FORUM PRIMER: The Unofficial Truth about The Industry
I detest math, but at the same time mathematicians and scientists are my heroes! :bowdown: Talk about irony…
What I wouldn’t give to be able to speak fluent calculus, or be able to practice theorems in my sleep…You rotten bastard math, you! 
I am not as good at maths as I would like to be, I too struggle with it, albeit at a higher level than most. (Within the engineering-sector, my maths ability is probably right at the bottom).
The problem with schools is that they often teach maths with no context in which to use it. This is a mistake as learning stuff for the sake of learning stuff, when the stuff that you are learning is in itself boring, is a punishment. I think maths is like a lot of things, most people can be good at it if they practice. The problem is that it is taught so badly in schools that a lot of people end up hating it and wanting as little to do with it as possible when they leave school. Maths becomes really exciting if you have a use for it, a problem to solve, a need for it.
Everyone should like math…
-It’s rational
-It’s never wrong, unless you are.
-It is always willing to learn
-It has no ego
-It doesnt lie
-It can be manipulated to serve your every whim, without asking for anything in return
-It always gives you an answer, even if the answer is that there isn’t a definitive answer, as long as you are willing to put forth the effort to find that answer
-Binary? No wait binary has nothing to do with math, it has something to do with grammar
-Programming?
-Scale?
-Proportion?
-Line?
-Color Values?
-Golden Ratio?
-Rule of Thirds?
-Other stuff you can think of but I’m to dumb to, I only possess an IQ equal to that of the number of nondwarf planets in this solar system.
-The ability to count a stack of pennies without going to coinstar?
Overall I think having an understanding of math is very important to everyday life, especially while working on a deadline. Understanding how to divide a project into portions, and give each portion a set amount of time is critical to meeting a deadline. Knowing where you can cut corners to save time, and allotting extra time to make up for unforeseen problems (there are always unforeseen problems, I tripped and fell over your ego is usually the one that snags me…or was it my ego that pushed yours over and then tried to kick you while you were down and missed and tripped and blamed it on you?)
Hear,hear! I’m currently attending school right now and the ~one~ thing that has deterred me in the past from attending school, proper…Was…Math…It is the only subject that I have ever experienced that is presented as a chore, than an actual learning experience!
I blame this brick-minded logic in the archaic teaching methods by steadfast traditionalists. To make matters worse, I had/have a severe case of ADHD while growing up, so repition is pure and absolute torture for me and is the polar opposite of how I actually learn…Believe it or not I had to teach myself practically everything I know today from reading to playing my guitar…Also, another block in my path is a rather large one…I’m required to do 9 modules in Carnegie Learning, and my school requires that if I do not meet the testing deadline, then I will be bumped back all the way to the beginning of my module’s unit!
So I’ll correct myself, I don’t detest math but the mandatory and absolute inflexible presentation of it!
Your post is absolutely Geek-a-rific! And you’re right, which is why I honor scientists and mathematicians so much!
I agree with maths being taught the wrong way in
most countries. But i think in your line of work a
sense of 3d space and imagination is far more
useful than any branch of mathematics. It’s more
efficient to go with your instict.(assuming you
can use some basic hischool geometry).
Great insight into the ‘Brutal’ truth about the world of CG, this should be a must read document to all aspiring CG artists!
I think this post is required reading:
http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/times-in-which-we-live.html
Hi,
i think i finally found the perfect thread to place my concerns…
I know i´m impatient and that i´m really only at the beginning after 5 months with 3DS Max, BUT…
I also started a couple of things in the past and invested a lot of time and energy in it, only to find out, that they just didn´t work out like i was hoping to, so i really wanna be sure about my decisions in the future.
I´m learning everything on my own and i´m not a student anymore.
I´m still dedicating every free minute i have to learning, but i´m pretty sure that i do need to focus and work very well organized, if i wanna succeed in 1-2 Years instead of 3-4 Years…
And given my background i´ll admit that i´m a little scared of putting too much work into the wrong areas.
I still have a ton of things to learn in Max (advanced mapping/unwrapping, rigging, animation etc.) but i´d also know what other programs i should look into and what areas i should specialize in.
And that of course depends on the demand for all possible areas.
So where are the best chances to get hired (either as a freelancer or an employee)?
- ArchViz (interiors/exteriors)
- ProductViz
- Animation for Film/Advertisement
- Gamedesign
- Motion GFX (Advertisement/Web)
- MediViz
- Other
And now hand me the brutal truth please!
