Who am I? Well I am a guy who grew up in Jamaica fascinated by the world. I grew up with two amazing younger brothers. One knew how to look at life and get the best out of it. That's @Depaiso and the other is just a genius in his own right. My parents were both accountants by profession, my mom is a retired sage and my dad teaches. Both are musically talented, both are entrepreneurs but I think @Depaiso is the biggest entrepreneur of them all. Always finding opportunities in any corner of the world.
I discovered who I was at 30. A Computer Science geek who didn’t like computer science. I loved art. Specifically Film and Animation. What was I going to tell mom and dad? That I am choosing to be poor?
Well, I’m not poor. I’m not rich yet either but I am making a living with film and animation in a third world country in the Caribbean. JAMAICA! JAMAICA!
I was introduced to Steemit by my brother Dean. @Depaiso. He said I should talk about my passions through Steemit. Well I love what I do and I love sharing it.
My parents always tell guests stories of me watching TV as a baby and it was the only way to shut me up. I also heard stories that I started drawing at an early age and I used to make my own comics in high school. Somewhere in life, around high school or there about I gave up my dream of becoming a comic book artist and pursued the sciences. I really enjoyed Chemistry, Biology and Physics, particularly electronics.
Somehow after majoring in electronics I shifted to computer science and ended up in a career programming and doing database management for 15 years. The pay was a struggle. I tried to climb the ladder as an IT manager but I hated the life of corporate politics, so at age 27 the calling for film came at me strong. I spent some time on some film sets and I felt free, I felt useful, I felt for once in my life that I had the potential to be great at something. I made up my mind, transition to film and animation significantly by 30 or climb the corporate ladder.
Thankfully, in the long run I became both an animator and filmmaker winning several awards for my short films and partnering with to up and coming studios. Today I have become an authority on film and animation in Jamaica and it has open many opportunities.
I want to share what happens in my country where film and animation are concerned because the industry is currently emerging. It would be the perfect time to capture it as it unfolds.
Here is a link to my website portfolio and my linked in
https://www.nivekfilms.com/animations.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-jackson-animator/
Beyond animation and film I love martial arts. I have been fascinated with Bruce Lee from 3 years old. Named my first dog Bruce Lee and started martial arts at 11 doing Shotokan then at 14 I did Tae Kwon Do. At 23 I did Kung Fu then MMA and now I really enjoy Kickboxing and BJJ.
I used to love motorsports. I have competed in drag racing, circuit racing, autocross and go karting.
I have amassed several trophies over the years. Many in martial arts, one in racing though I came close to winning 3. I have won several awards for my films and animations. Sometimes I think I am addicted to trophies. I really just want to know when I am doing a good job.
These days with old injuries martial arts has taken a backseat except for some fight choreography that I do. I am however trying to get back in the gym to get back in shape.
I will be making posts about anything at all that I love. Mostly film and animation because that is my life now. I hope you enjoy