Evan Schoonmaker and Eric Finkelman
—creators and storytellers
Evan Schoonmaker
Eric Finkelman
Evan Schoonmaker and Eric Finkelman, winners of the 2003 Adobe Design Achievement Award in the Digital Media category, found themselves drawn to computer art in high school. For Eric, watching Terminator 2 was the tipping point. He knew then that he wanted to create movies and the kind of visual effects that he saw on screen. For Evan, it was his senior-year class in Adobe® Photoshop® that made him want to learn to design for screen and print. Both gravitated to the School of Visual Art’s Computer Art Department, where they met in their junior year.
They traded tips and frustrations during class and shot a short film together in Central Park, enhanced by their own special effects. That summer, they became close friends when they attended their first SIGGRAPH conference. One of SVA’s lab technicians saw them working together and suggested that more students should collaborate. Inspired by his comments, Eric and Evan pitched the idea to their department chair. They got permission to submit SVA’s first collaborative senior thesis.
As they were completing their project, they looked for film festivals in which to enter it. One day, they noticed competition posters throughout the school hallways with a big Adobe logo on them. The Adobe logo was something they were accustomed to seeing daily on their computer screens. They submitted their work, Persistence of Memory, and it won in the 2003 Adobe Design Achievement Awards Digital Media category.
Achieving technical wizardry
Evan finished school and was immediately swept into his career. The day he learned that he and Eric had won the Adobe Design Achievement Award, he also received an offer to begin work at Charlex, one of the largest post-production studios in New York City. He has been employed there specializing in advertising and broadcast design for three years and has worked on projects for clients such as Cingular, DirecTV, Verizon, Coca-Cola, AOL, AT&T, and M&M’s. He is a highly regarded Flame artist and compositor, combining 3D and live action footage.
Evan looks at the ADAA award trophy on his office shelf and feels pride and the confidence to tackle any challenge: "I couldn't even have imagined when I was in college that it was possible to do what I now accomplish daily."
Learning the business
Eric added the ADAA distinction to his demo reel and resume. The award gave him confidence that carried into subsequent projects. After finishing his degree, he went to work at a 3D animation house called Psyop, where he was given the opportunity to try a variety of tasks. He handled editing and compositing projects. He also worked with lead producers managing teams and schedules. After two years working for Psyop, Eric decided to become a freelance editor, designer, and compositor in order to have more flexibility for his own projects.
You can view one of Eric's major projects, a game cinematic done at Psyop for Marc Ecko's "Getting Up," at http://www.originalcitypictures.com. After two years working for Psyop, Eric decided to become a freelance editor, designer, and compositor in order to have more flexibility for his own projects.
Starting their own venture
Eric and Evan, driven to be creators and storytellers, have formed Original City Pictures, their own film production company. They have begun working on their first full-length feature, which includes science fiction and action elements. The two principals have recruited a screenwriter to further the development of their script. When it is complete, they will plan the pre-production, involving some of their former schoolmates and other young rising artists, along with the guidance of top industry mentors.
Words of wisdom
Eric and Evan counsel students just beginning their careers to pay attention to the people they meet in their first jobs. These artists will have a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives, and many new tricks to offer. Whether students choose to work in existing firms or venture out on their own, they need to learn constantly throughout their careers, and learning from experienced professionals is a great bonus.
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