is foundation imaging folded???

[twidup]

they closed up shop almost a year ago.

[SplineGod]

They officially closed shop in October of last year.

[thiaml]

sad to see that happen. they produced some stunning visuals while they're still going.

[SplineGod]

It happens so its not that uncommon. Lots of studios shut down and pop up again under different names and so on. They were hit during the big slump in LA and many places shut down.

[thiaml]

do you know what ron thornton is doing. has he started another studio.

splinegod, you used to work there before. what is it like. on a personal level, i think it would a dream job for me. in melbourne, australia, there is hardly any studio that does any cool work.

[twidup]

Ron is now a freelance VFX supersivor

[SplineGod]

Ron actually left Foundation months before they closed shop to do his own thing. He was a great guy to work with.
It was a great place to work at. I enjoyed it overall. There were some days I hated it but most of the time it was nice. Working on Dan Dare was the most fun Ive ever had. We had a lot of lattitude in terms of using our own creativity. I was on the character team there and we had some pretty tight deadlines on things but it was a great opportunity to learn how to think on ones feet. We didnt have nearly the time to setup and prepare things as you would on a movie project yet we produced over 9 hours of animation in under 2 years. I did a LOT of rigging and specialized character setups and very little time to do it.
Typically we would have less then a week to model, texture and rig a character...and sometimes only a couple of days.

[thiaml]

sounds like you had a ball working there. are you still involve in the industry (freelancing). i know you do tutorial cds and that's fantastic as i think character rigging is very dificult.

can i ask what you think of my work. i do a few freelance illustrations for ad agencies but not enough to make a decent living out of it. let me know what you think

www.geocities.com/thiaml

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
sounds like you had a ball working there. are you still involve in the industry (freelancing). i know you do tutorial cds and that's fantastic as i think character rigging is very dificult.

can i ask what you think of my work. i do a few freelance illustrations for ad agencies but not enough to make a decent living out of it. let me know what you think

www.geocities.com/thiaml
I also enjoyed working at Amalgamated Pixels. They did a lot of movie work. I got to work on several movie projects at the same time including a stereoscopic IMAX film. That was a huge challenge. I enjoyed being able to jump between doing completely differnent things like character modeling, rigging, texturing, animating, mechanical modeling, particle effects, matchmoving etc etc. Sometimes working for a very large studio can get you pidgeonholed into doing some very specific task. A friend of mine when he went to Pixar ended up doing a lot of secondary lighting on characters (dunno how he would demo that on a reel) and another went to ILM and ended up quitting because they didnt seem to care how talented he was other then he was stuck into modeling some very particular things and wasnt allowed to stray outside of those constraints at all. It drove him nuts and after about 4 months he quit. Many people seem to think that this is "sexy" work and at a large studio it can sometimes be anything but sexy.
Character rigging is difficult for many because they dont have enough exposure to animating or working with a good animator to know what a good rig really is. So they end up copying a lot of free rigs or tutorials out there that really arent the best examples.
I tried to look at your site but it says youve exceeded your bandwidth. One thing about working freelance is it gives me time to REALLY do what I want to do. :)

[thiaml]

try this other web site.

www.3d-imaging.com

do you know what your co-workers at foundation imaging doing now? are they still using lightwave or have they switch to other apps in order to find more work.

[SplineGod]

Most are still using Lightwave at other studios. Theres always studios out here hiring for Lightwave artists. I also know many Lightwave artists who were hired to work in Maya or other apps simply because they were just good artists. Most people tend to be multifaceted or try to be. Getting laid off or studios dying is just part of the business. Youve seen large Maya based studios go belly up all the time as well, there was Fox Digital which died after Titan AE, Squaresoft died after Final Fantasy, Warner Digital died a couple of years ago and recently the Secret Lab after doing Reign of Fire. It doesnt mean that Maya is dying or that theres no more Maya studios. Its like a big slowly boiling pot...it all gets recirculated. :)
BTW your work looks great. :)

[thiaml]

hey splinegod,

do you use any other 3d apps other than lightwave. if so how does it compare to lightwave. have you been tempted to switch across to other apps in order to find work.

i for one has been told to by lightwave studio in the US. they have commented my work is good and they would hire me but due to the weak US economy, they were hesitant. i was also been told that if i want to work locally, i have to move to what common app they use which is max and maya (apparently, people don't get hired unless someone else resigns).

