It's been a while since I've worked on my animations or eaten well, since not everyone in my family is particular about how healthy holidays need to me. But I don't care. After a year of being away from my family, I have finally gotten to spend time with them. Sometimes it's nice to take a step back and realize that although you have ambitions and want to complete goals that you have for yourself, it's also nice to just be lazy and enjoy the company while you're home.
I've been reading The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, and finally finished today. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their diet and even looking to educate themselves on the effects of processed foods on our bodies. He also has a great blog that I check almost daily (among others), called MarksDailyApple.com which is very inspirational when it comes to improving your health and looking for alternatives to modern life. One of his primary laws is to Play. It's that simple. Whatever you do, just make sure you play every once in a while. If that means taking a hike, going to the zoo, play a game of beach volleyball, whatever. Take time out of your day to play and release those feel-good hormones so your stress levels are reduced. That's all you gotta do.
The holidays really hit home for me, and put a little perspective on life as it is for me right now. Although, I was incredibly determined to get a job and become stable in LA as fast as possible, I have been so focused on this concept that I forgot to set money aside for doing the things I love and taking time out of my day to enjoy... Los Angeles!
Next stop: FUN! I'm going to loosen up and focus on having fun in cooking, fitness, learning, work, and my environment. Meeting new people, learning new tricks, get back into being a musician... All the things a young person should do. Stoked!
I really don't have a point to this blog, except to say, I can't wait to get back to LA so I can get back--- off-track! What will you do to have more fun in your life???
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
November Thoughts
This has nothing to do with animation. However, I think it's necessary as an artist and animation "producer" to step back from the art and just focus on life for a while. I'll blog about the new job once I start on Monday. But for now, I think health and fitness is a good thing to focus on. Bill Maher has a great rant about how America is addicted to "drugs" and people should look to health and fitness as the cure to all their problems. Here it is if you haven't seen it:
What I wanted to bring up, though, is all of the resources we have as humans that can essentially put us into the best health possible are 100% available to us outside of a pharmacy, and none of them will get us addicted to anything or cause anything else to go wrong in our bodies that may need more medication to fix. It's called DIET. Crazy concept.
Now, I know most of the people reading this probably aren't the ones who need telling about diet and exercise, but it needs to be said nonetheless.
Here is a plan I've set in place in order for me to sort of "up my game" in achieving maximum health the more natural way:
-I have poor eyesight (nearsightedness). I am still researching, but I'm going to increase my intake of carotenes and zinc that are possible contributors to healthy eyes. I also read somewhere that if you want to improve your vision (if you're near-sighted), you can get rid of your aids during the exercise (glasses, contacts, etc.) and poke a small hole in a piece of paper. Then for about 5 minutes a day (I believe this is a starting point, you can increase to longer if your eyes get used to it) look through this holewith one eye, then switch. Maybe try to read some large text in front of you or something. I will also try to decrease my use of glasses or contacts while I am at home, all while decreasing the prescription I order for my aids so that will compensate (hopefully) for the better vision I may get. Our bodies were made to adapt, maybe it's time I put it to the test.
-I bought The Natural Health Bible, I'm going to start reading through different foods and nutrients that solve common problems I have. My goal for all of this is to never need anything from the drug store. Clearly, getting sick is a result of poor diet, too much alcohol, and potentially lack of sleep, and I may need some things to last at work, but hopefully, the colds will be few and far between from now on. I always try to get 8 hours of sleep, I haven't been inebriated in who knows how long, and I am slowly becoming more responsible about meals so last minute fast food is always more inconvenient than cooking at home (I defrosted the meat, had the broth cooking overnight, fresh vegetables go bad fast, etc.). But as far as the health bible goes, I look forward to discovering what plants I can grow in my house as natural remedies and what can replace ibuprofen or anything else most people have a dependence on.
-Another note related to diet, I have found that understanding the psychology of humans is a very important thing when you are setting goals. Knowing what your personal weaknesses are can definitely help you reach a goal, you just have to be creative in your process of achieving it. I find it fascinating how I didn't understand why I was late up until around high school. I could never plan enough time to get somewhere on time. I started setting my clock about an hour fast so that I would always arrive before I needed to be there. That started giving me a more accurate way to measure time in terms of traffic, parking, driving to a new place, registering for an event, setting up events, etc. I basically tricked myself into being early and quickly learned how much time is appropriate to accommodate for every situation, even the ones I'm not familiar with. So what I'm trying to say is you can find your weaknesses and try to trick yourself into being healthy. My problem at first when I decided to change my diet was that if I had money in my pocket, I would be able to plan for a "treat" and go to Inn N Out, which was ruining my progress. So I would intentionally leave my credit/debit cards at home, knowing I wouldn't need to buy anything for the day, and force myself to make a sandwich in the morning. BOOM. You have no choice but to be healthy. Spending all my money on groceries so I had no money left for going-out food was also a good way to do that, as well. But hopefully that won't be the case forever :)
-I bought some roller blades at The Salvation Army, I'm going to start going to the beach again before work, because I start at 10am now. That should be pleasant. I can't decide what activities I should plan for morning workouts, but if I do 80%, that's more than nothing and I'll figure it out as I go.
-I am buying less and less packaged goods. I'm avoiding all the aisles in the grocery store that have little to no nutritional value. I pretty much fill up my cart with veggies, fruit, meat, and sometimes dairy and that fulfills my weekly quota for the pantry.
My last random thought... I've been in LA since May and the longer I'm here, the more I realize how stupid people can be here. In driving, finances, materialism, general responsibility. Please be respectful, responsible, and make intelligent decisions every day. Don't add to the chaos. There are already way too many people in this city, so if it's going to get bigger, I would prefer it be people that actually make conscious decisions based on reason and logic. Thanks.
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline." -Jim Collins
Until next time!
What I wanted to bring up, though, is all of the resources we have as humans that can essentially put us into the best health possible are 100% available to us outside of a pharmacy, and none of them will get us addicted to anything or cause anything else to go wrong in our bodies that may need more medication to fix. It's called DIET. Crazy concept.
Now, I know most of the people reading this probably aren't the ones who need telling about diet and exercise, but it needs to be said nonetheless.
Here is a plan I've set in place in order for me to sort of "up my game" in achieving maximum health the more natural way:
-I have poor eyesight (nearsightedness). I am still researching, but I'm going to increase my intake of carotenes and zinc that are possible contributors to healthy eyes. I also read somewhere that if you want to improve your vision (if you're near-sighted), you can get rid of your aids during the exercise (glasses, contacts, etc.) and poke a small hole in a piece of paper. Then for about 5 minutes a day (I believe this is a starting point, you can increase to longer if your eyes get used to it) look through this holewith one eye, then switch. Maybe try to read some large text in front of you or something. I will also try to decrease my use of glasses or contacts while I am at home, all while decreasing the prescription I order for my aids so that will compensate (hopefully) for the better vision I may get. Our bodies were made to adapt, maybe it's time I put it to the test.
-I bought The Natural Health Bible, I'm going to start reading through different foods and nutrients that solve common problems I have. My goal for all of this is to never need anything from the drug store. Clearly, getting sick is a result of poor diet, too much alcohol, and potentially lack of sleep, and I may need some things to last at work, but hopefully, the colds will be few and far between from now on. I always try to get 8 hours of sleep, I haven't been inebriated in who knows how long, and I am slowly becoming more responsible about meals so last minute fast food is always more inconvenient than cooking at home (I defrosted the meat, had the broth cooking overnight, fresh vegetables go bad fast, etc.). But as far as the health bible goes, I look forward to discovering what plants I can grow in my house as natural remedies and what can replace ibuprofen or anything else most people have a dependence on.
-Another note related to diet, I have found that understanding the psychology of humans is a very important thing when you are setting goals. Knowing what your personal weaknesses are can definitely help you reach a goal, you just have to be creative in your process of achieving it. I find it fascinating how I didn't understand why I was late up until around high school. I could never plan enough time to get somewhere on time. I started setting my clock about an hour fast so that I would always arrive before I needed to be there. That started giving me a more accurate way to measure time in terms of traffic, parking, driving to a new place, registering for an event, setting up events, etc. I basically tricked myself into being early and quickly learned how much time is appropriate to accommodate for every situation, even the ones I'm not familiar with. So what I'm trying to say is you can find your weaknesses and try to trick yourself into being healthy. My problem at first when I decided to change my diet was that if I had money in my pocket, I would be able to plan for a "treat" and go to Inn N Out, which was ruining my progress. So I would intentionally leave my credit/debit cards at home, knowing I wouldn't need to buy anything for the day, and force myself to make a sandwich in the morning. BOOM. You have no choice but to be healthy. Spending all my money on groceries so I had no money left for going-out food was also a good way to do that, as well. But hopefully that won't be the case forever :)
-I bought some roller blades at The Salvation Army, I'm going to start going to the beach again before work, because I start at 10am now. That should be pleasant. I can't decide what activities I should plan for morning workouts, but if I do 80%, that's more than nothing and I'll figure it out as I go.
