There is a reason I've nicknamed Ken Ibrahim "Tensai", Japanese for genius. When you ask the average person "Hey, what's up?" most people will respond with "Not much". This standard rule does not apply to Ken. The last time I asked him that simple question he had just launched a line of greeting cards and was preparing to head to Japan for some R&R with friends there, and to Italy for some language study. I think he is up to 4 languages now. And during all of this is he's honing his skills in surfing. As far as his digital abilities, his resume speaks for itself.

I met Ken while he was working at Alias/Wavefront as an Application Engineer and I was a Maya Coordinator and responsible for setting up the training sessions to move the team from PowerAnimator to Maya. Ken came to give us an overview of the software, and we became professional friends. Tracking his career is akin to watching us land on the moon.  Expecting the extraordinary is commonplace now. He has proven his abilities again and again.  You can see the results in one groundbreaking year alone simply by watching the films Shrek and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Yes, Ken was on both and will soon be on the third Matrix film (Revolutions). Could it get any better than that?

  Give a brief overview of what you do:

Well, as my resume states I'd like "to architect the realization of the imagined" and on an everyday basis this equates to a position as an FX animator/developer. Everything I love doing in special effects falls into this department: explosions, things crashing and busting apart, waves and fields of energy pulsing through space, fire, smoke, and dust to name a few. I started out working as a programmer on the Macintosh dealing more with database applications and finally made it to the world of computer graphic production via a string of great job opportunities. What I love most about my job is the fact that I get to continue using my programming background to develop tools and animation systems as well as work directly on the graphic elements you see on the screen.

  Where does your job fit into the production pipeline?

I fit into the pipeline near the end but before final comping. The effects I animate usually require elements from other groups such as models, cameras, and various other data. As I often script tools, plugins, and glue code I often need to create my own inroads into the pipeline, making modifications as needed. This often means dealing with the Prod. Engineering group.

  What is "glue code"?

"Glue code" is any code that helps to piece together data and technology. An example would be a tool that pipes particle data out of Maya and into a proprietary file format for a specific renderer.

  How long have you worked in the field?

I've been working on motion pictures and TV commercials for about 3.5 years and have had the luxury of taking the last year off to pursue personal projects which include a recent 2 month Italian language study trip to Rome and an upcoming 2 month Arabic language study program in my home town of Monterey, CA. Before joining the world of production proper I worked at Alias|Wavefront for 3 years and before that in video game development at SEGA in Japan where I first got my hands on SGI machines and learned both Unix and Softimage.

  What have been your projects to date?

I've worked on 2 feature length animated films thus far, Shrek and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Before that I worked on a number of TV commercials and while at SEGA in Japan I was lucky enough to get my voice in a few games including SEGA Rally Championship and Virtua Cop. The software tools I developed there were used on a number of different arcade games.

  What was your favorite project so far?

That's hard to say as each project was really fun. It was great, however, to work on Final Fantasy both because I got to live in Waikiki and because it was a chance to start using my Japanese again on a daily basis after about a 4 year hiatus. It was great to be able to speak to the director and his entourage directly in Japanese and not worry about things getting lost in the translation. I'm proud to have worked on Shrek though as it is the first-time winner of such a prestigious award (Oscar).

  What are your perfect working conditions?

The perfect working condition starts, of course, with the people one works with. The best people to work with are those who are talented and willing to share their knowledge yet have no ego. I've been fortunate enough to work with a number of such individuals both at PDI and at Square Pictures. Then comes the environment which is always better when free gourmet coffees and massages are available. Of course having the right toolset is a must to get the work done and the presence of a superb R&D team is requisite. A perfect working condition would also lack a congested commute!

  What size team do you prefer, and what sort of location?

It depends on the work that needs to be done but I think in general about 5 to 15 people is good and as far as location, somewhere with a Costco nearby (as well as an ocean)!

  Is there a list of people you would like to work with again?

Definitely though it'll stay in my head! ;-)

  What are some of your favorite movies?

I'll just say that Episode IV is what got me into this industry to begin with as it captured my imagination at the right age (I think that I was 9 when I first saw it). I've been a fan ever since. I love movies that move me and in my case I always get that chill up my spine when connections are made in films. I remember this being the case as far back as in 2001: A Space Odyssey and even very recently with SpiderMan as MJ realizes at the end of the film via a kiss that Peter Parker is SpiderMan. I love many movies for the music as in the case of Edward Scissorhands. It's my favorite Danny Elfman soundtrack. I'm a big fan of John Williams as well who I can say is personally responsible for my playing the trumpet and French Horn. Of course there are many other great composers I admire. I also love movies that span timeframes and tell inspiring human stories such as The Last Emperor. I felt that chill down my spine when the former emperor produced for a child his cricket which he had hidden years before and then the transition to the present day Forbidden City which is a museum. I was determined to visit the Forbidden City and finally realized that dream thanks to Alias|Wavefront as I gave Maya demonstrations there as part of the Asia World Tour during my time in Japan.

  What scene would you have loved to work on, and what would you have done with the scene?  (This doesn't necessarily mean on a project you were involved with, it could be anything.)

I can't think of a specific scene at the moment but, while watching movies, I'm often thinking of how I would have made the scene in order that it be a more moving experience for me.

  What project or scene would you love to work on- your dream project?  The one you've always seen run through your head that plays so perfectly every time?

There is a scene I've had in my mind for a long time that involves a type of luminescent screen that appears in front of man and presents various information that allows him to perform some great deed such as saving the planet as well as open up a whole new dimension to mankind. The information would be in an alien language and script that only he is able to read.  It also involves a number of different elements that would take too long to describe here but perhaps someday if I have the time I'll create it.

  If you could step into another crew members shoes for one day, whose shoes would you be wearing?

Actually, I'd love to sit in the seat of first trumpet in the London Symphony Orchestra during the recording of the last SW soundtrack!

  Do you have a list of people you would like to thank or give credit to?

There are really too many people to mention here so I won't try. I will however thank my parents and brother for always supporting me in all of my endeavors.

To learn more about Ken Ibrahim, go to his home page http://www.Shuri-Ken.com/

You can also learn more about him under "artist bios" at http://www.cottageartistry.com/

Or hear his music at http://www.mp3.com/Shuri-Ken

(Like I said, he's in to everything!)

Purchase products featuring Ken Ibrahim's work here:

DVD's

DVD- Final Fantasy  The Spirits Within Special Edition List Price: $29.95 Our Price: $25.49 You Save: $4.46 (15%) DVD- Buy now- $25.49	DVD- Final Fantasy The Spirits Within Single Disc Edition List Price: $19.95 Our Price: $17.96 You Save: $1.99 (10%) DVD- Buy now- $17.96	DVD- Shrek (Widescreen Edition) DVD Keep Case List Price: $26.99 Our Price: $20.24 You Save: $6.75 (25%) DVD- Buy now- $20.24

VHS

VHS- Shrek (NTSC Format) List Price: $24.99 Our Price: $21.99 You Save: $3.00 (12%) DVD- Buy now- $21.99	VHS- Final Fantasy The Spirits Within (NTSC Format) Our Price: $14.95 DVD- Buy now- $14.95

BOOKS

The Making of Final Fantasy The Spirits Within List Price: $29.99 Our Price: $20.99 You Save: $9.00 (30%)  BOOK- Buy now- $20.99

GAMES

SEGA Rally Championship Our Price: $18.99 GAME- Buy now- $18.99	SEGA Virtua Cop Our Price: $18.99 GAME- Buy now- $18.99

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