What does a R&D lead do on such a project, how does one get that job and what have you been up to since/now? Were you involved in Advent Children too? Are you excited or apprehensive about AI in your line of work?
We were working with very early (beta) versions of Maya running on Silicon Graphics workstations. My team developed software for simulating hair and clothing, deformation and surface refinement tools, and anything else required to generate "photorealistic" humans.
As most things with my career, there were fortuitous coincidences. I was working on early hair and cloth simulation at a startup in Montreal and someone I briefly crossed paths with ended up at Square USA and recommended me to the company. The industry was very different 30 years ago: there were very few people working on things such as CG hair and cloth.
I am now teaching computer graphics at the University of Hawaii. Passing on what I know to the new generation.
It remains to be seen what the impact of AI will be on the industry and art form. I am currently creating a new course on AI and animation to be taught next year.