http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1874068/ - David A. Shirk, a 1989 B.F.A. Illustration/Film recipient from Pratt Institute received an Oscar, or Academy Award, for Best Visual Effects on the film "Gravity".
Notice, that in 1989, there were no graduates of the new Computer Graphics program. This did not occur until 1990.
The 1995 Pratt Institute Alumni Directory states that he graduated in 1989 with an undergraduate degree in FILM. He was working as an Animator for Softimage, and living in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The entry does not state that he is married to anybody. His phone number, at work, was 908-889-7030.
http://lancasteronline.com/elanco/entertainment_and_lifestyle/new-holland-native-up-for-oscar/article_e7589c4c-9b42-11e3-a2be-0017a43b2370.html - this is an article in his hometown paper on February 21, 2014.
I found this obituary posted on October 7, 2014: http://lancasteronline.com/obituaries/mary-h-shirk/article_7b351170-4de0-5e6f-916e-a370a1ac5701.html - a relative, who died, and others mentioned, is my guess.
The 2005 Pratt Institute Alumni Directory states that he is a 1989 B.F.A. Media Arts graduate, and was working as an Animator for Industrial Light & Magic in San Rafael, ,California. He was living in Sausalito, CA, and married to a woman with a first name of Catharina. He had work phone number 415-448-9000 and e-mail dshirk@ilm.com.
I had never heard of Softimage until the 2000s, and, still, do not know of anyone who had the software in this St. Louis, Mo. area. Softimage was created when Alias and wavefront ended, and Maya was created/developed to replace them. I read this online. I don't know of any production companies in the St. Louis, Mo. who would know any other story. Bankruptcy is what I know.
Who did David Shirk know? Who called him from Microsoft to work in California? Windows was reduced, in the mid 1990s to the tiny windows we know today.
Who cares to know that? I'm called a liar everywhere else. I did this work, and, am shown the door. I'm asked where the guy is who can do that work, that's in my portfolio. I'm accused of stealing from a room that I've never been inside of, by someone who I've never spoken to, ...you, too? Those are not normal behavior and decent actions for someone to know.
3December
Maya Video Products, Inc. published an article in the Westchester County Business Journal, on December 3, 1990, which contains some errors. I worked for this company, as a consultant, at the time, and was the only computer 3D modeler employed there. See: http://www.highbeam.com for more information.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Visual Effects Oscar Winner not a Computer Graphics nor a Digital Arts major from Pratt
My name is Theresa Marie Bextermiller, R.A., M.F.A. I am a Registered Architect, and have a Master of Fine Arts (Computer Graphics)[and Interactive Media]. As a FIRST GRADUATE OF A NEW PROGRAM and the first single-nationality American to receive this new degree, on 10/1/90, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ABET, INC. THAT "FIRST DON'T PAY". THE STUDENT LOAN DEBTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW DEGREE cannot be legal - attended from 1/88 - 10/1/90. The School of Engineering was placed on probation, and discontinued, in 1993. The Department of Computer Graphics was started in summer '88, for graduate students, to replace the existing undergraduate Computer Science program, School of Engineering. The undergraduate Computer Graphics students had been admitted prior to the graduate students. The year 1986 has been celebrated as the beginning year. Nothing had been reported to accrediting bureau N.A.S.A.D. prior to the early 1990s. The School of Art and Design had been accredited by the N.A.S.A.D. E-MAIL: 26twosix@att.net