-I am buying less and less packaged goods. I'm avoiding all the aisles in the grocery store that have little to no nutritional value. I pretty much fill up my cart with veggies, fruit, meat, and sometimes dairy and that fulfills my weekly quota for the pantry.
My last random thought... I've been in LA since May and the longer I'm here, the more I realize how stupid people can be here. In driving, finances, materialism, general responsibility. Please be respectful, responsible, and make intelligent decisions every day. Don't add to the chaos. There are already way too many people in this city, so if it's going to get bigger, I would prefer it be people that actually make conscious decisions based on reason and logic. Thanks.
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline." -Jim Collins
Until next time!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"XRay" Update
I think this process is just as important (if not more) than the piece itself. The whole purpose of doing this piece "XRay" is to not only show that I can complete something that I start (believe it or not, it rarely happens with my own work that only depends on myself), but also to really break down the figure when it's in motion and seriously analyze what happens to the line of action, the body's composition, and how that all interrelates. I also want to understand how the physical and accurate movement of a person directly relates to if it was animated, what can be pushed, what shouldn't be pushed, and what the audience sees vs. what is actually happening. I find all of this fascinating and usually an artist is either exposed to one or the other in extremes, very rarely both- unless it's motion capture. And even then, it's not drawing.
So in taking this opportunity to learn all of this, and I think it's imperative that I share my findings with the public since most of you probably won't do anything to this extent.
First off, I have to get out of the way that I am my most creative when I have obstacles in my way. For this project, namely, it's drawing. Haven't been drawing my whole life and it definitely shows. So I am using a combo of photoshop brushes that I manipulated to create the splatter effects. And instead of drawing these out as they are thrown against the canvas, I'm using a method I have very commonly used before... erasure. I take the final image and erase backwards frame by frame to make it appear as if it's being painted when it plays forward. Mind you, it's not JUST erasure (I'll usually manipulate it a touch to breathe life into what's happening), but that's the basic principle. And since it's only 15-30 frames or so each, that doesn't have to be as accurate as another project would require.
I also haven't been doing figure drawing my whole life, and it took me until recently to fully understand the meaning of an "Action Line". At first, I didn't quite get it. I literally drew the entire piece (extremes only) about 3 times before it really started to click for me. I started out pose by pose following only the spine, and then I switched to just the weight and energy, but neither of those will accurately display what is physically going on with the figure until you combine the two. Now this is where it gets good... animation helped me understand that because figure drawing is static and relatively lifeless. They put the model into a pose, and you have no idea how they "got there" in context, where they are going, or where they are transitioning their weight. Clearly, in the figure drawing, this doesn't matter because it's based on the energy of the pose, but ultimately, it took a moving figure for me to really get this. Now when I apply it to a static figure, it makes WAY more sense, and I can pull from that idea when I'm lost. Another key point is you should keep the line going through the middle of her torso, and incorporate the head. Ultimately, it looks like just a line, but there is a lot of thought and analysis that must go into it in order to capture the essence of the pose. Here's an example of my lines thus far:
Another handicap is anatomy... I never took the class and I barely understand it. I can tell when something looks weird, but I can't tell you why. So for the part where I turn her into a skeleton, clearly there is a lot that I don't know and I don't want the piece to be about how inaccurate the anatomy looks since it's solely based on live movement. So I have a 3D skeleton, and I'm going to very loosely take renders of it in those positions and draw over it. I don't want to draw all 250ish bones, but the basic ones should do the trick (large and defining bones). But, this will serve two purposes: I can learn about how the bones will look relative to the body position (if the rig's integrity holds), and I will learn a little about perspective.
I'll upload more with transition tests, screen shots, and some more updates when I have them. Next stop is the boxes, however, I have the feeling (due to my complete lack of talent in perspective, it's going to be a while). I am really happy with how far I've come with this piece, and I can't wait to see the final product!
Let me know what you think so far! Thanks!
So in taking this opportunity to learn all of this, and I think it's imperative that I share my findings with the public since most of you probably won't do anything to this extent.
First off, I have to get out of the way that I am my most creative when I have obstacles in my way. For this project, namely, it's drawing. Haven't been drawing my whole life and it definitely shows. So I am using a combo of photoshop brushes that I manipulated to create the splatter effects. And instead of drawing these out as they are thrown against the canvas, I'm using a method I have very commonly used before... erasure. I take the final image and erase backwards frame by frame to make it appear as if it's being painted when it plays forward. Mind you, it's not JUST erasure (I'll usually manipulate it a touch to breathe life into what's happening), but that's the basic principle. And since it's only 15-30 frames or so each, that doesn't have to be as accurate as another project would require.
I also haven't been doing figure drawing my whole life, and it took me until recently to fully understand the meaning of an "Action Line". At first, I didn't quite get it. I literally drew the entire piece (extremes only) about 3 times before it really started to click for me. I started out pose by pose following only the spine, and then I switched to just the weight and energy, but neither of those will accurately display what is physically going on with the figure until you combine the two. Now this is where it gets good... animation helped me understand that because figure drawing is static and relatively lifeless. They put the model into a pose, and you have no idea how they "got there" in context, where they are going, or where they are transitioning their weight. Clearly, in the figure drawing, this doesn't matter because it's based on the energy of the pose, but ultimately, it took a moving figure for me to really get this. Now when I apply it to a static figure, it makes WAY more sense, and I can pull from that idea when I'm lost. Another key point is you should keep the line going through the middle of her torso, and incorporate the head. Ultimately, it looks like just a line, but there is a lot of thought and analysis that must go into it in order to capture the essence of the pose. Here's an example of my lines thus far:
Another handicap is anatomy... I never took the class and I barely understand it. I can tell when something looks weird, but I can't tell you why. So for the part where I turn her into a skeleton, clearly there is a lot that I don't know and I don't want the piece to be about how inaccurate the anatomy looks since it's solely based on live movement. So I have a 3D skeleton, and I'm going to very loosely take renders of it in those positions and draw over it. I don't want to draw all 250ish bones, but the basic ones should do the trick (large and defining bones). But, this will serve two purposes: I can learn about how the bones will look relative to the body position (if the rig's integrity holds), and I will learn a little about perspective.
I'll upload more with transition tests, screen shots, and some more updates when I have them. Next stop is the boxes, however, I have the feeling (due to my complete lack of talent in perspective, it's going to be a while). I am really happy with how far I've come with this piece, and I can't wait to see the final product!
Let me know what you think so far! Thanks!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Going In For The Kill...
Hey guys! I've been promising for a week that I would post my progress and elements of the project I'm working on, so here it is! The exported video so far is too big to upload, and wouldn't make much sense because it's a rough of certain layers, but I'll post what does make sense, and hopefully you guys can get an idea of what I'm going for! Enjoy!
First of all, this was all inspired simply by a "So You Think You Can Dance" piece choreographed by Sonya Tajeh. Now, even if you're not super into dance, it's great reference material for acting choreography, artistic interpretation, and the movement in the figure. The choreography in and of itself is an art, not to mention the talented dancers that allow them to push their creativity every season. Here is the video I'm using as a template.
I wanted to go more literal and with this piece, so I'm literally drawing over the video. It's to aid my handicap in drawing and also so I can learn with this project about movement, anatomy, and perspective. That's usually how I learn best anyways... by taking something that is accurate (what could be more accurate than the figure itself?) and breaking it down backwards to fully understand it. My layers, so far, include triangles that represent the silhouette of the girl, action lines to define the extremes of the movement, and I am now beginning the box forms of her chest, pelvis, and limbs. It may be a bit overkill since none of that will literally be seen in the silhouette, but I think it will definitely help make the piece more dynamic. Here are some examples:
<--Drawn by Jenny Kong
<--Taken from Google Images
I'm taking my box form studies from Glenn Vilppu who has classes in Burbank for artists and animators regarding figure, basic, and anatomy drawing.
