Bio

Who am I?

I am a 3D artist/Technical director. Most of the work that I do involves texture mapping, lighting compositing, and particle systems. Usually I am the last person to work on a scene. Just before it gets sent out. Although I do modeling and animation from time to time it is not my main focus. Occasionally I write scripts, plugins and other little things that help improve my workflow. Want to know more about Ed Harriss? Click these links to see interviews with Ed Harriss.CGChannel.com, InsideCG.com, JoyCG.com, Softimage.com and Graphics Live.

What sort of work have I done?

Lots of freelance as well as full time work. Here is a list of some of the clients I have done work for or with in the past 9 years.

What sort of Software do I use?

Does it really matter?.... as long as the final product looks good and gets delivered on schedule, (or before that) it doesn't. But, some people really want to know. So here is a short list of the products that I have used quite extensively in the past and present. (In no particular order)

• Softimage3D
• SoftimageXSI
• Mental Ray
• Photoshop
• Proprietary Software
• Lightscape
• 3DS Max

What sort of education/background got me where I am today?

• I have been doing computer graphics since I was in grade school.
• I have been doing CG professionally for about 9years.
• Education: Bachelor of Science: Murray State University
• I was the CG Teachers Assistant for about 3 years.
• My major was Art and 3D-Graphics
• I did my Post Graduate work at Memphis State University, School of Communication Arts in Computer Graphics and Animation.
• I am the President of the Research Triangle Park Siggraph Chapter
• Occasionally I give a lectures/talks at various functions/schools (NC State School of Design, School of Communication Arts Career fair, Softimage Presentation, SAS, Southpeak Presentation, etc...)
• I have done quite a lot of one on one Tutoring in CG.
• I've created training videos for SoftimageXSI.
• I've written quite a few classes. (both off and on line)

Work History
What sort of work did I do for those clients listed above? Here are some examples.....

Alternate Route Studios

• Special Effects for Television adverts.
• Digital Matte paintings
• Sky replacement, Building extensions, Particle Systems, Lighting effects, ect...
• More compositing than I ever want to do again. (sarcasm) =)
• Click on a link to see a sample of one of the ads:
• (High Bandwidth, Cable, T1, DSL)
• (Low Bandwidth 56K)
  

NUIimge Labs / StayAnimated

• I wrote and hosted a few sets of training tapes for SoftimageXSI
• Created all the content demonstrating some of the tools in XSI
• Filmed about 200 hours of training footage. (Used about 10 hours of it)

Southpeak Interactive/SAS Video Productions

• Virtual Sets for DVD and CD-ROMs.
• Lighting, Texturing and finishing touches to 3d scenes just before they go to the compositors.
• Webmaster for the internal "graphics tools" web page. (Home for many of our, in house scripts, plugins, etc...)
• 3d Artwork for such titles as Wild Wild West, Mia Hamm Soccer 64, Men in Black, Dukes of Hazard, Drachen Zor, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
• Southpeak "Goodwill Ambassador" I Organize/bring in different groups of people (future employees, clients, vendors, etc...) Talk to them and give them a general idea what Southpeak/Video Productions does.
• Creation of Presentation Graphics for SAS trade show events. (as well as going on the road and running the graphics portion of the event)
  
  

Durham Bulls Baseball team.

• Did 3d graphics for the Durham Bulls Baseball Team as a Paintbox/Softimage artist.
• Created videos, logos, games, ads, player animations, etc....
• The type of stuff that would display on the jumbotron style screen out behind center field before, during and after the game.
• Ran the equipment during half of the games. (Switcher, 3 DDRS, Multiple tape decks as well as many live sources.)

School of Communication Arts

• Taught computer graphics(full time) for almost 5years. Mostly Softimage, Eddie, 3ds Max and Photoshop
• I still teach SoftimageXSI there on a part time basis (once a week)
• Edited hundreds of demo reels
• Helped put together and run 2 animation festivals featuring companies such as Blue Sky, Warner Bros., Industrial Light and Magic, PDI, Rhythm and Hues, and Mainframe
• Installed software on and maintained a lab full of SGI machines.

Clients listed below had one or more "flying logo" type animations done for them, by me.

IBM, Coke-a-Cola, Northern Telecom, Capitol Broadcasting Inc., WRAL TV, Channel 5, WDCG -G 105, Glaxo Wellcome, Coastal Federal Credit Union, Devines Sports Bar, Mitch's Tavern, etc...



Baen Publishing

• Did 3D Artwork for the cover of the latest release of David Webers "Apocalypse Troll"
  
  

Misc Stuff....

Lectures/Presentations at The University of Florida, Siggraph, Softimage University, North Carolina State University, School of Communication Arts, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Summit 2000. Particle systems for 8th Wonder Games. Pre-production work for Kaleidoscope Interactive. 3D and 2D Graphics for Newton Instruments Electronic Catalog. Advertising, Layout and Design for Spectator Magazine. Logo work for J.D.Power Asia Pacific, Flythru's for The Golf Channel. and much more....

Want to know more... really? Frankly, if you read down this far I am amazed. But if you are really interested, I'd love to answer any questions that you might have. Just send me a mail at EdHarriss@EdHarriss.com

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