Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Update - Nearly final showreel
Have made some significant progress recently on my showreel and have finished putting all the different scenes together using movie make as it find it the easiest and quickest to get multiple variations and see what they look like as the finished product. Personally I like the flow and feel of the showreel which the music plays a large factor in, I wanted the music to have a beat while also not drawing attention away from the actual content in the showreel, also I have made sure that the showreel is around the 1:30 minute mark which is a good length for typical showreels which don't bore the viewer. I am now going to get as much feedback as I can to make sure I can polish up the showreel so that it is up to the best standard.
Monday, 23 November 2015
Music
Music will play a large part in my show-reel as it will help dictate the feel and flow overall. I have used "www.bensound.com" and "https://soundcloud.com/" as they have a variety of copyright free music from a variety of genres that may fit with my show-reel. I want to try and find the best music to go with my show-reel as from watching other peoples show-reel it can help to emphasize their work to make it feel more lively.
Royalty free music by Bensound | creative commons music (2012) Available at: http://www.bensound.com/
SoundCloud – hear the world’s sounds, Available at: https://soundcloud.com
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Showreel cinematic Progress
Just a quick update in the show reel progression, I have experimented with different music and have come to the conclusion that this music fits well over the shots. The plan now is to flesh out the show reel more so that the length is more around the 1:30 minute mark while also keeping my a3d work at the start of the show reel as that is the best quality at present and I want to have my best work at the start to make a good first impression for a potential employer.
ArtStation
Researching into personal websites and portfolio's I have come across "Artstation", which is an art focused social network where people can upload artwork to their own page and collate it all into a portfolio page which they can get feedback from others with the option to like, comment and share a piece of work or just show off any work that they are proud of.
In addition to this it also has a job section where employers can broadcast job openings much like a normal job website which gives all the details of the job roles and how to apply. This is at the top of the homepage so that the first thing you see when arriving to the website is job openings which is very helpful to anyone looking for jobs. From then you can click on the specific job section which will go into more detail on each job.
Furthermore to uploading work you when you sign up to ArtStation you can create your own portfolio page which will have all your work together for potential employers, luckily the layout is similar to a style that I want my own portfolio to look like by having small thumbnails of pieces that I have created which are links to a more detailed page describing that asset. As well as the portfolio page it also has a website area, where you can create your own website which will have any work that you have uploaded onto ArtStation on that website and you can customise it in any way you see fit. I am currently in the development stage to get the right look following from earlier designs that I created in photo-shop.
The overall use and importance of ArtStation for creating an initial on-line presence in the games industry is massive compared to anything else I have come across via research. It has all the tools I need such as website and portfolio hosting, job opportunities and community feedback in one place which are easily accessed and free of any cost, with a sleek and modern design which is why I have chosen it to help me with this module and the next step in my career within this industry.
ArtStation (2015) Available at: https://www.artstation.com/
In addition to this it also has a job section where employers can broadcast job openings much like a normal job website which gives all the details of the job roles and how to apply. This is at the top of the homepage so that the first thing you see when arriving to the website is job openings which is very helpful to anyone looking for jobs. From then you can click on the specific job section which will go into more detail on each job.
Furthermore to uploading work you when you sign up to ArtStation you can create your own portfolio page which will have all your work together for potential employers, luckily the layout is similar to a style that I want my own portfolio to look like by having small thumbnails of pieces that I have created which are links to a more detailed page describing that asset. As well as the portfolio page it also has a website area, where you can create your own website which will have any work that you have uploaded onto ArtStation on that website and you can customise it in any way you see fit. I am currently in the development stage to get the right look following from earlier designs that I created in photo-shop.
The overall use and importance of ArtStation for creating an initial on-line presence in the games industry is massive compared to anything else I have come across via research. It has all the tools I need such as website and portfolio hosting, job opportunities and community feedback in one place which are easily accessed and free of any cost, with a sleek and modern design which is why I have chosen it to help me with this module and the next step in my career within this industry.
