-Hello Genc how are you, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in CG?

Well i started working with 3d when i was 10 years old in the first CG studio in Albania, “Gjelivizion”. My first works were simple TV commercials where i mostly learned what 3D was and the basics of animation, lighting, texturing and modeling.

Later on, i decided that making characters was much more fun than a TV Commercial, so i focused on modeling and texturing characters for games. Currently i am freelancing for different gaming companies but soon i am moving for my first full time job into the industry.

Please tell us something about the GMSOFT Studio, what  projects and services your studio has worked on?

GMsoft started as the first studio in Albania that created games, but soon enough we had to move into different projects (Videoclips,short movies,websites etc). Our first commercial project was One Floor Above “Nje kat me lart”, a 3d videoclip for Produkt 28. Later on we made Like A Tree “Si Peme”, another video clip and the successful short movie The Mask Of Fame “Maska e Fames”. We even created 2 games, both of them reaching the beta state, but thats about it.

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What software programs do you use for your CG and why?

Well i had to learn a lot of softwares to get the job done, usualy i use Lightwave to model the characters but i’m currently switching to Max for that. 3DSMax to animate/normal mapping generation/lighting and Zbrush for the sculpting part of the characters and of course, Photoshop is the main software for painting textures. Lightwave was the first ever 3d software i learned,so i find it easier and faster for me to model with.

You recently completed The Mask Of Fame “Maska E Fames” a 3d animated short could you tells us a bit more about this project?

The project started only for fun,but then we took it seriously and continued working on it for 8 months. A lot of inspiration came from The Corpse Bride, which for us was very intriguing so we decided to keep that style as a base for our short movie. The actual story was inspired from a short novel by Dino Buzzati but it was heavly modified to suite our needs. Our main goal was to make a funny movie but still keeping the dramatic feeling of the events.

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Do you do any preliminary drawings before you model, or do you just start and see what happens and how long on average would you spend on an image?

Not always, depending on the characters i have to do and also the deadline. Sometimes when doing freelance, concept art is given to me. Drawing is not my best skill but i try to keep up as much as i can. Sometimes you cant go modeling without having a simple concept of the character you have to make so in that case, i grab my wacom!

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Do you think sketching is necessary for the 3d Artist or is there any other way round?

Sketching is a skill every 3d artist should have.It makes things much more easier and also helps visualizing the final outcome of your work before you even start.

What inspires you to create art and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

I get a lot of inspiration from other artists. Whenever i get into that lazy state,just by looking at others works makes me think “If he can do it,i can too” and in that moment i feel ready to try harder. Things never get tough if you are organized and ambitious about yourself.

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If you could invent your dream job, where would you work & what would be your job title?

Well this is hard, maybe something in between 3d movie making and games creation…Lets call it Interactive Movies industry! I’d like to be the main modeler and animator.

What other interests do you have outside of creating art?

Movies, swimming and long lasting friendships!

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How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create art?

Well I’m sure i would always find something to do, I’m that kind of person.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Start SMALL! First comes the basics,then the intermediate things. Take some drawing classes,learn anatomy and work work work as much as you can. Experience is not something others give you but rather something you give to yourself. Also something i learned along the way, its not the software that makes the artist!

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We like to thank Genc a lot for taking out sometime from his busy schedule.

For more information visit GMSOFT Studios. www.studiogmsoft.com

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