Floyd Gillis was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada.
In 1975, shortly after receiving his degree in Commercial Art and Graphic Design from Langara College, he began
working as a broadcast graphics designer at the CBC regional production
centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 1978, searching for greater challenges and expanded horizons, Floyd left Vancouver and the CBC and moved to
Paris for "independent studies".
In 1979 he returned to Canada and began studies in the BFA program at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
in Halifax, where he focused on drawing, print-making, photography, and animation. It was here in Halifax that
Floyd would join Doomsday Studios and create his internationally
received animated short film "Perspectives".
In 1981 Floyd left Halifax to work in Vancouver's emerging feature-film industry. Out of curiosity, he also
enrolled in an introductory computer animation course at Simon Fraser University taught by animation software
pioneer Jerry Barenholtz. This ignited Floyds obsession with generating art and animation using computers.
Having received a 1981 Canada Council Arts grant for initial funding on his next traditionally animated short
film, Floyd spent the money instead on an IBM personal computer. He immersed himself in writing real-time animation
programs which led, in 1981 and 1982, to several live animation and music performances at Halifax and Toronto art
galleries with Canadian composer/musician John S. Gray.
In 1982 Floyd attended his first SIGGRAPH conference, where he was introduced to the international community of
computer animators and artists. This led to his career as a creative director/animator at
Vertigo Computer Imagery in Vancouver, and
Omnibus Computer Graphics in Toronto and New York.
In 1987 Floyd opened AFCG, his own New York city facility for creating computer
generated animation and special effects for television commercials, broadcasters and post-production editing facilities.
For 20 years AFCG worked with most of the major advertising agencies and national television networks and gained a
reputatioin as one of the top CG animation and effects facilities in New York city. AFCG now focuses primarily on creating
CG animation for museums and the medical industry.
In July of 2005 Floyd and his family left New York City and moved to Vancouver, Canada. In July of 2009 they
packed up again and moved to Nishinomiya, Japan... where Floyd now lives and works.
Professional Experience
1987 - Present - Creative Director/President - AFCG Inc, New York US
1984 - 1987 - Creative Director - Omnibus Computer Graphics, New York US
1983 - 1984 - Creative Director - Omnibus Computer Graphics, Toronto, Canada
1982 - 1983 - Creative Director/Production Manager - Vertigo Computer Imagery, Vancouver, Canada
1981 - 1982 - Graphic Designer - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Vancouver, Canada
1979 - 1981 - Designer/Director - Doomsday Studios, Halifax, Canada
1975 - 1978 - Graphic Designer - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Vancouver, Canada
Commercial Awards & Nominations
1992 - The RX Club Video Award of Excellence, Art Director, "Zofran (A)"
1992 - The RX Club Video Award of Excellence, Art Director, "Zofran (B)"
1992 - The RX Club Video Award of Excellence, Art Director, "Cardura"
1989 - Outstanding Individual Achievement - Graphic Design, News/Documentary Emmy Awards, PBS "The Mind"
1989 - Best Designer - Video Paint Design, Monitor Awards, PBS "The Mind"
1989 - Best Editor - Video Paint Design, Monitor Awards, PBS "The Mind"
1989 - Best Artist - Video Paint Design, Monitor Awards, PBS "The Mind"
1986 - Award of Excellence, Broadcast Designers Association, WPIX "Movie Open"
1986 - Best Achievement - Computer Generated Animation, Monitor Awards, WPIX "Movie Open"
1985 - Best Achievement - Computer Generated Animation, Monitor Awards, Cinemax "Promo"
Panels, Juries & Presentations
2003 - AFCG Presentation, New York SIGGRAPH - Industry Spotlight, New York, US
2002 - AFCG Presentation, New York SIGGRAPH - Industry Spotlight, New York, US
1997 - The Making of "Starburst - Lifeguard", Silicon Graphics Booth, NAB, Las Vegas, US
1995 - Transformer Robots, SIGGRAPH Animation Theatre, Los Angeles, US
1987 - Judge - Computer Animation, International Monitor Awards, New York, US
1986 - Judge - Computer Animation, International Film & Television Festival of New York, New York, US
1985 - Judge - Computer Animation, International Film & Television Festival of New York, New York, US
1983 - Art Show Selection Panel Member, Digicon '83, Vancouver, Canada
Education
Exhibitions & Performances
2010 - 2010 Prefectural Exhibition - Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art: Harada no Mori Gallery, Kobe, Japan - jury selected group exhibition
2010 - Nishinomiya City Exhibition - Nishinomiya Municipal Art Gallery, Nishinomiya, Japan - jury selected group exhibition
2009 - Series A to H - Bean Town, Vancouver, Canada - solo exhibition
2005 - Threading Time - SIGGRAPH 2005, Los Angeles, US - jury selected group exhibition
2005 - Art Division - Stills - Japan Media Arts Festival 2004, Tokyo,
Japan - jury selected group exhibition
2004 - Synaesthesia - SIGGRAPH 2004, Los Angeles, US - jury selected group exhibition
1982 - Floyd & John - The Music Gallery,
Toronto, Canada - live animation/music performance
1982 - Floyd & John - The Centre for Art Tapes, Halifax,
Canada - live animation/music performance
1982 - One Zero Base Two - The Public Gallery, Halifax, Canada - solo exhibition
1981 - Recent Works - The Centre for Art Tapes, Halifax,
Canada - live animation/music performance
1981 - Eye Level - Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, Canada - group exhibition
1980 - Perspectives - The Centre for Art Tapes, Halifax,
Canada - solo exhibition and installation
Film Screenings
1985 - Animation Fillers - PBS Television Network
1984 - Atlantic Filmakers - CBC Television Network
1982 - Melbourne Film Festival - Melbourne, Australia - jury selected film festival
1981 - Hirschorn Museum - Smithsonian Institute, Washington, US - film screening
1981 - International Filmwoch - Mannheim, Germany - jury selected film festival
1981 - Annecy Film Festival - Annecy, France - jury selected film festival
1981 - Atlantic Film Festival - St Johns, Canada - jury selected film festival
1980 - Chicago Film Festival - Chicago, Illinois - jury selected film festival
1980 - Festival des Filmes du Monde - Montreal, Canada - jury selected film festival
Film Credits
2009 - Digital Artist - "Invictus", Warner Bros. Pictures
1982 - Writer/Director/Animator - "Time/Lines", Androyd Productions
1981 - Head Scenic Artist - "By Design", BDF Productions, Director: Claude Jutra
1982 - Animation - "Spectrum", National Film Board of Canada, Director: Rand Gaynor
1982 - Animation - "God's Island", Doomsday Studios, Director: Ramuna McDonald
1982 - Animation - "Nuclear War", Doomsday Studios, Director: Tom Lacky
1980 - Animation - "Sarah Jackson", Doomsday Studio, Director: Ramuna McDonald
1980 - Writer/Director/Animator - "Perspectives", Doomsday Studios
Arts Grants
1981 - Arts Travel Grant - The Canada Council
1980 - Film Production Grant - The Canada Council
1980 - Skills Developement for Professional Artists - Nova Scotia Department of Culture
Instructor Experience
2009 - 2009 - English Conversation, VIP, Vancouver, Canada
1997 - 1998 - Computer Animation Using Houdini, NYU-CADA, New York, US
