Our Team

I began programming at the age of 14 starting out with sound editing software on an Amiga. After graduating with a Theoretical Physics degree I began work for HiSoft in 2000. I then worked for MAXON for around 10 years. I enjoy the many varied aspects that running a company entails and in my spare time I enjoy walking my dog and trying to grow chillies so spicy they make you cry.

I’m a Kiwi living in the UK, growing up in a small beach town in New Zealand and later moving to Auckland. I gained a diploma in graphic art and design and have been a motion graphic artist for film and TV for over 15 years. I enjoy anything musical; playing guitar, hang drum and ukulele and being outdoors as much as possible.

I first started programming on an Atari 800, then moved up through an Atari ST and eventually a PC and Mac. After working for about 30 years for the health service in England I left to do other things and ended up coding the first version of X-Particles (and how primitive that seems now!). When not coding I’ll read just about anything, watch movies, and have even been known to visit the gym from time to time.

After graduating with a Maths degree from York University I worked as an analyst in retail. I studied historical sales figures to predict trends and monitor the success of products and promotions. I then took a career break to have my four (yes, four!) children. The opportunity to work for INSYDIUM came at just the right time and fits in with family life perfectly. I play the French Horn in my local Orchestra, and also go kickboxing. As I struggle to remember my left from my right, my partner risks me (accidently!) punching her with the wrong hand.

My passion for programming started when I was 18. I grew up head over heels in love with old video-game consoles especially Nintendo ones and I learned coding trying to write an emulator for one. After graduating with a Management Information System degree in 2004, I started working as a software developer for a VFX company called Cubes. Before joining INSYDIUM I worked MercuryVS for more than 7 years. In my free time, I like playing old video games especially Donkey Kong and Zelda.
I tend to work too much! If there is a word that I can describe myself with it would be “plugged”.

My childhood passion of playing video games and watching movies meant I was keen to know how they were made. Eventually this led to my studying a BSc within Computer Science and further to an MSc within high performance graphics at the University of Leeds. In my spare time I still occasionally play video games, enjoy watching football and rugby, catching up on the latest TV shows and in between learning to speak Mandarin.

Since childhood, my strong passion for arts and technology have been influenced by eastern and western cultures equally.
I started practicing Karate from the age of four until I worked as a Breakdance choreographer during school and study.
After graduating in Media Production I joined Pixomondo and later Chimney Group as Art Director for around seven years leading projects for film, advertisement, and show events internationally. I’m a true night owl that is doing traditional art and technical experiments during my free time, and I enjoy being a father and husband during the day.

I got my first job as a 3D environment artist at the age of 20 after 1 year of self study and my work has been featured on many popular websites such as CGSociety and Allegorithmic. Over the course of the past four years my passion has led me to the technical part of my job and I decided to dive into coding using Python as a first step then push my skills to the next level by learning C++. Before joining INSYDIUM I worked for Qasas Studios (Delaware-USA) as 3D environment TD and CmiVFX (Washington,D.C) as Environment Tutor.

I spent 15 years at the BBC as a radio producer and presenter. I eventually tired of being behind the mic and decided to pursue my first love – design. I taught myself 2D animation before moving into 3D. My first big job was making cg smoke and fire effects for the West End musical From Here to Eternity. My credits include several other productions on both the West End and Broadway. I’ve produced motion graphics for national and international TV channels including BBC2 and the BBC News Channel. For the last 8 years I’ve also worked as a senior lecturer in digital media at Leeds Trinity University. When I’m not working I love cycling, creating (very poor) latte art and hanging out with my wife and kids.

I studied Design and Art Direction at University, and started my working life as a graphic designer but soon discovered my creative talent didn’t really fit into commercial world “I just wasn’t very good”. Fortunately, while working as a designer for an IT company, I got the opportunity to try my hand at marketing. I have never looked back, I gained my marketing qualifications and continued my career working across various market sectors for over 10 years. I enjoy the gym, and I’m a fair weather “not a proper” runner. My one and only vice is I drink far too much coffee…….honestly, I have only one vice.

Before undertaking my academic route, I played the drums at a semi-professional level, supporting various signed Ska/Punk groups. After a few years of this misspent youth, I spent a few years working in a Pharmacy. I then moved myself and my family to the north of England to study at the University of Huddersfield, intending to become a registered Pharmacist. One thing led to another and I ended up switching to a Business Degree in Marketing. Looks like that was the best decision I made!

