3DTi ALUMNI SUCCESS STORY:
From RESEARCH DOCTOR to ANIMATION DIRECTOR

Name: Dr. Rajeev Doshi Title: Animation Director Company: AS&K Skylight, London

A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH DR. DOSHI

Q. Why did you choose 3D animation as a career choice, in spite of having a medical background and how did you manage to get a break in this field?
Dr. Doshi: This specialization is not an accident since I have a medical background, having studied and received a PhD in the field of Cancer Therapy. Even though research beckoned, I felt that I wanted to combine medical science with another love of mine at the time, computer graphics. An opportunity arose to study at 3DTI and gain this skill set. Within six months of completing the course I had landed a job developing all the science A-level animations for a large publisher, Dorling Kindersley who were preparing a series of 3 study CD-ROMs. Following this I had an opportunity to set up the 3D studio in the creative division of a medical communication agency, ReGraphica, now called AS&K Skylight.

Q. How would you describe the course you took at 3DTI?
Dr. Doshi: The course provided me with my first experience of 3DS MAX. Over the period of 12 weeks, the sheer range of different projects kept me very interested in the field and allowed me to gain a far more rounded view of the industry. As a result, the reel that I produced at the end of the course was very varied, I have found that potential employers have been very impressed with this aspect showcasing my flexibility and the range of animation techniques I am familiar with. This reel has now led to the offer of a full time position with a company specializing in medical animation only a month after finishing the course ! Overall a most highly recommended course.

Q. What are you currently doing, and what is your area of specialization?
Dr. Doshi: Currently I am working as an animation director at AS&K Skylight, and we specialize in the creation of very high end 3D animation for medical and pharmaceutical companies. For the last 6 years we have been developing some of the most advanced 3D animation possible to illustrate what goes on in and around the human body when we become ill or take drugs to alleviate symptoms. For this we use 3DS Max and Brazil for all rendering work. Another essential tool is Combustion which allows us to carry out the incredibly complex compositing work that is required to achieve the results we do. Most recently our animation, Fragmin Mode of Action was a finalist in the Eurocom, European Computer Graphics Awards 2005 and we can currently be seen on the Splutterfish (makers of Brazil) client show reel alongside ILM and many others!

Q. Could you describe your typical day at work?
Dr. Doshi: My typical day can involve many elements, for instance I might start by reviewing the rendering outputs from the previous night for shots or R&D tests, then I might brief the animators on the next batch of shots to work on or discuss how to improve existing shots.
On a good day, I’ll have time to sit down and work on R&D test myself or crack on with some shots from ongoing projects or an edit. Otherwise I might be involved in writing animation outlines for new projects, troubleshooting problem scenes, researching new techniques we can utilize on projects and the general admin that’s needed to keep things moving and working.

Q. What do you look for in hiring animation talent in your company?
Dr. Doshi: The most important thing that I look for in an employee is someone who has an ‘aesthetic eye’ and so knows what looks good – its something you have or don’t and I don’t think it can be learned - everything else can. Such people are a rarity and I try to snap them up or at least try to work with them whenever I can. Such is the nature of our work, you’ve got to be a generalist, able to model, texture (procedurally for the most part), animate, know your Particle Flow, light scenes and composite since you would be in charge of complete shots from story boards to final composite.