This is what my week has been like.. doubling as both an animator and a motion capture and facial performance capture actor .. creating content for our Virtual Reality game at Floreo – I am wearing one of my favorite t-shirts that I purchased on my first trip to Bwindi on a trip sponsored by the Uganda Wildlife Authority so I could do research for my Galiwango film. It was through the production process of “Galiwango, obulamu bw’ekisodde” that I first seriously became interested in using Mocap as a storytelling tool. The mocap technology has developed so fast and I continue to learn a lot from this whole experience. Awesome things are in store
Here are some videos with the Animation and Motion capture results
Team Floreo ~ There is something so rewarding when you create 3D Art that makes a difference, in this case, using VR (Virtual Reality) Gaming to make a difference in the lives of children with Autism, and their incredible parents. We were honored to serve at the Please Touch Museum for this year’s #PlayWithoutBoundaries 2017 ~ I met so many inspiring kids, moms and dads, and left with a full heart knowing that the work we are doing at Floreo, has the potential to change lives. Thanks to all my teammates
So grateful to be part of this team of VR (Virtual Reality) Pioneers in the Autism Therapy space ~ Look Maama, I am in the news!! lol!! The VR Gaming Studio, Floreo, where I work as an Art Director, has secured $2.1 Million in Funding and a $1.7 Million NIH grant ~ When I joined it was just 4 people, we are on the cutting edge of harnessing Virtual Reality as a solution to help Children on the Autism spectrum develop much needed social skills. I get to create 3D content and animation that actually makes a difference!! Thanks so much to our CEO and Founder Vijay Ravindran for this tireless knocking on doors. Never give up friends!! I am learning a lot on this journey.
WOW, where does the time go?? Today I am celebrating 1 Year as the Art Director of Floreo, a VR (Virtual Reality) Gaming studio. I have learned so much in the last year, and I am so grateful to Vijay Ravindran, the CEO and Founder of Floreo, for taking a chance on me. I have experience creating content for PC games ( https://www.sowl.com/2013/02/video-games ), But I had never worked in VR before, and didn’t know much about Autism in Children ~ Meeting Vijay, opened my eyes and I saw first hand how a vision can impact the lives of children. We are creating VR gaming content to help children with Autism to develop social skills as they interact with a challenging and rapidly evolving world. I am grateful for the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of this budding VR industry and to make a change in people’s lives using Art and Technology. Here is to more years of making a difference in the world and a special thanks to our mighty little team, as Vijay calls us.
Art Journey in the Diaspora ~ Talk about Serendipity – the first Boss who introduced me to computer graphics was an Indian gentleman called Alnoor, a tech visionary, he changed my life when he taught me Photoshop & Corel Draw at the end of the day, each day after we returned to his office all sweaty and dusty, near Uganda House, off of Kampala road, in Uganda – My new boss, at the VR gaming studio where I am working as an Art Director, happens to be a brilliant Indian innovator – he has introduced me to this new world of VR (Virtual Reality) – in both instances, it was a chance meeting, but it was also as a result of being prepared for that moment when opportunity came knocking. That’s why I take seriously every moment I sit down to create a piece of artwork. You just never know who might come knocking… opportunity favors those that are prepared.
My Art Journey in the Diaspora ~ I have been waiting with great anticipation for Quill and the Oculus ~ all I can say is that the way I do art will never ever be the same again, VR has changed that forever ~ imagine an unlimited canvas in all directions, coupled with the sound a pencil or a brush makes when you are drawing or painting ~ now I know what my lunch breaks are going to be like ~ my first creation today was a wire car, just like the ones we used to make in Uganda ~ but this time done in VR… I am going to be recording videos from my creation sessions ~ you have to see it to believe 🙂 ~ thank you Oculus people… like we say in Uganda, “Nze I fear you” hehehehe
My Art journey in the Diaspora – Believe it or not, I am actually working – as a kid growing up in Mutundwe, Uganda, my late paternal grandma used to find me staring up at the sky, awestruck by the long white trails left behind by distant planes .. and she would jokingly tell me to get my head out of the clouds… I doubt she had any idea where technology was headed… I wish she were here so I could show her this amazing VR tech and say… “Jjajja, labaayo eno tekinolojje…
My Tuesday at work, Art Journey in the Diaspora ~ From Concept drawing this parrot character to modeling it in 3D, and then on to animation for VR ~ I am enjoying modeling using the Cintiq, I can only dream of what it will feel like on the upcoming Microsoft Surface Studio ~ for now, this is a whole new experience, because I am used to using a wacom tablet ~ being able to sculpt right on the screen is so liberating ~ I feel like hugging this device
Art journey in the Diaspora ~ This morning I took the Perception Neuron Motion capture suit for a test drive at work ~ soooo impressed by the results. A warning to all those planning on getting one, make sure you purchase a Battery pack because it doesn’t come with one, and be prepared to pay some customs dues because it ships from Hong Kong. I am still doing more tests and ironing out some calibration issues ~ the Anti-Magnetic case is also a must have ~ I recorded the un-boxing video, so I will share that on my youtube channel ~ more to come
Here is a video of the first test
Specializing in Art and Visual Technology | 3D Modeling, Character & Vehicle Animation, Oil & Acrylic Painting, Concept Art and Illustration
