My name is Massimo Storari, but you can call me Magi.

I was born in Ferrara (Italy) in 1967.

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been very interested in the art of making of special effects for films and TV.
In 1987 I met Carlo Rambaldi who was born in Ferrara as well. He gave me the big opportunity to display some creature concept illustrations at the Carlo Rambaldi and the Special Effects exhibition. In that time, Rambaldi was looking for fundings to build up a theme park in the surrounding area of Ferrara but unfortunately he wasn't be able to reach that goal so he left Italy.

 

After my degree at ISIA (School of Publishing Design in Urbino) in 1992, I started to work as a freelance graphic designer, buying my first computer in 1997. I started thinking my interest for special effects would always remain just a passion, when, in 1998, a friend of mine, Ivan Zuccon, asked me to create some special make up effects for a digital short movie, inspired by some H. P. Lovecraft writings, called L'Altrove. I wasn’t experienced, but having read magazines and books on special effects I accepted. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to step into the field!
So I started dealing with special effects and make up, using very simple materials and techniques, and teaming up with Ivan until 2002.

We’ve made together four digital short movies (Degenerazione, L’Albero Capovolto, Neve, L’Ultima Cena) and three digital feature movies (The Darkness Beyond, Unknown Beyond and The Shunned House for the international home video distribution).

In 2001 I also worked on other make up effects for a Super8 movie called Era fatto di Verde (Green Days), directed by a couple of friends who live in Vicenza (Italy) Paolo Cogo and Gianluca Badocco.

During the post production of The Shunned House I started going in for visual effects, mostly doing rotoscoping and compositing. I quickly became enthusiastic about 3D modeling and animation with Maya and video compositing with Combustion, giving up completely with make up effects in 2005. During the production of the fourth Ivan Zuccon movie, called Bad Brains, I've been involved in modeling, texturing, rigging, animating and compositing a digital moth and several digital flies which should interact with real actors. That was my first experience! In 2006 I also did vfx and 3d animated titles for a short film called Gaynster (La Gran Funa 2) directed by Paolo Cirelli (Costozero). Then, as always as one-vfx-guy, I worked on two other Zuccon movies: Nympha (2007), and the last show Colour From The Dark (2008) again based on Lovecraft (starring Debbie Rochon) which became the most challenging experience I ever had: 277 vfx shots!

 

Now, even if I'm still working as a freelance graphic designer in the publishing area, and I like considering myself a sort of wannabeavfxguy I keep studying, practicing and training myself on Photography and all the techniques involved in vfx world.

<< Magi, you're a 3d monk >> , ironically said a friend of mine referring to my love and passion in studying Maya and stuff as a sort of religious devotion.

Well, that's true...I like this name ...I hope it's going to be a good omen!

 

Massimo “Magi3dmonk” Storari