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
hey splinegod,

do you use any other 3d apps other than lightwave. if so how does it compare to lightwave. have you been tempted to switch across to other apps in order to find work.

i for one has been told to by lightwave studio in the US. they have commented my work is good and they would hire me but due to the weak US economy, they were hesitant. i was also been told that if i want to work locally, i have to move to what common app they use which is max and maya (apparently, people don't get hired unless someone else resigns).
So far I havent been forced to have to use something else.
Maya tends to do better in an environment where you have time and you have staff to support it. Lightwave is great overall esp if you just have to get things done quickly.
One of the problems with coming to the US to work is that the company would have to pay lawyers to get you a work permit. It takes a lot of time and money. Things change quickly and if you get laid off you simply just cant go work somewhere else because the work permit is tied to that specific studio and any place you went to would have to put in for a work permit for you.
If you have to use Max or Maya its no big deal. If you are a good 3D artist it doesnt take long to come up to speed on any app.
I think the best combination of things to know is some 3D app and some compositing app.
Getting hired is based on job openings. Job openings can occurr due to people leaving or new work came in or they just simply want you.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
try this other web site.

www.3d-imaging.com

do you know what your co-workers at foundation imaging doing now? are they still using lightwave or have they switch to other apps in order to find more work.

Roger Borelli, who was Larry's and My supervisor is at Disney Features, he had been at DD and Disney Television Animation before that.

I was at Disney TV, and now Im finishing up work on Tremors. I've been building and painting creatures for the Sci-Fi Series.

[thiaml]

thanks for your comments,

can i ask, based on what you see on my website;

www.geocities.com/thiaml
or
www.3d-imaging.com

what do you think of my prospect of finding work (probably overseas). as i am finding it very difficult to find work locally, here in melbourne, australia. companies simply don't hire and freelancing is very limited.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
thanks for your comments,

can i ask, based on what you see on my website;

www.geocities.com/thiaml
or
www.3d-imaging.com

what do you think of my prospect of finding work (probably overseas). as i am finding it very difficult to find work locally, here in melbourne, australia. companies simply don't hire and freelancing is very limited.

I can't tell you too much. You have shown some really nice imagery. You have a good sense of design. I couldnt view the reel so I didnt say anything in motion. ANd Im not in the advertising industry.

You are obviously good. Its a matter of getting your stuff seen by the right people at the right time... collect as many agency names as possible and get your work seen.

You might have to find a way to get here first or freelance from Australia because given a choice between employees that are both good, the one who is easiest to hire will probably get the job.

[thiaml]

how do freelance work from home and the client is overseas. i take it via the net. are there any implications working this way (miss communication / payment)

i also got a feeling that the demand of my style of work is very limited as most studios (especially in US or UK) do work for TV/film.

I am very keen to work in the TV/film industry. do you have any advice on how to adapt my current style of work so that i can find work in that area.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
how do freelance work from home and the client is overseas. i take it via the net. are there any implications working this way (miss communication / payment)

i also got a feeling that the demand of my style of work is very limited as most studios (especially in US or UK) do work for TV/film.

I am very keen to work in the TV/film industry. do you have any advice on how to adapt my current style of work so that i can find work in that area.

Like anything else you ned to target the audience for your reel. Features tends to be specific. You might apply for a design job, or a modeling job or a rigging job... seriel tv fx, wants a wider range od skills. Find out what you want to do (or what a company is looking for) and target that.

[thiaml]

hey rich,

i think you were using lightwave a few years ago. i noticed on your footnote, you says you can use houdini, softimage etc.

do you find there are more opportunities out there for those apps. do you still use lightwave?

i'm in two minds about switching apps (maya or max) but on the other hand, i know lightwave quite well (not a power user though). what advice can you give me in that regard.

[RichSuchy]

See what the places you want to work use. Its an advantage to already be fluent with what they are using. Many people will be loyal to a program with an almost religeous fervor, defending it ands it charms through thick and thin. To me its all about keeping the family fed, housed, clothed, and thriving. Meaning Its about getting work.

