Need a job? Then keep reading..

Pretty isn't it? but has nothing to do with this blog post lol

OK we have a different sort of blog post his time.  I'd currently 3D lead here at Screen Scene Dublin and they need a few extra people before much longer and have asked me to put the word out.  No I am NOT going to tell you what the project is or even what type of thing it may be.  Also I'll let you do your own research on Screen Scene..remember Google is your friend here.  So look at the list of roles below and see if there is anything to fit you.   

You must have an EU passport, be available, be a hard worker, know your shit and not be a totally annoying dick. (I already fulfil that role lol). 

So if you have the skills and want to prove it  then here's your bloody chance!

Worth remembering is that some skills go beyond a simple list, such as the ability to do what your told, the ability to work on your own imitative and find unique solutions to unique problems.  3D wise familiarity with 3d max and VRay would be nice.

3D Generalists (modelling, lighting, texturing, animation sculpting, shading...any combo or even any additional skills as well)

3D Lighters (vray would be especially helpful)

3D Animators (no I am not telling you what sort)

FX guys (Excellent fume, Krakatoa, particle flow knowledge etc would be a serious advantage)

Matchmovers (you must have top skills BTW... you can bet we will check)

The more skilled you are at our job and able to show this the better.  Although many levels of roles could be available.... I can't possibly comment ;)

If you want to know a bit more about working in Dublin as a 3d artist etc then I am on writing a special blog on this called 'The Man in Apartment 12' (that's me by the way) that may be a useful read.  You can read that here: http://themaninapartment12.blogspot.ie/  Now it's worth bearing in mind that I slowly dive people crazy and that my ability to invent whole new swear words while working, singing along with my music and dancing about can annoy after a while. 

But on an honest level I'd say this is a great place to work and the 3d dept at the moment I'm the lead of I would without doubt put against any guys or girls in the world on a pure skill level.  There are no ego's at Screen Scene so if you are a prima donna who cannot take criticism then this may not be the job for you.  Also a sense of humour helps as does the ability to get on with people.   I should also warn you that it is 4 or 5 flights up and there is no lift... you'll get real fit real fast working here.  Oh and did I mention the pubs? No? the I'll let you find out all by yourself if you are lucky enough.

Those whose work I know or who I personally think are more than capable and dependable will also get my  recommendation added as well. Nepotism? Yep but also good sense from a business level for Screen Scene.

To apply simply send an email to this address (or directly to screen scene if you prefer) wayne.ssvfx@gmail.com

Off to work at Screen Scene Dublin

As of tomorrow night (Tuesday) I'll be working in Dublin doing on site freelance at Screen Scene for the next 5 months on a film due out next year.   I wont say anything else as I'm assuming even the title is not something they want me to mention. :)   I'll be living in Dublin and coming back to see the wife and kids each weekend.  Now this means that while yes I will still be doing some freelance gigs, non will be on site and I'll be picking stuff that doesn't need me in contact or working during the day.  Luckily my nights will mostly be free so this means I can still have some time to do some stuff.

Although technically going as a lighter, my role is sort of the last guy in the chain before sending to the render farm and composting.  My jobs to make sure everything looks as good as it can before it leaves the 3d side. 

I haven't been to Dublin before (although I was due to pop over 2 years back for a mates stag thing, but a big contract came in and my rule is work comes first.)  I've heard good things both from people I know who live there and also have worked or do work for Screen Scene.  So no doubt I'll have a whale of a time.

I'm bring my cintiq over as well so you may actually see and increase in speed sculpts and doodles as its not like I can go out drinking every night (nor would I want to when working).  I cant say I am looking forward to dragging the dead weight which is the cintiq over there through airports again.   I'll be continuing my YouTube blog of course although there may be somewhat of a lull in my music side of things until i get on my feet (and probably pick up a guitar while over there).

One good thing is up till now my dell custom laptop has always been a pain due to the damn powerpack  / adapter it uses.  I am sure they wrapped it i lead as I have never seen a adapter that weighs as much.  Today I found a one in town that is far lighter.  The less I have to carry through airports, the happier I am.