So, to give you an idea of the piece, after watching the video, it will make more sense. There is a lot of fluid movement with very staccato moments (the dance style is jazz). Where it's fluid, I want to take the basics of the silhouette and push it to be a very dynamic and push the figure past realism, yet keep a simple form like the one below. I would like to thank Jenny Kong for helping me with defining this style. The knees, elbows, hands, and feet will only be drawn when absolutely essential. Otherwise it will just be the core.
<--Drawn by Jenny Kong
So when the movement is fluid, it's the same form constrained to just the silhouette. When she hits a pose and throws her body into the beat for that jazz staccato movement, however, it's going to be a bit different. I haven't fully defined the transition yet, but she is going to throw paint up against the "canvas" (screen) and with each time this happens, it adds on the paint to the time before. Imagine her painting a picture. This is what she's doing. Whenever she swipes her leg or her arms, it's going to smear the paint and create a clearer picture. Eventually, when the piece is over, she will have painted a picture of a skull, and I'm going to fade on the paint dripping down the canvas. Here are some snapshots of what I have so far (with a few smears as tests):
Now, mind you, it's difficult to paint a picture all at once because it has to make sense with her movement. Much of what I have right now is thanks to a diagram I created- an instance, really- that represents the location of where she "throws" the paint.
As you can see, there are areas where the skull should be defined, and it totally is lacking in paint, so I'm going to go in and find minute movements that she does that could potentially add paint on in those areas, or smear it into the correct form it needs to be. So far, she has smeared the bridges of the eyes. I have considered the concept of her smearing AWAY the paint to kind of create more identifiable attributes of negative space, like the teeth and the nose cavity. The diagram was mostly necessary due to the fact that I didn't know TV Paint Pro takes PSDs and puts everything nicely into layers, so now I can paint it all in real time. Although, I need to make some new brushes for paint splatter and translate them to TV Paint >_<
Here are some problems/concerns/questions I'm running into that maybe you could help me with:
-The video was edited, so the figures are cut and reappear in different parts of the canvas, get smaller and bigger with the zooming in/out, etc. So I'm thinking a simple fade effect with the silhouette (to take it more literally with the video) will do the trick.
-Negative space. The figure isn't very big, and I need to consider maybe some sort of a backdrop to fill the space. Maybe once the "canvas" is established, the anticipation of seeing what she's painting will be enough?
-The man. As gorgeous as he is, he is a support, in my opinion, for this piece. She's "going in for the kill" and he's there to support her and "not let go of [her] hand". I don't think he should be ignored, so Jenny and I discussed the possibility of him being some sort of a shadow. Interpreting him not only as a support, but a looming figure over her, sort of egging her on to be this evil side. I'll draw him sort of as a black cloud that moves literally as he does in the video, but when he is closer to her, he feeds off her and becomes stronger (also symbolizing a literal shadow, which is more crisp when closer to the object casting it). This would also solve the next problem.
-Transitions. From silhouette to her throwing the paint, there needs to be some sort of an emphasis on her when this happens (almost like an Adam West Batman episode with the comic violence stars BIFF! BOOM! OOOF!). I came up with the idea that it could be her turning into a skeleton, almost like she gets hit with lightning, the whole canvas goes black, and you get a glimpse of her white, glowing bones. Almost like a light is shining on her and you see her true intentions, she's transparent, there's nothing about her motives that can be hidden. Still deciding on if it should be a literal skeleton or a graphical one (the silhouette isn't literal, so I'm leaning toward graphical). But, I'm wondering if the skeleton is too much and I should just go for a white-on-black silhouette instead. To solve this, since the canvas turns to black, I was thinking the shadow would sort of consume her, bleed into making the canvas black, and then fade back into his form when the moment is through.
-The canvas. How much of the overall picture should the audience be seeing when she throws the paint? All of it? Only the paint? Only the section of the canvas where she is occupying? I want the audience to get that she's painting a picture early to peak curiosity, but I don't want them to see it until she is done. So maybe only the section she's painting would be the best idea. Leave the rest a mystery?
Anyways, I'm glad you took the time to read through this (and I thank you in advance if you comment or send feedback!). I'll be posting a few more updates before I upload it to YouTube for the world to see. I'm kind of excited that Sonya and I share the same name. I'm crossing my fingers that it makes its way to her and she can see what she has inspired :)
First of all, this was all inspired simply by a "So You Think You Can Dance" piece choreographed by Sonya Tajeh. Now, even if you're not super into dance, it's great reference material for acting choreography, artistic interpretation, and the movement in the figure. The choreography in and of itself is an art, not to mention the talented dancers that allow them to push their creativity every season. Here is the video I'm using as a template.
I wanted to go more literal and with this piece, so I'm literally drawing over the video. It's to aid my handicap in drawing and also so I can learn with this project about movement, anatomy, and perspective. That's usually how I learn best anyways... by taking something that is accurate (what could be more accurate than the figure itself?) and breaking it down backwards to fully understand it. My layers, so far, include triangles that represent the silhouette of the girl, action lines to define the extremes of the movement, and I am now beginning the box forms of her chest, pelvis, and limbs. It may be a bit overkill since none of that will literally be seen in the silhouette, but I think it will definitely help make the piece more dynamic. Here are some examples:
<--Drawn by Jenny Kong
<--Taken from Google ImagesI'm taking my box form studies from Glenn Vilppu who has classes in Burbank for artists and animators regarding figure, basic, and anatomy drawing.
So, to give you an idea of the piece, after watching the video, it will make more sense. There is a lot of fluid movement with very staccato moments (the dance style is jazz). Where it's fluid, I want to take the basics of the silhouette and push it to be a very dynamic and push the figure past realism, yet keep a simple form like the one below. I would like to thank Jenny Kong for helping me with defining this style. The knees, elbows, hands, and feet will only be drawn when absolutely essential. Otherwise it will just be the core.
<--Drawn by Jenny KongSo when the movement is fluid, it's the same form constrained to just the silhouette. When she hits a pose and throws her body into the beat for that jazz staccato movement, however, it's going to be a bit different. I haven't fully defined the transition yet, but she is going to throw paint up against the "canvas" (screen) and with each time this happens, it adds on the paint to the time before. Imagine her painting a picture. This is what she's doing. Whenever she swipes her leg or her arms, it's going to smear the paint and create a clearer picture. Eventually, when the piece is over, she will have painted a picture of a skull, and I'm going to fade on the paint dripping down the canvas. Here are some snapshots of what I have so far (with a few smears as tests):
Now, mind you, it's difficult to paint a picture all at once because it has to make sense with her movement. Much of what I have right now is thanks to a diagram I created- an instance, really- that represents the location of where she "throws" the paint.
Here are some problems/concerns/questions I'm running into that maybe you could help me with:
-The video was edited, so the figures are cut and reappear in different parts of the canvas, get smaller and bigger with the zooming in/out, etc. So I'm thinking a simple fade effect with the silhouette (to take it more literally with the video) will do the trick.
-Negative space. The figure isn't very big, and I need to consider maybe some sort of a backdrop to fill the space. Maybe once the "canvas" is established, the anticipation of seeing what she's painting will be enough?
-The man. As gorgeous as he is, he is a support, in my opinion, for this piece. She's "going in for the kill" and he's there to support her and "not let go of [her] hand". I don't think he should be ignored, so Jenny and I discussed the possibility of him being some sort of a shadow. Interpreting him not only as a support, but a looming figure over her, sort of egging her on to be this evil side. I'll draw him sort of as a black cloud that moves literally as he does in the video, but when he is closer to her, he feeds off her and becomes stronger (also symbolizing a literal shadow, which is more crisp when closer to the object casting it). This would also solve the next problem.
-Transitions. From silhouette to her throwing the paint, there needs to be some sort of an emphasis on her when this happens (almost like an Adam West Batman episode with the comic violence stars BIFF! BOOM! OOOF!). I came up with the idea that it could be her turning into a skeleton, almost like she gets hit with lightning, the whole canvas goes black, and you get a glimpse of her white, glowing bones. Almost like a light is shining on her and you see her true intentions, she's transparent, there's nothing about her motives that can be hidden. Still deciding on if it should be a literal skeleton or a graphical one (the silhouette isn't literal, so I'm leaning toward graphical). But, I'm wondering if the skeleton is too much and I should just go for a white-on-black silhouette instead. To solve this, since the canvas turns to black, I was thinking the shadow would sort of consume her, bleed into making the canvas black, and then fade back into his form when the moment is through.
