About the Author

Dariush Derakhshani is a supervisor for Zoic Studios, a creative studio with offices in Culver City, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Dariush has been working in CG for more than 15 years and teaching classes in CG and effects production for close to 14. He is the best-selling author of a handful of books, including the popular Introducing Maya series.

Dariush started using AutoCAD software in his architecture days and then migrated to using 3D programs when his firm's principal architects needed to show their clients design work on the computer. Starting with Alias PowerAnimator version 6, which he encountered when he enrolled in the University of Southern California Film School's Animation program, and working for a short while in 3ds Max before moving on to Maya jobs, Dariush has been using Autodesk animation software for the past 17 years.

He received an MFA in Film, Video, and Computer Animation in 1997 from USC. Dariush also holds a BA in Architecture and Theatre from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and worked at a New Jersey architecture firm before moving to Los Angeles for film school. He has worked on feature films, music videos, and countless commercials as a 3D animator and VFX supervisor, garnering honors from the London International Advertising Awards, the ADDY Awards, the Telly Awards, and a nomination from the Visual Effects Society Awards. He is bald and has flat feet.