User:Purpleandy/sandbox

Michael Duong (born January 12, 1988) is a British junior animator at Rushes Postproduction in Soho. Originally born in Croydon, he lived much of his life in Manchester before moving to Stoke-On-Trent at the age of 18 to study for a BSc in Computer Games Design at Staffordshire University. It was here where Duong's passion for animation began to really develop, influenced as he was by the works of Pixar, Studio Ghibli and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Early years
Born at the age of 7 to his parents Duong showed an early creative flair, able as he was to draw simple geometrical shapes freehand before he had even learned to hold a pencil. This creativity was nurtured throughout Duong's childhood expressed not only through drawing and painting but also through music and modern dance. By the age of 12 he had also mastered the trumpet, piano and how to portray 7 different emotions through body language alone.

Duong's real skills always lay in his drawing however, and it was while studying at Reddish Vale Technology College that this came to the forefront when he decided to eschew traditional GCSEs in favour of 12 different art and design modules - the first pupil in England to do so. Duong left college in 2004 with no fewer than several GCSE passes and the grudging respect of everyone who knew him, and even some who didn't.

In 2004 Duong moved to Cheadle & Marple Sixth Form College where he took his artistry to a whole new level, learning as he did how to draw hands, trees and the cartoon character Snoopy.

Career
Duong's career began more humbly than his skills betrayed as a barman and waiter in the winter of 2006. This only lasted for nine months however before he was spotted over a deftly served bowl of sun dried tomato and basil soup and swiftly recruited as Production Technician at CFS-Europe. From here he quickly and silently climbed the career ladder through a variety of roles before landing his dream job at post production facility Rushes, in the heart of London.

Duong's career at Rushes began in November 2010 as a runner where his tireless enthusiasm, energy and dedication to the CG department quickly brought him to the attention of the management team and he was soon promoted to the role of 3D Data Assistant. From there he was made junior animator within a matter of months where his skills continue to impress across a range of film and TV projects.

Personal Life
Outside of his work Duong is a keen fitness fanatic and avid fan of the TV shows Smallville and The Inbetweeners. He lives by the mantra "Not everyone can become an artist, but an artist can come from anyone" which continues to serve him well to this day. His only real failing in life is his misguided belief that coffee is dehydrating - misunderstanding that although caffeine is indeed a diuretic, the water content of a cup of coffee more than makes up for it's potential dehydrating properties.