I was originally going to simply write about what to wear in a interview, but that's kinda short and sweet. But it can also be confusing. Cause what you wear in an interview and what you wear when you start working there can be so different. I also want to get an idea of what everyone else thinks. I feel like I don't go on interviews that often enough to be all high and mighty about it. But then I see some people before an interview or their first day of work or an outing with co-workers and think to myself, "Really? You thought that was appropriate?"
I know I'm not the only one to think this. There just have to be more people who are thinking to themselves that maybe their should be a little handbook on these things (there might be one already). But its not just what is appropriate and what isn't. There is also the whole, "We are artists...yada, yada, yada." Casual attire at work is usually a t-shirt and jeans. And everyday seems to be Casual Friday. So what are we supposed to wear for events pertaining to our professional life? Let me know. Comment about this, pretty please. :D
Let me, and everyone else for that matter, know what is appropriate for the work environment, interviews, after work activities, company mixers, studio parties, etc. If you can think of any events where you've thought "Hmmm, is that too racy?" or "Should I dress up?", please, I want to know your thoughts. I have my own, but I want to see what others think in the comments. This way I can take examples, too.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Freelance Life
Every time I run into a freelancer who is trying to make the business side of freelancing work for them, I keep telling them about a few resources available on the web. Being our own boss is cool, but sometimes we need to cover our asses from shady clients (they aren't everywhere, but we've all seem to run into a few). I've been meaning to post on this topic for awhile. And I've actually written this same post a few times to try and get my point across without sounding too cynical or like a sales pitch on certain products. I can turn down the cynicism, but talking about certain free resources is just gonna sound like a sales promo, however I spin it.
Over the past couple of years, a few resources have greatly improved my life (as a freelancer, but also my life as a whole). Being a freelancer, you really need to know how to budget your time, life, and most importantly, your income. No matter what you do, your going to have months where your doing great and getting work all the time, and then your gonna have your dry months. The months where you get a day gig a week, if your lucky. Its just how it is. When we're doing well, we are doing well. When we aren't, we just aren't doing well.
I have to give my sister credit for this one. She introduced me to mint.com. Mint is a free budgeting tool. You put your accounts in and make a monthly budget. My budget fluctuates and this tool helps show me where I'm putting my money and if I need to adjust my budget. I can tell you how much I'm spending every month on things like rent, groceries, metrocards, entertainment, etc. When your income fluctuates from month to month, you can see how something like this would help you to see where all your money is going to. Now, you can do a spreadsheet and figure this all out on your own, but you have to input all the information. Having a budget is something everyone should do, but I think I can easily say that for us freelancers, its vital.
Another great resource is the Freelancers Union. You know you've seen the adds on the subway and have been curious as to what they're all about. They aren't a union in the typical sense. As freelancers, we come from a diverse background of talents. So they aren't going to bargain with a single employer to get you better working conditions. But they are trying to help gain protection from non-payment in a few states and have banded together to get health insurance for individuals at group rates. In that sense, they are a union.
At this moment, the Freelancers Union has 2 really great resources that I think everyone should at least take a look at. The Client Scorecard and the Contract Creator. We've all worked for a client or employer that we wish we could just forget about. But why forget about it and let the next sucker just find out for their own. The Client Scorecard lets you inform the masses about your crappy experience. Or if you had a great experience, let others know. There are a few poll questions, a star rating, and a review box. Its a great way to see if there is a place you would want to work at, or place you should avoid like the plague.
The Contract Creator is really great for all of us who can't afford to have a lawyer write us up a contract and protect us with the correct language. It allows you to put in certain variables and saves out a document to your computer that you can adjust later if you wish. Very user friendly.
I'm always looking for tools to help make my life a little easier. These have just made it possible to tame the madness of freelancing. Yes, I did just plug a few resources. But I actually use them. I'm not gonna tell you about something that I've never touched before. Give these things a try. Might make your life easier. Or you can ignore every word of it.