(in my mind) There is no point to the arguments that, but I can do that better in package a, b, or c, unless you in a position to buy software for the company, or you work strickly freelance.

I actually won a copy of Houdini by showing up at enough SIGRAPHs. I still have to get up to speed on that for more than just modeling though.


Originally posted by thiaml
hey rich,

i think you were using lightwave a few years ago. i noticed on your footnote, you says you can use houdini, softimage etc.

do you find there are more opportunities out there for those apps. do you still use lightwave?

i'm in two minds about switching apps (maya or max) but on the other hand, i know lightwave quite well (not a power user though). what advice can you give me in that regard.

[thiaml]

do you freelance or work full time. i think i read somewhere years ago, you worked at foundation imaging also like splinegod.

just going through your website and i just reply my own question. i take it, you're are very proficient at maya to work at your current workplace.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
do you freelance or work full time. i think i read somewhere years ago, you worked at foundation imaging also like splinegod.

just going through your website and i just reply my own question. i take it, you're are very proficient at maya to work at your current workplace.

Yes, I worked on Starship Trooper Chronicles, Max Steel and Dan Dare at Foundation as a character modeler/ rigger using Lightwave.

Currently I just finished today on Tremors, and am now seeking new employment. I built Flora and Fauna, project 412 an upcoming Bug, the Ass Blaster, and shriekers for Tremors here at Encore Hollywood.

Id prefer a more permanent position to working freelance but you adapt to what's available.

I was the Only Maya guy there. They had a seat of Maya or Lightwave if I wanted it. I used Maya due to personal preference. I prefer modeling and setting up UVs in Maya though (until Mental Ray) I prefered the Lightwave renderer.

This was a 5 month freelance gig. Now that the models are built and textured, Its time to move on :)

I like most of the people I worked with by the way, A very talented crew. And will work for them again if the timing is right.


As far as proficiency in Maya goes, It was quite easy to set up characters to import into 3D studio max, though the maps didnt always look as expected on another software.

:)

[thiaml]

do you think you'll will be sticking with maya as oppose to lightwave. this show you're were working on, is it all cgi? do studios still use keyframe animations or motion capture these days.

i am no expert with motion capture but one would think the technology would have improve a lot by now. if it does, do that mean that character animators will find it hard to find work.

have you got any experience with messiah. i hear a lot of people ditching lightwave character animation tool.

does the show you're been working on does modelling and animations in maya and lightwave to render?

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
do you think you'll will be sticking with maya as oppose to lightwave. this show you're were working on, is it all cgi? do studios still use keyframe animations or motion capture these days.

i am no expert with motion capture but one would think the technology would have improve a lot by now. if it does, do that mean that character animators will find it hard to find work.

have you got any experience with messiah. i hear a lot of people ditching lightwave character animation tool.

does the show you're been working on does modelling and animations in maya and lightwave to render?


I Like Maya, but I like XSI too. If DD wants to hire me I'll use Maya or Lightwave there depending on what department hires me. If I get picked up by Rythm and Hues (have to apply first :) ) They use lightwave in the comercial division, but I think they have some propriatery stuff for features.

The show I am (finished)working on is Live action. It uses no motion capture. But studios use it sometimes,

No you will need animators to fix things and animate things that are better done by hand.

I dont use Messiah It limited what I could do with newer features directly in Lightwave. but it was great for use with 5.x.

Nope they used V-Ray to render in and they animated in 3D Studio Max.

[thiaml]

you seem to be able to handle a wide range of 3d package. and with your experience, i don't think you have any trouble finding work. it's good to see that you're targeting the big studios but as i was speaking to splinegod the other day, he did mentioned that you'll get pigeon holed in doing one particular thing and that's all you'll do.

can i ask what's the going rate for a freelancer in the US or UK. i keep hearing that rates are getting lower and lower as the industry is going through tough times.


I'm asking as i am quite keen to work overseas. do you know of any lightwave studio that may use my style of work?

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
you seem to be able to handle a wide range of 3d package. and with your experience, i don't think you have any trouble finding work. it's good to see that you're targeting the big studios but as i was speaking to splinegod the other day, he did mentioned that you'll get pigeon holed in doing one particular thing and that's all you'll do.

can i ask what's the going rate for a freelancer in the US or UK. i keep hearing that rates are getting lower and lower as the industry is going through tough times.


