Kylee Crisswell, Yukon High School
Problem solving presents itself in everyday life ranging from small tedious tasks, to work life and large projects. Houston Williams, a rising junior from Frisco, Texas, began 3D modeling last year and uses his creativity to bring concepts to reality and sometimes that creativity shows up in other aspects of his life. While creativity is just one component of 3D modeling, sometimes it takes trial and error to get to the root of a problem to make a design work.
For example, in one project Houston did in his modeling class, students were asked to shoot a music video, then cut together and edit footage. This entailed choosing how different clips fit together until the video became a cohesive production. 3D modeling is the process of making three dimensional-representations of objects or surfaces curated by software.
“They gave us a topic and then we had to make a music video, and we had to find the music we wanted in there. The song I chose, I really did like the song, ever since I was a child. I really just tried to picture what I wanted in my head and tried to make it on the 3D model,” Houston said.
“I would say my family likes to listen to a lot of old school rap. I listen to a lot of rap because of my dad, and I loved listening to rap music that my dad played in the car. He played that one song and I just never stopped listening to it.”
Problem solving on a project all alone can be different compared to problem solving with a group because things can get intense working with others if there are differing views. But Williams is familiar with working within teams, as he’s also on the varsity football team at Walnut Grove High School, where he plays the quarterback position.
“Sometimes (working with) a teammate can be difficult,” Houston said. “First I would try to figure out what the problem is and calm them down to discuss in an orderly manner without being overly mad or dramatic.”
Another side of problem solving both on solo and group projects is looking at why or how something went wrong. On the field, sometimes problem solving is simply just mapping out ideas until one becomes a reality. This comes in the form of sketching plays before putting them in action.
“If I say somebody makes a bad play, I tell them what they did wrong, and what they should do. Football has worked on my ability to open up and talk to more people, as in (helping) someone knowing what to do and what not to do,” Houston said.
Working through plays is similar to 3D modeling in the sense that people are able to map out a visual representation of what’s happening, though 3D modeling may be more complex.
3D modeling is part of video production in terms of curating films that are 3D and released in theaters. Roles for someone interested in 3D design include things like character design, which is one thing Houston is considering for his future. His dream college to attend is Louisiana State university.
“The most interesting thing (about) 3D modeling is the process of trial and error because sometimes you might not do something you meant to do, but it looks good. I would say I would definitely try to pursue 3D modeling and see where it takes me.”
