LOS ANGELES?During his struggling days, John Butiu sometimes had to skip meals or eat his roommate?s leftovers.

Today, the Filipino-American 3D animation artist has the power to crash a huge aircraft into the White House or command a tidal wave huge enough to wash over the Himalayas. Well, with his artistry, software and computer, the Davao-born John can conceptualize those spectacular scenes for a movie. For director Roland Emmerich?s potential blockbuster, ?2012,? John and his colleagues did a crucial process that is called in the film industry as ?pre-vis??or previsualization of scenes before filming begins.

In our recent interview with Roland, he talked about the importance of pre-vis, especially in a movie like ?2012,? an end-of-the-world thriller that has monstrous special effects. He added that showing the pre-vis version of the movie to his actors helps them act in a scene where, for example, they have to react to a humongous tidal wave washing over some of the world?s tallest peaks. ?It helps the actors see what they?re facing and gives them an idea of how a scene will unfold,? the director of ?Independence Day? and ?The Day After Tomorrow? told us.

John?s journey has taken him as far as New Zealand, where he worked for six months on Peter Jackson?s ?The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.? Now with Sony Pictures Animation?s Visual Development Department, John played a key role in creating the main characters in the acclaimed hit animation movie, ?Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.?

Self-taught in 3D animation, John and his rise in the film industry makes for an inspiring story. We thank Chris Fabian of the Mindanao Times for the Filipino Connection (?FC?) tip about John.

What did you do as a 3D artist on ?2012??

I worked on ?2012? only for a month on two pre-vis shots for the film, along with five others in my team at Sony Pictures Animation. First, the shots of the tidal wave going over the Himalayan Mountains as a monk stands, watching. The other shot was when a huge wave carries an aircraft carrier and crashes it into the White House.

I did the modeling of the environments in 3D, the aircraft carrier and the White House as well, which broke into hundreds of pieces. These, again, were used for pre-vis only. They based the actual shots off our work. So in the movie, the White House is more detailed and high-resolution.

I did the same thing with the aircraft carrier shot. They eventually built a higher detailed model of the ship as well. After that, Sony Pictures Imageworks, which is the 3D animation part of Sony Pictures, and other studios did the bulk of the film.

What did you work on in ?Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs??

I worked for six months in Visual Development to help create the main characters of the film: Flint, Sam, Brent, and Flint?s dad in 3D. We also developed a two-minute ?short? version of the film. We showed the studio executives exactly what they would get if we made the film as far as look, color, characters, etc. are concerned. Because of our ?short,? we were able to get the film green-lit.

What other films did you work on at Sony Pictures?

At Sony Pictures Imageworks, I worked on ?Surf?s Up,? ?Chronicles of Narnia,? ?Harry Potter,? ?The Polar Express,? ?Open Season,? ?Stuart Little 2,? ?Zathura,? and ?Superman Returns.?

When I moved to Sony Pictures Animation?s Visual Development Department, I worked on ?Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs? and ?Open Season 2.?

Were you born in the Philippines?

I was born at San Pedro Hospital in Davao City in 1972. My mother, Aurora Castillo Butiu (from Manila), was a nurse in that hospital. My father, Romeo Butiu, is from Davao City. He graduated from Ateneo de Davao University.

I lived in Davao with my grandparents, Juan Y. Butiu and Valeriana Butiu, until I was 5 years old. My parents, who were living in the States, brought me to the US. I was spoiled by my Lolo Johnny and Lola Val.

My two sisters, Melody and Precious, were born in the States. I met them for the first time when my parents brought me to New York from Davao. The whole time, I thought my grandparents were my parents. But I soon realized that these were my real parents.

How did you get to where you are now?

After high school, I went to the Art Center College of Design and majored in Transportation Design.

Unfortunately, I was unable to graduate from Art Center because it was too expensive. All the money I had went to paying the school tuition, art supplies and housing.

I began to study Photoshop and basic 3D animation software. Slowly, I worked my way into the entertainment industry. I only had $90 per month for food, which is not much because the cost of living in LA is really high. Sometimes I would skip meals or eat my roommate?s leftovers because I couldn?t afford to eat out or buy groceries.

My first job was doing art and graphics for a small interactive company in LA which paid only $5 per hour, the same rate for someone working at McDonald?s. But they paid for my lunch and gave me some basic training in Photoshop and basic 3D software. Then I moved to a larger company which required me to learn high-end 3D software called Alias. I just forced myself to pick up a book and learn it on my own after work hours. My dad, who moved back to Washington State, said, ?Either get a job in LA or move back home to Seattle, Washington.? I decided to stick it out in LA and learn 3D modeling and animation with the help of my friends.

After two years of working in a small 3D graphics company, I applied at a large company called Rhythm & Hues Studios. I showed them my 3D demo reel and 2D art portfolio. They liked the fact that I could draw and do art as well as 3D animation. They also taught me their 3D animation software. I spent a month learning modeling, lighting, animation and compositing. That?s the advantage of working for a large entertainment company?they pay you while you are learning. There, I was able to make friends in the entertainment industry. I started giving lectures about 3D animation.

For three and a half years, I worked at Rhythm & Hues Studios on various films such as ?Babe 2,? ?Speed 2,? ?Flintstones 2,? and commercials like Coca-Cola?s with a polar bear.

Then I got a job at Disney Feature Animation where I worked on 3D films such as ?Chicken Little? and 3D ride films such as ?Mickey?s Philharmagic and The Magic Lamp.? At Disney, I learned the 3D animation software, ?Maya.?

Can you describe your experience working on ?The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? in New Zealand?

It was a great experience to work on such an amazing epic film. I worked in New Zealand for six months. I was able to watch them film some scenes from the movie and see Peter Jackson and Viggo Mortensen in action. We worked 60-80 hour weeks, especially toward the end of my stay.

What do you like about working in this field?

The people are very talented, creative and hardworking. You are constantly learning new things and growing as an artist as well. You get paid to do what you enjoy so it doesn?t really seem like a job because you are having fun! I?m currently at Sony Pictures Animation in the Visual Development Department so I get to be part of the creative process before a film gets made.

What advice can you give aspiring talents in animation?

Do anything you dream of doing and never give up. It?s best to write down your goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them, whether it takes five months or five years.

You will run into obstacles and hardships but you must do your best and find a way to overcome them. Try to be creative. But most of all, keep challenging yourself!

What are your thoughts on your journey as a Fil-Am artist so far?

Because of the support of my friends and family, and with the help of prayer, I am where I am today. My mother Aurora passed away over 18 years ago from cancer. I?m doing all of this for my mama whom I will always love. My journey as a Fil-Am artist has been wonderful. The things that I learned as a child from our Filipino culture and family values have helped me become who I am today.

I promised myself that I will do my best to attain all of my life?s goals as well as do my best for my wife, Angie, whom I love very much. We are expecting our first baby boy in December. Even now, I?m still learning new things to improve myself as an artist and soon-to-be father.

Email the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com and read his blog, ?The Nepales Report,? on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.