MY WORKPLAYCE: MARC TAGANAS
Name: Marc Taganas
Location: Poway, CA
Occupation: Digital Artist
Affiliations: Legend3D, Moving Picture Company
Background: Marc Taganas is a digital artist with over three years experience in his industry. He graduated from CSU Fullerton in 2010, has already worked on the summer blockbuster, Transformers 3 and The Smurfs and is now ready to conquer the world overseas.
Let’s take a look at Marc’s workspace.
*photography courtesy of Erwin Domingo
1. Alienware Aurora Desktop PC
2. Dual 26” Displays
3. Wacom Intuos 3, 6” x 11” tablet
4. Klipsch Promedia 2.1
5. Human Anatomy References
6. The Animator’s Survival Kit
7. Vilpu Drawing Manual
8. Zbrush Essentials Magazine
9. Playstation 3
10. Rubix Cube
AWKP: Ok let’s start from the beginning at the top of the list. You rocking out with Alienware and I must say we were surprised to see Alienware on your workspace considering that most designers are using Apple. What was your appeal to this type of machine? Would you ever try designing on a Mac in the near future?
MT: I’ve always been a PC guy. During school we used Macs and I liked them. I’ve even owned a Mac and have used them for 3D modeling and composite work, but I’m most comfortable on a PC. All of my art related jobs that I have held have also used PC.
AWKP: I know you are out of school and not taking sex education classes. Are the Human Anatomy references mainly used for making sure that when creating characters that the body parts match up right?
MT: Ha-ha! Yeah the human anatomy figures are there to help match up parts, but also for proportion which is extremely important when sculpting. I also own detailed anatomy books that help me understand the form and function of muscles underneath the skin.
AWKP: You are our first ever AWKP 3D animator on our site, so we are curious to know what is exactly is in ‘The Animators Survival kit.’
MT: The Animators Survival Kit is actually a book that covers the 12 basic principles of animation such as squash and stretch, timing etc. It also gives great examples of different walking cycles.
AWKP: Which skill do you feel is the most essential to have in that kit and why?
MT: I’d have to say walking cycles because they are deceptively difficult to pull off. With much practice, the ability to make good walking cycles can really breathe life into a character.
AWKP: When going to school for design back in the day, my art director always claimed that graphic designers didn’t necessarily need to know how to draw by hand, but just needed to understand the design concepts. In reference to the Vilpu Drawing Manual, how important do you feel it is to know how to draw by hand?
MT: Drawing by hand can really help you be ‘loose’ with your designs. I learned this while taking life-drawing classes in college. I find it a little difficult to be loose on a tablet and almost impossible to be loose with a mouse.
AWKP: Would you say that hand drawing is a prerequisite in order to become a true designer?
MT: I do see a lot of stiff designs out there and I don’t know if I can attribute that to any shortcuts, but in my experience I feel I get better, more dynamic designs when drawing by hand.
AWKP: It was almost too cliché if you showcased a completed rubix cube in your workspace. How long have you been working on it? Be honest!
MT: I really like solving problems and in my opinion, the type of work I do is problem solving. Whether it’s building the proper base mesh or finding the right proportion of a sculpt; it’s all a series of problems that need to be solved. There’s always more than one way to solve any given problem. I like to solve my rubix cube to help keep my mind sharp. I’m not particularly fast, but I can usually solve any scramble in just under 2 minutes.
*original character by J. Scott Campbell
AWKP: We know that you are making some serious moves in your career. Can you talk about what you were involved with in your last gig and what life’s going to be like in the next year?
MT: I worked at Legend3D as a Jr. Stereo Compositor where I helped convert 2D feature films into stereoscopic 3D. I had a chance to work on some pretty awesome films such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon and The Smurfs, both of which I feel set the standard of what Stereo Conversion should be.
As far as the future, I recently accepted a position with The Moving Picture Company as a Roto Prep Artist and I am awaiting my start date. Most notably they’ve done VFX work for all the films in the Harry Potter series.
*Original character by Scott Robertson
AWKP: What would you say is your personal goal after 6 months of being in a new country?
MT: I really enjoy doing rotoscopy, which is a form of animation, but I also enjoy CG modeling. I hope to learn a thing or two about modeling in film while I work as a roto artist. I also hope to learn more about compositing as well.
AWKP: Being out in London, you will be experiencing an entirely different culture whether it be food, fashion, art etc. What are you most excited about trying out for the first time?
MT: I can’t really say I’ve tried much English food, aside from Fish ‘n Chips, so I am eager to try out some local eateries. I also hear the have some great beer and I am a fan of the Newcastle.
AWKP: Any last words or shoutouts?
MT: I’d like to thank God for blessing me with the ability to create art and everyone who has supported my art, especially my Mom. She never stopped believing in me.
