Statue Forum 





Go Back   Statue Forum > Statue Talk - Others > First4Figures / Gaming Heads

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 02-11-2014, 11:06 PM   #1
XMAN
Ultron
 
XMAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,090
GORAN SADOJEVICH INTERVIEW



1.Please tell us about yourself

My name is Goran Sadojevich, I’m 33 years old and I live in Serbia. I graduated high school of architecture and later on I attend courses to study 2d arts where they hired me as a teacher to hold classes of 3d. That last for about a year, after I decided to dedicate my time for building portfolio and improve my skills. I’m a self taught, self driven artist always eager to learn new stuff and take challenges.
2.What are your personal interests?
Beside my work, I love nature, animals.. enjoying my pets and plants  Also, collecting vintage toys is a big part of my life, they are simply amazing if you ask me. I grew up loving airplanes, helicopters and parachutes so skydiving is something I realy love to do. One of the best things man can experience, can’t compare to anything. I spend allot of time in my office working, my wife and my family are very supportive and I’m gratefull for that. Love to share my experience and work with my family and see them watching my art and enjoy it as much as I do making it  I also love to play games, watch movies, meet other artists, collectors, etc… , attend toy fairs, travel… It’s a blessing to work what you love in your life, be sorrounded with people you love and have their support, to help and share, not just about work but life as well.
3.How did you get your big break?
I would say the most important thing is hard work and being in love with what you do. Lots of hours were spent on researching, reading, learning and of course practice. Been working on various projects before I actually started my big break in toy industry, this of course includes some of voluntary projects which contributed to my experience and meeting some great people I learned a lot from. After some time I found online a job offer from First 4 Figures and contacted them , this was my start in toy business. I have received my first project which was Skull Kid from the Zelda line.

At that time there was no zbrush yet so Skull Kid was all made in 3dsmax which was a real challenge as I had very basic knowledge of making print ready 3d models. Only 5 days passed after I sent finished 3d model to the art director and he was quite happy with the results. Very few comments were sent back to me and Skull Kid was ready for print. After that, every next project was a great experience and I’m still enjoying them, also technology advanced and we have Zbrush, mudbox.. now which made sculpting and modeling much easier and more interesting
Amazing piece btw...
4.What influenced you the most and where did your inspiration come from?

My biggest inspiration and influence are Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe. I grow up loving these characters, toys, cartoons and I can say I’m still in love with these guys  Back in 80’s we could mostly buy bootleg versions here in my country so I was keen to have originals and decided to make them myself so I used bootleg versions and painted them and remade some parts with plasticine so they look like the originals, so this was sort of a beginning for me  After that I got my first computer and discovered Diablo game released by Blizzard entertainment and this sealed my childhood fantasies to work on art, games and toys. Art department team from Blizzard Entertainment and guys behind Masters of the Universe world are my every day inspiration now. Of course there are allot of other great toys and art out there and I always enjoy watching them, reading about them and meet the artists who worked on those amazing stuff !
5.Who have you worked for?
With First 4 Figures I have worked on some great titles for names such as Sega, Nintendo, EA, THQ … Also I have worked on titles like Team Fortress 2, Left for Dead2, Halflife, Skyrim, Plants vs Zombies.. for Gaming Heads. There are of course companies like: Unbox Industries where I had a pleasure to work on a Star Wars line, Fox3D where I was a part of amazing Natural Selection 2 game, TomyToys, Together+, Heavyform...
6.What advice can you give to an artist who is just starting out?
Research and trace all the art and artists you love, use their work as a reference and your guidance, meet them, learn from them and create your own art. Use real life references as well, study human body, animals, nature.. Practice a lot, love what you do and never give up. If someone asks of you to make a 3d marble… make sure to create the best 3d marble you can, put whole your life in it and you will be dazzled by the results.