ArtStation (2015) Available at: https://www.artstation.com/
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Showreel Example
Over the course of the module I have been watching a variety of different showreels, some bad and some good ranging from environment artists to VFX artists, however one has caught my attention. Murat Kilic's showreel which I found on YouTube is his "Demo Showreel 2015" and he has a variety of character animation and general 3D work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRn-ljx_vQk
His showreel stood out to me due to the overall flow of his showreel, I found it engaging and my interest was kept throughout as I did not feel like skipping to the end at any point, the showreel itself was in the magic 1:30 - 2:00 minute mark so it didn't feel too long or short. I also liked the differences between each work as they seem very distant from each other and don't seem to repeat themselves either so that the viewer doesn't get bored of each piece of work he has made, this also shows that he is a very versatile worker and can be used in a number of different ways.
One specific thing that I liked was the way he used a simple line to show the different types of light that he used on a model. I think I would be able to use this in my own showreel by having it transition from just the model to the textured version or the topology.
The CGBros and Kılıç, M. (2015) CGI 3D Showreel HD: ‘Demo Showreel 2015’ - by Murat Kılıç. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRn-ljx_vQk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRn-ljx_vQk
His showreel stood out to me due to the overall flow of his showreel, I found it engaging and my interest was kept throughout as I did not feel like skipping to the end at any point, the showreel itself was in the magic 1:30 - 2:00 minute mark so it didn't feel too long or short. I also liked the differences between each work as they seem very distant from each other and don't seem to repeat themselves either so that the viewer doesn't get bored of each piece of work he has made, this also shows that he is a very versatile worker and can be used in a number of different ways.
One specific thing that I liked was the way he used a simple line to show the different types of light that he used on a model. I think I would be able to use this in my own showreel by having it transition from just the model to the textured version or the topology.
The CGBros and Kılıç, M. (2015) CGI 3D Showreel HD: ‘Demo Showreel 2015’ - by Murat Kılıç. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRn-ljx_vQk
Thursday, 12 November 2015
Show-Reel WIP
Here shows a scene of my show-reel and how the I want the cameras to move through the scene. I am planning to build these assets so I have used images of different movie scenes as the place-holders. I want to make a sci-fi scene which I am trying to get the timings down however I think I will be able to get a better sense when I have more to add which I will be working on for the rest of the week. I have used movie maker to make this short video as I am more familiar with it and find it easier to pick up and use rather than adobe premier, at this time it also has all the tools I need to get a rough idea in what I want to make so I will use this until I will put the final version together which I will use adobe premier as it is more professional.
Interviews
Personally I feel that I am pretty good at dealing with interviews as I have had a few different ones in the past for other types of jobs, such as 1 on 1 and group interviews. I think that this past experience has given me confidence in being able to handle other interviews I will have in the future to get a job in the gaming industry.
One other thing I think has given me skills to use in an interview is from doing a number of presentations in-front of my peers at university, I feel that doing presentations over and over helps build confidence and self esteem which is vital to bring to interviews so that you don't come across like you don't want to be there as it will significantly hinder your chances of getting through the interview and onto the next stage in the job.
Another skill it has given me is the skill of talking to openly talking to people in order to keep the conversation flowing with no awkward silences as it will help to make the interviewer to feel like you have a lot to say for yourself and can adapt to a situation quickly. Overall I think I am on the way to honing my interview skills, I just need to make sure that prepare properly for each interview by researching the company before hand and also getting other people to ask test interview questions so that when in the actual interview I can be clear and concise with my answers which will make a very positive impression on the potential employer.
One other thing I think has given me skills to use in an interview is from doing a number of presentations in-front of my peers at university, I feel that doing presentations over and over helps build confidence and self esteem which is vital to bring to interviews so that you don't come across like you don't want to be there as it will significantly hinder your chances of getting through the interview and onto the next stage in the job.
Another skill it has given me is the skill of talking to openly talking to people in order to keep the conversation flowing with no awkward silences as it will help to make the interviewer to feel like you have a lot to say for yourself and can adapt to a situation quickly. Overall I think I am on the way to honing my interview skills, I just need to make sure that prepare properly for each interview by researching the company before hand and also getting other people to ask test interview questions so that when in the actual interview I can be clear and concise with my answers which will make a very positive impression on the potential employer.
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Sci-fi scene
I am planning to build a Sci-fi scene to put in my finished show reel and portfolio as I have not made anything like it before I would give my show-reel a nice variety in style throughout rather than just having the same style which may be found boring or not being able to adapt to different genres of work.
