Avery Kukla

Avery Kukla

Avery Kukla (PNY Technologies)

  1. During which years were you an active member of BPA, and what roles or positions did you hold during your time with the organization?
    I was a member of BPA from 2013 to 2015 while I was at Bay-Arenac Career Center in Bay City, Michigan. I competed in the Computer Animation Team event and came in second at states in 2014 and third at nationals in 2015.
  2. What was your most memorable moment or achievement during your time in BPA, and why does it stand out to you?
    So to preface this answer: the topic for the Computer Animation Team event during my senior year was to design a baseball stadium from scratch. My advisor knew I yearned to do the event again, so he told me the topic as soon as I greeted him “hello” after summer break. I was so motivated, I started making one over Labor Day weekend. The whole weekend was a blur, but I do remember duplicating all the chairs throughout the stadium (and this was way before you could click a few buttons on the computer to do it for you). Anyway, before I knew it, I had already made a rough 3D model of the stadium. So excited, I showed it to my teacher that Tuesday after Labor Day: he gave the biggest smirk I had ever seen and he said, “I think you just set the standard.” This [moment] really stands out to me because it made me realize that I’m capable of anything if I put my mind to it.
  3. Can you share your current profession and how your experience with BPA shaped your career path?
    I am currently a video motion graphics designer for the pro marketing side of PNY Technologies, which produces all sorts of computer hardware and accessories like flash drives, memory sticks (RAM), external and internal solid state drives (SSDs), etc., and they partner with NVIDIA to design some slick video cards (GPUs). I am responsible for recreating their products digitally using the 3D modeling tool, Blender, along with creating and designing virtual environments for their social media videos like they would on The Mandalorian with Unreal Engine.

    Competing in Computer Animation while in BPA made me realize how passionate I am for 3D and CGI. Someone once told me I live and breathe the stuff. I will spend hours and days tinkering with all sorts of 3D rendering packages seeing what they’re capable of and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Lately, I have been exploring what Side FX Houdini and Pixar’s Renderman are fully capable of for my needs and workflow.

  4. In what ways did your involvement in BPA help prepare you for your future? Are there specific skills or experiences that have been particularly valuable?
    BPA truly challenged me to start thinking outside the box. [While competing, I would think] “what is everyone else doing and what can I do to make myself unique?” To this day, I continually strive to reach the next bar and keep reaching and reaching and reaching as far as I can. BPA also gave me industry-level experience. [While competing], it felt as if I was working at Pixar making the next film: planning out shots, modeling objects, applying realistic materials to them, giving the scene a proper sense of lighting, and making the objects move how I wanted. BPA also helped me understand the feedback process and how to handle critique of my work. In the end, I realized that a lot of people have opinions but it’s up to you to ascertain which ones make sense for your vision.
  5. In what ways do you continue to stay connected with BPA, and how has your involvement evolved since graduating?
    I became involved with BPA immediately following graduation in 2015. I dedicated a lot of my time to helping my former advisor/teacher at Bay-Arenac by passing on my knowledge to the next generation of potential animators and 3D Artists (so they could bring their own visions into fruition for the Computer Animation Team event). Over the years I’ve become more involved with BPA by helping judge national level entries for various events like Computer Animation Team and Computer Modeling. Being a judge gives me the opportunity to provide my expertise to up and coming animators and 3D Artists to help them grow and further realize their potential.
  6. What advice or words of wisdom would you offer to current BPA members who are looking to make the most of their experience and prepare for their futures?
    Never let the weight of the world change who you are. I have seen many people lose the hope in their aspirations, and that saddens me. If you keep working towards your dreams, they’ll come alive before you know it. You are awesome inside and out, so make sure you let people know it!