Karl Shields trained in both the visual and dramatic arts, avidly drawing, painting and performing until, in 1980, he began working in television commercial production as a visual effects problem solver and prop maker with his long time friend and colleague, director Bob Peterson. Karl combined mechanical ability and shop craft with design, graphic, dramatic and photographic skills to help bring challenging storyboards to the screen.Soon, other directors and still photographers such as John St. Clair, Patrice Meigneux, Peter Hogg, Herb Ritts and Dan Arsenault were enlisting Karl’s services for their commercial and photographic assignments. When the concept called for an object that did not exist, or a point of view that was otherwise impossible, Karl would meet with photographer, art director and client, discussing the concept and the vision, sketching and brainstorming, until a solution was found.
About this time Karl began writing, producing and directing recruitment, training, and sales films. As computers became capable of handling large images and full resolution video, Karl integrated them into his work flow. His digital imaging work has appeared on many covers of Variety and Hollywood Reporter, and on posters and billboards from Sunset Blvd. to Times Square. Today, Pacific Art & Light works from the concept through the problem solving process, the fabrication of props and rigs, the shoot, and finally the digital finishing of the final elements ready for print, DVD, online or film out. The combined talents of Pacific Art & Light are now being applied to the creation of original content, a new frontier for the team.
David Shields has been drawing, painting, playing guitar and fabricating in wood, steel, aluminum and fiberglass since most people who know him can remember. In 1986 he began working in the entertainment business building props, scenery and mechanical rigs. But the thing that has always set David apart is his combination of strong sculpture skills with total material and mechanical ability. He has, thankfully, quit racing motorcycles.David has been the first name in the Rolodex of many a scenery shop in Los Angeles since he built, over 20 years ago, the gimbaled, motorized helicopter that “flies” overhead in the Universal Studios Tour King Kong ride. David is one of a handful of sculptors anywhere that are trusted by the Disney company to sculpt the likenesses of Disney characters. His work has appeared in the windows of the Disney store on Fifth Avenue, N.Y. and is currently seen in exhibits and attractions at several Disney theme parks.
David’s inventive and artistic creations, like his horse above, are an annual highlight of the Burning Man festival. His prop and set creations have appeared in rock concerts, movie theaters and hundreds of national television spots, and have ranged from the smallest hand prop to an entire forest (trees are one of David’s specialties), scale models to oversize objects. If it can be imagined, David can build it.