I'm asking as i am quite keen to work overseas. do you know of any lightwave studio that may use my style of work?

You would be suprised at how dificult it can be to get a job sometimes.

I wont discuss rates. I can't speak for the general industry/s.

BUT one thing you can do is ask how much the client was thinking of spending. Then you can tell them what they can get for that, and for more they can get more. When it comes to payment, its a matter of the art of negotiation. Everyone should feel they got a great deel. As a freelancer you have to considder how much you need, to cover insurances, taxes and downtime.

So figure what you think your hours are worth.

At a big company you might get pigeon-holed. You might also advance to a supervisory level or higher. You might get to do research and development. It all depends. Sony likes to keep people so if you have multiple skills they might move you to another one of your talents to keep you on after say... the modeling stage is done.

[thiaml]

You stated that your speciality is modelling and rigging. do you have much experience in animation. if you do, does it improve your chances of finding work as you have a broader range of skills.

Or does that work against you, as some companies only wants you to work on a particular area ala, modelling, rigging.

back to version of lightwave 5.6, i was quite keen on animations and found that it is very difficult to set up character in order to avoid gimbal lock. i think with lightwave 7.5, that may have resolved.

anyway, since then, i focus on modelling (illustration part of 3d) but on odd occassions, i may get itchy and wants to do some animation. but i think i should focus more on one area. what are your thoughts?

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
do you freelance or work full time. i think i read somewhere years ago, you worked at foundation imaging also like splinegod.

just going through your website and i just reply my own question. i take it, you're are very proficient at maya to work at your current workplace.
Rich didnt just work at FI "like splinegod", we worked side by side for many months. Rich is a very talented artist and the great thing about working so close together is you get to pick up a lot of stuff from each other.
I think knowing more then one app is a good thing. I think knowing the 3D/2D compositing is very important since those are the two most common aspects of CGI. As I said before, Ive seen many artists who knew one 3D app get hired to work in another simply because they were talented.
Mocap is used very heavily now. The shows that Rich and I worked on could never have been done without the use of Mocap. Even with the use of mocap there are plenty of shots that are hand keyed. I cant think of a major studio these days that doesnt use mocap at one time or another. Knowing how to model, texture, Rig, Light and Animate transcend the actual application. Once you are good its just a matter of digging into a new app.

[thiaml]

can i ask what is a good composition software that is widely used in the industry. i have dabbled with after effects but not sure if it is industry standard in the animation house. i know it is used a lot in advertising agencies along with final cut pro.

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
can i ask what is a good composition software that is widely used in the industry. i have dabbled with after effects but not sure if it is industry standard in the animation house. i know it is used a lot in advertising agencies along with final cut pro.
After Effects. Digital Fusion, Combustion...theyre all used and all pretty much accomplish the same thing. I like DFs node based approach rather then a timeline.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
You stated that your speciality is modelling and rigging. do you have much experience in animation. if you do, does it improve your chances of finding work as you have a broader range of skills.

anyway, since then, i focus on modelling (illustration part of 3d) but on odd occassions, i may get itchy and wants to do some animation. but i think i should focus more on one area. what are your thoughts?

I have a little animation experience but nothing to put on a reel. lol

I used to animate for a laser show production company years ago. It was essentially 2d animation. I dont have anything to show from those days.

I spend so much time trying to flesh out my modeling texturing demo-reels that I ahvnt had time to rig and animate anything to use on an anomation reel.

I suppose there are lots of animation jobs out there (usually when the Modeling jobs are not around) It would increase your chance of being hired but only if all things being equal, the quality of your work is as good as it would be if you focused on one disciplin... or at least knew both sufficiently well to get noticed.

[thiaml]

do you know if production houses (cgi) uses flame or inferno. i was told it is very difficult to get into those area because it is very specialise.

can i also ask with lightwave 7.5, is it catching up with messiah in terms of character animation or it is still lagging behind. maybe, with lightwave 8 coming out soon will rectify that.

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
do you know if production houses (cgi) uses flame or inferno. i was told it is very difficult to get into those area because it is very specialise.

can i also ask with lightwave 7.5, is it catching up with messiah in terms of character animation or it is still lagging behind. maybe, with lightwave 8 coming out soon will rectify that.