Next stop Dublin.

Sculpting Sound

Every composition written & performed by me since 1991

http://www.phantomshot.com/

Some of you know that there are a lot of things that I've done in my life before I fell into 3D and digital sculpture. I've covered some of the before such as my background as an escapologist (yes really).  But I've been writing and composing for years and years and its always been my refuge from everything.  Times when my life has fallen apart I always found the music there as well as my art.   To me (at the risk of sounding like a pretentious old git) 'sculpting' sound is just as pure an art form as sculpting digitally or in clay.  

I've always found great beauty in the raw sound wave and twisting sound and musical compositions to my will lol.  So I've uploaded every song, composition I can find, all are wrote and performed by me and cover a whole shed loads of musical styles and types from classical, to dance music to metal and experimental stuff I can promise is so off the wall the wall had a nervous breakdown lol

So if you are interested in what else goes on in my head and contributes to my art then give them a listen, similarly if they are of use as a bit of background music for a turntable or something, go right ahead if it helps keep you away from the YouTube copyright crap. 

But one small disclaimer..I write my music for me and as long as I like what i am writing that is all that matters as it is a way to relax, not for profit or any sort of gain.  Also the older bits of music may or may not have been recorded entirely sober in a lot of cases back in the early  / mid 90's lol.  Bare this in mind please.

WIP: bit more work

Nothing else done to it at the moment apart from adding the start of the dress.  I'm basically just using tongiht to kill time until my son goes back to school on wednesday if I'm honest.  So everything still subject to changes.

Thoughts on Opinions of all 3d Female Models

Work in Progress

As you can see above I'm currently working on a type of model that is a rare thing for me, a female sculpt.  (Don't worry she'll be wearing something soon enough) .  There's a reason I don't usually do them, female sculpts that is that I figured was perfect to cover in a blog.

Now a female 3d model suffers from something that just about no other 3de subject matter does.... the attraction of the viewer, what he (if a straight male) finds attractive, unattractive and pleasing not just to his eye but in some cases to his groin.  How many times for example have you seen crits on female sculpts that often descend into 'I like bigger breasts', or ' I don't like the pointy chin', etc etc?  I'm not referring to everyone here, but there are a lot who treat feamle 3d models like a virtual edition of playboy.

When was the last time anyone said 'I don't like this orc as he needs a bigger penis'? Or 'You know I really prefer my orcs to be more female looking and with larger pectorals and a firmer bum'?  But somehow treating a female 3d model as almost like a virtual beauty parade is somehow deemed acceptable.  Is it as it is still a male dominated profession? (judging by the views on my YouTube videos alone 95% are males). 
 

We don't see females in our industry complain  that a male sculptures knob is too small or he is not toned enough.   (Although that would maybe make a point far better than this article ever can.)

But for males it seems to be just natural.  THIS is the reason I hate doing a female model as it is less about the model itself and more about what the male looking at it finds attractive or aesthetically pleasing.

So why am I doing it? Simply as if I do not included one once in a while people assume I cannot do them.  It may seem strange that while my work often skirts the daemons from the 7th level of hell that I don't agree with objectifying women, or treating them purely as objects for visual gratification.  So  while this will 'say' something artistically once complete, it may not be what you would expect.  

So yes I do have a line that I do not cross, I expect some to disagree with that, but hey it'd be a boring world if we all agreed.  But I always stand by my principles whether others agree with me or not.   No point having principles if they are the same as everyone else.  So yes I would like to see less objectifying of women in 3d models and see them treated exactly the same as a male model or a one of a orc riding a space goat from mars.  Its all just polygons.... or we could just all moan about breast sizes and continue as is lol.

Beavering away

Yes time to drag the cathedral out again.

Started this about 5 years back, thus making it longest model to be recoverd out of mothballs

As I've been quietly working away on stuff for my next reel, I thought I'd show a few images of stuff that's both going to make it, and stuff that isn't.  Although I won't make a final decision on anything until I've got everything rendered out, both that I'll use and not use.