Over the past couple of years, a few resources have greatly improved my life (as a freelancer, but also my life as a whole). Being a freelancer, you really need to know how to budget your time, life, and most importantly, your income. No matter what you do, your going to have months where your doing great and getting work all the time, and then your gonna have your dry months. The months where you get a day gig a week, if your lucky. Its just how it is. When we're doing well, we are doing well. When we aren't, we just aren't doing well.
I have to give my sister credit for this one. She introduced me to mint.com. Mint is a free budgeting tool. You put your accounts in and make a monthly budget. My budget fluctuates and this tool helps show me where I'm putting my money and if I need to adjust my budget. I can tell you how much I'm spending every month on things like rent, groceries, metrocards, entertainment, etc. When your income fluctuates from month to month, you can see how something like this would help you to see where all your money is going to. Now, you can do a spreadsheet and figure this all out on your own, but you have to input all the information. Having a budget is something everyone should do, but I think I can easily say that for us freelancers, its vital.
Another great resource is the Freelancers Union. You know you've seen the adds on the subway and have been curious as to what they're all about. They aren't a union in the typical sense. As freelancers, we come from a diverse background of talents. So they aren't going to bargain with a single employer to get you better working conditions. But they are trying to help gain protection from non-payment in a few states and have banded together to get health insurance for individuals at group rates. In that sense, they are a union.
At this moment, the Freelancers Union has 2 really great resources that I think everyone should at least take a look at. The Client Scorecard and the Contract Creator. We've all worked for a client or employer that we wish we could just forget about. But why forget about it and let the next sucker just find out for their own. The Client Scorecard lets you inform the masses about your crappy experience. Or if you had a great experience, let others know. There are a few poll questions, a star rating, and a review box. Its a great way to see if there is a place you would want to work at, or place you should avoid like the plague.
The Contract Creator is really great for all of us who can't afford to have a lawyer write us up a contract and protect us with the correct language. It allows you to put in certain variables and saves out a document to your computer that you can adjust later if you wish. Very user friendly.
I'm always looking for tools to help make my life a little easier. These have just made it possible to tame the madness of freelancing. Yes, I did just plug a few resources. But I actually use them. I'm not gonna tell you about something that I've never touched before. Give these things a try. Might make your life easier. Or you can ignore every word of it.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Tips for Working from Home
Working at an office and working from home are very different experiences. Working in an office or at a studio forces you to start at a certain time and concentrate. I'm not saying that concentrating at home is impossible, but it can be tricky. When you work from home, you tend to wake up later and stay in your pajamas all day. And sometimes you feel like you can just switch on the TV and work with some background sound. Here I'm just going to list a few quick tips to get you working from home.
Start your day the same way you would if you were working elsewhere. If you keep your morning routine the same as it was, it'll be easier to sit down and get all your work done. Whatever time you usually wake up, get up at that time. You can wake up later if you wish, but it makes getting into your routine a lot easier. I think waking up later can work just fine as long as the rest of your routine is the same.
Get Dressed! Ok. This might be a silly one. But I have noticed that I work better if I'm wearing cloths and not my PJs. Something about it wakes me up more or preps me for doing things.
Be mindful of your start time and any breaks. This is the hard one at first. If you have an hourly rate, you'll want to track your hours correctly. Be honest. Also don't forget about watching when you end your day. Most employers can tell if your being honest or fudging your hours in your favor. Especially if they are doing the same work as you from home. Everyone has their own speed, but a good employer will always know if someone is trying to milk them. If your working for a flat fee, be sure to take this step anyways. Its going to give you a great idea if you are charging correctly for your services or if you need to adjust your contract in the future. If you get back too many revisions that increase your hours exponentially, then you need to adjust your revision clause to state that there will be overages after X amount of revisions. This is really up to your own judgement, but you should be careful to make sure that you are not being taken for a ride.
No TV! I know. I'm being lame by saying you should shut off your entertainment while you work on things. But you'll be surprised to see how much work you'll get done in a shorter amount of time without that distraction. If you don't believe me, test it out yourself. TV is just a distraction that will slow you down.
Create a work space. When most people come home, they don't want to bring their work home with them. Same goes for you at home. When you step away from your 'work space' you should be home. Creating this border will help you separate yourself from your work. Remote work doesn't mean you have to become a workaholic.
