| Growing up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Derek always had an interest in art and computers. He first discovered computer animation in a BASIC programming class in 8th grade. After HIgh School he moved to Tempe, Arizona to study Interactive Computer Graphics at Arizona State University. There he learned to use computer software such as Photoshop, AutoCAD, 3DSmax, Authorware, and a few others to create graphics for interactive media such as CD-ROMs and the Internet. An internship in Las Vegas developing a multimedai training simulation for the Henderson Fire Dept., helped him land a job creating the graphics for video slot casino games. A year later Derek switched to the exhibit industry to create 3d virtual fly-throughs of convention centers. That's where he discovered his love for 3d and film making! A few years later he moved to Los Angeles and attened the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, California. Now, Derek is a cg character animator with experience in feature animation, live action visual effects, televison animation, and video game cinematics. He also taught computer animation at the Laguna College of Art & Design for a few years, but is taking a break from teaching. |
