Imaginary Forces

IF's weekly highlight on the people that make up our company. This week the spotlight is on Eric Mason.

Eric Mason is IF's Technical Director and has been working out of our LA office for three years. Here are his thoughts:

On where he's from:
I grew up in Westminster, CA. Otherwise known as "Little Saigon." One might say I've been exposed to Vietnamese food...Sriracha sauce since age 10!

On where he went to school:
I have my undergrad from UCLA in Business / Economics with a minor in Music / Digital Media. Then, Art Center for more art.

On how he got into the business:
I love Special Effects, Motion Graphics, Film Titles, and the concept of Mass Media. I was working for a non-profit arts organization for several years, and wanted to expand on my abilities outside the non-profit sector, and here I am.

On how he first got involved at IF:
I was first involved at IF as an intern, designing and animating. Things just took off from there.

On how long he's been with IF:
Since 2005. Amazing how fast the time goes.

On what he does for IF:
I'm a Technical Director. When we get involved with something new: games, new graphics technology, proprietary software...I learn it and see how to best utilize that technology to support our creative vision and work flow. I also write music and do sound design / v.o. in addition to designing/animating.

On his favorite IF projects:
I would say MTV's Virtual Laguna Beach. What an experience...learning a gaming engine, developing a work flow, working with an amazing team of artists who were willing to get their hands dirty and learn something new...and after all that hard work, having the project win an Emmy was definitely satisfying.

On what he likes about production:
Production is amazing, because each project's process is always different. It's problem solving on so many different levels; from the client's needs, to concept, to figuring out execution, and then there's time...finding a way to make things work has always been of interest to me.

On alternate career choices:
Making liquid nitrogen ice cream.

On NY vs. LA:
LA is an amazing place because of its dichotomies. It's definitely a love AND hate type relationship. Energizing and draining all at once. There's so much opportunity for so many industries, and nature is so close! You could snowboard Mt. Baldy in the morning, and still make it to the beach for a BBQ in the same day. Where else is that possible? It's also one of the only places where you can sit in traffic for an hour only to go 10 miles! Hence, I ride my bike everywhere.

On what excites him about design:
Design is exciting because all possibilities are open. You're limited only to your imagination, and there's something very freeing about that. Then comes the question of "Can we really do that?" and figuring out how to make it happen. It's such an interesting space to have your head in, keeping your head in the clouds while having your feet on the ground.

On what inspires him:
The creative people that surround me. This industry is by far filled with the most talented, friendly, and inspiring people I've ever met. They also dress well.

On what he does in his spare time:
I love to craft physical, tangible things. I ride bikes in the mountains and on the road. I like taking pictures, making art, dancing, cooking, welding, writing/recording music, swimming, snowboarding, paint ball...sometimes I'll even make spare time out of time usually reserved for sleep.

On pets:
I have two cats, Foot and Shoe. They're my pals.

On current design trends:
I love seeing throwbacks to previous design movements, re-interpreted through the prism of the contemporary. I'm drawn to that vague sense of familiarity, like an old friend revisited. I'm also a sucker for clean simplicity and gorgeous lighting and materials.

On his dream job:
I've always wanted to open a little bohemian café / workshop...

On something someone may not know about him:
I was the only valedictorian of my high school who ever got arrested.