Make sure you take breaks. Make yourself a consistent lunch time. Go outside if you wish. Make sure you don't become a hermit. Working from home can be challenging. My cat sometimes makes it all about him. Gets in between me and my work. I'll take a break when this happens. Play with him a little, then get back to whatever I was doing. It keeps him happy for a few more hours and releases some stress I might have had. Go get some coffee or tea or even make it yourself if you want. You don't want to get stir crazy. Stepping away will recharge you. And when you do come back to your work, you'll have a semi fresh perspective. Just make sure you log your time away from your work.
I hope these tips help you like they did me. Trying to focus at home can be difficult. Creating a routine will help you adjust to working from home and get your work done.
Start your day the same way you would if you were working elsewhere. If you keep your morning routine the same as it was, it'll be easier to sit down and get all your work done. Whatever time you usually wake up, get up at that time. You can wake up later if you wish, but it makes getting into your routine a lot easier. I think waking up later can work just fine as long as the rest of your routine is the same.
Get Dressed! Ok. This might be a silly one. But I have noticed that I work better if I'm wearing cloths and not my PJs. Something about it wakes me up more or preps me for doing things.
Be mindful of your start time and any breaks. This is the hard one at first. If you have an hourly rate, you'll want to track your hours correctly. Be honest. Also don't forget about watching when you end your day. Most employers can tell if your being honest or fudging your hours in your favor. Especially if they are doing the same work as you from home. Everyone has their own speed, but a good employer will always know if someone is trying to milk them. If your working for a flat fee, be sure to take this step anyways. Its going to give you a great idea if you are charging correctly for your services or if you need to adjust your contract in the future. If you get back too many revisions that increase your hours exponentially, then you need to adjust your revision clause to state that there will be overages after X amount of revisions. This is really up to your own judgement, but you should be careful to make sure that you are not being taken for a ride.
No TV! I know. I'm being lame by saying you should shut off your entertainment while you work on things. But you'll be surprised to see how much work you'll get done in a shorter amount of time without that distraction. If you don't believe me, test it out yourself. TV is just a distraction that will slow you down.
Create a work space. When most people come home, they don't want to bring their work home with them. Same goes for you at home. When you step away from your 'work space' you should be home. Creating this border will help you separate yourself from your work. Remote work doesn't mean you have to become a workaholic.
Make sure you take breaks. Make yourself a consistent lunch time. Go outside if you wish. Make sure you don't become a hermit. Working from home can be challenging. My cat sometimes makes it all about him. Gets in between me and my work. I'll take a break when this happens. Play with him a little, then get back to whatever I was doing. It keeps him happy for a few more hours and releases some stress I might have had. Go get some coffee or tea or even make it yourself if you want. You don't want to get stir crazy. Stepping away will recharge you. And when you do come back to your work, you'll have a semi fresh perspective. Just make sure you log your time away from your work.
I hope these tips help you like they did me. Trying to focus at home can be difficult. Creating a routine will help you adjust to working from home and get your work done.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Last Nights Maya Users Group Meeting
I've been to a few of these in the past, for both Maya and 3ds Max. Its a great way to see whats going on with the programs and how studios are utilizing the software. Last night Ryan from Buck gave a nice presentation on a spot not yet released. The breakdown was pretty impressive and the layers/renders used were pure eye candy deliciousness. That doesn't mean that they were pretty with no brains. On the contrary. It seemed like a very complex process on getting the correct look for the spot, without being overly complicated that I couldn't understand what was going on. The end result was amazing renders with a great story.
After Ryan presented, we all took a little break and caught up with friends, colleagues, and met some new faces. Then Stephen Mann took the front and went over some changes with some Maya tools. Always good to know. If your interested in the NY Maya Users Group, check out the blog: http://nymayausersgroup.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Ryan, for presenting. It takes a good amount of courage and certainty to present to a group as large as we were last night. And thank you, Stephen, for putting this all together.
