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Creative balance
Though Kleiser-Walczak is renowned for its groundbreaking work, not all projects require pioneering techniques. “We are always pushing the boundaries of what can be done”, explains Diana. “But as our projects have varied greatly, it has been a matter of degree. Some projects are practically dominated by the finding of solutions while others, less technically demanding, can sometimes allow for more artistic focus. At the very least, we can always expect to have to find workarounds for software shortfalls.”
Memorable projects
Kleiser-Walczak’s list of projects includes high profile all-CG projects, special venue attractions, television, advertising and interactive projects. The studio’s Visual effects work for live action feature films includes well-known work on X-Men and X2 where it developed new techniques to transform actress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos into the evil metamorph Mystique. Kleiser-Walczak also completed over 200 effects shots for Revolution Studios’ ‘The One’ starring Jet Li.
Diana admits that her most memorable projects have been the more recent all-CG projects including: The ‘Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man’; ‘Little Miss Spider: Lost and Found’; ‘Corkscrew Hill’; and the ‘Opening for the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular’.
“For all of these projects we were able to focus on character animation while designing and developing storybook worlds”, explains Diana. “Corkscrew Hill, a ride-film for Busch Gardens , Williamsburg , was especially memorable mainly because our client asked us to provide the concept and story as well as the film production. We tried to put a spin on the usual ride-film formula in which the audience is stuck in a box that is passed around by giants in a mythical Irish setting. I especially enjoy all-CG projects, as I am able to take part in every aspect of their production. It's like a theatre in which we create everything from scratch, including the actors.”
Gender balance
Diana Walczak studied engineering and computer science in the early 1980s, and as you would expect was in the minority of 16% women for her male-dominated engineering classes. Though there has been a trend towards greater female participation, Walczak believes that gender balance requires changes in the way children are raised. “I think the industry would benefit from the balance more women would provide”, she explains. “I expect there will be gradual change toward this balance, which is up against an ingrained way our society brings up girls versus boys. Luckily for me, my parents gave me erector sets, blocks, cars, and a wood shop as well as dolls and stuffed animals. You need only look at toy commercials and the toy aisles at Wal-Mart to see how differently girls and boys are influenced when their brains are developing.”
What’s next?
Kleiser-Walczak is currently working on New Line Cinema's ‘Son of Mask’ along with several unannounced projects that are in development.
Image Credits: Detail - Little Miss Spider from the digital film short "Little Miss Spider: Lost and Found". Animated production copyright © 2001 by Callaway & Kirk Company LLC.
Based on the book by David Kirk, Little Miss Spider copyright © 1999 by Callaway & Kirk Company LLC. All rights reserved. Photo courtesy of Kleiser-Walczak (Top)
Diana Walczak sculpts a computer model using SensAble's FreeForm Modeling System. Photo by Amanda Roth. Bottom Left & Detail Bottom Right) |
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