7.One of my favorite pieces happens to be Ganondorf....How long did it take you to create this piece

I remember we did a lot of pose testings while the character was still at a very early stage, this took a bit of time due to our wait for client approval but overall character creation process took about 3 weeks.
8.Are there any other Zelda projects currently in the works that you're involved in?
For all current projects I can’t discuss, but I can assure you there are more than a few at various stages 
9.Given the choice...what Zelda characters would you like to work on next?
Definitely, I’m a big fan of Zelda characters and always happy to work on them. I would love to make the Phantom Ganon, details are crazy there and it would be a mind blowing resin statue for sure

10. Have you played the Legend of Zelda video games? If so, do you have a
favorite?

Yes but that was a long time ago, the only one I have played was Legend of Zelda from the 80’s, that was on my old Nintendo entertainment system console. I spent much more time researching and reading about characters then actually playing the game.

11. Was there ever any consideration to include a light-up scar feature in his torso,like he has in most of the Twilight Princess video game?

There was no consideration for the light-up scar, we decided to go with extra head for exclusive version instead.



Was the cape always going to be cloth or was that decided in the middle
of the process?

It was decided at the start of the project as we discussed it will look much more interesting if it was to be made of cloth and also it is a big flat thin piece so making it of cloth will eliminate the possibility of breakings during transport or assembling. It is nice looking and very practical.

Which is your favorite piece that you've worked on for F4F?
Hard to choose, I would say Link on Epona


and definitely Ganondorf, also these were the most challenging in line so far.

Are there challenges when working with an art director or is it a pretty
smooth process?

It really depends on the project complexity, most of the time everything is going pretty smooth when project requirements are clear and we have good references and materials to work from. Most of my ideas are accepted, ie. every single base is my design, hardest parts are deciding the poses and waiting for clients approvals so I have allot of discussions with art director when it comes to posing. Other than that everything is a smooth process.

Goran,
I just want to take the time to thank you on behalf of the Statueforum and extend our appreciation for this interview..... I truly believe your work is nothing less than amazing. We will all be looking forward to having you here again.
XMAN is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2014, 06:46 AM   #2
Peedi
Deathstroke
 
Peedi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Arkham Asylum
Posts: 6,488
Very nice to read this, I have several of the statues he's worked on and they're all excellent pieces!

Thanks to the interviewer and the amazing artist.
Peedi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2014, 12:39 PM   #3
BurningRage
Inhumans
 
BurningRage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: New York
Posts: 9,162
I have Link on Epona and Ganondorf. I can't wait to see the next Zelda statues he worked on.
BurningRage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2014, 07:13 PM   #4
Mitch07137
Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
 
Mitch07137's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 1,910
Great post, thanks! I love and own the ganondorf PF
Mitch07137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2014, 08:17 PM   #5
Bullseye
Mod Assassin
Super Moderator
 
Bullseye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Makena's Kennel.
Posts: 33,959
Nicely done Xman. Thanks for posting.
Bullseye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2014, 09:36 PM   #6
Gyro Zeppeli
The Masters of Evil
 
Gyro Zeppeli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 5,574
I have Ganondorf. It deserves as much praise as possible. Truly an incredible piece.
Gyro Zeppeli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-2014, 02:05 AM   #7
LOOP-DOG
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
 
LOOP-DOG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 443
This is what I enjoy most in this hobby...the human side of it all. Coming from building ure own figures to make originals all the way to working for a company and having your work actually produced! Thank you both X and Goran for taking the time to do this. The insight and advice given is priceless. BTW that Ganondorf is amazing!
LOOP-DOG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2014, 01:52 PM   #8
Luminous
Cyclops
Moderator
 
Luminous's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,557
Excellent interview. I really want that Skull Kid.
Luminous is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2014, 12:03 AM   #9
XMAN
Ultron
 
XMAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,090
Thanks everyone for the comments....it was a real pleasure getting to know Goran. Beside being talented he's a real nice guy. Can't wait to see more of his work and hopefully get some other artists to participate as well....
XMAN is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2014, 04:43 AM   #10
Vracula
Jedi Order
 
Vracula's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Brisbane,Australia
Posts: 24,139
Having a Mullet automatically makes him my fav sculptor alive.Good stuff X.
Vracula is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:00 AM.



Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright StatueForum.com