Jan Hamernik

I started dabbling in visual effects and prop-making when I was about 12 years old. I always loved Star Wars (to be clear, I very specifically mean George Lucas's era), and especially lightsabers. Naturally, I wanted to have my very own lightsaber, but I quickly realized it wasn't possible to create a blade made of pure plasma. So, my 12-year-old self thought: how do they have lightsabers in the movies? This sparked my interest in two of my biggest hobbies: visual effects (to create the lightsaber blade effect) and prop making (to craft the tangible lightsaber hilt).

I graduated from high school with a specialization in 'Computer Aided Design' (Machine Industry). I learned how to design machines and other components using CAD programs and how to operate various types of machinery, which greatly enhanced my prop-making skills. I also hold a master's degree in Applied Computer Science, which is invaluable for coding and developing my own projects. Currently, I work full-time in the IT industry as a full-stack developer, occasionally dabbling in UI/UX design, databases, and other related areas, in addition to working on my passion projects.