I've just met a remarkable professional who is currently the DigiPen campus in Redmond. His name is Michael Cottam and he's here to acquaint himself with the DigiPen BFA in Production Animation program, as he will be teaching parallel classes at the Singapore campus this coming fall.

Michael on the steps of the Sky Walker Ranch in California.

However, in meeting with him I was delighted to discover that he was indeed a fellow ex-pat Brit... hailing from Blackburn, Lancashire. In addition to that, I was extremely impressed with his work, especially his extensive knowledge of all things 3D and SFX technical. Particularly impressive is the fact that Michael is entirely self-taught, essentially inventing his skills as we went along through life, from from a time before the current industry and technology became commonplace. What is additonally impressive however, is his capability of drawing, concept art and production design! It seems that this was a talent he'd had from and early age. I was particularly blown away by two drawings he showed me that he done as a young, untrained 10-year-old.

One of the drawings that Michael did... at 10-years old!

The especially inspirational part of Michael's life story however was the fascinating experiences he'd had before entering the employment market. I can readily identify with what he had to say on this as being of a similar age I could readily relate to his experiences at school, being someone also who succeeded despite the system and not because of it. The following is something that was inflicted upon all of us 'factory fodder'/'working class' kids in England at the time.

Anyway, just before he was about to leave school and join the world of the employed it was a requirement of the British educational system at the time that you meet with the 'careers officer' at least once. The careers officer's job was to give you career advice and wisely guide you to the profession of your choice. This was a good idea in theory but the practice was in fact far removed from that! Anyway, shortly before Michael had met with his own particular career's office he had seen the original 'Star Wars' movie for the first time and was particularly impressed with the opening 'mothership' shot. (As I think we all were when we first saw it.)

Another of Michael's drawings... aged 10!

Suffice it to say, the careers master duly asked Michael what he wanted to do when he left school and Michael responded in all sincerity that he simply wanted to work with George Lucas and recreate that incredible opening shot in the 'Star Wars' movie! (Now in hearing this you have to realize that at this time Blackburn, like most provincial places in the UK at that time, north and south, but particularly in the north, was a run-down, no-hope, industrialized town with nothing but local businesses and/or heavy industry as a viable means of employment. Also, at this time, there was no such thing as desktop computers... let alone the technology to produced a special effects movie like Star Wars!)

Anyway, the career's office looked Michael up and down in a very smug way and very snottily told him that he should forget that kind of thing. He added that Michael had no talent whatsoever and he should therefore consider a more 'sensible' career as an electrician or some other similarly obtainable profession. Left with no realistic options but to follow this 'sage' advice, Michael became an electrician.

However, many years later and by an extremely circuitous route that is too long to go into here, Michael found himself as a pioneer in the emergent computer/games industry. Furthermore, as a result of his pioneering successes in both games and film he was ultimately offered a job to work alongside George Lucas in California! However, not only did Michael get to work alongside his greatest idol at that time, but he was also actually commissioned by Lucas to recreate the game version of that famous opening shot in the Star Wars movie!

Michael subsequently confirmed to me that this was not actually the proudest moment in his life. That was reserved for when he was able to fly his parents to San Francisco to visit him at work. On the day they were there, they went to the Sky Walker Ranch restaurant for lunch where the excited couple actually got a glimpse of George Lucas! Surely, if there is a better 'don't give up'/'anything is possible' legend in this day and age than this, then I have yet to hear it! 

The latest example of model art that Michael has created!

Bravo Michael!