Categorization

Well for my sites categories I would have to consider if I'm going to be putting animation as well as modeling on it, however if just for models here is what my categories might be:
-Models-
-High Poly-
-Hard Surfaces-
-Smooth Surfaces-
-Low Poly-
-Hard Surfaces-
-Smooth Surfaces-

If I were to put animation on there and maybe my flash stuff it would be something like this:
-Models-
-High Poly-
-Hard Surfaces-
-Smooth Surfaces-
-Low Poly-
-Hard Surfaces-
-Smooth Surfaces-
-Animation-
-Flash-
-Maya-

Whats out there

Well I was asked to research how other people in my field display there work. While researching I found that some have there work on there own websites like these examples.
www.adamdorman.com
www.cgmesh.com
The First one had a html setup while the other seem to use flash, whixh I found looked a lot better in my opinion. Also the first one I didn't see a demo reel while the second did and was easily noticeable. Some show there work on there site but also gave links to other art hosting sites.
www.0nd.org
This portfolio site was ok but the one he had on CGsociety look a lot more organized. It also had a network on it to other people so not only could he get a job but he could get someone else one as well. After looking at a couple of sites I looked to see what I could fined on youtube.com and there were a good amount of them. Just searching for "3D model" got a 1,000 results and just "3d reel" almost got 12,000 results. I tried "3D animation" to see if I get more or less and with over 9,000 results it was no contest. Although they had this on a place like youtube they did have links or atleast put there urls to there sites, here are some of the ones that caught my eye.
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
I also checked out Vimeo to see if I got more or less then youtube, and I didn't get as many but they look a lot more professional which was nice but I would think that some post in both, the more places you can display your work the better

Portfolio Skills

I have some skills in 3D modeling which I could use to create a website look; buttons layout ect. I can use my 3D animation skills to create transactions between pages, I'm also learning flash which I can use to make some 2D interactive things.

I so have video editing skills using final cup pro and after effects, so I can do some cool thing to show off my work on my portfolio site. I still remember some of my dreamweaver creation stuff to make a basic layout, I would need to relearn some things. I also have some drawing skills to add a more hand made kind of design around my portfolio.

Cheers

Keep it in the Family

These are my two font family's, there still a work in progress:

Animation Family:Modeling Family:

or

These are still works in progress but these are a starting part.

WIP

The work that I wanted to put in my portfolio that needs the most work would have to be, BadAxe which is my game character model.

The reason I picked this one is because I need to redo most if not all the textures or at least finalize them more. Also I need to put some more edges in some places as well as smooth shade some parts. I also need to redo the turntable moive and maybe change the display piece to give it some extra zing.

Logos a Gogo

Most of my logos I'm trying to do in 3D so I didn't think about doing sketches, I don't have all of them yet but these are the ones I did:

My initials designs:

wire frame BB

Wire frame BB 2

Twisted Design

those are the ones I got done the others I'm still trying to get an idea for them.

Vimeo Video

This is the video I picked out on Vimeo, it deals with animation instead of modeling, what I'm looking to get into. However I'm really into animation right now so I thought I do one on that:


Animation from Hugo on Vimeo.

I really liked his animations, they were very smooth flowing with little quarks to enhance it even more. Some things he may have done different, all of his animations are 3D except for one 2D animation which was a loop. First it was inserted into another animation and it wasn't very long, so he may want to more it to the beginning and make it a little longer or just take it out all together.

Also he cut some animation and inputed others which was a little offputting so maybe if he didn't put anothing animation in the middel of another it would be a little better. All in all he has some awsome animation work.

A Brand Identity

1. My first idea for a brand identity is using my initials BB.

2. My next idea was ti to one of my initials and have a design around it.

3. Something done in 3D either my name or a cool design.

4. A studio type name like "Twisted Productions" or "Punk Studios"

5. Same as 4 but using my initials like "Bad Boy Productions" and have the B's stand out more

I like to use something that uses both my name, what I like, and my type of art form. I like to get all this into a brand identity that stand out and makes sure that anyone who sees it can say "oh I now that guy he does some cool work".

My Work...Monster Car

Well the work that will more then likely be going with me to look for a job or get into a 4 year school is my model of a Mustang from the Movie Death Race.


I used a picture with out the textures I had on it, was a little too dark to see. Well the good stuff is modeling wise it is finished, I would have to go in and add some edges to the armor plated parts so they don't look extremely hard edged. I also would like to model some stuff for the undercarriage for some more realism. The biggest thing would be some textures on it that atleast make it look more beat up and worn down.

Other then that the rest would be to get some better shot of it from a lot of places. Work on lighting it better, as well as making a better turntable clip of it.

HW assignment ...ya

We were asked to find other blogs that deal with are selected field and add them to a blog roll. Then we had to blog about are discoveries, I'm not to sure what I need to write about but here goes nothing. I had a hard time finding the blogs themselves and some are more like fan blogs from Pixar and others. Some are all around animation, both 3D and 2D as well as 3D clay/motion stop animation. All in all though there were some very unique techniques and ideas on some of the blogs.

