![]() AWARDS Emmy Awards
1996 “Nat’l Geographic’s Really Wild Animals” Design 2005 “All My Children” show open Emmys (Sports) 1991 “Yankee Scorecard” MSG Network International Film & TV Festival 1991 “NBA Showtime” NBC Sports 1989 “Yankee Scorecard” MSG Network 1983 “White Group” Yves St. Laurent Broadcast Design Association (ProMax) 1990 “ABC Trans-Antarctica Expedition” 1987 “WNYC:30 ID” 1987 “Hair” 1986 “Star Wars” CBS News 1985 “NJ Nets” WPIX Monitor Awards 1987 “Ask JCP&L” 1986 “Kodak Circuit” 1988 “HBO World Stage” Creativity 1986 “Kids America” Clio 1987 “Lifetime Cable Network ID” 1987 “Cinemax Shorts” Telly Awards 1990 “MSG Network Open” 1990 “Yankee Scoreboard” 1992 “NBA Showtime” NBC Dolphin Clio Awards at Dolphin Prods. Kinney Shoes “Footlocker” “Bubbling Brown Sugar” International Film and Television Festival WPIX “11 Alive” AT&T “Map” NBC Sports “Grandstand Intro” NBC “Search for Something Else” Pepto Bismol “Indi-gestion” |
Mike Saz, president of studio SAZ
Mike Saz, an early pioneer in the computer graphics and animation field, is well known for breaking new ground. Saz, with a background in engineering, physics and new media, has been sought out for his outstanding and innovative utilization of the latest computer software and hardware for over 30 years. Saz was an essential part of NYC's first computer graphic community and animation studio, Dolphin Productions in the 1970's. The revolutionary analogue computer, the “scanimate” allowed the production of special effects for television in a way never before possible. Quips Saz, "the scanimate device was famously unreliable, and required me to develop the ability to “make things work even when nothing was working." That valuable skill enabled Mike to create award-winning solutions, throughout his career, for even the most difficult challenges. In the early 1980's when Mike Saz joined Modern Telecommunications, Inc., he edited commercials, television series and trained editors and television personnel in the latest technology. Partnering with MTI owners and senior management, he built and established "Compugraph Designs", one of NYC's first in-house CGI / Special Effects divisions within a video post production facility. This business model has been widely duplicated, to this day. Compugraph Designs quickly became successful, acquiring the brand-new Quantel Paintbox, the first all digital painting system, and Harry, the first all digital editing & effects composting system. Saz's personally selected team of artists, producers, and support staff, won 3 Monitor Awards, an Emmy, & 3 Telly awards. Compugraph Designs successful run lasted 20 years, until the hostile takeover of MTI in 1993. Saz purchased his own Softimage animation system and designed + animated graphics for a National Science Foundation film on geology. He produced videodiscs on chemistry and biology for Prentice Hall. Mike freelanced for Caesar Video, integrating their flame system with a cel animation stand, and won an Emmy for the resulting National Geographic show open. Additionally, Saz taught courses on Computer graphics and video post-production at New York's F.I.T., And Pratt Institute. In 1995, Mr. Saz was hired by Click 3X, using NYC's first Discreet Logic Flame & Inferno, an advanced digital production suite that's still widely used in the industry. With no instruction manual, Mr. Saz was once again tasked with training new artists (and clients) on the new options for production and post, afforded by CGI and an all-digital workflow. Mike developed production methodologies, and provided effects supervision and direction on shoots. He used Softimage for additional effects and to model set and camera placement for shoots. In 2001, Saz moved to Los Angeles, C.A., becoming a partner in Panopoly. There, Mr. Saz did Flame/Softimage promotional work for movie studios and also trained several understudies. Additionally, Saz freelanced at Digital Domain, Whoodo, and several other computer animation companies. Work he created during that time included Charlie Wilsons War, Marley & Me, Final Destination, several other films, and many commercials. Mr. Saz moved back to the New Paltz, N.Y. area, in 2007, where his present studio is located. Currently, he works in Cinema 4D, the Adobe Suite, and additional software to realize projects for his longtime L.A. Clients, and and ever-expanding list of new clients. ![]() Filmography: Visual effects | Animation:
2018 Love Is Dead! (motion graphics artist) 2016 A Night Without Armor (visual effects artist) 2012/I3 A Thousand Words (digital retouching - uncredited) 2010 Passion Play (lead Flame compositor: Whodoo EFX) 2009 The Final Destination (digital compositor: Hybride) 2009 Shorts (digital compositor) 2008 Marley & Me (digital compositor) 2007 Charlie Wilson's War (lead Flame compositor: Whodoo EFX - as Mike Saz) 2005 The Fog (Inferno artist: Hydraulx - as Mike Saz) 1993 Really Wild Animals (TV Series documentary) (visual effects - 1997) 2018 Glider (Documentary) (animator: opening sequence) 2014 Hacking the System: Hack Your Car (TV Movie) (animator) 2014 Hacking the System: Hack Your Home (TV Movie) (animator) 2012-2013Alaska Fish Wars (TV Series) (animator - 3 episodes) - Game On (2013) ... (animator) - All In (2013) ... (animator) - Jackpot (2012) ... (animator) 2007 Anamorph (animator: opening sequence) 2012-2013 Alaska Fish Wars (TV Series) (info graphics - 3 episodes) - Game On (2013) ... (info graphics) - All In (2013) ... (info graphics) - Jackpot (2012) ... (info graphics) 2009 The Othersiders (TV Series) (graphics - 1 episode) - Lincoln Heights Jail (2009) ... (graphics) 2005 The Fog (special effects crew) 2003 Red Serpent (special effects) 1970 All My Children (TV Series) |