When did you see LightWave for the first time?

I first heard of it when I was running part of Amiga User International for Anthony Jacobson, we did a review of the Toaster. However, before I went to work for Blue Ribbon Bakery I wrote music for TV using Bars and Pipes and had never thought of doing animation. It wasn't until I was working for them in Atlanta, that Melissa J Grey (joint owner) showed me the Video Toaster integrated with Bars and Pipes (the music sequencer), I think that would be around 1992-3. Inside the Toaster was a fantastic little 3D program called LightWave.

I moved to Blue Ribbon Bakery to handle their worldwide sales and marketing and to continue writing TV music as a side line. However, once I got involved with LightWave I didn't write any more music until the theme tune for Spaced Invaders in 2003.

I came back to the UK shortly after seeing LightWave and built a company around it. At first selling it, then distributing it, then creating special effects for TV and film with it. By the end of our first year we had done a few special effects on two big Hollywood movies and one small (really bad) British movie, along with some adverts (we did the satellite shot in Goldeneye as overspill work for Magic Camera Company). It completely changed my life.

Are there similarities between writing music and creating animation?

They both require concentration and good timing and immense attention to detail, though music is more relaxing to do than animation.

At a professional level both require time to produce excellence, but music doesn't normally make you laugh as much (unless you're listening to any song by William Shatner).

What do you like about the package?

Then as now, it has the fastest animation interface in the world. While I think a lot of packages have caught up a little, I still think bang for buck it is the best-value package at its old price, I think at the low price of today, I am amazed the whole world hasn't got a copy, if only for the hypervoxels and render engine (both still unmatched off the shelf features).

Modeler is still the best modeller designed for TV and film, because of the weighting system, the atlas mapping, the unlimited layering system and so on. General animation is fast and easy, with a great non-linear editing system and superb rendering capabilities. Including built-in multi-bounce radiosity along with HDRI and the ability to re-expose your renders in seconds, absolutely stunning.

When showing LightWave, I try to show as many features as possible in real time, be it the simple flying logo or maybe a photoreal render using HDRI. The same would apply to Hypervoxels and particles, really fun to show off in real-time. People also forget that LightWave has one of the best cel shaders included, although this does take longer to show off, as does the IK.

What could be improved for you?

They could up the price to £7500 so people would think twice before buying it... less competition for me - joking! :)

Do you think that raising the price would make it too elitist?

I think the price is fantastic for all people getting into 3D, however because it is so low cost I think it confuses some people who believe that package X must be as good if not better because it's more expensive. Indeed, some of the competition is now way more expensive when you consider that you have to add on the extra modules just to get it close to LightWave - the idea is that X must be good because it costs so much. So is LightWave too cheap? Not economically, but from a psychological standpoint? Yes, I think it is.