Interview with Hyunsoo Shin

Hello, my name is Shin Hyunsoo, and I recently joined DEXTER DIGITAL.

I have loved movies ever since I was a child. When I was young, I would watch the Star Wars series and excitedly build Star Wars spaceships out of LEGO, even though they were far from perfect. Whenever I went to the public bath, I would float them in the water until the man who worked there told me off. I also made lightsabers and used to have sword fights with my friends, only to break them and cry before making them again.

I have always enjoyed simply making things, and this eventually led me to study sculpture, where I naturally began learning about the human body. While I was looking for a way to combine my love of making things with my passion for movies, I discovered SF Film School. I liked the fact that people with different backgrounds came together in small groups and studied toward the same goal. Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere was very welcoming. It was a place where everyone helped and supported one another, and I was also fortunate to meet great instructors who taught me many valuable things.

Although I still have a lot to learn, there are a few things I would like to say to those who are studying at SF Film School. First, I hope you make the most of your time. Aside from my main portfolio, all of my sub-portfolios were projects that were originally assigned as class exercises. I believe that every assignment given in class can become part of your portfolio. If you cannot complete an assignment to a level you are satisfied with within the time given by your instructor, I think you may eventually struggle to keep up with the workload even after completing your portfolio and joining a company.

I also hope you do not neglect studying artwork and developing your artistic skills. You are artists, not engineers. I believe that anyone can learn how to use a tool if they put enough effort into it. However, developing an artistic mindset and a good eye takes much more time and cannot be achieved overnight. Of course, I still have a lot to learn myself. I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Instructor Jo Gukhyeon, who taught me so much about artwork.

I only had four months to create my main portfolio because I had to return to school. Since I had to complete the portfolio within those four months, I made a detailed plan in advance and tried to follow it as closely as possible, whether everything went according to plan or not. Looking back, I think having a fixed deadline actually helped me finish my portfolio because I was constantly pushed by the limited amount of time. If I had not had a deadline, I sometimes wonder if I would still be working on my portfolio even now.

I think the planning stage is one of the most important parts of creating a portfolio. If you have a clear storyboard and a well-organized production plan, I believe you can work more efficiently and proactively.

I spent about one and a half months on modeling and texturing, two weeks on rigging and animation, one month on lighting, and another month on rendering and compositing. The character featured in the video was based on a character from the film Trollhunter, which was not released theatrically in Korea. I used ZBrush for modeling and texturing, and Maya, SynthEyes, and Nuke for the remaining stages of production.

Whenever I felt mentally exhausted while working on my portfolio, I tried to remind myself of how I felt when I first entered the school and used that memory as motivation to keep going. I hope you can do the same when you face difficult moments, and I hope you never lose your pride as a CG artist.

I met many great people while attending SF Film School, and I believe the time I spent there will remain a wonderful memory for me.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank Instructors Jo Gukhyeon, Ji Sangil, Kim Jinhyeok, and Eom Seongyong for all their hard work, support, and guidance throughout my time at the school.