Silo Q&A With Kenichi Nishida
Lead Modeler at Sega

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Studios worked at: Sega VE Animation Studio, Spice.inc

How did you get interested in 3D art?

I became interested in 3D art because of the vfx in movies. I was especially impressed with the effects in "Terminator 2". More recently, the Lord of the Rings series has been a big influence; I really like the characters and the fantasy world created in it.

What do you enjoy about 3D art?

I've always particularly enjoyed digital sculpting. I like creating base meshes with Silo and then sculpting with Mudbox.

What is your typical modeling workflow?

I have slightly different work flows at home and at work; both are very simple.

At home, I begin by creating a base mesh and UVs using Silo, and then import that low-resolution file into to Mudbox or Zbrush. Rendering is done in Sunflow, an open-source renderer. So, the file starts in Silo, goes to Mudbox or Zbrush, and then is taken as an .obj file into Sunflow for rendering.

At work, I also use Silo to create a base or render mesh, then take it through Mudbox or Zbrush to create a Normal/Displacement map, and then take that into Maya for rendering.

What tools or techniques do you use most?

My favorite tool is the Topology tool; it's really powerful and easy to use. It's a great tool for retopologizing a model.

How long have you been using Silo, and how did you get interested in it?

I've been using Silo about 2 years now. My team members gave me a license as my birthday present. (Thank you!) It would have been worth purchasing anyway; I am quite happy with Silo's performance at the offered price.

What do you like about Silo?

I especially like Silo's simple user interface. I find Silo really easy and simple to use.

What studios have you worked with?

I'm working at "Sega VE Animation Studio" as a digital modeler. I previously worked at the Spice Group (Spice.inc).

What types of projects are you currently working on?

I'm creating human and creature characters for GameTrailers.