Backing Work Up

Especially during this third year on the Animation course I have made sure that all the important work of mine has been backed up on an external hard-drive. This is a good habit to get into as I have spoken to many different people and they do the same. In the event that files are lost, corrupted or your computer breaks down, there will always be back ups of your work.

Critical Analysis

We are on schedule in this project however since there is only two of us at the moment working on this project I am concerned that we may not be able to finish this animation short as there is still a lot to do and to learn. The next big task is to model, UV map and texture the character Frank.

I am very pleased with the progress I am making in the 3D side of things. I have learnt a lot and improved in both lighting and texturing in Maya, thanks to digital tutors. I am also pleased with the standard of my work. I believe that I am producing some high quality work that I can include in my portfolio. I am pleased with my time management skills so far, seeing as we have pretty much completed the tasks I set for this term and we seem to be on schedule.

Formative Assessment

Overall the presentation went very well and was well received by students and tutors. The tutors did recommend that I introduce some sort of resolution to the ending to give the animation more impact so that the audience doesn't feel disappointed or cheated.

The tutors did say however that we have made good progress and that some of the visuals should look stunning. They seemed to be impressed with the work that has been done particularly with the mood and design of the apartment interior. I believe that my brother and I presented well as the tutors and the students seemed to understand what we are attempting to convey and we received some positive feedback.

IPP Session Online Presence

In this session we discussed the importance of establishing an online presence. Having an online blog or portfolio or even your own website is important so that when applying for a job employers can have a look at your work. If you have an online presence there is more of a chance of people coming across your work. People can also contact you, send comments and critics of your work. However to get noticed you cannot rely on just a substantial online presence, your work must be of a high standard. A useful thing about an online presence is that you can link other sites that you are a member of to show additional work. An online presence is a useful way to advertise your brand and promoting yourself.

I am a member of blogger.com and deviantart.com where I have showcased an updated online portfolio of my concept illustrations.

I am also a member of facebook which is a good social networking site so that it iseasier for people to contact me online.

Top 10 (Companies I would Like to Work for)

bIt is fortunate that big film productions are coming over to the UK due to the fact that it is too expensive to create films in America at this present time. This is good news as it means that it will mean more job opportunities in the film industry within the UK. This increase in film productions within the UK will also help the economy and may consequently cause growth in the film industry within the UK. Perhaps even new film studios will be built.

1.Warner Bros Studios is one of the companies I would primarily work for as many of their productions are made in the UK at studios such as Sheperton and Pinewood, but more notably Leavesden Studios which they have recently bought. This studio used to be a Rolls Royce factory/ aerodrome during the Second World War for aircraft. It is situated in West Hertfordshire and now serves as an important film studio in the UK. This studio became renowned due to the fact that all the Harry Potter films where made here. I was lucky enough to acquire a weeks worth of work experience during my GCSE year. Their productions are varied and well funded, I have heard they are good to work with, generally well organized and freelance artists are paid promptly.

2.20th Century Fox is another company I would like to have the chance to work for on future film prooductions. Many of Fox's productions like Warner Bros are made over in the UK in film studios such as Sheperton and Pinewood. I have heard that Fox is also well funded, well organised and a good company to work for in terms of experience and payment.

3.Universal is another film distribution company I would like to work for. They produce a variety of films/ genres, they are well organised and well funded and a good company to work for.

4.A small visual effects company based in Twickernham. They have worked on movies such as Kick Ass, Angels & Demons, Hellboy 2, Stardust, 10,000 BC, 28 Weeks Later. This would be appealing to me because it is a small business, however it has recently been looking to expand.

5.

A visual effects studio based in Soho, London. Very well known and a good company to work for. There is more security to work for a company such as this in terms of employment and payment, however freelancing at vfx studios such as this are not as common. However they often look for freelance concept artists for various projects.

6.I would like to work for double negative as it is an appealing vfx studio to work for. I have a few contacts working in the company. This is a very well known vfx studio based in London, Soho. It is easily accessible via the train. They are very good with their employees however deadlines are quick. I would love to work for this company as a conceptual artist/ 3D artist.

7.Framestore is another visual effects studio based in london Soho. It is a very prestigious vfx studio in the uk and worldwide. It has recently been looking to expand due to its success. It has worked on many films. Framestore frequently looks for freelance artists from outside it's studio. I have heard that Framestore is a good company to work for, the employees are well treated. They are organised, relaible and well funded.

8.

Another vfx studio based in Soho, London. Small but growing yet renowned for their work. Easily accessible via the train. They also look for artists from outside.

9.

I would love to work for Blizzard, which is an American games company. It would mean that I would probably have to move out to America. It is perhaps my favourite games company due to the fact that story, design and gameplay is clearly important to the people who work there.