I would like to start off with building a corridor scene which would have a large room at the end with a lot of lighting and ambience with the camera starting from one end of the corridor and slowly panning down towards the room at the end of the hall. The image below shows the direction that I want the camera to move down the hall leading into the main room which will have more detail in as it would be a command hub.
I would like to start off with building a corridor scene which would have a large room at the end with a lot of lighting and ambience with the camera starting from one end of the corridor and slowly panning down towards the room at the end of the hall. The image below shows the direction that I want the camera to move down the hall leading into the main room which will have more detail in as it would be a command hub.
C. (2007) Sci-Fi hallway. Available at: http://cozmonator.deviantart.com/art/Sci-Fi-Hallway-66395045 (Accessed: 9 November 2015)
From then I would pan the camera into the room showing all the details off which would be enclosed with many a large windowed area facing out into space. I want the camera to slowly pan all the way around the middle console, taking about 15 - 30 seconds in this room while also showing the fully textured versions changing into a non textured version to show off the models on their own.
E. (2011) The BattleStar Galactica files (Ep 5). Available at: http://toomblog.com/2011/05/12/the-battlestar-galactica-files-ep-5/ (Accessed: 9 November 2015)
Guest Speakers
Over the past couple of weeks we have had a variety of guest speakers come into our lectures to offer their advice which have provided a small insight in the industry that we are heading into. The first speaker was Danny Bannister, who currently works on the title APD Reloaded, which is a third person shooter MMO.
He came in to speak to us about his own personal experience about leaving university and cracking his way into the gaming industry while giving us valuable advice on the way. He told us about his own portfolio being geared towards environments however he has now changed over and become a vehicle artist which has shown me that even though I might want to be an environment artist at the moment I have always got the possibility of changing job roles further down the line however I need to make sure that my portfolio is always up to date and showing off my best work as potential employers would want to see what stage I am working at presently and not any work that I produced at the start of my career.
In addition he also advised us on not overspecialising into one area because employers wouldn't be looking for somebody so specialised into one area, they would rather have someone who is specialised but can also adapt to a situation if needed and could help out in another area of work. Another recommendation from Danny was to try and experiment with different software due to the fact that companies use a wide range of software that might be different from what we are used to, this is personally good advice as I have only really used Maya as a modelling software so I am planning to look into 3DS Max so that if potential employers use one or the other I know that I have got experience in both pieces of software, I also want to try and look into other engines such as Unity to also help boost my knowledge in game engines.
Finally he also advised us to look towards entering 3D competitions as they are a great way in which you can build up your reputation. I think this is a great thing for me to look into as I will be able to work to a variety of different briefs while also getting some critique from people who have experience in the 3D industry outside of the university.
Following this I will start to look into other software that I can start to experiment to help my modelling skills and also I am going to be on the lookout for any competitions that might be starting soon.
He came in to speak to us about his own personal experience about leaving university and cracking his way into the gaming industry while giving us valuable advice on the way. He told us about his own portfolio being geared towards environments however he has now changed over and become a vehicle artist which has shown me that even though I might want to be an environment artist at the moment I have always got the possibility of changing job roles further down the line however I need to make sure that my portfolio is always up to date and showing off my best work as potential employers would want to see what stage I am working at presently and not any work that I produced at the start of my career.
In addition he also advised us on not overspecialising into one area because employers wouldn't be looking for somebody so specialised into one area, they would rather have someone who is specialised but can also adapt to a situation if needed and could help out in another area of work. Another recommendation from Danny was to try and experiment with different software due to the fact that companies use a wide range of software that might be different from what we are used to, this is personally good advice as I have only really used Maya as a modelling software so I am planning to look into 3DS Max so that if potential employers use one or the other I know that I have got experience in both pieces of software, I also want to try and look into other engines such as Unity to also help boost my knowledge in game engines.
Finally he also advised us to look towards entering 3D competitions as they are a great way in which you can build up your reputation. I think this is a great thing for me to look into as I will be able to work to a variety of different briefs while also getting some critique from people who have experience in the 3D industry outside of the university.
Following this I will start to look into other software that I can start to experiment to help my modelling skills and also I am going to be on the lookout for any competitions that might be starting soon.
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