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Playing It 'Zaf'
Zafer 'Zaf' Mustafa learns some new tricks
At a Glance:
Age: 29
Nickname: Zaf (rhymes with safe)
Occupation: Project Manager
REVELATIONS Role: Fireman (i.e. I put out fires, get it? Man, tough crowd!)
Preferred Tools (s/w, h/w): S/W - 3ds MAX, Poser, AE, Combustion; H/W - PC
RTOF: How did you hear about REVELATIONS?
ZAF: My introduction to the movie came from one of the director's solicitations -- nay, his desperate cries for help on one of the animation user groups I frequent. Following the link, I watched the very first teaser and was impressed about the level of production I saw. As I recall, I asked a good deal of questions, showed the director and TD some of my past work, and then, after some thought, committed to the project.
RTOF: What's your background? How did you get involved with computer graphics?
ZAF: My background is primarily in engineering; mechanical and mfg to be more precise. I began doing computer generated in college to help visualize complex design and concepts. After some time fiddling with the software, a friend and myself came up with a funny concept that I just had try and animate. That particular project was WAY beyond my abilities so it took a while, but it came out quite well, got me some exposure and started me down the path of doing CG as a career; whoda' thunk it?
RTOF: Where has your work been featured?
ZAF: Nothing too glamorous, unfortunately. I've had some portions of my work make it onto the demo reel for 3ds MAX (the animation tool I use), and a few exhibitions/conferences. The biggest thing is that one of my works is on a compilation video called North America's Best Independent Animated Shorts; Magic Lantern Productions is launching it and it should be out soon.
RTOF: So how does working on REVELATIONS differ from your past work?
ZAF: I've never worked with live action footage before and certainly not on any project of as big and varied scope as REVELATIONS. There's a lot going on in this movie and frankly, it's down right scary when you look at the list of visual effects shot this movie needs.
RTOF: What in particular appeals to you?
ZAF: The most interesting aspect is, honestly, the technical challenge of it all. There are some very neat and rich environments described in the script, and bringing those images to life, and integrating them with the live action footage, is by far the most appealing thing. I think that the visual effect sequences will be quite impressive when the movie is finally in the can.
RTOF: What do you hope to take away from the project?
ZAF: My goal right from the beginning was to learn how to do things that I had never done before. To be more specific, I had never done any FX work where my CG work had to blend seamlessly with live action footage, and also interact with live action, as you'll see. ;-)
Of course, you do end up getting a lot more than that; you meet some really talented people in a variety of roles and make some new friends along the way. Not a deal, really.
And oh yeah, networking and getting some exposure doesn't hurt either. :)
RTOF: What tools/capability do you wish you had for REVELATIONS?
ZAF: Motion capture would be neat :) Actually, I'm actually quite content with my toolset for getting the job done. I do wish I had more computers to help out with the number crunching of some of these sequences, though. As anybody on the project can tell you, sometimes it takes days for sequences to finish computing and reach the broadcast quality footage stage. And you typically have to rehash the shot a few times before its really done, so having more machines to help out reduce that overall processing time would be just grand.
RTOF: What is the greatest challenge you've faced as a visual effects artist?
ZAF: Does "self-depreciation" count? :) In all candor, I think my lack of faith in my abilities is probably my biggest obstacle as an artist. That being said, the work I've been doing more recently, i.e. on REVELATIONS plus as a contractor, has gone a long way towards giving me the confidence to attack bigger and more complicated projects.
RTOF: Who or what has been your greatest influence in pursuing this field?
ZAF: It comes down to doing what you enjoy, and I get my kicks doing computer-generated imagery. By trade, CG is pretty far away from my schooling, but I've managed to find a happy medium where I use both my formal education and what I enjoy doing.
RTOF: Where do you get your inspiration?
ZAF: Movies and books... I tend not to watch a lot of movies anymore, but I get a lot inspiration from the amalgamation of images I create in my head from books and what I remember from film.
RTOF: What's been your worst moment on this project?
ZAF: The worst moments are no shock, but still quite a big downer when they happen. When you do a project like this where the talents are volunteering their time, the work, without a doubt, always takes a second seat to more pressing responsibilities; i.e. family, work, paying the mortgage, etc. So the downers are when members of the team decide, for whatever reason, to leave the project.
It's not easy doing this type of work and even harder to find people that can both do the work and also devote the time. And when someone leaves, you know that without a doubt the schedule will get pushed back and forces some reprioritization.
RTOF: What's your best?
ZAF: Heh, well I think that would probably have be those times when you post your work and you get nothing but compliments from your peers. There are some really talented people working on the visual effects, and there's nothing more flattering than their praise.
RTOF: What advice would you offer someone looking to do this type of work?
ZAF: Be PUP: patient, understanding, and persistent. It's not necessarily hard work, just tedious at times and takes sometimes a good while to get the final shots to happen. You also have to understand that constructive criticism is just that and that your way isn't always the best way. I've been on both of ends this, but it really is tough to hear someone criticize something you've been so very close to; you feel like they just don't see what you see. Truth of the matter is, fresh eyes are really the best to help identify problem areas. So after all that, what do you do? You stick it out, get to work and get the job done.
RTOF: How much of your time does REVELATIONS take?
ZAF: Is "too much" bad to say? :) It does take quite a bit of my time, so I'm juggling this, contract work, plus the occasional gig with my band. Not so bad, but it can be overwhelming at times.
RTOF: So, if you knew back then, going into the project, what you know now... would you still do it?
ZAF: Considering what I've learnt thus far and my initial goals, yes. But I would've paced myself a little more. :)
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