Lightwave is just fine for character work. People tend to confuse rigging with animating. Most places that use Maya dont have animators doing anything else but animating. If someone is given a rig with the same functionality in any program and good animator will be able to produce good animation.

[thiaml]

splinegod,

just wondering if you ever work at eden fx? i think they could be the main competitor to foundation imaging before it folded. the other fx house which i think could be interesting to work at is computer cafe. i think taron is there after he left station x.

i take it you can rig a character either in lightwave and maya. are the principles behind it the same.

i had a look at maya a while back and the interface it self is so intimidating. maybe all i needed to do was to dedicate some time to it.

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
splinegod,

just wondering if you ever work at eden fx? i think they could be the main competitor to foundation imaging before it folded. the other fx house which i think could be interesting to work at is computer cafe. i think taron is there after he left station x.

i take it you can rig a character either in lightwave and maya. are the principles behind it the same.

i had a look at maya a while back and the interface it self is so intimidating. maybe all i needed to do was to dedicate some time to it.
They may have competed on some things but both worked on Star Trek. When FI folded that work went to Eden. Dunno where Taron is. If you understand the principles that determine what a good rig is its then only a matter of figuring out the mechanics in each app.

[wgreenlee1]

i had a look at maya a while back and the interface it self is so intimidating. maybe all i needed to do was to dedicate some time to it.


Rigging in Maya....... (http://www.spatiallight.net/tutorialsPage/jointTut.html)

[thiaml]

what is your preference for character modelling/rigging (maya or lightwave)?

could the reason for foundation imaging closing down was because they were doing a lot of cgi series and when the producers decided to end it, FI found the work dried up. i read somewhere years ago, they started a film division. that could be when they were going really well and expanding the business. wondering do they do much commercial work for advertising agencies.



thanks wgreenlee1, going through the tutorial.

[E_Moelzer]

I think it was sad that FI closed its doors. I can still remember the interview with John Teska in the LW6.0 - demo- reel (Borg- Queen in ST:Voyager). While we are at it: does anyone know what happened to Flat earth. I can also still remember the interview with Brian J. Blevins on the work they did for Blade (also in teh LW6.0- reel). Anyone here knows what happened to both of them?
Also: Digital Domain is currently seeking LightWave- artists!!
CU
Elmar

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
what is your preference for character modelling/rigging (maya or lightwave)?

could the reason for foundation imaging closing down was because they were doing a lot of cgi series and when the producers decided to end it, FI found the work dried up. i read somewhere years ago, they started a film division. that could be when they were going really well and expanding the business. wondering do they do much commercial work for advertising agencies.



thanks wgreenlee1, going through the tutorial.
I like rigging in LW. You throw bones into a model and they work right away. You can if need be tweak them with weight maps or other things. This is good if you need to really get things done quick. Maya has the advantage of great depth and flexibility if you have the time to rig that way.
Teska and the others are still around just at different places.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
what is your preference for character modelling/rigging (maya or lightwave)?

could the reason for foundation imaging closing down was because they were doing a lot of cgi series and when the producers decided to end it, FI found the work dried up. i read somewhere years ago, they started a film division. that could be when they were going really well and expanding the business. wondering do they do much commercial work for advertising agencies.



thanks wgreenlee1, going through the tutorial.

ake this with grain of salt because I was told this by someone at Sony in a position to know.

But politics being what it is...

FI asked Sony for 3 (that as in one, two three) times what it was paid for season two of Max Steel to do Season 3. Then said... "take it or leave it." Sony said forget it, we'll go to Canada.

I wonder whatever happened with that Canadian production.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
what is your preference for character modelling/rigging (maya or lightwave)?



I prefer to work in Maya, but for modeling... still Maya though just barely. I don't the Lightwave modeler compelling enough at this point to use two packages at once to get a job done.

[Kaiser_Sose]

Rich, you actualy like to organic character model in maya over lw

If so, what approaches do you use ... patch nurbs modeling or polygonal

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by Kaiser_Sose
Rich, you actualy like to organic character model in maya over lw

If so, what approaches do you use ... patch nurbs modeling or polygonal

I frequently use the same tricks to achieve the same result, however I aproach modeling any number of ways. Sometimes I'll build a rough model and cut in detail, other times I might work using the "start with a box and extrude method, but in the end I know how I want the geometry to flow and just use the tools at hand to achieve those results.

