Bring Your Demo Reels to LA SIGGRAPH

[pearson]

I like how it's called, "Jump Start Your Career," but they will only accept reels from "seasoned, experienced professionals!" That's a classic.:thumbsup:

[scotttygett]

Imageworks had 140 openings, so non-experts probably have a fighting chance.

Do you think because I now have a cgtalk "veteran" under my name I should apply again?

:)

[beaker]

Just a hint to you guys applying who have low/no experience. Apply for the "Production Services Tech" position. It is one of their entry level positions. Though you need to be familiar with unix(irix) and shell scripting(bash, csh, etc...). Knowing perl or python is a big plus but not needed.

[mikewebb]

Imageworks had 140 openings

Is this posted somewhere? What jobs are they looking to fill? The Imageworks web site was a joke. Not enough information. And, no HR links that were apparent.

Thanks for any help.

Mike

[roger]

Did anyone here go to it?
How was it?
Was there a lot of people looking for a job?
Was just Sony and R&H looking at reels?


Thanks,
Roger

[scotttygett]

She enumerated her list, but I didn't get it... ...something about shader-writers and compositers mostly, with some animators and TD's, http://www.sonypictures.com/imageworks/index2.html

I have a peck of work to do, but here goes:

Well attended event, and when you consider that SIGGRAPH is 36 for the year, quite a bargain. Probably 300+ in attendance. In addition to Imageworks, Dreamworks and R+H. There was also a principal from Rubberbug.com, and a trainer from Disney, so I suppose you could contact all of them.

If you haven't heard that newbies should have "kickass" reels, now you know, since otherwise, they're looking for experience. Do reels get fast-forwarded through? Yes, you bet. They say they like story though, and a well made film, but nobody wanted to see anything longer than 3 minutes.

Enthusiasm and people skills apparently rank high, and if you are somebody with revolutionary brilliant ideas that make them lots of money, you will be offered a long term contract. There was an entertainment lawyer on the panel, Richard Sigler, who mentioned how that some entertainment lawyers will try to help you a little free over th phone since you may be the next Lassiter. So, now we all know an entertainment lawyer. Ask what lawyers charge he suggested (The low end is 250-600 an hour to read contracts for you...). The other non-producer nonHR person was Angie Jones from spiceycricket.com which has some great animation fundamentals pages.

Should you have three or four reels? Yes, as long as they kick butt. Otherwise, don't have a reel. Don't send the same reel without major changes. The studio may review 200 reels at a time and so will wait for the box to fill before watching a bunch, so a call after two weeks to follow-up might be too soon. Other obvious things: put phone numbers on the reels. Some in the audience felt the panel seemed callous, but Sony was going through numerous recruiters, which sort of suggests the search by studio's has been hard.

Mentoring was suggested, either within a studio, or just knowing animators socially, though CGTalk didn't come up, what an I tll you?

Bad reputations don't get rehired, and peope skills came up a few times. Not having been hired to do CG animation ever, I'm very fortunate I guess... The only time I've been living hell was in film school, but nobody would hold that against me NOW would they???

Don't become a freelance if you don't like paying an extra 5% in social security witholding and 1-2% ity taxes and not getting a dental plan or 401K. Freelancing MAY be RARE because the IRS doesn't go after the artists as much as it goes after the companies. At least one producer disagreed, suggesting they like to have their hands on the assets.

And right off the top: if you want to work on features, you're going to specialize. They use generalists for little offbeat Tim Burton kinds of projects and short term projects and games, but feature production is geared toward shader-writing pipeliney kinds of production.

Have a sense of humor, persevere.

Scott Tygett

[synj]

Originally posted by pearson
I like how it's called, "Jump Start Your Career," but they will only accept reels from "seasoned, experienced professionals!" That's a classic.:thumbsup:

yahahaha i couldn't agree more, pearson. :D AHEhafhdfdsmdsf

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