After Ryan presented, we all took a little break and caught up with friends, colleagues, and met some new faces. Then Stephen Mann took the front and went over some changes with some Maya tools. Always good to know. If your interested in the NY Maya Users Group, check out the blog: http://nymayausersgroup.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Ryan, for presenting. It takes a good amount of courage and certainty to present to a group as large as we were last night. And thank you, Stephen, for putting this all together.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Redesign
Lately I've been redesigning my website. I just find that its kinda a pain in the butt. I like designing stuff. Let's not get that wrong. I just wanna make sure its perfect. So I set it up with the layout I like. Now to make all the pieces work well together and feel seamless.
Building websites isn't really my thing. But I have been getting better with the layout and my idea is clearer. As long as I get my content up there, it could be a blank white page (but that's boring).
Anyways, the layout and design of a page makes it easier to see an artists work. If the layout makes it confusing to see a persons work, its really a strike against the artist. If I can't figure out what you did or the style of your work from your site, how will I know you can do the job. At least, that's what I think when employers look at my site. What they are really thinking, I can only guess at (as I've not had to hire anyone and haven't looked at sites to hire an artist. I've only looked because of my curiosity.)
What makes a great site to show off your work? You guys should let me know. I really want to know what every bodies opinion is on this. Is it the ease of getting to where you need to go? Or is the creative design really more involved than we think? Are you coding your site by yourself? Or do you use a tool like dreamweaver or indesign? Your opinions are always welcome.
Building websites isn't really my thing. But I have been getting better with the layout and my idea is clearer. As long as I get my content up there, it could be a blank white page (but that's boring).
Anyways, the layout and design of a page makes it easier to see an artists work. If the layout makes it confusing to see a persons work, its really a strike against the artist. If I can't figure out what you did or the style of your work from your site, how will I know you can do the job. At least, that's what I think when employers look at my site. What they are really thinking, I can only guess at (as I've not had to hire anyone and haven't looked at sites to hire an artist. I've only looked because of my curiosity.)
What makes a great site to show off your work? You guys should let me know. I really want to know what every bodies opinion is on this. Is it the ease of getting to where you need to go? Or is the creative design really more involved than we think? Are you coding your site by yourself? Or do you use a tool like dreamweaver or indesign? Your opinions are always welcome.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Recap!
It has been a few weeks (maybe months) since I've updated this. I really try to keep this updated...I swear. My life just gets too busy. I like updating this, even if I'm the only one to read it. Reminds me what I've been doing and how I've felt about certain things. Hopefully, I stay on the topic of animation.
Since September, I've been working pretty consistently at Edgeworx Studios. They do get some awesome projects. In November, we delivered a project called 'Bones of Turkana' for National Geographic. It won't be airing until April. My co-worker, Edmund, really took those challenging renders and made them manageable. And the renders came out beautifully. I won't give away too much, because I think you should watch it. Its pretty interesting if your into science and history. Really gives you some incite into our history as a species.
The project I'm currently working on is a Titanic special on how the Titanic actually sank. Apparently, James Cameron got it wrong. As far as the sinking goes, that's all I'll say. I'm trying to get you interested in tuning in. Its a lot of fun working on modeling and animating something that everyone has heard of. This project is still in progress. It'll be airing in April (100th anniversary and all).
I'm not sure of the exact air date of these projects. TBA (the air date is probably already set, I just can't announce it if I don't know it). There are also some exciting projects coming up on my roster that I'm pretty sure I can't mention. Just know that they are cool, because I said so.
I've also started the People & Polygons NYC group. So far, we've had pretty good turn outs. We'll be planning our next meet-up soon. Aiming for early February. It's been a pretty solid turnout so far. I've met some cool people and have managed to get friends working at different studios to come out and meet other friends they hadn't met before. If you're interested, leave a comment and I'll get you the info. Or you can email peopleandpolygonsnyc@gmail.com.
That's been it really. Not too interesting. Hopefully, I'll get some more animations and art up on here. Its been too long. I'll have to make a more conscience effort.
Since September, I've been working pretty consistently at Edgeworx Studios. They do get some awesome projects. In November, we delivered a project called 'Bones of Turkana' for National Geographic. It won't be airing until April. My co-worker, Edmund, really took those challenging renders and made them manageable. And the renders came out beautifully. I won't give away too much, because I think you should watch it. Its pretty interesting if your into science and history. Really gives you some incite into our history as a species.