I have gotton used to Maya, and I like to use the deformation tools to model and tweak models. This lets me work without reference as I can adjust proportions at any time in the process by just throwing up a latice deform. Its also quick to use a latice deform to shape primatives into pieces you might need to attach later such as an arm or leg.

I can use maya and wrap deformers to derive left and right sided blend shapes (morph targets) from one model... and if fact can rig it so that I dont even need to build the second one to get that functionality to work on either side of the model or a blend between them. Its as simple as using two wrap (one scaled at -1 in x for instance) deformers to drive a single mesh. I am the only one I know of who does that, but I'm sure others out there may do it as well.

The program is deep and if you learn how to leverage that depth, you will find it very powerful.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by Kaiser_Sose
Rich, you actualy like to organic character model in maya over lw

If so, what approaches do you use ... patch nurbs modeling or polygonal

Part II.

I can also patch model though I prefer Sub-D modeling. I'm currently working on a patch model to make my reel more fully rounded. Many Feature film studios still want NURB modelers.

[thiaml]

i think maya sure is a very complex package. i personally think it is more of a technical package to an artistic one. i have at times wanting to switch across, but was put off by the complexity of it. i think it is very hard to be good all-rounder (modelling, texturing, animating) in maya in comparison to lightwave. My main reason to switch across is there is more chances to find a job in maya.

can i ask what you guys think of this email. i shot an email to a production house in sydney, australia called gmd design. and this is their reply.

Dear Thiam,

Thank you for taking the time to write to GMD. Your CV is very
impressive, however unfortunately there are no positions available at the moment.
We will keep your CV on file and should something become available we will contact you.

Kind regards

Mary McMullen


i'm not sure wheather this is a rejection email or not. as only recently i started to look for 3d related work, (i was working in advertising agencies before).

[Rumpus King]

mmmmyes, that's a rejection letter. Doesn't mean you won't ever be contacted though. You're safe taking that at face value. It means they're impressed with your stuff but simply don't have a place for you yet.

.....

BTW, Rich, I caught a recent ep of Max Steel and great big jumpin web-footed jesus it looked like home-made ass dipped in misery. They still haven't found the motion blur button. Everybody suffers from refrigerator mouth and their shadow map size is so big the shadows are stepped on every curved surface. They woulda crucified us for 80% of the poop that they've happily aired in Season 3.

Ah well...whatcha gonna do?

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by Rumpus King
mmmmyes, that's a rejection letter. Doesn't mean you won't ever be contacted though. You're safe taking that at face value. It means they're impressed with your stuff but simply don't have a place for you yet.

.....

BTW, Rich, I caught a recent ep of Max Steel and great big jumpin web-footed jesus it looked like home-made ass dipped in misery. They still haven't found the motion blur button. Everybody suffers from refrigerator mouth and their shadow map size is so big the shadows are stepped on every curved surface. They woulda crucified us for 80% of the poop that they've happily aired in Season 3.

Ah well...whatcha gonna do?

I agree with Aram. Take it at face value or you can go nuts reading all sorts of things into it. To be honest getting a good job is more based on who you know rather then youre demo reel. Many places get inundated with hundreds of reels and I wouldnt want to be the guy to watch them all.Many places tend to ask people already working there to recommend people.
Where did you see the season 3 max steel? Maybe Sony mellowed out or figured that Foundation isnt around to save their butts again. :)

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by Rumpus King
BTW, Rich, I caught a recent ep of Max Steel and great big jumpin web-footed jesus it looked like home-made ass dipped in misery. They still haven't found the motion blur button. Everybody suffers from refrigerator mouth and their shadow map size is so big the shadows are stepped on every curved surface. They woulda crucified us for 80% of the poop that they've happily aired in Season 3.

Ah well...whatcha gonna do?

Hey Aram!

So there were actually episodes made after FI? I thought it must have just quietly fallen apart.

What are you up to lately?