10.

I would like to work for Bungie, which is an American games company. It would mean that I would probably have to move out to America. It is perhaps my favourite games company due to the fact that story, design and gameplay is clearly important to the people who work there.

IPP Session Making the Transition

The whole point of this session was to consider a range of options that will be open to me once I leave College. To discuss resources and different ideas in advance so that we have a better understanding and are more prepared for the future. We also discussed some ideas and possibilities that we could implement in the short term.

Challenges

At the moment I am a little worried about life after college. I am concerned that my work is either not good enough, that I have not enough work in my portfolio and that getting into the industry will be difficult as I may not have enough experience. Perhaps I am being too hard on myself. I am producing good work, and I am producing new work that can be included in my portfolio. Although I have some experience in working in the film industry I think getting more work experience would be a good idea as I have heard that it is work experience and the quality of your portfolio that employers are looking for.

Options

There are several options open to me once I leave college. It is important to think about my options early on so that I am little more prepared.

I can either work in the UK or Overseas. Preferably I would like to live and work in the UK however moving to America later in my career may be an option seeing most of the work in the film and games industry takes place in the U.S.

Self employment is an option that is appealing to me because there is more flexibility and you do not necessarily work in the same place. Although financial security is not guaranteed, you have to look for the work and you have to be prepared to move from place to place even overseas.

I could decide to do an extra couple of years of extra study such as a PGCE, MA, PGdip.

Setting up my own business is another appealing option. I have thought about setting up my own company with my brother and my friends so that we can work on a few projects that could get us noticed. This would be a wise choice if we were unable to find a job in the film or games industry in the short term. The economic climate at the moment is still quite unpredictable and may have an effect on the industry in the future.

I imagine that my career will take some turns and there will be peaks and troughs in terms of motivation and available jobs. I will have to stay in contact with my friends as they will be important contacts for potential jobs. I will have to be on the constant look out for job availabilities and vacancies and I will need to be prepared to chase jobs. I realise that in order to maintain my career I will require hard work. I must remember to keep focused and maintain motivation. To begin with I must be prepared to do unpaid work and I must be prepared to work from the bottom. I must be active online and must always be aware of my brand.

There are ways I can increase my chances of employment. The key point is contacts and networking.

• Keep in contact with friends and tutors.
• Placements - Paid or unpaid.
• Develop new relationships
• Job Vacancies
• Recruitment Agencies
• Competition Entries
• And tell people you are looking for a job.
• Trade Fairs and Seminars
• Professional bodies and Trade Associations
• Annual Conferences
• Career and Recruitment Fairs
• Open Studios
• Talking to speakers or guest lecturers in college.

UV Mapping Maya

The images below show the progression and development of my learning when UV Mapping a 3D scene. I have never UV Mapped before so this method is still quite basic. I have used a couple of online tutorials from digital tutors in order acquire a better understanding of the way UV Mapping works. This scene consists of a vinyl record player which will feature as one of the first establishing close up shots of my animation short.

UV Mapping is necessary as it is a method of creating a map for the textures, so that they can behave correctly on a 3D model.

Above is a finished render of the textures. It is clear in this image that the textures are no longer stretched and look is believable and effective. I am very pleased with this render. It looks realistic and the detail of the textures are clearly visible. I have applied a bump map to enhance the textures so that the details react to the light in the scene.

I have applied a checkered texture to all the components as a temporary test in order to locate any texture stretches.

Above is the UV editor which I shall use to complete the UV mapping process so that the textures look even better. This graph shows the layout of the UVs. This graph can be used to edit the size and look of the applied textures.

Above I have applied a planar map to the record model so that the texture is projected using the correct axis, thus the texture is no longer stretched.

Above is the actual low resolution test render. The textures are still severely stretched. This is not what I want for the final result.

Initially I attempted to apply a wood texture to the vinyl record player frame and a texture to the record without using the UV Mapping editor. Here the consequence of this is that the textures appear stretched and undesirable.

Lighting Progress

By looking at these online tutorials I have significantly improved my lighting skills using Maya.

I have been experimenting with different techniques and exploring the attributed of various different light settings and mechanics.

I shall demonstrate my progression with a couple of render images.

1.

The image above was my first attempt at lighting without the use of any tutorials. As you can see the lighting here is poor, purely because I did not really understand how lighting worked in Maya.

2.

This image above however is far more effective. The online digital tutors tutorial has helped me so much and has improved my lighting skills by a long way. I applied what I had learnt to my own 3D interior environment. I am very pleased with this render and it is very close to what I imagine the final result to look like.