-The canvas. How much of the overall picture should the audience be seeing when she throws the paint? All of it? Only the paint? Only the section of the canvas where she is occupying? I want the audience to get that she's painting a picture early to peak curiosity, but I don't want them to see it until she is done. So maybe only the section she's painting would be the best idea. Leave the rest a mystery?
Anyways, I'm glad you took the time to read through this (and I thank you in advance if you comment or send feedback!). I'll be posting a few more updates before I upload it to YouTube for the world to see. I'm kind of excited that Sonya and I share the same name. I'm crossing my fingers that it makes its way to her and she can see what she has inspired :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Career Change. Yeah...
Hey guys! I've massaged out my tension for this city... just a little, but it's kind of growing on me. I think one needs to be financially fortunate in order to truly appreciate what LA has to offer, but I'm on my way to a more forgiving attitude with the more industry experience I get.
I find myself consistently looking to the future and forgetting to enjoy the present. I suppose this is in my nature, but I can't help but overlook the fact that I am just not happy with who I am right now. I keep telling my parents "I can't wait for this confusing and frustrating part of my life to be over" and they keep reassuring me that this part of your life is one of the toughest since you haven't quite paved the path to your career and haven't quite left the "student" road. They are right. But I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that it happens sooner, rather than later.
To cut to the chase, I recently had a very moving experience. It wasn't any moment that was easily recognizable by anyone but me (if you passed me within 5 minutes of this realization, you would have hardly noticed). However, it did happen, and I'm very thankful for it. It started about a month ago, while I was reading Sir Ken Robinson's "The Element" (I highly recommend this book to everyone, btw). I was doing a very tedious task while at work, and I kept going over and over in my head "Sonya, yes, you love animating. But why are you kidding yourself? Can you really sit down and animate for 8+ hours a day? If you wanted to be an artist and it was in your blood to be one, it would have happened already. Stop fighting it. Do what you're good at."
I looked up from the cutter board. "Do what you're good at." Simple, yet powerful. I stared at the wall, realizing I was fighting who I was because I went through school with the only image in my head of being in the industry was being an animator. I had never really considered combining what I was good at with what I was passionate about. BOOM.
I need to be a project manager.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, I packed up my bags (I had been thinking so hard, I didn't realize it was time to go home) and I went home to call my parents. "Yeah, we were worried about you trying to be an animator when you weren't as experienced as the other artists." Thanks, Mom! Why couldn't you have admitted this sooner???
In any case, the last couple weeks I have been emailing people and asking them questions of how one would go about this sort of position, looking up websites for certification (and inquiring as to whether it's necessary), consulting current coworkers about my position in the company with my newfound goal, etc. I have to say, this option is less daunting than becoming an animator. I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and there was nothing standing in my way of being successful. Once I wrote up my resume, I found myself struggling to CUT OUT qualifications, whereas before I was struggling to find the phrases that sort of showed that I was qualified enough. I found myself changing my website and listing off projects that were 100% relevant rather than ones that I sort of could make a case for. In addition to this, I concluded more and more often that this was right for me, and the best part is, I still get to be around the same group of animated (tehe) people and I still get to be a part of the most fascinating art I have encountered. WIN.
So, my current goals right now are to pursue an animation/film studio that I am comfortable with that I can settle in as a Digital Coordinator/ Project Manager/ Whatchamacallit. I think I would be the happiest there and I can't wait!
If any of you are still struggling with what you want to be in the industry, or in general, consider these delightful questions I was consistently asking myself and didn't have the answers to until now:
-When you are emerged in a project, what seems to be the most appealing to you? Have you tried it? If not, you should. If you find yourself wanting to do something else, it's probably too late and you've already lost interest. Also consider the lesser-known options and explore those. Not everyone is fit to be an animator, but if you find that aspect appealing, consider rigging/scripting or even producing.
-What is it about that task that is the most appealing to you? Is it the math of it? Is it the art? Movement? Your ability to take charge? When you get this answer, this will point you toward what portions of the task you should focus on. There are Technical Animators for the more physics/math/programming oriented people. There is environmental modeling for the less organic designer. There is pre-visualization for the 3D cinematographer and story-teller. Storyboarding for the 2D cinematographer and story-teller.
-When you are working on something that you supposedly want to pursue in a career, does the time go by fast? If you are constantly checking the clock or switching to Facebook, you may be in the wrong place... If this "something" is playing games in general and you are actively engaged in analyzing how the design/assets/strategy fit together while you play, consider being a playtester/QA (yes, that is an option).
-Lastly, if people are constantly suggesting a certain career path for you, it might be a good indication that you are good at something. Listen.
Just remember. There are THOUSANDS of people that have been in the industry before you. And they have all gone through this same process of knowing what they generally love, and finding their place in this business. There are roles that need to be fulfilled, and plenty of people that suit those roles. Ask around. Research. Look at the credits of movies and research what those unknown titles are...
You may just be surprised as to how right you are for something you've never really considered...
I find myself consistently looking to the future and forgetting to enjoy the present. I suppose this is in my nature, but I can't help but overlook the fact that I am just not happy with who I am right now. I keep telling my parents "I can't wait for this confusing and frustrating part of my life to be over" and they keep reassuring me that this part of your life is one of the toughest since you haven't quite paved the path to your career and haven't quite left the "student" road. They are right. But I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that it happens sooner, rather than later.
To cut to the chase, I recently had a very moving experience. It wasn't any moment that was easily recognizable by anyone but me (if you passed me within 5 minutes of this realization, you would have hardly noticed). However, it did happen, and I'm very thankful for it. It started about a month ago, while I was reading Sir Ken Robinson's "The Element" (I highly recommend this book to everyone, btw). I was doing a very tedious task while at work, and I kept going over and over in my head "Sonya, yes, you love animating. But why are you kidding yourself? Can you really sit down and animate for 8+ hours a day? If you wanted to be an artist and it was in your blood to be one, it would have happened already. Stop fighting it. Do what you're good at."
I looked up from the cutter board. "Do what you're good at." Simple, yet powerful. I stared at the wall, realizing I was fighting who I was because I went through school with the only image in my head of being in the industry was being an animator. I had never really considered combining what I was good at with what I was passionate about. BOOM.
I need to be a project manager.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, I packed up my bags (I had been thinking so hard, I didn't realize it was time to go home) and I went home to call my parents. "Yeah, we were worried about you trying to be an animator when you weren't as experienced as the other artists." Thanks, Mom! Why couldn't you have admitted this sooner???
In any case, the last couple weeks I have been emailing people and asking them questions of how one would go about this sort of position, looking up websites for certification (and inquiring as to whether it's necessary), consulting current coworkers about my position in the company with my newfound goal, etc. I have to say, this option is less daunting than becoming an animator. I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and there was nothing standing in my way of being successful. Once I wrote up my resume, I found myself struggling to CUT OUT qualifications, whereas before I was struggling to find the phrases that sort of showed that I was qualified enough. I found myself changing my website and listing off projects that were 100% relevant rather than ones that I sort of could make a case for. In addition to this, I concluded more and more often that this was right for me, and the best part is, I still get to be around the same group of animated (tehe) people and I still get to be a part of the most fascinating art I have encountered. WIN.
So, my current goals right now are to pursue an animation/film studio that I am comfortable with that I can settle in as a Digital Coordinator/ Project Manager/ Whatchamacallit. I think I would be the happiest there and I can't wait!
If any of you are still struggling with what you want to be in the industry, or in general, consider these delightful questions I was consistently asking myself and didn't have the answers to until now:
-When you are emerged in a project, what seems to be the most appealing to you? Have you tried it? If not, you should. If you find yourself wanting to do something else, it's probably too late and you've already lost interest. Also consider the lesser-known options and explore those. Not everyone is fit to be an animator, but if you find that aspect appealing, consider rigging/scripting or even producing.
-What is it about that task that is the most appealing to you? Is it the math of it? Is it the art? Movement? Your ability to take charge? When you get this answer, this will point you toward what portions of the task you should focus on. There are Technical Animators for the more physics/math/programming oriented people. There is environmental modeling for the less organic designer. There is pre-visualization for the 3D cinematographer and story-teller. Storyboarding for the 2D cinematographer and story-teller.
