Welcome! So you want to know about me, eh? To start, my name is Jared Jackson, I’m 23, and I graduated magna cum laude from The University of Georgia. I love to computer animate, especially characters. This began way back as Lego forts and bases complete with various spacecraft and underwater vehicles. I’ve always been talented with drawing and it was only natural to draw and sketch my ideas and even design web pages for friends, family, and businesses. After seeing “The Matrix,” I became fascinated with the possibilities of computer animation. I began by pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree at The University of Georgia in the Digital Media Program, where I hoped to combine my artistic talents with computer animation. I soon realized that creating art for art’s sake didn’t satisfy me. I wanted my work to be seen and played and perhaps to inspire others as I was. I left the Art program after two years to pursue my goal of becoming a computer animator.
I transferred over to the Drama department and switched majors to Dramatic Media. It seemed strange that computer animation was in the same building as acting, but many aspects of animation are very similar to the workings of a stage. You are the director where you work with lights and cameras. You also must “act” through the character. If you’re creating a character, then you are essentially creating a costume! While in the program, I’ve had the pleasure of working on professional level projects with a team. One project was a documentary called “The Boneyard.” In this documentary, our animation team created clips for the show to help illustrate various points. My contribution was an animation of the Titan II Missile, which I modeled, textured, and animated on its suggested flight path over the earth. In my senior year, I worked on another documentary called “The Russian Navy” which aired on the History channel in December of 06. I worked mostly on adding in special effects. You can view clips from both of these projects on my Resume page. Through these projects, I’ve really come to love bringing still objects and images to life. My time in the Drama Department really complemented my artistic training and I was very fortunate to have my work played internationally.
After graduation, I was pointed towards another department of UGA, the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Currently, I’m working with them on a computer program called “The Glass Horse,” which uses 3d models and animation to explain many different areas of the gastrointestinal tract. I really enjoy working with the Veterinarians, Ultrasonographers, and other CG Artists who come together and create something for the students. It’s an interesting contrast to my previous work with metallic machines. We work mostly in Nurbs to create and animate sections of intestines as they twist, strangulate, or become impacted. More info about The Glass Horse can be found on their website.
When I’m not working, I’m usually working on Mario Kart: Source a Half Life 2 modification. Here, 9-10 guys from all over the world come together and create a video game. I model and animate the various characters, while others create maps or program. It’s a great way to get some game oriented experience in my spare time. I really really enjoy working with these guys and hope to one day do these kinds of things for a living.