Industry Day

Some very interesting points were made today regarding the industry and what employers are looking for within a showreel and portfolio. Certain speakers were stating that there are many different big projects coming to the UK. The visual effects houses in London, Soho in particular are inundated with many feature film projects. So it appears the UK is a particularly good hub for job opportunities for work within the film industry. Double Negative is currently working on visual effects shots for John Carter of Mars. It was also interesting to see their pipeline processes when compositing scenes for certain shots for Chris Nolan's Inception.

Many Speakers stated that grades were secondary to the quality of your work within your portfolio and it is your work and how you present yourself that will get you noticed. They stressed that you must work hard, must be prepared to take risks, be different and do not follow the crowd and develop your own style. They also said that you should always say yes to any opportunity as you never know where these will lead you. They also stressed the importance of staying in contact with your friends as it is these people who will serve as important contacts. The statement "it is not what you know but who you know" was mentioned too.

When it comes to the portfolio, they are looking for quality not quantity. They are looking for exceptional work in your own style. They suggested that a showreel must be approximately 2-3 mins long, with your best work at the beginning. It is recommended that you should pick what you think are your best pieces of work. They said that a portfolio/ showreel and your CV must be tailored to the company you are applying to.

Online Tutorials

I have decided to purchase a monthly subscription to an online tutorial website. It is called Digital Tutors. It covers many different techniques regarding a variety of software. It is a very useful and intuitive learning resource. It does cost a bit of money, however it is in my opinion worth it, because I have already learnt so much in a short amount of time. I have been focusing on learning lighting techniques using the 3D package Maya.

Work Experience

This year I have to try and get some work experience placements. This experience will be invaluable as I will be able to get an understanding of what to expect in the work place and in the industry I wish to work in. Getting work experience will also help with acquiring new techniques, advice and more importantly contacts. It is said that it is not what you know, but who you know.

At the moment I am staying in contact with The Senate, a small visual effects company/ studio based in Twickenham. It has been involved in several productions including Kick Ass(2010), StarDust(2007), 10,000BC(2008), and 28 Weeks Later(2007). I have been able to get in contact with The Senate and hopefully I will be able to organise some work experience during the Christmas holidays. I already attempted to organise an earlier work experience slot during the Summer holidays but unfortunately they were far too busy and were inundated with work with imminent deadlines.

Speaking of work experience, I did manage to acquire some work back in September. It wasn't really work experience but rather a freelance job. It was my first paid job within the Industry I hope to work in. I heard Ubisoft were looking for a conceptual artist to do some concept designs. I sent them an email saying that I was interested and I sent them a few examples of my work. I was elated that I managed to get the job despite being in competition with other professional artists. The pay was quite low, however, I was more concerned about getting myself noticed by people in the creative/ entertainment industry. The pay was reasonable in my opinion considering I was still in college and that this was my first paid job in a field I really wanted to pursue. Up until now I had only been involved in unpaid work experience such as Harry Potter and Clash of the Titans. So needless to say this was very big and important to me.

When I had finished the work, I sent them the first invoice on the 9th of September 2010. They stated that they were very pleased with the work we had given them, and that they were "excited" by the developments I had made. However it is coming to the end of November and I still have not been paid for my work. I have sent a few emails to prompt them that the contract has not yet been honoured, and I am hoping that these messages will speed the process along.

Learning and Recording

As I am progressing through my 3rd year project I have realised how important it is to record new things I come across. I have begun to keep notes in bullet form. These notes are particularly useful when attempting to reuse complicated actions within Maya. This method of note taking is handy when reminding myself which techniques I have used and which I have yet to experiment with. I am also using notes and reminders to help with time management. I have also created some schedules so I can keep track of various tasks that need to be completed.

Notes

Schedule

New Skills

Today for the first time I was practicing lighting within the 3D modeling program Maya 8. Considering that this was my first attempt, I was quite pleased with the way the lighting test turned out. I was carrying out numerous lighting test renders to see if I could improve the desired mood and look I wanted. It turned out very well and the tests improved every time I adjusted attributes and settings. There is still a fair way to go but it was a start, and I was very pleased. I used various online tutorials in order to learn important details in order to carry out an effective lighting setup.

Pitches

I have learnt for future reference that I should not skip essential points/ details when delivering a pitch. When I was trying to get my idea across to tutors they seemed confused about the premise. I must learn to fully prepare for a pitch and make sure that no important details are missed.

Contacts

This 3rd year will be important in as far as forming friendships and developing relationships with various people with different skills in a range of different fields. These people will be potential contacts for information or job opportunities in my future career.

Latest Industry News

I have heard from numerous people including my father that there are several big budget projects in the film industry under development that are coming to the UK in the next 3 and a half years. Projects such as Gravity, Dune, John Carter of Mars, Alien Prequel, World War Z.