Although I am now after 3 weeks of rendering stuff out getting very sick of seeing my models go round and around lol.   Now usually this is the point that I start getting bored and do crazy stuff that people don't usually put in their demo reels, like the intro 'profile' stuff on the old Autodesk masters reel, or the hand sculpted environment stuff on the last one.  its anyone's guess if I will keep it sane and sober or start doing off the wall stuff lol.  

Wish I could lose weight...but not this much.

 Although judging by my latest work in progress I may well be starting  to edge towards the latter. (yes he will be in a ballet pose in the reel lol).  he actualy was at one point going to be my version of 'Mr Hyde' but thought 'hey ya know what? I'm always doing scary shit, so lets try something a bit less scary this time' lol.   Although a brute in a ballet tutu may still be its own special kind of scary on  several levels actually.

Go on laugh in his face, I dare ya lol

There is of course time for me to trash the whole damn lot and start over (it wouldn't be the first time I did that).  I'm trying to make sure  for once I do not rush anything so nothing shown here is 100% done with the exception of the cathedral.

Some Advice On Demo Reels

It's that time of year again...  The time when I look at my current reel through finger covered eyes and cringe.  That's mainly as each year, like every artist your older work doesn't live up to your current stuff.  It's also means trying to get footage etc out of this last 12 months clients that I can use in my reel.  now if that goes the way it usually does, then by the time they actually clear me to use it, it'll either be too late, or I'll have better stuff to use by then.

It's time to fire up the render engines and start rendering some of the hellishly long render times I have ahead of me.  I can't say I like that as it turns my office into a sauna.  I'm rendering everything on a single machine as I cannot afford to tie up both (or my 'spare'...mainly as my 'spare' is missing a graphics card at the moment lol.)  I also like to keep a machine clear even when works thin on the ground for doodles and making special things for a reel.  I always like to throw a couple of things in that haven't been widely seen.

My Advice for What its Worth:

Its less about making a reel people will go 'wow' over in the 3d industry, but more a reel that people who actually hire me go 'wow' at.  as nice as you all are, you don't pay my wages so on that side of things a client or prospective clients opinion is far more important.  For those just starting out making their 1st or 2nd reel I'll advise one thing.  Forget what other artists think of you on seeing your reel.  They do not pay your wages and are your direct competitors.

You have to make a choice right at the start when your mkaing a demo reel, are you want to impress other artists, or protential clients?  If it is for clients then modesty is for another time, not for a reel that has the sole purpose of selling yourself.  You're not making one so other artists like it, but rather so a potential client will look at it and what to hire you over the next guy.  While the quality of the actual models is of prime importance there is nothing wrong with selling yourself.  Do not listen to those who are either too scared of what others will think if they 'sell themselves' or think that we should all sit like humble monks doffing our hat to clients with modesty.  There is a time for modesty, but when you are trying to make a living is not one of them.

BUT!!!!....

There is such a thing as taking it too far.  There's  a big difference between making the very best of what models, footage and achievements you have and coming across as a total dick.  By all means promote your big achievements that you may have over competitors.  But do not proclaim yourself 'god of 3d' unless you want to sit wondering why your not getting any work coming in.  While I will promote everything I can in my reels to the hilt (as my site is my shop window),  most people find when meeting me or talking to me that I have a rather pragmatic view of my art and career.  While I am confident in what I do, as you need to be as a professional artist, I like to think  in real life or work situations that I come across as a nice normal (ish) guy.

So finding that balance is crucial.  So while I will use every trick in the book to make my reel come across as the best thing since sliced bread (as should you all as well), I feel I've got to a stage where my work and achievements speak for themselves.    For example while my last proper reel was the one I made in about 2 hours for the Autodesk masters award nearly 3 years back and was very 'pushy', my next one will be a bit more laid back.  Although while some other artists detest that reel, clients ate it up. Although its prime purpose was purely for that one event...it just stuck around a bit longer than i thought it would lol.