-When you are working on something that you supposedly want to pursue in a career, does the time go by fast? If you are constantly checking the clock or switching to Facebook, you may be in the wrong place... If this "something" is playing games in general and you are actively engaged in analyzing how the design/assets/strategy fit together while you play, consider being a playtester/QA (yes, that is an option).
-Lastly, if people are constantly suggesting a certain career path for you, it might be a good indication that you are good at something. Listen.
Just remember. There are THOUSANDS of people that have been in the industry before you. And they have all gone through this same process of knowing what they generally love, and finding their place in this business. There are roles that need to be fulfilled, and plenty of people that suit those roles. Ask around. Research. Look at the credits of movies and research what those unknown titles are...
You may just be surprised as to how right you are for something you've never really considered...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Technology
I've kind of become obsessed with new technology lately. Ever since I got my iPhone, I've been finding ways to make my life easier, such as EverNote and now Google+. I just love the idea of being able to combine all of the ways I share information into one big thing. I've been following a lot of new and innovative companies with great ideas on Twitter and it just excites me to know that I get to be a part of this revolution. My only concern is I love how companies competing with each other pushes the technology further, but at the same time, we could be so much farther if it weren't for everyone out for doing it for their own company. If you think about us as a species, we are ALL OVER THE PLACE with our progression in technology and making the world more efficient, and if we just got together and focused, we could really be awesome. Although, I think that defines us as humans, as well. Maybe in 20-30 years Google will take over and we don't have to worry about all these crazy road blocks :P
What does everyone else think?
What does everyone else think?
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Preston Blair- Update 1
Finished a few more pages. I'm starting to understand structure a little better, but I'm not taking the training wheels off :P Maybe in a few more lessons I'll begin to do some freehand work. Until then, enjoy!
And the originals :)
And the originals :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Preston Blair- Intro
Followed ASIFA Hollywood's blog and came across a post that was recommended in John K Stuff's blog. I started the Preston Blair challenge. I'll say no more, check out the characters I practiced with! It's straight off of Preston Blair's "Cartoon Animation", I started with the intro, and will continue toward construction of the head in a few days. And the blog link for John K Stuff is below :) Enjoy! Comments welcome!
John K Stuff's Post
and here is the original (below) in case anyone was curious.
John K Stuff's Post
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Officially there!
I am writing to you live from Venice Beach, CA, where I have just completed my first week in the industry. I cannot tell you how much this experience has been a blessing for me and more. I am so thankful that I worked as hard as I did when I moved here, and I'm so thankful for all the people who helped me along the way. I also want to thank all of my friends who dealt with me as I was an emotional wreck dealing with such major changes in my life and not knowing whether or not I was making the right decision. I now know, that it was all worth it, and you were all my support. Enough about that!
Venice is a great place to live. There are artists and people with ideas all around me. Although, parking is the worst I've ever seen since it's a tourist area, I still am very excited to have a place to stay here. I am literally a 20 minute bike ride away from work, a 5 minute ride to the beach, and close to all the studios around here so I can begin making friends in and out of the industry. I understand the importance of diet and exercise (especially in this business!), so I'm purchasing a bike and planning on riding up and down the coast every day that I can. If anything, I'll be saving on gas and riding to and from work. The weather isn't too bad, except for an occasional coastal storm, so I should be able to make a habit of avoiding lazy days. Also, just because I have a job, doesn't mean I can't stop working on the portfolio! I'm going to constantly be reading, looking at tutorials, and finishing scenes, so expect updates weekly from me! I hope to find a life drawing class somewhere around here to go to once or twice a week. My drawing skills are inexcusable! Also, plenty of salsa and martial arts in this town. Can't wait to be active again!
So that's an update on what's going on. I hope everyone who is reading this gives thanks to the people that made them who they are today, and I recommend setting a goal for yourself to make your dreams come true! Persistence and a dream is all you need ;) Bye!
Venice is a great place to live. There are artists and people with ideas all around me. Although, parking is the worst I've ever seen since it's a tourist area, I still am very excited to have a place to stay here. I am literally a 20 minute bike ride away from work, a 5 minute ride to the beach, and close to all the studios around here so I can begin making friends in and out of the industry. I understand the importance of diet and exercise (especially in this business!), so I'm purchasing a bike and planning on riding up and down the coast every day that I can. If anything, I'll be saving on gas and riding to and from work. The weather isn't too bad, except for an occasional coastal storm, so I should be able to make a habit of avoiding lazy days. Also, just because I have a job, doesn't mean I can't stop working on the portfolio! I'm going to constantly be reading, looking at tutorials, and finishing scenes, so expect updates weekly from me! I hope to find a life drawing class somewhere around here to go to once or twice a week. My drawing skills are inexcusable! Also, plenty of salsa and martial arts in this town. Can't wait to be active again!
So that's an update on what's going on. I hope everyone who is reading this gives thanks to the people that made them who they are today, and I recommend setting a goal for yourself to make your dreams come true! Persistence and a dream is all you need ;) Bye!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Jobs in the Industry
A lot of people have been requesting that I provide them with a little inside information on how to succeed down here (basically via moving down here and just starting to apply to industry jobs). I was unemployed for a month and ended up getting hired before my funds ran out (thankfully). Now, I can't say that this will be your ticket to fame and fortune, but some of things have helped me out along the way and actually aided me in my search for a job. Most I heard from word of mouth, or in forums. Read my previous post for all the websites I go to, but without further ado, here's a list of things I've learned (grab some coffee and donuts... this may take a while):
1. Do NOT try to walk into the studios and introduce yourself. You MAY be able to get away with it in the the bigger studios, but you'll only get as far as HR or the secretary, and they can't help you much. Yes, there are exceptions to this (well this ONE person got a job by walking in... etc). But for the most part, it's considered a little unprofessional and most people will just get annoyed because they have deadlines to meet. Also, good luck finding most of the studios. My first three studios the first day I arrived in LA were relatively close to where I was staying, and I printed out resumes/ cover letters and dressed to impress. The first studio was in the building across from Target and "on the fourth floor". So I get in the elevator and press 4. Nothing happens. Press it again. Nothing. Press 3, takes me to the parking garage on 3. No one in the Lobby to help, and clearly this studio doesn't want you to get in. On to the next studio, it was in a random residential neighborhood and had a "Beware of Dog" sign on the fence. No way to get in unless you have the gate opener. The next studio wasn't even on my GPS. Moral of the story? They don't want you walking in. Period.
2. Keep in touch with people. That one person you met on the plane that one time might know a thing or two, or know someone who can help you. Email everyone you know and let them know you are looking for work and just want to get your foot in the door. They can either direct you to a studio, give you a direction on where your resume and cover letter stand, or get you in touch with someone that can help you. Assuming you made a good impression on this person in the past, it's very likely that they will want to help you out. Pay it forward. When someone contacts you and asks for your help and you're all rich and famous, remember when you were in their position and help them out- or post pointers on your blog ;)
A huge emphasis on this: people love helping people. Everyone in the creative industry only wants to work with people they are familiar with or are very comfortable with. No one likes having to deal with the hiring process, they would rather hire a friend of a friend. On that same note, though, when you refer someone, you are officially credible and "responsible" for that person. If you recommend someone that is a total lazy butt and pisses off the director, they are going to associate that person with you. No bueno.
3. Emailing studios you weren't referred to is a toss up as to whether or not you're going to reach them. Put your cover letter in the body of the email, because honestly, no one wants to open an attachment from someone they don't know. That is your introduction and what makes them want to find out more information about you. Once they read the very short, concise, packed-with-qualifications cover letter you sent, they might want to read your resume you've attached (if it did its job, of course). Make sure your website is somewhere in the email as a link or on your resume so they can just keep getting more information about you. I have been contacted based on positions that have or have not existed, so it really depends on their mood, your qualifications, and their openings on whether they will contact you. Make it very clear what you are interested in, and always cater your cover letter to the company. Make them feel like they are the only company you're interested in and this is what you want to do there (telling them you moved down specifically to apply to their company helps, too, but not everyone was in my position!)
