MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Zareh Nalbandian ROM SHOT MAKER TO FILMMAKER Zareh Nalbandian has worked with, for and among filmmakers for 30 years; but now, with his collaboration as an executive producer with George Miller on Happy Feet, he’s truly one of them, and that means story is king, as he tells Andrew L. Urban. Only a visionary like Zareh Nalbandian would christen his pioneering visual effects & animation company Animal Logic. It was only 1991 but Nalbandian saw the digital future: he has long sight. Animal, he explained at the time, represents the instinctive world, while Logic of course refers to the rest. It’s a philosophical marriage of notions, and it has served the company well, as digital creative work expanded through the TV commercials world and Filmography Happy Feet - ( Executive Producer / 2006 / Released / ) Happy Feet - ( Art Director / 2006 / Released / ) Happy Feet - ( Visual Effects Supervisor / 2006 / Released / ) Stealth - ( Visual Effects Producer(- VFX Executive Producer) / 2005 / Released / ) Swimming Upstream - ( Visual Effects Producer(- VFX Executive Producer) / 2005 / Released / ) The Great Raid - ( Visual Effects Producer(- Animal Logic VFX Executive Producer) / 2005 / Released / ) Garage Days - ( Visual Effects Producer(- Visual Effects Executive Producer) / 2003 / Released / Fox Films, Ltd. ) The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course - ( Visual Effects Producer(- Visual Effects Executive Producer) / 2002 / Released / Fox Films, Ltd. ) Moulin Rouge - ( Visual Effects(- visual effects producer) / 2001 / Released / ) Me Myself I - ( CGI Artist(- visual effects & CGI) / 2000 / Released / ) Holy Smoke - ( Visual Effects(- visual effects executive producer) / 1999 / Released / ) The Matrix - ( Producer / 1999 / Released / Village Roadshow Pictures Worldwide ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Zareh Nalbandian - biography Zareh began his career in the early 1970s as a film effects artist working on feature films and television commercials. He trained in many areas of film post production and ultimately found himself in a senior management role running the company he started his training in: Australia’s then largest film post production laboratory group, Colorfilm. Excited by the emergence of digital technologies he moved to Sydney’s Video Paintbrush Company, the first company in Australia to utilise computer-generated technologies for the screen in the mid 1980s. In 1991, he co-founded Animal Logic with the vision to build a creative environment allowing artists and technicians to harness the opportunities offered by digital technologies for visual effects and animation. Animal Logic has produced digital animation and visual effects for international television commercials and television series including David Tench Tonight and Farscape. In 1996, Zareh spearheaded the company’s move into visual effects for feature film and established the company’s headquarters at the Fox Studios Lot in Sydney. Since moving into feature film, Animal Logic has built up a strong portfolio of credits, including Babe, The Matrix, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Zareh has worn multiple hats as managing director, visual effects supervisor, mentor and producer helping to realize many of the company’s successful projects and building strong relationships with great directors and producers. Most recently, Zareh served as an Executive Producer on Happy Feet, the first 3D animated feature film to be made in Australia. Audio download * Whole interview, 46 minutes, 10.4mb MP3 Chapter 1 - Starting Animal Logic - 10 minutes * Animal Logic, started small, financed on credit card * Name to differentiate; the combination of digital and human * Understood business * Into and out of Asia, looking to US, building relationships * Setting up the film division in 1996 * Digital technology was coming of age * Big financial risk, millions of dollars, prudent management * Developed own technology * Always continued TVC work, helps manage business cycles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Video downloads Chapter 1, 10 minutes, 66mb MP4Chapter 1, 10 minutes, 49mb WMV Chapter 2 - Culture and business - 9 minutes Animal Logic culture: still personal business, flat management structureStrong infrastructure beneath strong creative teamConstantly re-invested in business to succeedDidn’t need to answer to board of investorsThe role of competitionInvest heavily in young talent, innovationGood producing talent in houseInvested $25 million in technology in past two yearsThere are over 200 on staff, with no feature in productionAlways looking two years ahead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Video downloads Chapter 2, 9 minutes, 57mb MP4Chapter 2, 9 minutes, 44mb WMV Chapter 3 - big projects - 12 minutes Matrix – with help from Andrew Mason – we pitchedRight project at the right timeVery different to Happy Feet – on Matrix we were working for hire, shot makersOn Happy Feet we were filmmakers, working with George Miller and team – allowed our own team to growGrew to over 500 people for the project – infrastructure and processes grewTreat staff well, exit interviews show 92% want to come back some dayWe worked as producers with Kennedy MillerDifferent language between creative and technical – unifying factor was ‘the story’We knew what we didn’t knowChallenges to build effective communicationsRegimented but everyone has a say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Video downloads Chapter 3, 12 minutes, 78mb MP4Chapter 3, 12 minutes, 61mb WMV Chapter 4 planning ahead - 14 minutes Working on 300 – groundbreaking, genre makingAustralian filmmakers should understand we have flexibilityKeen to be part of production team – but also a service facilitySatisfied with company development, and with deal to develop projects with Warner Bros – distribution is the keyDigital technique helping budgetsBusiness plan constantly changing – opportunistic3-year plan, but constantly changingEveryone in the company is a salesmanOpened an office in Los Angeles in 2002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Video downloads Chapter 4, 14 minutes, 91mb MP4Chapter 4, 14 minutes, 68mb WMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ani Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Movses misht arajin@ petq a post anes , che? Yes el eyi tesel Happy Feeti cereditnerum...Chascreci post anem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ani Posted December 12, 2007 Report Share Posted December 12, 2007 (edited) Michael Topoozian...Assist. Director of one of my favorite movies "Becasue I Said So"... http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Mike_Topoozian/1742864 Edited December 12, 2007 by ANI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Em Posted December 12, 2007 Report Share Posted December 12, 2007 Michael Topoozian...Assist. Director of one of my favorite movies "Becasue I Said So"... http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Mike_Topoozian/1742864 Wow.... he worked on so many of my faves..... Little Children (amazing) Fight Club Home for the Holidays Pushing Tin (Cusack rules!) Con Air (due to my fascination with Nicholas Cage) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVO Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Wow.... he worked on so many of my faves..... Fight Club Pushing Tin (Cusack rules!) Em chei patkeratsnum axchikner@ fight club ksiren. Must be Brad Pitt. Cusackin hyeren xosaluts tesel ek? "Must love dogs"-i mecha inchkan hishum em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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