Renee D.
Private tutor in Big Bear City, CA
Education
Bucks County Community College - Associate Degree. I have a degree in Art and Computer Animation with a minor in Creative Writing. I graduated with honors as well as completing an independent study, winning a grant from Johnson and Johnson that funded the animation lab for the next five years. I have taken additional courses in illustration, screenwriting, acting for animators and psychology. Also team building, creative problem solving and communication through adventure programs in rope climbing, high wire and belaying.
Experience
I worked as a VFX artist creating 3D mattes, digital set dressings and character animation, moving from 3D artist to Art Director within three years. In parallel, I volunteered as Lead Lighter and Surface Artist on the award winning short film, Major Damage. On behalf of the film I presented at Cinequest Film Festival and SIGGRAPH. I also lectured annually at Cabrillo College and once at CAEF. Encouraged by showrunner and mentor J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Changeling, World War Z, and Netflix's Sense8) I switched gears to writing. I have studied screenwriting, character development, voices, and acting for animators. In order to boost my career, Straczynski has offered to endorse several of my screenplays and has already approved one treatment. During the transition I supplemented my income with two years at Fox and two at Sony acting as Executive Assistant. This allowed me to gain valuable insight to the business side of the industry. I began writing for visual effects trade magazines in 2003, focusing on the process of VFX, tutorials and the demands of working in the industry. I have been published over 200 times and interviewed over 2000 people. For 16 months I provided extended monthly feature articles covering the science behind visual effects through interviews with Academy Award winners and world renowned scientists. In February 2014 I published a Taylor & Francis text book, Production Pipeline Fundamentals for Film and Games. As Editor, I managed a team of over 35 international contributors. The book was a #4 top seller, published in two languages, resides in many top college libraries such as Carnegie Mellon, SCAD and Bournemouth University. It is included on recommended reading lists and was recently adopted for the 2015 semester.
Subject Expertise
5th Grade WritingACT WritingACT with WritingACT ReadingACT EnglishACCUPLACER WritePlacerACCUPLACER Sentence SkillsACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension9th Grade Writing9th Grade Reading8th Grade Writing8th Grade Reading7th Grade Writing7th Grade Reading6th Grade Writing6th Grade Reading11th Grade Writing5th Grade Reading4th Grade Writing4th Grade Reading3rd Grade Writing3rd Grade Reading2nd Grade Writing2nd Grade Reading1st Grade Writing1st Grade Reading12th Grade Writing10th Grade Writing10th Grade Reading11th Grade Reading12th Grade Reading
Availability
Weekdays at any time, Weekends at any time
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away at my regular hourly rate
Hobbies
I am passionate about creative storytelling, editing out every superfluous word and grinding down the content until it sings without distraction. I write pages of content daily, honing skills in everything from simple step-by-step instructions to elaborate character development. I find it is all useful. I try to study at least two hours of film or TV a day, often with a remote in one hand and timer in the other, breaking scenes down to dialog, foreshadowing, action, comedy and drama. I draw frequently, using pencil or charcoal. I explore a variety of styles. My focus is usually faces, characters, or costumes. I design miniature practical sets using found materials and cardboard. I love to add amusing engineering detail such as a crackling fire made from cellophane or a moving landscape that can be hand cranked past a window. I also love to hand sew clothing, accessories or art, adding in 3D detail somewhat similar to Game of Thrones, or designing practical multipurpose accessories. I love to work with my hands and see clear visible progress. I am currently painting my own house exterior, doing all the work along with minor construction. Next I will be building a dry stone wall. I love animals, particularly those who have lost trust in loving us back.
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