The project I'm currently working on is a Titanic special on how the Titanic actually sank. Apparently, James Cameron got it wrong. As far as the sinking goes, that's all I'll say. I'm trying to get you interested in tuning in. Its a lot of fun working on modeling and animating something that everyone has heard of. This project is still in progress. It'll be airing in April (100th anniversary and all).
I'm not sure of the exact air date of these projects. TBA (the air date is probably already set, I just can't announce it if I don't know it). There are also some exciting projects coming up on my roster that I'm pretty sure I can't mention. Just know that they are cool, because I said so.
I've also started the People & Polygons NYC group. So far, we've had pretty good turn outs. We'll be planning our next meet-up soon. Aiming for early February. It's been a pretty solid turnout so far. I've met some cool people and have managed to get friends working at different studios to come out and meet other friends they hadn't met before. If you're interested, leave a comment and I'll get you the info. Or you can email peopleandpolygonsnyc@gmail.com.
That's been it really. Not too interesting. Hopefully, I'll get some more animations and art up on here. Its been too long. I'll have to make a more conscience effort.
Friday, September 2, 2011
When to use Motion Capture
The question. When is it better to use motion capture over hand keyed animation?
-Many people are under the impression that mocap is a faster way to get animation done. - If everything goes according to plan and you use the mocap as is, without splicing together clips, then sure. But no one wants to just use the mocap as is. The actors are usually different sizes than the characters the actions will be placed on. An animator will have to go in and make adjustments to the file in order for it to look natural. In reality, most of the mocap I've cleaned has been anywhere from 50% to 85% there. That's anywhere from 15% to 50% of cleaning and retargeting.
-It looks real and it doesn't require a good animator to make sure the movement is correct. - Well, in some alternate reality, that might be the case. Here on earth, you can always tell when a good animator worked on a mocap file or a mediocre animator. In my experience, the animator behind the scenes makes or breaks the motion. An advanced animator can clean up to 10 times as much as someone just starting out. Rule of thumb, an animator can average about 10 seconds of animation a day.
-Mocap gives you the freedom to work with many different takes before settling on the final one. - Here I agree. The actor can take on a scene in any number of ways. A good director will now how to get the actor to perform well. If there is no direction on set, however, the actor will most like produce poor movements or do things incorrectly. I don't know how many times I've seen shoots where the clients came ill prepared and expected the studio holding the shoot to play the role of director. As clients, they know more about what they want then the guy sitting behind the capture station. His job is to capture the files and organize them so that it won't be a headache to go through them later.
Its like real acting. You can't just stand there and say to the actor 'Go, do the movements'. Every time that has happened, the actor just stood there, and shrugged. There was no walk through, no direction. How would they know what to do? Knowing what is needed is key. A script, a shot list, and a goal.
-Mocap is used for every game out there, it must be easy. - Ummm, that's not true at all. Depending on the video game, some of the studios out there have preferred mocap. But not every game is made with mocap animation. Yes, its a great tool to use for characters walking or interacting in a certain way. Have you played any games lately? I really don't think that anyone has a big enough stage to capture certain leaps, dives, bounds, swinging from trees, rafters, etc. Some of that motion might be mocap, but no one can mocap a person flying. People don't fly by themselves. An animator has to go in there and make it look like we can fly. My hat goes off to them.
-Mocap seems like a pain in the a$$. Might as well just pay an animator to do it by hand. - I do love animating key poses. Its a lot of fun. But sometimes mocap is just a better solution. If you want real movement, like super realistic, mocap can be a great asset. You'll need good actors and a solid director to get the motion you want. And not to forget, a great mocap team. If you want a more cartoony look, well, you're better off staying away from mocap. Mocap really is for a more realistic look.
