Andy Welfare is a freelance Viz Artist designer who lives in Melbourne, Australia.
He quotes “One of the best cities I have ever been to.”
Can you tell us a bit about your experience working with Vizrt software?
I started commercially in graphics/media as a painter of surfboards – air-brushed mural type work. In 2000 I got into television at Sky Channel as a tape operator/editor.
2003 I enrolled in a media course at Sydney University (still with a very basic understanding of the PC), where my love of 3D began through the study of Maya. At about the same time Sky Channel started to use Viz. It was a busy time for me, I was working, studying and I began to learn and use Viz, rebranding the stations graphical look.
At the end of 2004 I took a job in a production house as a Viz artist. This is where I really learnt what Viz could do as well as becoming more proficient with the production software that supports and enhances Vizs capabilities (After Effects, Maya, Photoshop). It was here that I probably became a broadcast designer.
I was also lucky enough to work with and be mentored to some extent by Hannes Feldkirchner in this time which was a great blessing.
I spent an exhausting and fulfilling 3 years doing this until at the end of 2007 I resigned and went freelance, moving from Sydney to Melbourne. I enjoy freelance immensely, it has taken me to a variety of countries and having control over my work is great, but the solitude and uncertainty of work is tough. I will be looking for people to work with this year. Whatever happens though, I feel I am lucky to be working with Viz Artist – a medium which seems to suit me, and a brilliant program. And the instant gratification of real-time is hard to beat.
It will be 9 years this year since I first started to use Viz Artist
Education:
- Viz Guru course (2011)
- Certificate of Design Science in Film and Digital Media,
- The University of Sydney (Graduated July 2004)
- Viz RT Workplace Training (2004)
- Avid Express short course (2002)
- Diploma in Graphic Art, Queensland Institute of Graphic Art (1997)
- VCE/HSC, Wangaratta High School (1990)
