and here is the original (below) in case anyone was curious.
John K Stuff's Post
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
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.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Get into the Groove
Established a residency in Chico... Never thought I would find myself back her and more inspired. I'm in the perfect situation now to work on a production, save up my money, be with people that I love, and even get the ball rolling for Animation Mentor again. I may not be able to qualify by Spring, but at least I'll be able to build my credit back up, maybe even pay for tuition myself? and finally start working on the portfolio pieces I want. Maybe even get a work out routine in there somewhere and learn acoustic guitar! The possibilities seem endless right now. LA isn't far from my mind, but I feel like if I stay here a little longer and REALLY focus on getting my portfolio perfected, not just full of projects that I produced, I can really go somewhere in the next year or so.
Kitchen of Terror started today. A production I've been trying to work on for about a year now has finally fallen into the hands of the right people and is snowballing into a full-on production set to release in March. I'll be Animation Lead, which is new for me. Now sure where I stand on leadership. I love it, I'm good at it... but, I never get to the fun part that is animation. I spend too much time getting stuff ready for other people to animate. Maybe all of this leadership will set me up for the perfect position to be a follower at a major studio? Who knows! I'll be posting some of my 11 Second Club stuff here for critiques later this month. Hope everyone is doing well and loving life like I am!!!
Kitchen of Terror started today. A production I've been trying to work on for about a year now has finally fallen into the hands of the right people and is snowballing into a full-on production set to release in March. I'll be Animation Lead, which is new for me. Now sure where I stand on leadership. I love it, I'm good at it... but, I never get to the fun part that is animation. I spend too much time getting stuff ready for other people to animate. Maybe all of this leadership will set me up for the perfect position to be a follower at a major studio? Who knows! I'll be posting some of my 11 Second Club stuff here for critiques later this month. Hope everyone is doing well and loving life like I am!!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Official Release!
Labor of Love is finally done and sent off to the CSU Media Arts Festival! It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders now and I feel like I can breathe again until the next project starts. Well, without further ado, please feel free to enjoy this animation I directed and created/ animated with a team of 6 other students. Feel free to critique, as well!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
I'm excited for Taxes!
It occurred to me that with graduation already over with and my soon to be (hopefully) income approaching, I would be utterly useless when it came to filing my taxes. Never done, don't understand it, and frankly, it just plain scares me that the government plans on taking money away from me every year. So since my mom is an accountant, I talked to her about it and asked her to advise me on these things before I leave for CA. It turns out, if you do everything strategically, the government can actually OWE YOU MONEY and will cut you a check after tax season. Awesome right?! I'm sure most of you already know this, but I was quite inspired. For about 3 hours we discussed everything I had done recently that would qualify as a tax deduction because I am "running my own business" aka myself. My trip to LA for SIGGRAPH- Tax Deduction. All the meals and coffee I had to meet with people in the industry- Tax Deduction. Even something like buying a USB drive, DVDs, office equipment, rent on your room that houses your computer, car insurance (helps me run my business), new business clothes- All of these things I can file and will likely get you money back at the end of the tax season! I'm pretty excited.
Since I'm weird, I got SO excited that I decided when I get back to Chico, I'm going to do a presentation on Tax Deductions as a Freelance Artist. I am by no means an expert (and I will make that perfectly clear in the workshop), but if everyone in our department starts having this mentality of "I'm running my own business and the government should pay me for it", "I'm making sacrifices and it will pay off in the end", etc., you could actually have INCOME from these tax deductions that could help you out if you're between contracts. You can almost DEPEND on having these checks delivered to you within a few months of getting your 1099's. I would recommend (even to myself) having someone like H & R block do them for the first couple years just to get a feel for what works and what doesn't, and what the process of filing entails, but honestly, $50 to maximize your tax deductions for the rest of your life is not that bad of a bargain.
Now, most of these deductions only apply for when you are unemployed or not working for a company (don't quote me on this, I'm still learning). So that means if you perfect it early, you can keep HUGE records and keep all the receipts for these events and deductions that count and just total them up at the end of the year while you are between contracts. My mom recommended not only saving all your receipts (and to be thorough maybe even add side notes as to who was with you, etc.), keep a log book of mileage in your car (or gas receipts, but $.50/mile make more sense for how I would personally do it), keep a register on Quick Books/ Quicken to keep track of all your income and bills you had to pay (Comcast bills count, you need internet and phone to run your business!), even making a photocopy of everything for that year and storing it in a box for 7 years (they can't audit you after 7 years) will help you prove to the government that you are working your ass off and need these deductions. The more proof and relevancy you have, the better.