So you've emailed all these companies and a week goes by and you hear nothing (you should be applying to a good 10-20 a day if you are going to hit your 1 "Yes" to every 99 "No" ratio). After a week, you can safely assume they've had time to check their email, and either forgot to email you back or didn't have time (generic emails like jobs@thisonestudio.com are flooded with so many emails in a day), so it's time to follow up. Send a short email and attach your original email and resume/ letters of rec at the bottom. The email should basically restate that you sent an email a week ago and you are interested in hearing back from them on the status of the position. By this point, most of the time they will email you back and let you know. The benefit of this email:
-You get a response, so that means that they probably read through your information. You're on the radar and you have officially stepped above all the other applicants who were too lazy to follow up.
-You get the name of the person who you should contact in the future if you have questions or position inquiries (and their email!).
-They will usually give you an idea of when to follow up (either a specific time to email back, or just that nothing is available right now). If they aren't specific, the follow up rules I use are as follows: 1 week, 4-6 weeks, 3 months. Enough to be persistent and keep you in mind, but not enough to get the "stop emailing us" message. If you don't feel comfortable waiting that long, some people have been known to be hired so they would stop bugging HR, but I'm not sure that I personally would want to be THAT guy.
-They might give you more information about an internship or another job opening that you may qualify for and then continue emailing from there.
-Keep this person in your records for future reference even after you get a job. The industry is cyclical and you may find yourself doing the same thing 6 months later, and it's nice to know you don't have to start over. I have a spreadsheet that has all the local studios, their contact info/ address, website, position I applied for, contact person, and when I sent an email so I know when to follow up. Clearly not everyone wants to do this (I think it's fun...), but find a way to keep track of who you have already established contact with.
4. Resume and portfolios need to be very clear with each company. If you have skills in multiple areas, you are going to want a reel for each skill. Cater everything you have to that company or that position. Most companies don't want to see all your animation skills if you are applying as an EnV Artist or a render wrangler. If you have it on your website, that's cool, but the reel and resume you send to them should show all the skills and qualifications you have for that specific position. If the position is "Maya Generalist", then clearly put all of the Maya experience you have, because that's what is relevant. Now, let's say you are TOO general and you haven't polished off your skills enough to be hired for one artist position or another... Here's where you have to get your foot in the door. Now, this isn't a time to beg, but it IS a time to be honest. When you write your cover letters, don't talk yourself down, but DO explain that you are a recent grad, you are interested in the company, and you want to help out in any way you can. Be prepared to set aside your pride for a little while just so you can get in the door. Apply as an intern, a Production Assistant, in the Mail Room... Anything to get you in and working hard for that company. I just interviewed as a PA for a large corporation and although they explained to me that a PA's job is to take out the trash and prepare the rooms for clients, they also mentioned that employees get free tutorials from the artists if they choose to attend <----- Ummmm, yes please! So keep in mind that, yes, you are going to be at the bottom... but, a hard-working person that they already know (and has decent skills) is more likely to get hired than that random applicant they get a couple months later. Most industry peeps understand that working your way up is part of the game, and they will be mindful in helping you out if you are humble and dedicated to your position. Another Interviewer (who ended up offering me the job) asked me what my passion was and where I wanted to be in 10 years, so they could educate me and help me get there eventually.
5. So let's say you've done all this and you get a call for an interview. Research the company, everything they've done, how they got started, who started it, what they've personally worked on, etc. You should already know this because you applied to them, but brush up on the details. Also, double check your connections on Linked In. You may know someone that works for them or know someone who knows an employee. It may work in your favor. As far as the actual interview, I would say prepare just like any other job (practice those stupid questions that everyone hates), but also keep in mind that they are looking for someone who they want to work with. During this interview, like I've experienced, they may not ask you ANY of those questions you prepared for (or even why you're qualified). So, in this case, you'll want to make the best impression you can. Lay everything out on the table and let them know who you are and how awesome you are to be around. Be light and friendly, confident, and be interested in everything they show you, even if it's not your department. Pretend like you already got the job (if it calms the nerves) and you are just meeting new people around the office. I personally think my real interview was the tour, when they introduced me to all the artists to see how friendly I was. I tried to make an impression on everyone I met, and even threw in a few jokes like "Hey.... Hopefully I'll see you guys again!" I wouldn't be surprised if they were introduced to a new PA potential like me every few months and I want them to remember me (at least at the corporate offices). It's very likely the person interviewing me went back and asked everyone what they thought of me.
In general, be more prepared than they are. They have so much going on, they might forget to print your resume or even to read over it before your appointment. Bring 2 copies of your resume and cover letter (in case another executive wants to join) and any letters of reccommendation. Maybe even a notebook to take notes on when they answer your questions (good idea for PA's, too).
If you're not sure you got the job, or you get an email later saying you didn't, make sure the person who interviewed you knows that you are very interested in working for the company and helping any way you can. Be willing to do unpaid work or an internship for a few weeks and prove to them that you are worth hiring. Don't say "I'm willing to do anything", but be humble about it and let them know unpaid work is an option for you. Clearly, keep your priorities. If you can't afford unpaid work for more than a month, make sure they know that. You don't want to be taken advantage of. A lot of people have worked there way up by doing unpaid work. If you need to get a side job or part-time, do so. But try to be as flexible with the unpaid work as possible.
6. Keep your chin up. This is going to be a roller coaster of emotions: "I wonder if I'm good enough", "Wow, their work is so much better", "I need money, but I'm not getting any interviews!", and "Should I be working on my portfolio or applying for jobs?!". Just make sure that you are always talking to people about what you can do better and always improving your skills. Take a few hours to apply for jobs, but it's exhausting so give yourself breaks. Jump on Maya and animate 10 seconds, or watch a tutorial online, or browse CG Society. Always try to improve your method of applying (look over your resume, be harsh about things that should change on your portfolio and reel). If you are getting better at fluid particles while you're waiting for follow up emails, update your website and add some WIP shots. WIP shots that are recent are a great way to show that you are trying to improve yourself and your knowledge base. If you're a character modeler, showing sketches of anatomy isn't a bad idea. EnV artists... maybe start taking high res photos of random things and create your own texture library. Start a blog :) Try to keep busy because the down time is when the unemployment depression kicks in.
7. Have some fun. You ARE in Los Angeles, after all! Meet up with industry peeps, go to industry events, and enjoy the sun. You won't get much time to do these things after you are working 70 hour weeks :)
8. Once you get the job, keep in mind that if what you got hired for isn't what you ultimately want to be, work on your reel on nights and weekends, and always keep an eye out for mobility. You'd be surprised how many opportunities to move toward you ultimate goal will arise once you prove that you're awesome to work with!
So, I hope this helps. In the meantime, feel free to comment if you have anything to add or an experience that contradicts anything I've said. Everyone has a different method, but this is what I've found to be most useful so far. Hope to see you all down here soon!
1. Do NOT try to walk into the studios and introduce yourself. You MAY be able to get away with it in the the bigger studios, but you'll only get as far as HR or the secretary, and they can't help you much. Yes, there are exceptions to this (well this ONE person got a job by walking in... etc). But for the most part, it's considered a little unprofessional and most people will just get annoyed because they have deadlines to meet. Also, good luck finding most of the studios. My first three studios the first day I arrived in LA were relatively close to where I was staying, and I printed out resumes/ cover letters and dressed to impress. The first studio was in the building across from Target and "on the fourth floor". So I get in the elevator and press 4. Nothing happens. Press it again. Nothing. Press 3, takes me to the parking garage on 3. No one in the Lobby to help, and clearly this studio doesn't want you to get in. On to the next studio, it was in a random residential neighborhood and had a "Beware of Dog" sign on the fence. No way to get in unless you have the gate opener. The next studio wasn't even on my GPS. Moral of the story? They don't want you walking in. Period.
2. Keep in touch with people. That one person you met on the plane that one time might know a thing or two, or know someone who can help you. Email everyone you know and let them know you are looking for work and just want to get your foot in the door. They can either direct you to a studio, give you a direction on where your resume and cover letter stand, or get you in touch with someone that can help you. Assuming you made a good impression on this person in the past, it's very likely that they will want to help you out. Pay it forward. When someone contacts you and asks for your help and you're all rich and famous, remember when you were in their position and help them out- or post pointers on your blog ;)
A huge emphasis on this: people love helping people. Everyone in the creative industry only wants to work with people they are familiar with or are very comfortable with. No one likes having to deal with the hiring process, they would rather hire a friend of a friend. On that same note, though, when you refer someone, you are officially credible and "responsible" for that person. If you recommend someone that is a total lazy butt and pisses off the director, they are going to associate that person with you. No bueno.