 Personally I know who I see as being the more important people to impress.  Impressing your peers comes 2nd.  But remember what PT Barnum said  over a hundred years ago:

"You can please some of the people some of the time but you cannot please all of the people all of the time"

So my advice to those making a reel is to put your very best foot forward, promote what you have as well as you can and the achievements you may have made.  But beware of that fine balance.... on one side of the eternal razors edge are clients coming to hire you, on the other side is coming over as a total dick who no one would hire if you were the last artist alive.  Walk the line with care.

Zbrush Mech Timelapse:: Overkill

YouTube link for those who cannot view the above

First off no I have not changed apps to zbrush...  But I always test all apps when they release a new version.  I do however use zbrush for things there is no mudbox or 3d coat equivelant for. 

Its not often I do a critisism of an entire style of design of 3d modelling.  Its risky and it can piss people off. (but hey what else is new...)  But never being one to stand back from controvesy (and being a moody old bugger who hardly slept last night), I felt this critisism needs to be said.  ...and let the cards fall where they will.

This model from last night (named 'Overkill')  was meant as a heavy handed critisim of the recent plethora of Michael Bay-esque style mech design that I hate with a passion normally reserved for warring nations.     (Now I've nothing against him and I'm sure he's a very nice guy really though lol)  If I had simply put the critisism that follows without a demonstration of me actually doing it, then it would have simply been wrote off as 'oh he's only saying that because he cant do it himself'.  Just because I do not do a style does not mean I cannot...like a lot of artists.

This is not hard to do and requires no artistic ability whatsoever on the half of the artist.   You could teach a monkey to model in this style. Seriously I am not exagerating here.  Its takes no artistic talent whatsoever.  If you put no thought into function, forms and balance of design, then you end up with an abomination like this.    What I hate about is that just banging a shit load of detail onto a model does not make it good.   It is easy to fool the human eye into going 'wow!' just through sheer ammount of detail.

... that however does not make it a good model.

So this model is meant to show :

•  How easy it is to do something like this in about 75mins
• What happens when you don't bear in mind form, function and balance of detail.
• A lot of parts or detail do not make a good model...and this is junk....literally.  The difference between a good mech design and a bad one is the difference between a migraine and blamange lol.
• That you can make something that looks 'cool' (alledgedly) without it ever being able to be animated or even move.  Its is easy with a total disregard to how a thing would mechanically work to make something that is smothered in detail such as this.

So while this model may look insane detail wise...it could never move....it has no flow to the design or balance to the detail. It could not function.  So maybe this example will at least make poeple stop and think for a few seconds. This model was never meant to be taken seriously.

Simply covering something in pointless widdles can never replace a properly thought out design that can actually function.

...Thus end-eth the sermon for today.

How it was made:

Everything you see in the video is a default zbrush install of the latest version.  A shit load of mesh insert brushes were useed with parts from just about every single one of the buggers.  Unfortunatley the file /timelapse function in zbrush screwed up on this and corrupted the rest of the workflow, but its basically more of the same.  Then the part I had made was then canibalised into the other parts.  'Simples'.

Now this workflow can of course be used for things with far better designs that this piece of crap.  in fact i do have something in mind at some point soonish (time allowing) that will do exactly this workflow, only in a fashion that would produce a model with good design ethics.

Now while I may hate this style of modelling, its not the first time I've modelled something in a style I personally cant stand.  Part of being a profesional artist is not just making things that you like or think are 'cool', but also to be able to still produce your best when you cannot stand the model or subject matter your working on.  

But when producing portfolio pieces, maybe we should all make a vow to try not to just add etail and various nwiddles just so people will have a eye orgasm.  Make it mean something and the detail have both form balance and purpose.

Now I'll keep this model on my site purely so I can then tell what clients have good taste and who has bad taste lol. Thus meaning I can then add a 'artisticly blind' tax to my invoices. :)

Wayne...

Messing Around in Zbrush

 

I thought I'd give teh new version of zbrush a proper run out tonight.... so came in with no concept art (I harldy do anyway these days for personal stuff) and my existing zb knowledge.   So this hideous nightmare is my old 'Big Blue siggraph model 'coming to get you Micheal Bay' lol.

Its all default parts as a warm up for an even more 'proper' test and done in about an hour and a quarter.