Interview with Jennifer Munro [jornum] on Whohub

Jennifer Munro [jornum]

MULTIMEDIA

What is your specialty in multimedia?

Animation and Character Design.

Do you have a website or blog where we can see something of your work?

http://jornum.blogspot.com/

What has been your career path? How have you arrived to the point where you are? What did you do before?

I spent 4 years getting my Bachelor's in Animation, and since then have worked primarily on 2D Flash Animation shows. I'm looking to broaden that, though, and expand on the 3D elements I learned as well.

How did your interest in multimedia technology begin?

Having a love for computers was probably a good start. It was just another medium to use and learn, has a lot of unique capabilities and a lot of potential.

Please provide a brief description of the hardware and software you currently use most.

Photoshop, Painter, Maya, Flash and Adobe After Effects for the most part.

What parts of your work are the ones you enjoy most and least?

The part I love seeing the most is seeing something come to life. Whether that be through a single drawing, working out a setting or plot with a group of people, or a series of drawings at 24fps. As for the least, if I really had to choose it would be the more technical aspects that feel like they slow down the creative process. But even finishing and accomplishing those are rewarding in their own way.

Technology and art - a collison of the left and right brain?

Maybe if it were draw-by-numbers, but, no. Just another medium and way to achieve the look you want.

Do you usually keep an eye on the work of your competition and analyze how they have done things?

Analyze sounds a little hardcore. I do love watching artists whose work I think is impressive, though. There's always something new to learn from other artists, and I look forward to learning it.

How do you learn new techniques? Manuals? Tutorials? Trial and error?

All of the above. Tutorials might teach you some things you find work for you, while trial and error might find some others. Learning from your peers is also important. In the end it doesn't matter how you learn it, but that you do, so utilizing as many sources of knowledge as possible seems like the best option.

What new technologies are you experimenting with now?

Zbrush, presently.

Does it irk you when something new makes what you've already learned obsolete?

I think there's fundamental basics in everything you do. If something you've learned how to do in a program becomes obsolete, odds are it's more technically orientated. The basics of drawing and animating will remain the same, no matter how technology improves or makes it easier on the artist, and it's just a matter of keeping up with technology and how to use it.

What professional publications or portals do you follow regularly?

Specific artists, mostly. However artistic hubs like conceptart.org, polycount and gameartisans are all great places to see some amazing new artwork.