3. Emailing studios you weren't referred to is a toss up as to whether or not you're going to reach them. Put your cover letter in the body of the email, because honestly, no one wants to open an attachment from someone they don't know. That is your introduction and what makes them want to find out more information about you. Once they read the very short, concise, packed-with-qualifications cover letter you sent, they might want to read your resume you've attached (if it did its job, of course). Make sure your website is somewhere in the email as a link or on your resume so they can just keep getting more information about you. I have been contacted based on positions that have or have not existed, so it really depends on their mood, your qualifications, and their openings on whether they will contact you. Make it very clear what you are interested in, and always cater your cover letter to the company. Make them feel like they are the only company you're interested in and this is what you want to do there (telling them you moved down specifically to apply to their company helps, too, but not everyone was in my position!)
So you've emailed all these companies and a week goes by and you hear nothing (you should be applying to a good 10-20 a day if you are going to hit your 1 "Yes" to every 99 "No" ratio). After a week, you can safely assume they've had time to check their email, and either forgot to email you back or didn't have time (generic emails like jobs@thisonestudio.com are flooded with so many emails in a day), so it's time to follow up. Send a short email and attach your original email and resume/ letters of rec at the bottom. The email should basically restate that you sent an email a week ago and you are interested in hearing back from them on the status of the position. By this point, most of the time they will email you back and let you know. The benefit of this email:
-You get a response, so that means that they probably read through your information. You're on the radar and you have officially stepped above all the other applicants who were too lazy to follow up.
-You get the name of the person who you should contact in the future if you have questions or position inquiries (and their email!).
-They will usually give you an idea of when to follow up (either a specific time to email back, or just that nothing is available right now). If they aren't specific, the follow up rules I use are as follows: 1 week, 4-6 weeks, 3 months. Enough to be persistent and keep you in mind, but not enough to get the "stop emailing us" message. If you don't feel comfortable waiting that long, some people have been known to be hired so they would stop bugging HR, but I'm not sure that I personally would want to be THAT guy.
-They might give you more information about an internship or another job opening that you may qualify for and then continue emailing from there.
-Keep this person in your records for future reference even after you get a job. The industry is cyclical and you may find yourself doing the same thing 6 months later, and it's nice to know you don't have to start over. I have a spreadsheet that has all the local studios, their contact info/ address, website, position I applied for, contact person, and when I sent an email so I know when to follow up. Clearly not everyone wants to do this (I think it's fun...), but find a way to keep track of who you have already established contact with.
4. Resume and portfolios need to be very clear with each company. If you have skills in multiple areas, you are going to want a reel for each skill. Cater everything you have to that company or that position. Most companies don't want to see all your animation skills if you are applying as an EnV Artist or a render wrangler. If you have it on your website, that's cool, but the reel and resume you send to them should show all the skills and qualifications you have for that specific position. If the position is "Maya Generalist", then clearly put all of the Maya experience you have, because that's what is relevant. Now, let's say you are TOO general and you haven't polished off your skills enough to be hired for one artist position or another... Here's where you have to get your foot in the door. Now, this isn't a time to beg, but it IS a time to be honest. When you write your cover letters, don't talk yourself down, but DO explain that you are a recent grad, you are interested in the company, and you want to help out in any way you can. Be prepared to set aside your pride for a little while just so you can get in the door. Apply as an intern, a Production Assistant, in the Mail Room... Anything to get you in and working hard for that company. I just interviewed as a PA for a large corporation and although they explained to me that a PA's job is to take out the trash and prepare the rooms for clients, they also mentioned that employees get free tutorials from the artists if they choose to attend <----- Ummmm, yes please! So keep in mind that, yes, you are going to be at the bottom... but, a hard-working person that they already know (and has decent skills) is more likely to get hired than that random applicant they get a couple months later. Most industry peeps understand that working your way up is part of the game, and they will be mindful in helping you out if you are humble and dedicated to your position. Another Interviewer (who ended up offering me the job) asked me what my passion was and where I wanted to be in 10 years, so they could educate me and help me get there eventually.
5. So let's say you've done all this and you get a call for an interview. Research the company, everything they've done, how they got started, who started it, what they've personally worked on, etc. You should already know this because you applied to them, but brush up on the details. Also, double check your connections on Linked In. You may know someone that works for them or know someone who knows an employee. It may work in your favor. As far as the actual interview, I would say prepare just like any other job (practice those stupid questions that everyone hates), but also keep in mind that they are looking for someone who they want to work with. During this interview, like I've experienced, they may not ask you ANY of those questions you prepared for (or even why you're qualified). So, in this case, you'll want to make the best impression you can. Lay everything out on the table and let them know who you are and how awesome you are to be around. Be light and friendly, confident, and be interested in everything they show you, even if it's not your department. Pretend like you already got the job (if it calms the nerves) and you are just meeting new people around the office. I personally think my real interview was the tour, when they introduced me to all the artists to see how friendly I was. I tried to make an impression on everyone I met, and even threw in a few jokes like "Hey.... Hopefully I'll see you guys again!" I wouldn't be surprised if they were introduced to a new PA potential like me every few months and I want them to remember me (at least at the corporate offices). It's very likely the person interviewing me went back and asked everyone what they thought of me.
In general, be more prepared than they are. They have so much going on, they might forget to print your resume or even to read over it before your appointment. Bring 2 copies of your resume and cover letter (in case another executive wants to join) and any letters of reccommendation. Maybe even a notebook to take notes on when they answer your questions (good idea for PA's, too).
If you're not sure you got the job, or you get an email later saying you didn't, make sure the person who interviewed you knows that you are very interested in working for the company and helping any way you can. Be willing to do unpaid work or an internship for a few weeks and prove to them that you are worth hiring. Don't say "I'm willing to do anything", but be humble about it and let them know unpaid work is an option for you. Clearly, keep your priorities. If you can't afford unpaid work for more than a month, make sure they know that. You don't want to be taken advantage of. A lot of people have worked there way up by doing unpaid work. If you need to get a side job or part-time, do so. But try to be as flexible with the unpaid work as possible.
6. Keep your chin up. This is going to be a roller coaster of emotions: "I wonder if I'm good enough", "Wow, their work is so much better", "I need money, but I'm not getting any interviews!", and "Should I be working on my portfolio or applying for jobs?!". Just make sure that you are always talking to people about what you can do better and always improving your skills. Take a few hours to apply for jobs, but it's exhausting so give yourself breaks. Jump on Maya and animate 10 seconds, or watch a tutorial online, or browse CG Society. Always try to improve your method of applying (look over your resume, be harsh about things that should change on your portfolio and reel). If you are getting better at fluid particles while you're waiting for follow up emails, update your website and add some WIP shots. WIP shots that are recent are a great way to show that you are trying to improve yourself and your knowledge base. If you're a character modeler, showing sketches of anatomy isn't a bad idea. EnV artists... maybe start taking high res photos of random things and create your own texture library. Start a blog :) Try to keep busy because the down time is when the unemployment depression kicks in.
7. Have some fun. You ARE in Los Angeles, after all! Meet up with industry peeps, go to industry events, and enjoy the sun. You won't get much time to do these things after you are working 70 hour weeks :)
8. Once you get the job, keep in mind that if what you got hired for isn't what you ultimately want to be, work on your reel on nights and weekends, and always keep an eye out for mobility. You'd be surprised how many opportunities to move toward you ultimate goal will arise once you prove that you're awesome to work with!
So, I hope this helps. In the meantime, feel free to comment if you have anything to add or an experience that contradicts anything I've said. Everyone has a different method, but this is what I've found to be most useful so far. Hope to see you all down here soon!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
11 Second Club WIP
Finally got some time to settle down and stop looking for jobs today (after applying to like 20 :P). So here is my WIP. Any crit will be received and noted as always! This is the first pass on splines. Next I plan on doing the second pass, taking care of the basics that I glossed over or skipped on the first pass, and incorporating dialogue and facial expression. I'm hoping to have this polished within the next few weeks and put it on my reel. Stay tuned!
