Biographies

Brian Smith

Brian graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a major in aerospace engineering. He served on active duty, and later in the Florida Army National Guard, including two years as a battery commander, responsible for a short range air defense battery of over 100 soldiers. Following 9/11, he served in Washington, D.C. as an air defense artillery fire control officer, working closely with the US Secret Service, the US Air Force, and the FAA to provide air defense coverage of our nation's capital. In 2005, he deployed numerous times with his unit to provide humanitarian relief to hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast.

Brian Zajac

Brian Zajac received his B.F.A. from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and began working in the field of 3D in the mid 90s. At that time, a typical workstation cost as much as $100,000 and ran at a fraction of the speed of today’s computers. He left 3D and turned his sights towards a career in web design where he wouldn’t have to wait so long to see the fruits of his labor. In 2002, Brian started his own company EyeMagination (www.eyemagination.us) with the goal to build the best possible web-based solutions and internet marketing for small businesses. Brian has worked with several high-profile organizations, such as the PGA, American Golf, and the New York Yacht Club.

After establishing his web-based business, Brian noticed that the 3D world of technology had become much faster, produced better results, and was finally cost-effective. So, along with his business partner Brian Smith, he formed 3D Architectural Solutions (3DAS)—a 3D architectural visualization facility specializing in the production of architectural renderings and animations. He also co-authored the world’s first-ever 3ds Max book written for 3D architectural visualization and is currently co-authoring additional books in the architectural visualization area. A portfolio of his work can be seen at www.3das.com.

Alexander Gorbunov

Alexander Gorbunov began using 3d Studio for the first time in 1996 when he started his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the
Ukraine State Maritime Technical University in Nikolaev, Ukraine. At that time, it was 3D Studio 4 for DOS. He was immediately fascinated with 3D graphics and decided that it would be his lifelong hobby. After finishing his education in 2001, he turned his hobby into a small business and began a freelancing career by producing small visualizations for companies all over the world. Concentrating mostly on interior scenes, Alex noticed an ever increasing demand for custom furniture and accessories.

As more time passed, he found himself more and more interested in the creation of furniture and invested a great deal of personal time honing his craft. In 2005, he moved to Tampa, FL, just a short drive from 3DAS. Soon after, Alex took his work to the next level and founded Intero Visuals; a company dedicated to the creation of fine 3D furniture and accessories. His collections are the absolute finest the crew at 3DAS has ever come across, and so recognizing his unique skills and dedication, 3DAS entered into a strategic partnership with Alex and has found him to be an invaluable asset to their production. His work can be seen at www.interovisuals.com.

Mike Merron

Mike Merron realized the power that 3D graphics could bring to architectural visualization while studying architecture at Greenwich University. He quickly gravitated towards using 3ds Max to bring his architectural designs to life. After graduating, Mike spent seven years working in the architectural visualization field, four of those at the world-renowned firm Uniform, as a senior artist where he blended design, visualization, and VFX imagery to produce stylized architectural films.

Mike has produced award-winning imagery, and is widely recognized within the industry for amazing and inspirational work. He currently runs his own studio specializing in visual effects and consultancy. He also presents master classes throughout Europe and recently developed Escape’s online visualization course.

Pete Draper

Pete Draper is a UK-based visual effects animator and 3D artist who has been in the Cg & VFX industry for well over a decade. Holding such posts as Lead and Senior Artist, Head of Media and Director of Visual Effects, Pete has now returned to being a freelance VFX gun for hire, covering a wide range of disciplines. He can be found producing work for film and TV, writing for various online or print-based publications or teaching workshops around the world. He writes for several publications providing tips, tricks, reviews and tutorials for 3ds Max and other animation and graphics tools. In addition to his popular Deconstructing the Elements series, Pete has also contributed to 3ds Max 4 Magic and 3ds Max 6 Killer Tips along with numerous papers available on his own website. He is also collaborating on video training projects and another book by an established author and contributes to a monthly slot in the industry-renowned 3D World magazine. Pete’s work and numerous free online papers can be viewed at www.xenomorphic.co.uk