Starr Allen Shaw

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What is your name?
Starr Allen Shaw
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
“I once made a 3D pre-vis film for Nextel that ending up making a multi million dollar sale. I help design the Nascar Car of Tomorrow inspection platform that is still used in Nascar today.  But, by far one of my most favorite… and proud of projects is a game my brother, a friend and I made together in just a little over 2 months for the Apple iPad & iPhone called BattleNoidz (Available on iTunes) LOL. ”

 

What would you say has been your primary job in animation?
For most of my Computer Graphics career (Since the early 90’s) I have been a 3D artist. I have done my share of animation, video, short corporate films,  and web media. The smaller the company I work for, the more animation I seem to do.  I often have to wear an Animators hat when its called for. So, I would say I primarily do 3D Pre-Visaliaztion Animated films, well at lest I did for many years before I started working in the game industry.

How did you become interested in animation?
“I remember when I was young I was lucky enough to meet Don Bluth at a mall in southern California. I think it was the mall.  He was sketching there and I was able to walk away with a signed sketch of Dirk from Dragons Liar.  I do not remember where the hell that sketch ran off too… I lost it.  But, anyway, I remember going to the art warehouse somewhere in Pasadena, and getting my parents to buy me tons of Cels, Pegboards and Cel paint for my next animated feature film. 🙂
My dad made me a Rotating Light Table for painting cells and I somehow got a 8mm film camera with a stop motion trigger for doing animation.  I can not remember if I actually even finished any animation…. but do remember working allot on my own kid version of the next dragons lair. LOL”

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am from Southern California. My first CG job was in Hollywood.  I started making little animated banners for websites, and Shockwave Director applications.  Now I am a bit of a CG nomad and really move to where there is work to be done.  I have travel and worked from coast to coast.

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
These days I work in the game industry.  I am a CG generalist, so I will do a lot of Tech Art, Rigging, 3D Modeling and Animation.

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The Best (and worst) game companies to work for in 2013

Best and worst game employers 2013

This should be interesting!

Game Skinny.com is reporting about who in the gaming industry is the best and worst to work for based on employees in 2013.

As it turns out Valve and Riot are among the best to work for which is valuable information for our readers to say the least!

From the site:

We all have our impressions of how good a video-game company is, but, for most of us, those impressions are formed mostly from personal experience as consumers and from a kind of Internet groupthink. (“Valve is good. EA is bad. Everyone knows that.”)

Here’s insight from the people in the trenches, who have an insiders’ view of exactly what goes on behind closed doors and can offer some brutally honest assessments of what it’s like to work for the giants of video gaming.

*UPDATE: Added the CORRECT link to the article.

You can read the full article here.