User:Zshah01

Hi my name Zeeshan Shah, I am a Pakistani Artist born and raised in Saudi Arabia.

Biography:  I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province city Al Khobar, I did my initial schooling from Saudi Arabia and graduated in 1998, then for further studies I went to Pakistan and joined computer science under graduate program at Iqra University in city Karachi, I graduated with honors in year 2002 and right after that I joined Masters of Computer Science programme, I completed my Masters in year 2003 with bi-majors in Computer Graphics and Multimedia. My first job was at b2b solutions in Karachi as a web designer, then I joined Iqra University's in-house Graphic Design department, and most of my design experience I learned from there, after my Masters I came back to Saudi Arabia for job hunting, after few months of positive responses I joined Advance Technology Systems as a Media Manager. After three years of my job I decided to move to Saudi capital Riyadh and joined Event Organizing company "Xtreme Promo", after six months I got a teaching job offer from New York Institute of Technology in Bahrain, so here I am working as an Assistant Professor in School of Fine Arts and Computer Graphics at New York Institute of Technology in Bahrain.

Teaching History:  I am currently teaching as an Assistant Professor in NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) - Bahrian, NYIT inaugurated their global campus in Bahrain in 2003, I am teaching NYIT's School of Fine Arts and Computer Graphics, I teach freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. My area of teaching are Computer Graphics, Three Dimensional Foundation Arts, Modern Arts, 3D Modeling and Animation, Motion Graphics, Web Design, Drawing, CD/DVD Authoring, Typography, Package Design, Industrial Design, Editorial Design, Web Design, and Film Making Courses. I joined NYIT in year 2006, NYIT is full of energetic, hardworking, and enthusiastic students with eager to learn and have hunger for success, I organized variety of show cases with my students. NYIT was also a pioneer in 3-D computer animation. Before Pixar and Lucasfilm, there was NYIT’s Computer Graphics Lab (CGL). In 1974, NYIT’s Computer Graphics Lab (CGL) was established and attracted the likes of: Pixar Animation Studios President Edwin Catmull and co-founder Alvy Ray Smith; Walt Disney Feature Animation Chief Scientist Lance Joseph Williams; Dreamworks animator Hank Grebe; and Netscape and Silicon Graphics founder Jim Clark. In year 2006 me and my department organized a visiting artist presentation with "Khaled Al Muharraqi" a reknown 3D Graphics Artist and Painter, in year 2007 we invited "Lonnie Anderson" a reknown T.V. commercial/film director from U.S.A. In year 2008 we invited "Ayoka Chenzira" another film maker from U.S.A.

For the first time in history of NYIT-Bahrain, I led 10 undergraduate students in the production of a full-length film, Gilgamesh Pearl, which premiered at Saar Cinema Complex in Manama, Bahrain, on Feb. 26. The filmmaking team donated proceeds from the feature to support My Charity Water, an organization that helps build water wells in African villages. Read more about film at imdb.

Art History:  I was passionate about art since my childhood, I use to draw and paint on note books, printing papers, charts, and recycled papers, I use to make paper mache' and clay sculptures also. I bought my first home computer in year 1984 "Atari 800/XL", I used some painting software to create ASCII code painting/drawing, and also some times I used basic language to create small animations, In year 1995 I bought 486 DX 4, I started with paint brush as my first artistic tool then I switched over paint shop pro which I found more advanced and creative, when I went to Pakistan for higher studies, I took some mandatory professional courses during my baccalaureates and masters, and that was the beginning of real life experience, I designed my first website on netscape navigator HTML Tool, and like this I start using flash, dream weaver, photo shop, 3DS Max, After Effects, Premier and many more. I studied arts more concentration during my masters programme majors in computer graphics and multimedia, during my baccalaureates and masters I took some minor but useful Art History courses too, and this tempted me to study more about modern arts, computer graphics and graphic design history and timeline, during my studies I worked for many organizations as a free lance designer and started to experience professional art life.

Exhibition & Workshops: 

2011: Unity Through Identity Bahrain: Photo Exhibition organized by U.S. Embassy and Bahrain Art Society with American Artist Todd Drake.

2011: Conducted a Workshop in Bahrain titled Unity Through Identity/Muslim Self Portrait with American Artist Todd Drake.

2011: Conducted a Workshop on Photoshop/Photography at Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia during Saudi Aramco Cultural Festival 2011.

2011: Premiered featured Film titled "Gilgamesh" in Bahrain Cinema, the film was made by my team under my supervision.

2009: Premiered featured Film titled "Paranorma" in Bahrain Cinema, the film was made by my team under my supervision.

Filmography: 

Paranorma 2009

I Introduced a Visual Effects Movie course, and directed a one hour feature film as a course project, the idea behind making the movie was to teach students how film production and development works, students worked on post production, visual effects, linear editing, audio dubbing, and finally released the movie. Students also created another documentary based on the movie that tells the story of how they worked on the project and the process of the movie making. On the premier day more than 100 people showed up (the movie was free, though tickets were provided to reserve the seats and avoiding audience flooding).

Gilgamesh Pearl 2011

For the first time in history of NYIT-Bahrain, I led 10 undergraduate students in the production of a full-length film, Gilgamesh Pearl, which premiered at Saar Cinema Complex in Manama, Bahrain, on Feb. 26. The filmmaking team donated proceeds from the feature to support My Charity Water, an organization that helps build water wells in African villages. Also with the contribution, I worked with IT department and Department chair to order suitable Video Equipment and Audio Equipment for my film making course, and that includes, Panasonic AVHCD video camera, shotgun mic.

Silveraven 2012

My upcoming movie project with my sixth NYIT batch is called Silveraven, which will be first Fantasy Fiction in Bahrain, the Movie is about to finish in march 2012.