Cheers

A little Brainstorming

List 5 things that you love to do:
~Video games, Movies, Learning about new tech, Art, Looking at others art

List 5 things that you hate to do:
~Homework, Working at Shoprite, Yard work, Stay up all night, Waking up really early

List 5 things you are proud of in your life
~My art, My grades, My experiences, living on my own in Florida, The career I've chosen.

List 5 things you are good at
~ Working in Maya, Video games, Working on the computer, managing my spending, being organized.

List 5 things that make you unique
~ Lived in Hawaii for 6 years, I like to collect all kinds of things, have to set 2 alarms to wake up, I sometimes just lay back and look up at the sky, I doodle a lot mostly of nothing but what I'm thinking of at the moment

List 5 adjectives that describe you
~ Friendly, Shy, Quiet, Calm, Helpful

List 5 adjectives that describe your work
~ Dark, Funny, Odd, Different, Crazy

List 5 topics your work deals with
~Movies, Video games, Comics, Current Subjects, Everyday things

List the media you use in your work
~Computers, Cameras, Video cameras, Clay, Drawing and coloring tools

List the colors that you use most often
~Mostly gray, Solid colors

List 5 emotions your work conjures
~ Happiness, Fear, Uneasiness, Excitement, Laughter

List the titles of the work you would like to highlight, if you don't have titles, come up with them
now
~ DR: Frankenstein's Monster, Mr. Bones, BadAxe, Grog, Bad City Streets

List 5 adjectives to describe the kind of company you'll work for
~ New, Friendly, Easygoing, Important, Sturdy (economy wise)

List 5 adjectives to describe the kind of boss you'd like to have
~ Friendly, Cheerful, Funny, Fair, Helpful

List 5 things you will have to do for your job
~ Sketch ideas, make textures, Rig character for moment, Create Models in 3D software, Animate

List 5 words describing your industry
~ Fun, Amazing, Fast, New, Vast

List the reasons your job exists
~ To entertain people, To train people, To test something before actually doing it, To teach people

My Rough Resume

Objective:
To use my skills and experiences in the creative field and to advance my own skills to the next level.

Education:
Collage of Southern Maryland (fall 2003-spring 2004)

Full Sail: Real World Education (2004-2006)
-Major in Computer Animation

Mercer County Community Collage (2006-2009)
-Digital Media Arts
-Concentration in: 3-D Animation
-Dean's List (Spring & Fall 07/Spring & Fall 08)

Work Experience:
Summer Recreation Program (summer 2002)
-Volunteer work

Eastern Performance Cycles (2003)
-Experience working with others in teams to complete a job
-Experience in complete work by a set due date

Shopright Supermarket (06-current)
-Working with costumers
-Maintaining a clean environment
-Being able to work in multiple department when needed
-Trained new employees

Lab Assistant at Mercer Community Collage (spring 2009)
-Give help to others having trouble with programs
-Working with other students to help finish there projects

Software Experience:
-Maya
-Shake
-Photoshop
-Final Cut Pro
-After Effects
-Dreamweaver
-Microsoft Office

Hardware Experience:
-Mac OS
-Windows
-Wacom Tablet
-Cameras
-Video Cameras

All about the Work

Most of the work I have done has been in modeling, I have done both High and low polygon models. I've also created both hard surface models and soft surface models, I have made environments and characters. Some of my models that I created at the collage I'm at was show in a quarterly review done by the teachers to promote the work that is done in there class. I have done work in teams and we were able to make production quality animation. I've also done animations as well but I'm still trying to work on improving my skills in that.

I have been working in flash as well which has been helping me with my 3d animation as well. I have done some film and video editing skills as well, which would come in handy for an internship or maybe an entry-level job starting point. My compositing skills are at mid level so I can do a lot of simpler not really difficult composites to help out. I have skills in 2d art programs as well as some drawing and painting skills.

Cheers

Getting the Foot in the Door

As I stated in my last post I had trouble finding an entry level job in my field but I can discuss some of the ones asked for in a couple of the jobs I did find. A lot of the jobs asked for a few years of experience in the field, some only a degree in said field. Some of the gaming jobs openings ask that you could give them a name of a shipped game on the market that you had a hand in the creation of.

As for what tools or programs they ask the ones appliying know dealt with more then just one type of 3d software. Maya, 3D Max, Lightwave, and Mudbox all create 3d creations in and most are owned by the same company but they still require you have experience or master in each one. They also asked for skills in other programs like photoshop and composite software. So I need to work on a lot more so I can get a running start in this career.

