Mr. Johnson.
Paint and Roto will be very important. So will lighting and tracking and compositing. Couldn't believe what was coming out of there mouth.
The very idea that one task is more important than the other is monkey balls. Ask any artist. We are all important. Don't let anyone try to tell you different. Roto is hard work and takes skills. Lighting also takes skills.
My dad when he got his television stolen he never replaced it. Why you might ask. You need to learn to think and not see.
Awhile back Scott Squires posted tips for being a good VFX artist. One of the ideas was that you needed to know how to see what you are trying to do before you do it. He is right. Being able to see it first is so important. Scott goes on even being able to see it on slow motion. This really isn't a new idea. athletes have been doing this for years. Visualize it and then your body can do it.
I have watched many an artist try crazy things because they can't visualize it. You have to make the connections.
First learn to think, then learn to see.
Scott, thanks for making me think.
There is a great Roald Dahl poem describing exactly what my dad is talking about.
Roald Dahl:
He cannot think -- he only sees!
The visual effects world has been thrown for a loop. One of the big 6 is showing signs of failure.
Let me explain.
I have been a part of a failing company before. This is an experience that I would have rather of not been thru. I watched a the CEO take a booming post house and destroy it in 18 months. Having a long credit list doesn't make you immune to failure. All it take is a leader that doesn't understand what we do.
I hope everything can get back to normal. 50 hour weeks for some 90 hours for others. days of greatness, and days when nothing will track, the grain won't match and the deadline is right now.
I will always go back to what a friend of mine said.
Despite current labor struggles, #vfx has been and will be an industry that thrives on creativity, intellect, and gut instinct. #jobsecurity
I helped do some visual effects on a short being submitted to Sundance.
It was a fun and frustrating process.
Keep doing good work.
Scott Squires:
Even staff positions, management and support positions may disappear without much notice. Please don't think you're immune from this because you've worked there x years or they're nice people. As we've seen many companies have closed or had to lay off hundreds of people due to a number of reasons.
A well planned layoff is not possible. I have watched big companies tell good artists only hours before end of day that this will be there last day. I have been laid off over the phone. I have watched artists walk out and quit just because.I have been fired for wanting to get paid overtime.
The long and the short of it. Always be prepared to move around. The bigger the company the more prepared you should be.
You should always have leads on work. Network and know where and when the work is. Stay connected with old co-workers.
You should also be saving good parts of your checks you get to help you thru the times where maybe there isn't any work no matter how good you are.
So there has been a boom of conversation the last week since the news that Digital Domain has defaulted on a loan. On Friday the DDMG company closed its much controversial[to Artists] studio in Florida. Also on Friday John Textor the CEO of DDMG resigned his post. While The Venice studio still stands the artist there are most likely looking for other work as the venice studio has a very high chance of closing as well.
It's a sad day for the 300 artist that either volunteered to go over there and work and or train others.
The best thing for DD to do is to tell all their artists the truth and let them make a decision on what to do about work. The worst thing they can do is pretend that everything is ok and this will get better. Dragging this out over months and months is both unfair and makes unhappy workers.
I challenge other post houses to start contacting these awesome artists and make offers before they fall off the grid. If your looking for great [Insert Needed Artist Position Here] heres your chance.
Ask any recruiter and they will tell you, Good artists are hard to find.
Here are some links if you would like to get more information.
Digital Domain Media Group Initiates Strategic Realignment
Via finance.yahoo.com
Digital Domain Media Group, Inc. (DDMG) today announced that it has initiated a strategic realignment that will enable it to focus its resources on its core business, Digital Domain Productions, Inc., a company focused on creating digital visual effects, CG animation and digital production for the entertainment and advertising industries. As a key part of this strategic realignment, DDMG has begun the cessation of its Port St. Lucie operations by reducing virtually its entire Port St. Lucie workforce, retaining approximately 20 employees who will remain as part of the wind-down.
Financially Beleaguered Digital Domain
Bill Desowitz:
After defaulting on a $35 million loan and to avoid bankruptcy, Digital Domain Media Group has initiated a strategic realignment to protect its core VFX and CG animation business. The beleaguered John Textor is out as CEO and chairman of DDMG; and long-time Digital Domain exec Ed Ulbrich has been promoted to CEO of Digital Domain Prods.
"Hulk, smash".
My stance has always been, "Why do we need unions to do that right thing".
There are tons of non-union shows working in Los Angeles which the unions really have no control over.
Visual Effects are a mess. Agreed.
I work for a company that does the right thing. I work a 50 hour week. I am paid for every last minute. Overtime included. I have weekends and holidays off. When I feel like I need more money I ask. There is nothing shady going on. I agreed to it all. I have a rate. I get time and an half after 8 hours worked. If I am getting screwed it my own fault.
It's simple.
At a certain point blaming others for your problems becomes tiresome and pointless. I love my job. Good or bad day. There isn't a morning were I do not want to go in. Trust me there have been days[thesauce] when running seemed great idea. Is it awesome everywhere, nope. Can it be? Yes it can.
Who in Hollywood works a 40 hour week?
Most times the weekend doesn't start at 5pm on Friday, it starts at 5am on Saturday. Stop acting like you can make a movie on a 40 hour week.
Now if you want to talk over time, that is something completely different.
I had a client over my shoulder all day today. I'd like to share some take aways.
Know your script. Don't fumble about.
Only make suggestions when you are not getting the feedback you need. Sometimes that jump starts the clients ideas.
Never make suggestions that cant be done. No jokes.
Stay with what you know.
Be ready to translate plain English into a group of nodes.
Last a tip of the hat to all the commercial artists, client based compositors, colorist. It exhausting.
If you follow the Nuke list you have been reading all the JOps 2.0 chatter. Jack Binks has once again brought us a incredible set of tools.
Check out J Ops v2.0 here [nukepedia]. Here is the link to the introduction video. Here is also a A show case Nuke script.
Nuke is an amazing piece of software. Thanks Jack for pushing the bounds and showing all of us what is possible. I learned something today, I'm off to bed.