I actually have a serious question for ya Colin. How long do you think the industry can sustain it’s current rate of underbidding, underbudgeting, and under scheduling jobs? The productions are getting shorter (time wise), the shots are getting more complex, and the budgets are getting smaller. How long do you think it will be before we see a major change in the way things work in our industry overall ?
Oh… I do really want to see an answer on that as well.
Martin
That’s a tough one. I don’t think it’s going to change for a while because the studios are getting away with it, so there is no reason for them to do it any other way. The real issue is the rising cost of actors, which now eats most of the budget, so the stuidos need to get the film to market as fast as possible to start paying back the loans. I think the only thing that might cause a major change is if a few high profile movies choke under the tight schedules, but even then Hollywood rarely amits it’s failures and just keeps pushing on with “buisness as usual” attitudes.
With that said, these crazy schedules projects are a niche market that I enjoy. Its fun and scary all at once, and if you can pull it of you become a hero.
I’m curious as to whether show producers and studio flack even realize the pressure they’re putting the effects crews under. I’m sure some of them do, but I’ve definitely gotten the impression on a few shows – especially since Lord of the Rings came out – that the people making the decisions had no clue the amount of work they were creating. Sometimes I wonder if the truncated deadlines are not a case of the studios not understanding our end of the industry, and assuming we’re BSing if we say it’d take a long time. After all, if Weta can do all that in a year, why can’t Boutique Shop X?
Of course, I’m not the one talking to the studio, so my experiences are very colored. Be interested in your views on the matter, Colin. Do they do it because they can, or because they don’t understand? Or both?
Hey Colin,
Long time listener, first time caller.
I recently sent out a bunch of reels trying to escape my current mistake of employment (And have successfully done just that). I have been in 3d for some time now, primary broadcast news etc…, but do alot of homework with character creation and animation.
Now… my skilllset is fairly broad as I started out as an AI programmer some years ago and worked my way in… from web design and avid editing, but have no formal education minus 2 years of film school that couldn’t be completed due to lack of funds, having to find work, etc. etc. etc. (You know the drill)
My question is… industry wide, do you feel it is better to send a reel showing your broad experience (Meaning 2d painting, Interface, Character Creation, editing, Compositing etc.), or to pinpoint what they are looking for and send a reel that demonstrates just that?
Also… how often do you find or even consider that a portfolio/reel may have been falsified? I lost a job opportunity a few years back to someone who had done just that.
Thanks,
Cr0we
Hey Colin,
Like most here I’ve appreciated your previous posts, allways useful, sometimes a little abrupt ;). My question is this:
What’s your position (as a company) on the internet? More and more of my work now is sliding into online: production values and budgets are getting higher, bandwidth is getting to be less and less of an issue, the last project I did felt more like a short film production than a website. Do you see yourself ever getting involved in new media, or are you purely focused on the more established markets?
On a much more personal note, and please feel free to ignore this, do you have kids / family? I ask because I’m interested to see if you’ve managed to find equalibrium between doing sometihing you love, and being with someone you love ;).
Jules
But doesn’t this come back to your earlier post about not knowing if you’ll be working or not? I mean, if you’re hired on a project basis, expecting you to stick around just in case you’re going to get hired on a project basis a second time seems like a slightly stupid attitude from the company. “What?! You’re not staying even though we can almost maybe probably give you another project contract for maybe possibly 6 months? How dare you leave?!” See what I’m getting at?
If you’re hired with a clear schedule and the company is straightforward with what they want from you (such as Hydraulx seem to be judging by Colins post) you’re definitely a dick if you jump ship… Just seems to me like it depends a lot on where you get hired.
Just to make one thing clear, I’m not defending jumping ship unless you have a very good reason, just pointing out that sometimes circumstances can be slightly mitigating 
If there is enough money involved than anything is possible, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon for us. I just don’t see how the budgets can sustain a larger shop with overhead.
I’ m married with a 1 year old, and it can be tough balancing the two (as I’m typing this late at night from the office), but I had the advantage that my wife used to be our senior 3d supervisor and coder. So she has a better understanding than most woman, so I guess I’m pretty lucky with that. Not to mention, she still helps me when I have a compiling question.
I say keep it broad, but organize the content into the specific catagories.
As for bullshit reels, I see them all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the same shot on 4 different reels with each artist claiming they did it all by themselves. It’s sicking because you hire someone based on a reel, and then you find out they suck in the middle of production. It really has made a lot of the old timers here bitter about new people because we see so much lying these days.
