About the author

Dariush Derakhshani
Dariush Derakhshani is an award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Head of CG for Radium|ReelFX in Santa Monica. Dariush has been working in VFX for more than 13 years and teaching classes in CG and effects production for 11 years. He is the best-selling author of a handful of books, including the popular Introducing Maya and co-author of the Introducing 3ds Max series.

Dariush received an M.F.A. in Film, Video, and Computer Animation in 1997 from USC. Dariush also holds a B.A. in Architecture and Theatre from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He has worked on feature films, music videos, and countless commercials as a 3D animator and VFX Supervisor, garnering honors from the London International Advertising Awards, the ADDY Awards, the Telly Awards and a Visual Effects Society Awards nomination. He is bald and has flat feet.

Author Articles

  • REVIEW: MSI's WS63 7RK workstation
    REVIEW: MSI's WS63 7RK workstation

    The MSI WS63 7RK was an intriguing machine for me, because I have been fascinated with thin and light workstations for quite a few years now. Ever since the HP ZBook 14, one of my favorites, I’ve been ...

    October 26, 2017

  • Review: Dell Precision 15 5000 Series (5510) Workstation
    Review: Dell Precision 15 5000 Series (5510) Workstation

    I am no stranger to Dell’s line of mobile workstations. My first review of one was in 2002, when I looked at the M50, in what seems like a lifetime ago. That was a 7.5-pound, black plastic hulk that b ...

    June 8, 2016

  • Review: HP's 27-inch z27s 4K display
    Review: HP's 27-inch z27s 4K display

    Having a 15.6-inch 4K laptop, I’ve come to appreciate the crispness of Windows 10 and my apps, but decry the super small icons and menus when I’m working inside Maya and 3DS Max, which don’t really sc ...

    January 14, 2016

  • Review: HP's Z27x DreamColor display
    Review: HP's Z27x DreamColor display

    I’m always excited doing display reviews because I’m such a screen-queen. When teaching in a lab with only a single monitor, I bristle and break into a sweat digging through stacked-up windows, steppi ...

    January 9, 2015

  • Review: HP's ZBook 14 ultrabook
    Review: HP's ZBook 14 ultrabook

    You’re leaving?” she asked, one eyebrow raised. “I’m taking my scenes with me,“ I said. “Yeah, and you’re going to run it on your boy’s play laptop?” she chuckled back, pointing to my new ZBook 14 ult ...

    February 11, 2014

  • Review: HP's ZBook 17
    Review: HP's ZBook 17

    HP has been turning out very solid and fast mobile workstations for a while now, most noticeably the EliteBook series, which is getting a refresh in the form of the HP ZBook. At first glance, I wonder ...

    November 5, 2013

  • Review: HP's ZR2740w 27-inch monitor
    Review: HP's ZR2740w 27-inch monitor

    Who wouldn’t want a big screen? While a 27-inch isn’t the largest you can get in the desktop monitor world, it is a perfect size for a lot of people. What matters next is how the display looks, and ho ...

    November 5, 2012

  • Review: HP's all-in-one Z1 workstation
    Review: HP's all-in-one Z1 workstation

    The most immediately striking feature of the Z1 is the remarkable screen. Backed by a 10-bit IPS LED backlight 27-inch panel, the Z1’s default resolution (as configured) was an amazingly sharp 2560x14 ...

    August 13, 2012

  • Review: HP's Elitebook 8560w
    Review: HP's Elitebook 8560w

    Portability is becoming more important to me, but workability is still king. Whether I’m working a job with lots of CG elements or on set working a shoot and need to quickly previz work to show the pr ...

    November 9, 2011

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