pre-rendered cinematics and broadcast national
commercials. I have used most 3D computer animation products in the market today including Alias/Maya,
3Dmax, Houdini and SoftImage, as well as many proprietary tools at large companies such as ILM and
Digital Domain.
 Animation Direction: I have Directed several award winning short animated films such as Bunkie &
BooBoo (First Place World Animation Celebration 1998); developed the very first digital character
animation techniques for South Park the television series; flown the Millennium Falcon in The Empire
Strikes Back: Special Edition and effects animated pixie dust in Hook to name just a few.
 Creative Writing: Co-writer of the Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon script; author CG 101: A Computer
Graphics Industry Reference; author of numerous articles and presentations at professional conferences
worldwide and co-founder of the online visual effects resource www.VFXPro.com
Other Accomplishments :
 Member of the Visual Effects Society since its inception.
 Author of "CG 101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference", New Riders Press. 1999
 Developed the original CG animation technique for the television series South Park in 1996
 Member of the Purdue International Center for Entertainment Technology (PICET) Advisory Board
 Co-founder of The Visual Effects Resource Center ( www.visualfx.com is now www.VFXPro.com )
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-major employment historyCharlex/Launch : summer 2006 to present
Technicolor : Visual Effects Supervisor (summer 2005 to summer 2006)
Meteor Studios : CG Supervisor “Fantastic Four”; (November 2004 to March 2005)
Dreamworks SKG : Head of Layout “Flushed Away” (pre-production); (Nov. 2003 to March 2004)
C.O.R.E. Feature Animation : Director of Photography (pre-production); (June 2003 to Nov. 2003)
Kleiser Walczak Construction Company : Visual Effects Supervisor (ongoing constultant)
http://www.kwcc.com/newsletters/newsletter_spring_2003.html
Ronin Entertainment : Director of Development & Creative Project Lead ; (Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2002)
Industrial Light + Magic : Senior Technical Director & CG Sequence Supervisor; (1996 to Jan 2000)
Sony Pictures High Definition Center : Visual Effects Supervisor; (Nov. 1995-Feb 1996)
Sony Pictures Imageworks : Animation R&D Consultant; (Nov/Dec 1995)
SimEx Digital Studios : Digital/Visual Effects Supervisor; (January-October 1995)
Warner Brothers Imaging Technology : Computer Graphics Supervisor; (March 1994-Oct 1994)
Digital Domain : Technical Director & Digital Artist; (Oct 1993-March 1994)
The Trumbull Co. Inc. (May 1992-Oct 1993) ; Image Engineering Supervisor
Industrial Light + Magic (1991) ; Computer Graphics Artist and Technical Assistant
-feature film creditsFantastic Four ; CG Supervisor at Meteor Studios
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace ; CG Sequence Supervisor at ILM
Small Soldiers ; Senior Technical Director at ILM
Bunkie & Booboo ; Designer & Director at ILM (short animated film)
Spawn ; Senior Technical Director at ILM
Return Of The Jedi/Special Edition ; Technical Director at ILM
The Empire Strikes Back/Special Edition ; Technical Director at ILM
Lord Protector ; Digital Effects Supervisor(300+ shots) for Alpine Pictures
Anaconda ; Animation R&D consultant at Sony Pictures Imageworks
Cutthroat Island ; Digital Fauxtography Contract for 2D effects animation
Mars Odyssey (ride film) ; Digital Visual Effects Supervisor at Simex Digital Studios
Batman Forever ; Digital Fauxtography Contract for the opening title sequence
Batman Forever ; Shot planning and animation for Warner Brothers Studios
Judge Dredd ; Digital Fauxtography Contract: Courtroom Lawgiver and 3-D map sequences
Dark Territory/Under Siege Two ; Digital Fauxtography Contract
Batman Forever ; Shot planning, previsualization and animation for Warner Brothers Studios
Woodstock-25th Anniversary ; Restoration work for Warner Brothers Studios
True Lies ; Technical Director at Digital Domain
Interview With The Vampire ; Technical Director at Digital Domain
Color of Night ; Digital artist at Digital Domain
Luxor (ride film) ; Image Engineering Supervisor. The Trumbull Co.
Hook ; Computer Graphics Animator and Technical Assistant at ILM
-short animated filmsBunkie & Booboo: http://www.kascope.com/cgibook/html/tmanhtml/booboo.htm
First place winner: "Best 3D/Effects Animation by an Independent". The World Animation Celebration 98.
-Featured in the new DVD/VHS release “Little Bytes” presented by Odyssey Productions.
-Selected for the1999 Mill Valley Film Festival: Sat. Oct 16, 1999
-Selected for the Hollywood Shorts monthly film series. (Sunday Sept.12th 1999)
-Screened at Sausalito Arts Festival Sept. 4-6, 1999.
-Featured in Visual Fantasy: The World of Computer Graphics 1999: Machida City Museum of Graphic
Arts, Tokyo
-Featured in the 1998 SIGGRAPH Animation Festival and SIGKids Theaters.