I would say that the easiest industry in which to get hired would be Arch/Viz. (Provided that there isn’t a credit-crunch LOL). Its the easiest of all the disciplines. The modelling is easy, the texturing is easy and the animation, which is normally just animating a camera is easy too. ArchViz interiors are the easiest as they are essentially a box with a few lights and a camera. Anything complex is usually bought in, such as models made by Evermotion.
Some employers put the phrase “Architectural Visualisers need not apply” Which I personally find irritating because there are some very talented Arch/Viz people and companies that can do everything. However, it is an industry in which you don’t need to be particularly great to succeed. However, you could end up being someones bitch if you’re not particularly good, so if you do get a job at an Arch/Viz company make sure you are always learning and bettering your ability so that you don’t have to put up with any 5hit.
Doing Arch/Viz stuff when you get good becomes incredibly boring as the method to create each scene is the same everytime. So perhaps get an Arch/Viz job to earn money whilst using 3ds Max, but keep applying for more interesting jobs.
It is bring me too much encourage.Because i have the job that very low pay right now, it is definitely to eliminate my terrified. Thank you!
Yeah yeah… but not to mention that you have to do all those easy jobs in one night before the deadline and a revision in the morning to get the “huge” payment you’ll probably get someday 
The reality is, unless you have an architectural degree or good contacts, your chances of getting a job in the architectural field are quite slim. Most places require all-rounded artists that can switch to other tasks, like drafting, when necessary. So your up against a lot of architecture grad students that are better qualified and willing to work for scraps to get in the field.
mrstardust,
I’d suggest to first ask yourself what you really want to do in your life. None of these fields are easy and for many the only thing that keeps them going is the passion for what they do. The brutal truth is that there is really no point in asking for such advice when you can’t even straighten up your own priorities.
Hi Speakerk,
The reality is, unless you have an architectural degree or good contacts, your chances of getting a job in the architectural field are quite slim. Most places require all-rounded artists that can switch to other tasks, like drafting, when necessary. So your up against a lot of architecture grad students that are better qualified and willing to work for scraps to get in the field.
Thanks for clearing that up. thats what i thought.
I’d suggest to first ask yourself what you really want to do in your life. None of these fields are easy and for many the only thing that keeps them going is the passion for what they do. The brutal truth is that there is really no point in asking for such advice when you can’t even straighten up your own priorities.
Well. I spent the last couple of years doing what i thought i wanted to do, not giving a crap about if i could actually earn a living with it at some point in my life.
Then i became a dad and all my priorities turned up side down.
Now i´m not trying to do focus so much on “what i really wanna do in life”, but more on “can i actually provide for my family with what i wanna do”.
That being said: I´m still hoping to find a field in wich i can at least have enough fun and motivation to keep me going for the next couple of years (jobs are changing pretty fast nowadays).
I just recently gave zbrush a try and i think i found my passion.
I do have an artistic background and i´m learning pretty fast if i put myself into it, i just don´t know yet if this is just another “what i wanna do” thing or something i could get a job around here in germany: Working as a 3D Artist for games or film/vfx.
I know this thread is called “the brutal truth”, so maybe i should ask for the right brutal answer: Anybody familiar with job expectations in these fields here in germany? berlin? hamburg? anybody?
and no, i´m not interested in accounting. and i also don´t want to be a rock star (not anymore at least…mp3 killed all my ambitions…;).
Yeah yeah… but not to mention that you have to do all those easy jobs in one night before the deadline and a revision in the morning to get the “huge” payment you’ll probably get someday
Sort of true, yes, you do have to be fast.
The reality is, unless you have an architectural degree or good contacts, your chances of getting a job in the architectural field are quite slim.
You don’t need a degree in architecture, I don’t have one and only the bosses at two out of three companies for which I worked had one (none of my fellow employees had a degree in architecture). I don’t know if it is country dependant, but mostly the architects at a housing company submit 2D CAD data to an Arch/viz marketing company that models 3D houses based on the architects 2D CAD data. Some Arch/viz companies are set up due to the architects choosing to do the 3D modelling, but the fact that they have a degree is irrelevant to being able to complete the task.
If a job advert states “architectural experience necessary” that company is a joke. As long as you live in a house and have seen other houses, ie have a rough idea of how houses in your country are constructed and you are not completely incompetent, you are good for the job. Basically, if you can model stuff from only a few reference photos you are over qualified for 90+% of your workload. Sure you might have to learn the names of a few building parts, but there is something called the internet.