QUOTE
MCHS grad drawn to live a dream
Jim Ward sits at his computer with “Green Lantern” images visible behind him. Photo provided
Jim Ward serves as computer animator on ‘Green Lantern’
By Andrew Tallackson
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, June 27, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
Like most kids his age, Jim Ward was weaned on a cinematic diet of Disney classics. But whereas to the average child, these movies are simply movies, animation piqued Ward’s interest to the point his mother signed him up for art lessons.
When he was about 12, he saw Pixar’s “Toy Story” (1995), which elevated computer animation to a more sophisticated level. The experience set the course for what he wanted to do with his life.
“I really came away from that thinking, ‘This is exactly what I want to do,’” he said. “It blew my mind when I saw it. It showed the potential of computer animation, that it could tell stories and be really well done.”
Today, the 2002 Michigan City High School graduate is living his dream. Just months after moving to San Diego last year, he was hired by Sony as a computer animator on the estimated $200 million “Green Lantern,” starring Ryan Reynolds and based on the DC Comics character. He worked not only on the computer-generated suit worn by Hal Jordan, played by Reynolds, but also on effects related to the film’s villain, Parallax.
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Ward viewed the fruits of his labor much like everyone else did, during a midnight showing of the film on the eve of its release.
“It was strange,” he said with a laugh. “It was a really great feeling, but it was hard to go in with a clear opinion of what it’s going to be.
“You work on it for so long, and you see the sequences over and over again so that it’s hard to appreciate it in this final context. But, it was fabulous to have my first movie credit be a blockbuster hit like this.”
Ward recently talked with The News-Dispatch about his experience on “Green Lantern” during a phone interview from San Diego.
Born and raised in Michigan City, Ward was involved in many things that interest teens, from tennis to Boy Scouts to National Honor Society. Starting at 16, he worked at Dunes Plaza Cinema and continued doing so during summer breaks from college.
He attended Vincennes University for two years, then transferred to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he studied new media, specifically computer animation.
He eventually landed a job with an Indianapolis company creating 2-D animation games for iPhone and Facebook. But what he says truly advanced his skills was online courses through animatormentor.com.
“It really helped me understand how the industry works,” he said.
In August, realizing he needed to be closer to the industry, Ward moved to San Diego, where his sister and fiance live.
In November, he attended the CTN Animator Expo in Los Angeles, where he met a recruiter through Sony.
One month later, he received a phone call asking him to be on the computer animation team for “Green Lantern.”
Ward laughs with disbelief at how quickly everything came together. By January, he’d already begun work on the film and didn’t stop until April. He first worked on Jordan’s computer-generated suit. Images of Reynolds were shot in advance, then Ward and the animators had to match his body to the computerized imagery frame by frame. Ward then concentrated on effects related to Parallax.
Now that “Green Lantern” is in theaters, Ward continues his job as a freelance animator.
He’s involved in a TV Christmas special for Reel FX Creative Studios.
Much of his work, he can do from home, which he loves. The potential for future Sony projects also exists.
The experience, though, of being part of “Green Lantern,” he says, has been amazing.
“It’s pretty surreal,” he said, “especially when staying for the credits and seeing my name up there. That’s what I’ve always dreamed about. I knew I wanted to do it at an early age, so it was just a great feeling.”
Contact Andrew Tallackson at atallackson@thenewsdispatch.com.
Jim Ward sits at his computer with “Green Lantern” images visible behind him. Photo provided
Jim Ward serves as computer animator on ‘Green Lantern’
By Andrew Tallackson
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, June 27, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
Like most kids his age, Jim Ward was weaned on a cinematic diet of Disney classics. But whereas to the average child, these movies are simply movies, animation piqued Ward’s interest to the point his mother signed him up for art lessons.
When he was about 12, he saw Pixar’s “Toy Story” (1995), which elevated computer animation to a more sophisticated level. The experience set the course for what he wanted to do with his life.
“I really came away from that thinking, ‘This is exactly what I want to do,’” he said. “It blew my mind when I saw it. It showed the potential of computer animation, that it could tell stories and be really well done.”
Today, the 2002 Michigan City High School graduate is living his dream. Just months after moving to San Diego last year, he was hired by Sony as a computer animator on the estimated $200 million “Green Lantern,” starring Ryan Reynolds and based on the DC Comics character. He worked not only on the computer-generated suit worn by Hal Jordan, played by Reynolds, but also on effects related to the film’s villain, Parallax.
*
Ward viewed the fruits of his labor much like everyone else did, during a midnight showing of the film on the eve of its release.
“It was strange,” he said with a laugh. “It was a really great feeling, but it was hard to go in with a clear opinion of what it’s going to be.
“You work on it for so long, and you see the sequences over and over again so that it’s hard to appreciate it in this final context. But, it was fabulous to have my first movie credit be a blockbuster hit like this.”
Ward recently talked with The News-Dispatch about his experience on “Green Lantern” during a phone interview from San Diego.
Born and raised in Michigan City, Ward was involved in many things that interest teens, from tennis to Boy Scouts to National Honor Society. Starting at 16, he worked at Dunes Plaza Cinema and continued doing so during summer breaks from college.
He attended Vincennes University for two years, then transferred to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he studied new media, specifically computer animation.
He eventually landed a job with an Indianapolis company creating 2-D animation games for iPhone and Facebook. But what he says truly advanced his skills was online courses through animatormentor.com.
“It really helped me understand how the industry works,” he said.
In August, realizing he needed to be closer to the industry, Ward moved to San Diego, where his sister and fiance live.
In November, he attended the CTN Animator Expo in Los Angeles, where he met a recruiter through Sony.
One month later, he received a phone call asking him to be on the computer animation team for “Green Lantern.”
Ward laughs with disbelief at how quickly everything came together. By January, he’d already begun work on the film and didn’t stop until April. He first worked on Jordan’s computer-generated suit. Images of Reynolds were shot in advance, then Ward and the animators had to match his body to the computerized imagery frame by frame. Ward then concentrated on effects related to Parallax.
Now that “Green Lantern” is in theaters, Ward continues his job as a freelance animator.
He’s involved in a TV Christmas special for Reel FX Creative Studios.
Much of his work, he can do from home, which he loves. The potential for future Sony projects also exists.
The experience, though, of being part of “Green Lantern,” he says, has been amazing.
“It’s pretty surreal,” he said, “especially when staying for the credits and seeing my name up there. That’s what I’ve always dreamed about. I knew I wanted to do it at an early age, so it was just a great feeling.”
Contact Andrew Tallackson at atallackson@thenewsdispatch.com.