-Film debut at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival 1998
-Featured in NICOGRAPH98 CG Film Show Nov. 25th-27th 1998
Paranoimia: Designed and Directed this short animated film in 1990.
-Featured in the 1991 Mill Valley Film Festival(CA).
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-awards and articles and other neat stuff-SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival Chair
-South Park: Developed the original CG animation technique and production pipeline with Producer David White to
win the approval for the animated cable series. (details online at:
http://www.spscriptorium.com/SPinfo/MakingOfSouthPark.htm#Beginnings )
-Host of Creative Planet's "Visual Effects" Community Center Forum. (May, 2000 to May, 2001)
-Contributing writer for VFXPro.com
"Paul Debevec and the Art of Photogrammetry"”, “Understanding Motion Capture": a book review.
"Details, details, details" article, "Entering the VFX Industry" article.
"The Art and Science of Digital Compositing": a book review.
-1999 Francis Cabot Lowell Fine Arts Young Alumni Award: University of Massachusetts Lowell
-Animation Magazine: Contributor to "Opportunities in Animation; Demo Reel Tips". Sept. 1999.
-Joel Seigels Inside Hollywood Oscar Special (3/18/99): Presenting Star Wars SE work.
-National Institute for Standards and Technology expert consultant for digital video graphics.
-SHOTS Magazine (November issue #49): ILM's Terrence Masson - profile. The commercial design industry's
premier magazine and video.
-Good Morning America: George Lucas interview with Joel Seigel for Star Wars Special Edition. Presenting
Empire Strikes Back: Special Edition work.
-ACM/SIGGRAPH 1995(Aug/95): Interactive Entertainment Technical Director.
-recent speaking engagements-FMX’06 : “How to get your short rejected”, Stuttgart. Summer 2006.
-FMX’06 : “The SIGGRAPH Animation Festival selection process”, Stuttgart. Summer 2006.
-Pratt Institute : Production lecture for Prof. Linda Lauro-Lazin, Broolkyn, NY. 2005.
-Purdue University : Spring Banquet Guest Speaker. April 4th, 2003
-Purdue University : PICET Speaker “Digital Cinema and Cinematography:. Oct. 13th-16th 2002
-The Art Institutes International : National Curiculum Panel member. April 30th, 2002
-The Art Institutes International San Fransisco : Guest Speaker and portfolio review. March 14 th, 2002
-Expression Center for New Media (Emeryville, CA) : Final Project class instructor
-University California / Berkeley : “Advanced Computer Aided Rendering and Animation” Nov.9th, 2001
-SIGGRAPH / San Fransisco : “A Night Inside Computer Games: Game Design”. Oct.30th, 2001
-Purdue University : PICET Conference speaker Oct.8th, 2001
-Expression Center for New Media : “How to prepare for a job in the CG industry”. Sept.6th, 2001
-3D Festival “International Forum for 3D Graphics” : Copenhagen, Denmark. Oct., 2000
-World Animation Celebration : Panel Speaker “How to prepare to get a job in animation”. May, 2000
-3D Conference & Expo (Santa Clara, CA) : “How to Enter the Computer Graphics Industry”. May, 2000
-SIGGRAPH / San Fransisco : Education Seminar. April 26th, 2000
-Imagine Con 2000 : FX Guest of Honor. Virginia Beach, Virginia. April 20 th-23rd, 2000
-Purdue University : Spring Banquet Guest Speaker. March 31st, 2000
-Barnes & Noble : “CG 101” book signing and lecture. Fremont, CA. Feb.25th, 2000
-Swarthmore College : Guest Lecturer. Feb.17th-19th, 2000
-Purdue University : Invited Speaker. Dec.3rd, 1999
-Director’s Guild of America (DGA) : “Improving Communication between VFX and Production. Oct.1999
-ASIFA : San Fransisco. Careers night at the Exploratorium. Nov.9 th, 1999
-Borders Books : San Rafael, CA. “CG 101” book signing and lecture. Nov.4th, 1999
-SIGGRAPH / San Fransisco : Education Seminar. Sept.30th, 1999
-Film&Media Exchange / FMX’99 : Germany. Keynote Speaker “The History of Computer Graphics”. May, 1999
-Lawrence Livermore Labs : “Science On Saturday” lecture series. “The Digital Creature Feature”. Feb.1998
-World Summit for Feature Films and Visual Effects : Invited Panelist. March 1998-SIGGRAPH / Los Angeles :
Guest Panel Speaker on Independent Animation. Feb.1996
-Alias | Wavefront Los Angeles Users Group : Featured Speaker presenting past work. June 6 th, 1996
-education-William Paterson University. (Wayne, New Jersey) ; Master of Arts in Computer Animation 1990 (one year)
-University of Massachusetts (Lowell, Massachusetts) ; BFA Graphic Design: Computer Graphics / Graphic Design
major with Art History minor 1989
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-Marian High School (Framingham, Massachusetts) High School: Voted Most Artistic in graduating class 1984
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