alumni news The distance between the Motor City and Tinseltown is 2,287 miles, but for students looking to make an impact on the film or video game ccs in industries it’s just a short hop to a successful career.

Speed Bike Rider, concept art Hollywood by Imran Sheik

e’re far from home,” said John “Hollywood is the hot spot right now,” said work in the fastest growing segment of the helped me gain an insight into the professional Vassallo, a 2003 graduate of the David Chow, adjunct faculty in the Illustration entertainment industry — video games. world. They helped lay down a very different animation and digital media foundation for me that would have been very Department. “I send a lot of students out program, “but there’s actually a Sheikh is the concept artist on the widely popular hard to learn within the walls of any classroom.” small, growing community of us there every year. Besides being where the online game Gorgonbox and has worked on Star out here.” work is, it’s also a place where there is a Wars Battlefront and Full Spectrum Warrior Alumni may provide insight into the games. Prior to working for High Moon Studios, “real world,” but support for considering strong CCS network.” Vassallo got his start in the entertainment Lai spent time with where she a career in the entertainment industry industry right out of college with his work contributed to John Woo’s Stranglehold, begins in the classroom. Faculty such as on the filmUnderworld . From there he That network includes Vassallo; Jay Shuster, NBA Ballers: Phenom, and Mortal Chow, Scott Bogoniewski, Lora Parlove, worked on a variety of television projects, character animator at Pixar; David Hardin, Kombat Shaolin Monks. Adeboye Adegbenro, Gary Schwartz, including developing visual effects for CSI, character animator at Sony Pictures; Ben Ridgeway, and Brooke Keesling have Threat Matrix, Clubhouse, Las Vegas, and ER, Doug Chiang, owner of Ice Blink Studios; “There are twice as many video games developed worked in Los Angeles’ entertainment industry before returning to the film industry as a Marc Gabbana, concept artist for Ice Blink each year out of Hollywood than films, said and pass along the support students need freelance character animator. Studios; Angie Lai, video game designer for High Chow. “It’s by far the fastest growing industry to realize their career goals. Moon Studios; Dorian Compo, creative producer in Southern California. It’s hard to determine which CCS grad made at Firstborn Multimedia; Imran Sheikh, character Diversity in the classroom many times leads Due to the rise in popularity of video games the trip first, but in recent years Detroit has designer/concept artist at Pandemic Studios and to diversity in the workplace. Whether it’s and the continued need of animators and become a popular stop for those on their Bill Morrison, creative director at Bongo Comics, Vassallo’s trek through the film and television illustrators who can develop special effects way to Hollywood. Whether graduating from the company best known for producing the industry or Compo’s film and fashion work for film and television, Chow expects the the animation, illustration, or industrial design Simpsons and Futurama comic books. (Compo creates t-shirt designs for Detroit programs graduates have played major roles CCS pipeline to continue for several years. Shirt Company), CCS prepares graduates for in several successful video game, film and This is just a small percentage of the CCS a variety of career options. “I always tell students who go out there that television projects. graduates transitioning to life on the West Coast. they can’t get studio apartments, that they It is estimated that more than 100 graduates For more information on alumni events have to get at least two bedrooms because work in Hollywood’s entertainment industry. please contact Terese Nehra at the next wave of graduates will be calling on [email protected] “One of the main reasons I moved to Los Angeles them for support,” he said. or 313.664.7462. was to be closer to the film industry – to be one Most of the time the support comes before of the fish in the amazing pool of artists in graduates show up on doorsteps. Nearly all of this community,” said Compo, a 2003 graduate The Simpson Comic Book. Creative Director Bill Simpson. the graduates come back to the Detroit area to from Animation and Digital Media whose visit family and friends and when doing so make resume includes Cinemax’s fall launch campaign, CCS alumni have truly impacted the industry it a point to share their experiences and knowl- the interactive marketing campaigns for with Vassallo, creating the special effects for edge with students still in the classroom. Malibu Rum, and the launch of the Toyota FJ Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, the action adventure thriller Primeval and Pirates of the Caribbean: TOP: Character by concept artist Angie Lai. and the Toyota Prius advertising campaigns. “As a student, I learned much of what the concept Deadman’s Chest. Characters featured in art field entailed by seeking out and speaking MIDDLE: A scene from Open Season. Oscar nominated animated filmsCars were with accomplished alumni Marc Gabbana and Animation by David Hardin. conceived, developed, and animated by Shuster Jay Shuster,” said Lai. “Taking their advice to with Chiang, Gabbana doing the same for the Sci Fi Channel Promotion by John Vassallo, Character Animator. BOTTOM: Emimem’s “Lose Yourself Video” “Ramone” character from Cars movie. Jay Shuster, heart and witnessing their work ethic and drive storyboards by Dave Chow. Sketch Artist. hit filmMonster House. And, Sheikh and Lai

Driving Force: Tim Flattery. The designer behind Hollywood’s hottest rides

o have a role in one Hollywood blockbuster Flattery has recently appeared in dozens of is a rare accomplishment, so to have a hand televised interviews and industry publications Tin three summer hits means your ingenuity to talk about the work he did on the Fantasticar and reputation have established you as one featured in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver of Hollywood’s most creative forces. Surfer. Powered by a proton accelerator, the flying car splits into three separate units and, Tim Flattery (’87) began the summer unveiling in theory, travels at 550 mph with a maximum the ride of the Fantastic Four as they battled altitude of 30,000 ft. It took Flattery, who the Silver Surfer. He then helped Johnny Depp has more than 20 years experience as a pilot, recapture his soul in Pirates of the Caribbean: approximately ten months to conceptualize At World’s End, and ended the eventful season and oversee development of the model. by transforming a Chevy Camaro into a robot sent to defend earth in the movie Transformers. Flattery has worked on more than 30 films With all this success, these films are nothing including Transformers, Pirates of the Tim Flattery with Fantasticar. compared to the vehicle that is an icon to every Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Mission comic book fan in the world — the Batmobile. Impossible III, Men in Black, Total Recall Right: A scene from Transformers. Concept art/illustration by Tim Flattery. and Back to the Future II since he broke into “I’m really proud of the work I did on the the highly competitive entertainment industry Batman movies,” said Flattery, who majored during the late 1980s. While his creativity “I was one of the first students at the College in industrial design. “It’s every kid’s dream and reputation as a designer continue to land who planned to go into this line of work. to design the Batmobile. Not only did I get him assignments with leading motion picture Today, there’s a bunch of CCS alumni out the opportunity to create its look, I supervised studios, his representation as a CCS graduate here in California doing really well,” he said. construction of the full-scale model used has opened doors for those aspiring to follow in the movie.” down the path he has blazed.

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