So anyways, I hope that inspired some people as much as it did me :) Now, I don't have to worry so much about it because we have an edge over all those uneducated taxpayers- we are running our own business and now we KNOW to look for loopholes in the system. I look forward to discussing all of these things with people in Chico, and I hope I somewhat educated people on this subject (I know I learned a lot!)
Cheers.
Since I'm weird, I got SO excited that I decided when I get back to Chico, I'm going to do a presentation on Tax Deductions as a Freelance Artist. I am by no means an expert (and I will make that perfectly clear in the workshop), but if everyone in our department starts having this mentality of "I'm running my own business and the government should pay me for it", "I'm making sacrifices and it will pay off in the end", etc., you could actually have INCOME from these tax deductions that could help you out if you're between contracts. You can almost DEPEND on having these checks delivered to you within a few months of getting your 1099's. I would recommend (even to myself) having someone like H & R block do them for the first couple years just to get a feel for what works and what doesn't, and what the process of filing entails, but honestly, $50 to maximize your tax deductions for the rest of your life is not that bad of a bargain.
Now, most of these deductions only apply for when you are unemployed or not working for a company (don't quote me on this, I'm still learning). So that means if you perfect it early, you can keep HUGE records and keep all the receipts for these events and deductions that count and just total them up at the end of the year while you are between contracts. My mom recommended not only saving all your receipts (and to be thorough maybe even add side notes as to who was with you, etc.), keep a log book of mileage in your car (or gas receipts, but $.50/mile make more sense for how I would personally do it), keep a register on Quick Books/ Quicken to keep track of all your income and bills you had to pay (Comcast bills count, you need internet and phone to run your business!), even making a photocopy of everything for that year and storing it in a box for 7 years (they can't audit you after 7 years) will help you prove to the government that you are working your ass off and need these deductions. The more proof and relevancy you have, the better.
So anyways, I hope that inspired some people as much as it did me :) Now, I don't have to worry so much about it because we have an edge over all those uneducated taxpayers- we are running our own business and now we KNOW to look for loopholes in the system. I look forward to discussing all of these things with people in Chico, and I hope I somewhat educated people on this subject (I know I learned a lot!)
Cheers.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cupid Scene 2
Just looking for feedback. Don't mind the textures, I'm still getting the shading networks sorted out. Thanks!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Cupid update
Finished a scene and need some critique. I may or may not get to it before it's time to render them all, but if you notice anything that's absolutely bugging you, feel free to post. Hopefully, we'll make our deadline of November and finally be done! To see the trailer, you can view it on my website or here.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Finished Painting
So i never really considered myself to be an artist when I first started taking classes to become an animator. But, I have to say, art has inspired me a lot and I'm really excited about this painting I did. Mostly what I tried to incorporate was this concept of color temperature that I never really understood. I kind of understand it now, but I feel it takes a long time to perfect these things. I never really cared for details in my work either, but I didn't want to downplay my passion and cut myself short of work. I also focused on showing where the light is coming from (the light source in the sky and Aphrodite herself).
So here's the final. I learned a hell of a lot and I hope I become inspired to paint more! Cheers!
So here's the final. I learned a hell of a lot and I hope I become inspired to paint more! Cheers!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
New Plan
My loan got denied for AM, so it looks like I'm on my own for portfolio work. Not to worry, though, after a few days of moping, I realized working from the bottom isn't as bad as I thought. It will give me a chance to get a feel for a real pipeline since I probably won't get a job as an animator right away. Should be moving to LA by the end of this year (and probably stopping to see my Chico State people on the way) and working on my portfolio until then. On the agenda? Finishing Cupid and hauling ass on Kitchen of Terror. I do believe we are bringing it back and working on it until it's done this time! In addition to animation scenes for my portfolio, I've been exploring other mediums. ZBrush 4 just came out and I got a trial and decided to replicate a pose of Basil of Baker Street from Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective". It's weird getting back into ZBrush since I haven't touched it after I learned how to use it... but it should be fun. Another side project which I should be finishing up soon will be a digital painting. I've been in love with the idea of painting/ sculpting the Greek Gods and Goddesses and interpreting their story into the composition. I just finished the shading on Aphrodite and I posted it below. Since the legend is that she was formed from the seafom, and I haven't really done landscapes before, I decided on the composition below. I also started an idea bank for animations to create WAY later on down the road, and one of them includes an well-known story by Euripides with a twist. Lastly, it's always good to do the 11 Second Club when you are jobless :)
So I hope everyone is doing well, and feedback is always appreciated!
So I hope everyone is doing well, and feedback is always appreciated!
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