Cheers

Getting Out There

I had a lot of difficulty finding an entry level job in any 3D artist field. I search almost all the job finder sites we were given but pretty much all the jobs I found were Mid-level jobs or higher, most requiring a bachelor or 4 years experience in the field. Some jobs didn't really specific what level of experience was needed other then the requirements

While I was looking for en entry-level job I came across a lot of autoCAD jobs that asked for 3D modeling experience. However it also asked for engineering degrees and experience along with it. You seem to needed on top of the autoCAD program and modeling skills, lots of draftsman type experience as well.

Here is one of the entry level autoCAD drafter jobs I found.

Cheers

experience +1

My work experience is not that expanded I learned a lot from a couple of simpler jobs which started back when I was still in middle school. I've work with many people through the years, mostly I was working at a Harley-Davidson repair shop and a auto repair shop as well. Those jobs gave me a lot of experience in team work, everyone who worked there worked as a time, so one guy fixing this part while another work on another part but they still had to work and talk to one another to repair the problem.

Other then working there I also did some volunteer work about when I was in high school, basically working with kids in a summer camp they held at one of the nearby schools. I got a lot of listening and patience skills while I was there. After a couple of years I found myself here and got a new job, working at a deli counter in a local store. There I got a lot of experience dealing with people or customers, I also got some problem solving experience.

All these skills that I've collected over those years will all help when I finally get the job I really want. The most important one dealing with a 3D artist is being able to work in teams, as well as working well with the other people in that team. As for experience in this field itself most has been in what I've been learning in school. I have worked in Maya almost 3 0r 4 years and though I seem to improve slowly I got a lot better and faster then 2 or 3 years ago. I also got the chance to meet people from all kinds of game companies and animation studios and have them talk about there job and what it takes to make it in this industry.

Cheers

Dare to Compare

Well I looked for jobs on three different sites so that I could compare the experience. The ones I choose were; Game Jobs, Highend Careers, and Craigslist. I did a search on all of them using the same job title I did for the last career searching assignment, 3D modeler, and these are my findings.

First I start with Game Jobs, It was easy enough to navigate through although I didn't much care for the sites look to much. As for the job searching itself I looked for 3d modeler and got one or two that actually dealt with just modeling but the rest were like teaching job and game review. Also every time I tried to enter another search it added to the old search beacuse I didn't know it but you have to clear the search from the other times. I then tried the Job Type tab and found 2 job listings for designer/modeler but when I clicked it to checked it out I only got one, which was an internship that didn't seem to involve any modeling at all.
Game Jobs Search

Next I'll compare Highend Careers, I actually really liked this site a lot and it was easy to navigate as well as it game me jobs that I was actually looking for. However this was a site made for people that do 3D work so anyone looking for jobs in TV or film would have a tough time with this site. There were a buch of ways to do a search; by industry, by software, or by Location. I would most likely use this site to search for a job when I start looking for a job.
Highend Career Search

The last one I did was Craigslist, I didn't care for the layout at all the navigation was a little weird to me. During the job search I only found two jobs for freelance modelers and they were for the same job in which the project was already almost 20 days in.
Craigslist Search

If I had to choose between these three sites to look for a job I would go with Highend Careers, mostly cause it seem to have more jobs that I'd be interested in.

Cheers

Tools of the Trade

The tools a 3D artist needs are mostly found on a single piece of important hardware, the computer; Mac and/or PC. Some other hardware that maybe used are; a wacom tablet, and a laptop (for working at home or in another location without a computer). There are lots of software programs 3d artist use, I'll go through the ones I've used myself; Maya (3d program), Photoshop (textures), Shake (compositor), After Effects( another compositor), Final Cut Pro (Mac compositor), Zbrush (3D program).

Other then all those which are computer base programs I would also use many 2D tools, Sketchbooks, drawing and coloring pencils, drawing and coloring pens, and paints. These are most of the tools a 3D artist uses there are more but these are the ones I mostly use.

Cheers

Going for the Gold

Here are some of the Industry's I like to work for:

Pixar - 3D animation Studio

Dreamworks - 3D animation Studio- look under Company then select Careers

Activision - Game Company

Rockstar - Game Company

Blue Sky - 3D animation Studio

The Right Questions

1. What software do you know/ have some experience?

• Maya, Adobe Photoshop, Shake, Final Cup Pro, After Effects, Zbrush, Dreamweaver, Flash, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel.

2.What creative skills and talents do you have?

• Drawing
• Painting
• Sculpture

3.What are you favorite things?

• Movies
  
• Video Games
  
• All things Tech

4.What are you interested in?

• Many of the same things as in question 3

5.What are you passionate about?

• All things 3D, when I'm not creating stuff or thinking of new stuff to create I'm either looking at others 3D art online, watching 3D movies (Pixar stuff etc...), or playing video games which I find myself looking at the characters and surrounding environment then actually playing the game.

6.What do you HATE, can't stand or despise?

• People who trash others work without a reason why, like not giving helpful incite or advice but just saying it sucks.
• People who complain all the time, or those who complain about nothing.