After four years of art school fun, I started out as a traditional graphic designer. I’m equally passionate about creativity and technology so the Amiga computer, the Apple Mac, Blender 3D and the web changed everything for me. Merging art and programming, I found my niche in web design. Since then my career has spanned web and intranet development, video, animation, brand and marketing communications in corporate, academic and design agency roles, both ‘hands-on’ and management. I have too many hobbies but love my electric guitar, photography, film-making, watercolour painting and walking.

After graduating with a degree in business IT, I went into teaching IT to teenagers. I soon realised however that my true passion was for creative arts so put myself through a design qualification. This led to my marketing design agency experience, working on web, print and events management for large corporate clients, and subsequently as mid-weight designer for a leading international textile manufacturer. I love being able to use design to create the best possible brand and user experience, I enjoy organising, but most of all I love the office dogs!

I have always had a keen interest in music and video production, so I went to University to study Sound and Video technology. After graduating, I started working for an IT company near Bradford as an IT engineer. I then moved into being a Technical Project Manager before I began work at INSYDIUM.  In my spare time, I like to play golf and football, and I also like to play my guitars for as long as my 2-year-old son will allow me!

With more than 20 years experience in retail travel management, building successful customer relationships was key to being part of a profitable family business. Of course, the opportunity to travel the world, on expenses, was a bonus too.

I celebrate my Yorkshireness by working with local teenagers; volunteering in activities that include dry stone walling, land management and other tasks that involve sharp tools and muck.

I relish any moment where I can be outside with my face in the sun whereupon I will usually be contemplating my next meal.

I've been hooked on 3D for a long time after discovering Cinema4D 6 SE free on the front of a magazine (yes, those days!) I studied Architecture at University and worked as a visualiser, where I first got to use my 3D skills professionally. That was 11 years ago and since then I became a freelance 3D artist, working on all sorts of projects from VFX to product visualisation and online training. I love working out how things work, which led me in to the more technical side of 3D (VFX, rigging, python scripting and photorealistic rendering). Outside of work, I love films, games and cooking good food.

Mathematics and creativity are in my genes. In my childhood, I was very interested in professional swimming, programming Turbo Pascal, HTML, writing primitive useless software, later scripts for hacking :) (that early internet, there was nothing to do more interesting in the 90s). After graduating at high school I chose Graphic Design studies and left everything behind. My passion for 3D motion graphics has developed through years by working as an information designer. Motto: nothing is impossible, everything has a workaround.

I've worked across a wide range of fields, large Tech Firms, Local Authority to a small Business. During this time, I've developed a real passion for helping people get the answers they need. I love to plan, problem-solve and get into the real nitty-gritty of an enquiry, "if I don't know the answer, I know who will". Away from work, I fuse my two greatest passions; being a nuisance on a skateboard and videography. I create skate edits and what's not to love about travelling the world with your board and your mates!? Apart from the weight of the camera bag, that is.

I like things that just work. When they don’t, I am curious to find out why. My experience crosses many areas from production & post-production providing support and technical expertise in the broadcast, film and education sectors through to software build, release and change management in the public sectors. I love spending time with my family. My other passions are riding my motorbike, taking long trips on narrowboats, and enjoying music. I also volunteer with Scouts running a local Beaver Scout section. I joined INSYDIUM for the joy of working with passionate people, good coffee, the company of dogs and oh, the great software. Who doesn’t like tools that can turn water into smoke!

I studied graphic design and left with a diploma but then took a change in direction and went into accounts, where I worked my way up and studied at the same time ending in running a large accounting department. I did this for 15 years before leaving to have a family. I have spent the last several years getting back into my art, designing cards, painting on canvases and making cakes for friends.

We are Labradors and spend our days at the INSYDIUM office. We love having company and are always hopeful that someone may share their lunch. We both like to pretend we are really brave by woofing at people we haven’t seen before but really we’re very soft and just want a tickle between the ears. When we’re not at work we enjoy long walks, chasing balls and sniffing the cats we live with.

Although my primary focus is in stress management, my role also affects productivity - no one gets any work done when I'm around. I mostly wander round the office being ridiculously cute and sticking my head into bins. My hobbies include sniffing, chasing pigeons and chewing people's shoe laces. I'm not sure what X-Particles is but I don't think you can eat it so I'm not interested.