LA Update 4/26
It's been a little over a week, and it's going pretty good so far. I actually had a response this morning from a studio about the Production Assistant position (it was a "no", but a response in any case). So we're making progress, I suppose. I've been sending out a good 10-20 emails with resumes and cover letters a day since I got here. It turns out just walking into studios and introducing yourself is not the best way to go. I thought it would be bold, but according to a lot of industry people I've been talking to, it's a little too bold. Luckily, I have a lot of friends that are helping me in the right direction and it shouldn't be too long before somebody says "yes" to my inquiry at a studio. In the meantime, I'll keep animating and checking out job forums. For people that are local, or planning on moving down here, I made a list of websites that have been recommended to me (a lot of the industries are intermingled, so look on all sites for your line of work). Note: STAY AWAY FROM CRAGISLIST and you'll be fine. While looking for jobs, keep improving your skills and be open to accepting unpaid or other jobs that will get your foot in the door (motion-tracking, roto, Production Assistant, internship, etc.) Once you get your foot in the door, work your a$$ off and eventually you will prove yourself enough to work your way up to a position that you have wanted all along. Good Luck out there, and I'll continue to post tips that I have learned along the way!
http://creativeheads.net/
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=180
http://motionographer.com/jobs/
http://www.gamasutra.com/jobs/
http://jobs.cgsociety.org/
http://realitystaff.com/pages/view/Jobs
http://mandy.com/place/uscs.cfm
http://www.krop.com/
http://www.entertainmentworkers.com/
There ya go! Keep at it!
http://creativeheads.net/
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=180
http://motionographer.com/jobs/
http://www.gamasutra.com/jobs/
http://jobs.cgsociety.org/
http://realitystaff.com/pages/view/Jobs
http://mandy.com/place/uscs.cfm
http://www.krop.com/
http://www.entertainmentworkers.com/
There ya go! Keep at it!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Los Angeles!
I put some of my learning on hold for a few weeks, since I moved to Los Angeles. Now I'm ready to take on this city like nobody's business! I'm really excited to get myself out there and begin my journey into the industry, but at the same time, LA is a very scary place! I will run across a lot of "no's" and have already had some failures, but I know being local is really the key to succeeding down here (if you haven't already established your name, of course). So I'll try to post updates as I go, but for right now, I'm just going to hit the pavement and hope for the best!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Portfolio Overhaul
In addition to going back to Life Drawing Classes (Can't get enough Life Drawing!) I'm going to take a lesson from my friend Will Owen... I don't actually know what "Project 36 Hours" is, but I think everyone who has graduated should take a look at this concept: Getting something done in 36 hours and calling it done and moving on in a short period of time. I'm going to do a walk-cycle every 36 hours starting tomorrow morning. I'll probably just start with Norman and do a few variations, and then when I run out of ideas, I just use the 11 Second Club clips and come up with a short sketch of dialogue. In addition to all of this, when I get bored of what I'm working on temporarily, I'll just try to finish that 11 Second Club from November that I've been putting off for so long...
So, without further ado, I'll start with this new project. It's not like I was getting anything done otherwise :)
Oh and I'll be posting my work after each rendition is done, along with my sketches from Life Drawing. I feel like this studio will be a little more open to wacoms then the Art Dept at Chico State :P
So, without further ado, I'll start with this new project. It's not like I was getting anything done otherwise :)
Oh and I'll be posting my work after each rendition is done, along with my sketches from Life Drawing. I feel like this studio will be a little more open to wacoms then the Art Dept at Chico State :P
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Books and Philosophy
Have been getting into the motion lately of finishing books I should have finished a long time ago and books that will help me become a better animator. Among them: Acting for Animators (Ed Hooks), The Animation Business Handbook (Karen Raugust), Figure Drawing For What It's Worth (the 1944 edition!) and even Leonardo Da Vinci; Sketches and Drawings. I figure if I'm getting distracted from animating, it might as well still pertain to animation! I recommend all you artists out there that if you get burnt out and want to take a break, just deviate to some other aspect of your discipline and it will still be productive. Modelers, you can't get enough anatomy. Try sculpting with real clay or using a sculpting program, too, rather than hard-edged box modeling in Maya. Concept artists: if you always do characters, try landscapes. You don't have to show anyone! Practice certain types of lighting in the scene, different moods... the possibilities are endless!
Oh, and I feel like I'm preaching, but I'd rather get this off my chest. A bunch of students have been complaining that the process to make a portfolio piece is taking too long and they never finish. And I look at what they've got and they are trying to create a full-scale production in less than a month. I would like to suggest if you're studying lighting and want a lighting portfolio, freaking download some models that are mostly textured and just light! Same for modeling and animation and a lot of other things! Have a concept artist draw you something real quick and JUST model! Don't worry about texturing it. Show off your wireframe, put it on a turn table and you're done! Animators... you don't have to have a unique character to show that you are talented... Download Norman or Alfred and use him over and over (change his colors if you like) until you have multiple scenes that are just acting. Use the least amount of background and props possible. It doesn't have to look pretty (splines excluded)! Cut your work in half and just take the time to really focus on getting good at one thing. Use matte paintings or google pictures if you have to. If it's in your portfolio for something specific, that's what the HR dept. will focus on. Clearly if you put together something that doesn't look decent, then you might suffer, but this is where critiques come in. Get other people to look at your work. Hell, bug the professors over break to look at what you have. We are all in this together :) In addition to that, come up with a collaboration with other students. Get one person to concept, one to model, one to light, and then then one to texture, etc. You can all have the same piece and focus on only one thing. I noticed some people are already doing this, so props to you!
And there are plenty of books and tutorials I'm sure you have on your hard drive that you haven't actually opened yet... well stop being lazy. You should be living and breathing your discipline if you really want to survive this industry. If you must take a break for Black Ops, or whatnot, focus on why it's such an amazing game. Ask yourself why the lighting looks so sexy, or why the textures are photo-realistic. Clearly they are doing something right and there's no reason why you can't learn from them. Same with movies... if you are a modeler, look at the creatures and study how the edge flow would translate into that character moving, or ask yourself what type of maps would create that effect on the character. Even be critical. The people that created these movies aren't perfect, if you can find a flaw in what they do, then you are doing yourself a favor and learning from their mistakes. Ask yourself why that scene didn't work, or why you hate level 38. Analyze it. It's that simple :)
Ok, I'm done. If you have any recommendations for books I should be looking at for reference, reading, or gesture drawings, I'm all ears.
Oh, and I feel like I'm preaching, but I'd rather get this off my chest. A bunch of students have been complaining that the process to make a portfolio piece is taking too long and they never finish. And I look at what they've got and they are trying to create a full-scale production in less than a month. I would like to suggest if you're studying lighting and want a lighting portfolio, freaking download some models that are mostly textured and just light! Same for modeling and animation and a lot of other things! Have a concept artist draw you something real quick and JUST model! Don't worry about texturing it. Show off your wireframe, put it on a turn table and you're done! Animators... you don't have to have a unique character to show that you are talented... Download Norman or Alfred and use him over and over (change his colors if you like) until you have multiple scenes that are just acting. Use the least amount of background and props possible. It doesn't have to look pretty (splines excluded)! Cut your work in half and just take the time to really focus on getting good at one thing. Use matte paintings or google pictures if you have to. If it's in your portfolio for something specific, that's what the HR dept. will focus on. Clearly if you put together something that doesn't look decent, then you might suffer, but this is where critiques come in. Get other people to look at your work. Hell, bug the professors over break to look at what you have. We are all in this together :) In addition to that, come up with a collaboration with other students. Get one person to concept, one to model, one to light, and then then one to texture, etc. You can all have the same piece and focus on only one thing. I noticed some people are already doing this, so props to you!
And there are plenty of books and tutorials I'm sure you have on your hard drive that you haven't actually opened yet... well stop being lazy. You should be living and breathing your discipline if you really want to survive this industry. If you must take a break for Black Ops, or whatnot, focus on why it's such an amazing game. Ask yourself why the lighting looks so sexy, or why the textures are photo-realistic. Clearly they are doing something right and there's no reason why you can't learn from them. Same with movies... if you are a modeler, look at the creatures and study how the edge flow would translate into that character moving, or ask yourself what type of maps would create that effect on the character. Even be critical. The people that created these movies aren't perfect, if you can find a flaw in what they do, then you are doing yourself a favor and learning from their mistakes. Ask yourself why that scene didn't work, or why you hate level 38. Analyze it. It's that simple :)
Ok, I'm done. If you have any recommendations for books I should be looking at for reference, reading, or gesture drawings, I'm all ears.
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