[Rumpus King]

Hey Rich, give me a shout.

aram@zoicstudios.com

ICQ/AIM - 17597560

MSN - aram@zoicstudios.com

[scotttygett]

Am I the only one who watched "Max Steele" who thought the guy who let all the weird motion effects get included was inspired?

Btw, "Steele" is also gone, isn't it? I haven't seen it for a year.

[pixelmonk]

Firefly is gone too. *mumble*stupidReality-basedFoxNetworkcorporatesuits*mumble. Great job on that show, Aram and the rest of Zoic.



:annoyed:

[Rumpus King]

Y'know, I was poking around for some (unknown-demon-induced-I'm-sure) reason and found this...
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeGuideServlet/showid-1899/
So maybe it was an ep from season 1 that I saw. Although there were only 3 eps from season 1 that we didn't work on and I'm pretty sure the one I saw wasn't one of them. So I just assumed it was new stuff.

Larry: I dunno where I saw it. Some TV channel.

scott: I'm pretty sure you're the only one. Weird motion effects? Do explain.

pm: Thanks, it was fun. :)

[tOd]

Originally posted by SplineGod
Youve seen large Maya based studios go belly up all the time as well, there was Fox Digital which died after Titan AE, Squaresoft died after Final Fantasy, Warner Digital died a couple of years ago and recently the Secret Lab after doing Reign of Fire. It doesnt mean that Maya is dying or that theres no more Maya studios.

Yeah if these studios had been using LW they would still be around. The movies sucking at the box office had nothing to do with it.

:D

[SplineGod]

Aram:
Did you notice that Dan Dare is now out on DVD? :)

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by tOd
Yeah if these studios had been using LW they would still be around. The movies sucking at the box office had nothing to do with it.

:D
You never know. Studios dying has very little to do with the tools being used as opposed to stupid business decisions. :)

[tOd]

Originally posted by SplineGod
You never know. Studios dying has very little to do with the tools being used as opposed to stupid business decisions. :)

This is true.

[wgreenlee1]

SquareSoft died?

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by wgreenlee1
SquareSoft died?
Ooops, Square Pictures not Square Soft

[thiaml]

Aram,

i read somewhere that zoic uses a mixture of lightwave and maya. does this mean they use lightwave for modelling, rendering and maya for animating. does that means artist there can both use lightwave and maya. what's your preference?

the other day, i went into a studio in melbourne, and the owner and the studio manager was very impressed with my work. he also said that he is abit reluctant to use me as i could potentially take some work away from them as most of their work is advertising and architectual. i'm abit disappointed as i'm only interested in working there, not pursueing the client to work with me instead.

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by thiaml
Aram,

The other day, i went into a studio in melbourne, and the owner and the studio manager was very impressed with my work. he also said that he is abit reluctant to use me as i could potentially take some work away from them as most of their work is advertising and architectual. i'm abit disappointed as i'm only interested in working there, not pursueing the client to work with me instead.

I hope you don't mind me butting in, but don't they have an noncompete agreements you could sign?

[thiaml]

they didn't mention that. maybe they're just checking me out as i have done some work directly with clients as i have been working in advertising agencies before.

i was in the interview for 2 hours and one of the thing he told me was when he started in the industry, he work for a company for 6 months and not getting pay. my feeling is when he left, he probably approach the client and pursue them that he could do the work for cheaper.

[Rumpus King]

Originally posted by thiaml
Aram,

i read somewhere that zoic uses a mixture of lightwave and maya. does this mean they use lightwave for modelling, rendering and maya for animating. does that means artist there can both use lightwave and maya. what's your preference?

the other day, i went into a studio in melbourne, and the owner and the studio manager was very impressed with my work. he also said that he is abit reluctant to use me as i could potentially take some work away from them as most of their work is advertising and architectual. i'm abit disappointed as i'm only interested in working there, not pursueing the client to work with me instead. Yeah, we use both, depending on the project. I prefer whichever one gets the job done easiest.

Sounds like he doesn't trust you. In my experience, the people that can be trusted don't have a problem trusting somebody else. Those that can't be trusted don't tend to trust others.

Just shrug and walk away. Or (since you're not working for him), go steal his clients. There's nothing saying they can't choose you over him.

BTW, was this the same place you got that letter from?