-"I have this great idea for a short/show/pilot. It's about this ::insert animal here:: and takes place in a ::insert scene here::. I've been thinking about maybe using mocap for the main character who is a ::insert animal here::. It would probably be easier to mocap a person, right?" - LMAO. I'm not gonna say how many times I've held back tears when someone has asked me this because of how hilarious this seems. No. You cannot ask a Human to walk around like a specific animal. No matter how many times you try to get them to move like a cat or a dog or an elephant, it just isn't happening. Yes, Andy Serkis has been a great actor, but I really don't think you realize how much of a budget comes with him and his type of service. There are very few humans who can move around like animals. Mostly because we have different skeletal structures. Maybe we can do Apes and other primates, but a horse? Are you kidding me? If I really have to explain the differences, I might just cry.
I think I got most of the obvious issues when people think of motion capture. It really is its own art form. Mocap has some great advantages. People just need to educate themselves a little more when they think about using mocap.
-Many people are under the impression that mocap is a faster way to get animation done. - If everything goes according to plan and you use the mocap as is, without splicing together clips, then sure. But no one wants to just use the mocap as is. The actors are usually different sizes than the characters the actions will be placed on. An animator will have to go in and make adjustments to the file in order for it to look natural. In reality, most of the mocap I've cleaned has been anywhere from 50% to 85% there. That's anywhere from 15% to 50% of cleaning and retargeting.
-It looks real and it doesn't require a good animator to make sure the movement is correct. - Well, in some alternate reality, that might be the case. Here on earth, you can always tell when a good animator worked on a mocap file or a mediocre animator. In my experience, the animator behind the scenes makes or breaks the motion. An advanced animator can clean up to 10 times as much as someone just starting out. Rule of thumb, an animator can average about 10 seconds of animation a day.
-Mocap gives you the freedom to work with many different takes before settling on the final one. - Here I agree. The actor can take on a scene in any number of ways. A good director will now how to get the actor to perform well. If there is no direction on set, however, the actor will most like produce poor movements or do things incorrectly. I don't know how many times I've seen shoots where the clients came ill prepared and expected the studio holding the shoot to play the role of director. As clients, they know more about what they want then the guy sitting behind the capture station. His job is to capture the files and organize them so that it won't be a headache to go through them later.
Its like real acting. You can't just stand there and say to the actor 'Go, do the movements'. Every time that has happened, the actor just stood there, and shrugged. There was no walk through, no direction. How would they know what to do? Knowing what is needed is key. A script, a shot list, and a goal.
-Mocap is used for every game out there, it must be easy. - Ummm, that's not true at all. Depending on the video game, some of the studios out there have preferred mocap. But not every game is made with mocap animation. Yes, its a great tool to use for characters walking or interacting in a certain way. Have you played any games lately? I really don't think that anyone has a big enough stage to capture certain leaps, dives, bounds, swinging from trees, rafters, etc. Some of that motion might be mocap, but no one can mocap a person flying. People don't fly by themselves. An animator has to go in there and make it look like we can fly. My hat goes off to them.
-Mocap seems like a pain in the a$$. Might as well just pay an animator to do it by hand. - I do love animating key poses. Its a lot of fun. But sometimes mocap is just a better solution. If you want real movement, like super realistic, mocap can be a great asset. You'll need good actors and a solid director to get the motion you want. And not to forget, a great mocap team. If you want a more cartoony look, well, you're better off staying away from mocap. Mocap really is for a more realistic look.
-"I have this great idea for a short/show/pilot. It's about this ::insert animal here:: and takes place in a ::insert scene here::. I've been thinking about maybe using mocap for the main character who is a ::insert animal here::. It would probably be easier to mocap a person, right?" - LMAO. I'm not gonna say how many times I've held back tears when someone has asked me this because of how hilarious this seems. No. You cannot ask a Human to walk around like a specific animal. No matter how many times you try to get them to move like a cat or a dog or an elephant, it just isn't happening. Yes, Andy Serkis has been a great actor, but I really don't think you realize how much of a budget comes with him and his type of service. There are very few humans who can move around like animals. Mostly because we have different skeletal structures. Maybe we can do Apes and other primates, but a horse? Are you kidding me? If I really have to explain the differences, I might just cry.
I think I got most of the obvious issues when people think of motion capture. It really is its own art form. Mocap has some great advantages. People just need to educate themselves a little more when they think about using mocap.
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