Matthew Yourshaw, who received a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 2014 and a Master of Fine Arts in creative technology in 2016, has created 3D scene assets like aliens for major screen titles including "Stranger Things" and "Thor: Ragnarök." Now he's working for a company that creates artificial intelligence for buildings, the latest step in this graduate's diverse and accomplished career path.

Yourshaw started in his bachelor's program in 2010. He took several art classes during his time at Virginia Tech, but what really interested him was the 3D aspect of creative technologies. After graduating with his bachelor's degree, he then decided to continue his education studying creative technologies. 

“At the start of my time at Tech, I thought I would only be interested in editing, but I really fell in love with 3D art and the challenges that go with working with 3D assets. We have to make sure they work in a real-life scene, for example placing fake, 3D things like aliens in 'Stranger Things' in a real life shot,” said Yourshaw.

While completing his master's degree, Yourshaw focused on game design and storytelling.  His thesis concentrated on Joseph Campbell story theory, which explains the essential elements that can be applied to all stories. He asked the question, “How can this be used for short-form work?” specifically when it comes to virtual reality games. 

From his first internship, Yourshaw began building his portfolio. He started at a low tier graphic design job and creating his reel.

“A reel is the story of what an artist has done. Every little job you have is a notch on your belt and they stack up,” said Yourshaw.

Yourshaw got his first full-time job in New York at a visual effects company called The Molecule. One of his professors knew of an opening and helped Yourshaw get in touch with the company. There, he furthered his skills in visual design and video production, working on effects for episodic television and major motion pictures.

“Reach out to your professors. They know people in the industry, they all have a ton of experience. Students often forget that they were once in your position,” said Yourshaw. 

Yourshaw learned a range of skills: editing, graphic design, drawing, screen printing, and other aspects of the industry. After leaving The Molecule, he worked with Hogarth Worldwide, where he applied his skills to advertising campaigns with companies including Budweiser, Kia, and Duracell.

Yourshaw is currently working for a company called Passive Logic, a building automation company. Passive Logic works to use AI to control how buildings operate. Yourshaw is responsible for the devices that go into the building and help control things like heating, water, gas, and other utilities within the building itself. 

“We build a simulation that allows the building itself to calculate how much to use certain things. We are optimizing a lot of that process that goes into building regulations,” said Yourshaw.

On Yourshaw’s journey to finding what he enjoys the most, he has created an impressive resume with diverse skills and experiences. This allows him to fill other roles like speaking on behalf of the Passive Logic company, putting together advertising reels, and producing websites and other visual media. 

The Blacksburg native is constantly building and adding to his portfolio and resume which allows him the opportunity to take a range of different jobs. His love for the 3D design, application, and production has taken him from Hollywood to advertising and everywhere in between.

“Keep progressing, don’t ever stop. If you do, you might as well retire,” said Yourshaw.

Written by Caroline Reed, a senior and a student writer for Virginia Tech Communications and Marketing

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