[thiaml]

no the letter i received is from GMD (a visual effectcs company)

the place i went into is more of a small animation house and does a bit of multimedia work. Not terribly exciting stuff like where you are working now.

can i ask how you get into this industry. in melbourne, australia, it is extremely hard. i just receive an email from another production house called iloura. they said they are way too busy at the moment and ask me to contact him in june.

can i ask what you think of my work.

www.geocities.com/thiaml

[SplineGod]

Originally posted by thiaml
no the letter i received is from GMD (a visual effectcs company)

the place i went into is more of a small animation house and does a bit of multimedia work. Not terribly exciting stuff like where you are working now.

can i ask how you get into this industry. in melbourne, australia, it is extremely hard. i just receive an email from another production house called iloura. they said they are way too busy at the moment and ask me to contact him in june.

can i ask what you think of my work.

www.geocities.com/thiaml
One thing I would recommend is getting over whether a place looks like theyre doing exciting work or not. I think Aram and Rich would agree that no matter where you work or what project youre working on there are always aspects of that project that youll have to do which totally suck. I work in this field because a bad day animating is better then a good day digging ditches. Be happy to get what you can get and use each job as a stepping stone to something better. Sometimes just being at a company and having your own unique perspective can change things for the better.
Its also tough to compare Melbourne with Los Angeles in terms of CGI work since LA pretty well revolves around the entertainment industry. It can be hard here too. This last couple of years were very difficult here. Many many people were hit hard economically and good long term jobs were hard to come by in this industry.
I think your work looks great and professional. Thats typically not the problem. Most artists are very bad about marketing themselves. If you cant find steady work in the field then do it freelance or start your own business. Look at going to places that are easier to move to other then the US. Theres work in New Zealand and Canada and other places.
Many people have gotten into this business in a variety of ways. The biggest single thing that everyone seems to have in common is being persistant. I know guys who had to live in tents, sell cars or whatever to get out here. Once your in the business you make contacts and those contacts begin to work for you. Ive had situations come up when I was working at one studio where the owner wanted more Lightwave people with x,y,z skills. He would rather me recommend bodies rather then spend the time and effort putting out a job ad and interviewing lots of people who he may not want. He knows what I can do and that if I recommend someone theyll probably be of similar calibre.
Keep showing off your work and making contacts. Go to trade shows and user groups....anything to meet people and make your presence known. If you spend as much time looking for work as you would actually working youll ALWAYS have work. :)

[RichSuchy]

Originally posted by SplineGod
One thing I would recommend is getting over whether a place looks like theyre doing exciting work or not. I think Aram and Rich would agree that no matter where you work or what project youre working on there are always aspects of that project that youll have to do which totally suck.

Thats true. I sort of agree. Totally suck?... maybe not that bad, but there are many trying moments, but hey, your getting paid for your time. Who can complain about that!

[thiaml]

that's very insightful, splinegod.

you are absolutely right about the industry going through tough times. my current main job is working the advertising agencies and it is a total bitch fight out there. agencies undercutting each other to win work not to mention freelancers undercharging each other in order to find more work. i totally refuse to put my rates down and thus finding less work but i'll try to find more work in the 3d field.

luckly i just got a illustration job for betta electrical from the ad agency grey worldwide. that probably give my morality a boost as i finding difficult to any 3d work. in terms of starting a company and finding work myself is definitely what i like to do. i got a few contacts with creative directors i have worked with in the past. i spoke to one the other day and he mentioned that he would hesitate to give any 3d animation for commercials to individual artist no matter how good he is. well, if like to do more animation work, i have to find that with production houses.

[Rumpus King]

Originally posted by thiaml

can i ask what you think of my work.

www.geocities.com/thiaml Sure you can ask, but I won't be able to tell you. You've exceeded your geocities limit. :) Feel free to email me when it's back up and I'll be glad to tell you.

I think you're doing all the right things, banging on doors, getting emails, going on interviews, making contacts...it all takes time. "Breaking into the industry" is a misleading term. There are many steps along the way, sometimes you go backwards.

[thiaml]

aram,

here is a link to my other website, it hasn't got all my latest work on it, though

www.3d-imaging.com

do you know what sort of limit geocities gives you. i got a lot of people telling me that they can't get into my website.

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