Places of Note for Possible Job Opportunities in the UK

London: Soho Vsual Effects Studios

• Cinesite
• The Senate
• Framestore
• The Mill

UK Film Studios

• Long Cross Studios
• Leavesden Studios
• Pinewood Studios
• Sheperton Studios

Skills

I am a mac user however I am competent with a PC.

*I am most skilled in using Photoshop CS, a digital art program primarily used for photograph retouching.

• I am also skilled in Maya, a 3D modeling program.
• I am competent in using Final Cut, an editing program.
• I am also competent in using Adobe After Effects, a compositing program.
• I am competent in both Microsoft word and Microsoft Excel.

Skills to be Improved:

I certainly need to become more proficient in programs such as Maya in terms of lighting and texturing and rendering. I must also become more familiar with Adobe After Effects and Final Cut.

Self Promotion

I have a MSN email address so that I can receive and send emails to contacts and employers.

ChrisC1cc@hotmail.com

I have a Facebook account which is a useful tool to keep in contact with friends who maybe useful contacts for potential jobs within the industry.

http://www.facebook.com/chris.caldow1

I have an online blog on blogger.com that showcases my concept work.

http://chriscconceptart.blogspot.com/

I have a deviantart account online which also showcases my concept illustration skills.

http://corruptrecluse.deviantart.com/

Stamps, Signatures & Logos

Art Work Signature

Self Promotional Logo

Business Card Designs

Final Business Card Design

I am making sure that I keep an up to date CV and portfolio so that when the time comes for work experience or a job placement, I have an up to date record of my work experience and the very best work to show.

An Example of my work. (Sanctuary in the Clouds)

I have sent some of my best concept art to be shown on the display screens throughout the Ravensbourne building. This should be a good way of promoting myself and exhibiting my artistic skills. Hopefully someone from either inside or outside of Ravensbourne will notice my work. This may lead to new contacts or even a contract.

Career Path & Plan

This animation course and particularly this 3rd year will provide me with sufficient skills and experience to become an artist within the creative industry. I hope to work within game and film. I am prepared to start as a runner if need be and work up the ladder. I would preferably like to become a conceptual illustrator/ storyboard artist. Hopefully later in my career with enough experience I could become an art director or even a director. I shall keep a diary and online blog in order to record my progress, self evaluation and analysis. I can also record skills and techniques acquired over my career.

Keeping a website with an updated showreel would also be a good idea in terms of self promotion, showing my development, thought processes and design skills.

The 5 Whys

In our first IPP lecture we were told to ask ourselves questions regarding why we were wanting to pursue a particular job or career. It was stated that a particular exercise was useful in analyzing your thoughts, actions and choices. Through this exercise we can learn more about ourselves in relation to the industry. This exercise is known as the 5 whys and is particularly useful in self promotion to help us acquire that dream job.

Q: Why are you at Ravensbourne?

A: Because I wish to complete an animation course.

Q: Why do you want to do an animation course?

A: I wanted to do this animation course because it was the course that closely resembled what I wanted to do later in my career.

Q: What do you want to do later in your career?

A: I wish to work in the games or film industry.

Q: Why do you want to work in the games or film industry?

A: Because I have loved games and film from a very early age.

Q: Why have you loved games and film from such an early age?

A: I guess my father was a huge influence because he has been working in the film industry from an early age. But probably the most important reason is because I have over the years played games and watched many films and have quickly realized that game and film are such powerful mediums in which to tell a story. I have become passionate about storytelling and I just love listening to and telling stories. For me watching a great movie on the big screen and being transported to another world/ space and time is an amazing feeling. Nostalgia is also a key element too, as I have fond memories of watching films at the cinema.

I have also had an eye for design, so to be able to design something and then for it to be projected on the screen is also a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.

The Importance of Transferable Skills

I see myself as becoming a specialist in a particular field. However because the film industry I intend to work in is notoriously unpredictable, even more so than many other industries, I do see the value of acquiring a variety of transferable skills in order to ensure good employability and career flexibility. The way I see it is if I focus myself in one particular field/ area I will be narrowing myself down to a handful of job opportunities. However if I embrace a variety of different skills I will be opening myself to a variety of choices. At the end of the day I need a job in order to earn money to look after myself and my family if I decide to settle down. Of course I also need to consider a financial scheme to support me in my old age.

The Industry

During my first IPP lecture various issues were discussed. Issues such as technological advances, the global economy, the condition of the creative industry and the importance of good employability.

The importance of this IPP unit for me is that it will show me the importance of being able to adapt in an unpredictable environment so that maintaining a job in my future career will be easier to manage.

I aim to become a professional freelance concept/ illustration artist, storyboard and 3D modeler. To begin I would like to work within the games industry but preferably within the film industry. From there I would like to become an art director and eventually followed by Director later in my career.