Oh yeah, the other thing that drives us nuts is seeing when everyone is calling themselve the CG of VFX supervisor when they were just a regular 3d artist. I’ve even seen students already calling themselves VFX Sups without even working on a single real project. :banghead:
Yep, long hours. I know how it goes. I used to work for special effect companies that had the philosophy that “you can work however long you want AND whenever you want, just a s long as you get the work done and perfect”.
I found my paychecks having and average 120 hours to 220 hours on them. But I loved it (and the foam rolls and puppet fur made nice beds too ).
-Is this the same philosophy you have your crew work?
-Do they have flexible hours as long as they get the work done?
-Is this the general consensus/attitude among many cg houses?
I had the advantage that my wife used to be our senior 3d supervisor and coder.
.how many women do you have in your studio ?
.what y’think about woman in cg works ? except
for your wife, of course, do you think we do it better ?
ciao
francesca
Colin
Do you think you’ll be showing up at SIG’06 even tho it’s in Boston?
I have a few more drinks to buy you 
francesca: Of course you do it better. Don’t women always? Men just brag more, that’s all. But there’s the old Swedish proverb “empty barrels make the most noise” so us men should probably shut up
/Z
Hi Colin,
Does your company accept overseas applicants for work or internship? if yes, what are you look for? And what is the difficulties when work with them?
And what is your POV about some studios depends more about the applicants to knows about some specific 3D softwares, than their artistic value on their portfolio become less important? Do you think some studios will spend time to train them to suit their workflow if there is difference in workflow?
Hello Mr Colin
Well, just wanted to say that i am a big fan of your company Hydraulx.
I loved the GodSmack Video Clip, would be really cool seeing Hydraulx producing some SlipKnot video clips too.
I enjoyed reading your answers and old post.Just wanted to congratulate you for your acheivments in all aspects and wish you good luck as well.
Cheers:)
It hard working with overseas artists because of the visa issues since 9/11. Even with a degree, it can very hard to get the government to allow the artist to work.
Most companys need artists that can use existing tools. I wouldn’t hire a lightwave artist because we only use maya, and I don’t have the time to re-train someone on big software packages. Doing training on small software, like syflex or z-brush, is common because it only takes a little bit of time before the artist can be productive.
Thanks Colin.
I’m still remember the Coke ad with Warcraft and S.H.E.
Despite of the 9/11 problem (actually I hate George Bush more) and other visa restrictions, what are you looking for, if you accept overseas applicants? Or what qualities should an oversea applicant have?
I may be more focus on other countries like Australia or Europe but well, it should be happened after many years of time.
And what do you think if it is a good strategy if studying aboard for animation and trying to get a job after graduate? I learn animation skill by myself, but I find it is hard to improve myself and get into the industry.
Yes, I need to shift my toolsets 
.
Do you have artists presenting “WIP” everday?
Does it affect you if an artist’s “WIP” present some elements that are dodgy?
Do you believe that when an artist present something dodgy that they are a bad artist that could not judge their own work?..or do you believe it’s part of the process?
Is it important to you for an artist present what they did in a day just to see how the work evolve or direct to?
You as a person who have got your hands dirty doing real production shots. How differs would your comment on a artist work would be comparing to a, let say a producer? Do your make comments based on your core understanding of the work done or shoot your comments blindly?
You present a work and almost everbody could have at least one aspect to comment.Let say your receptionist made a incredible comment would that make the person to replace your artist?
Do you believe that saying and doing is two different thing? Have you ever encountered situation where an artist or your self realized that you had underestimated what you have commented only after get you hands dirty?
Do you prefer artists that shuts his/her mouth most of the time but gets a work done?
A lots of question still but I’ll stop here.
Hi Colin,
Interesting insights to a newbie like me.
A vast portfolio you and Hydraulx have. Very impressive.
How would you see the industry in the coming years?
edit: I cried when i saw the DAT iceberg sequence on big screen for the first time…
Hey Colin… Could you maybe tell us a little more about that opening iceberg sequence? That blew me away! I could not tell what the hell was going on.
EDIT… I hope I didn’t come off as too pretentious by my initial post. You seem way laid back by your answers. Thanks.
Once again Mr. Strause thanks again for taking the time to answer some of our questions.
My question to you is do you guys accept internships? If so, what do you look for in the student? I currently go to the Savannah College of Art and Design where I am working 3d and VSFX for my major. It is about time to start thinking about looking for internships.
Thanks again.