Getting set, and gone. I left my hometown mid March to make my return back to California in pursuit of a career path. I waited out on leaving right after the holidays in fear of the winter weather -- as I had to drive back across the country with my dog -- and I wanted to give myself a little extra time to get my work together for 2015. In both aspects, I can't really say I was overly successful, but the efforts took dedication and were exhausting.
Firstly, I drove through the worst winter advisory of the season. Plain. Bad. Timing. Snow, sleet, ice, and fog all the way from New York through Tennessee! It took three hours of driving blinded by and crippled by a thick white mess to get from Staunton to Ronoake. Very scary. Not to mention my dog wanting to go for a run every time we stopped to clean the wipers or gas up... Who I can never escape guilt for being so well behaved on the ride, otherwise.
I look back now, though. And it was a truly great adventure. Great bonding time with my Mom, whom I miss her company deeply now. And an equally heartfelt time spent with my dog, who enjoys to stimulus of different atmospheres.
The latter-- the workload-- I rebuilt my website from scratch as a couple people had suggested. Make it less stylized and more generic. I was always hesitant about because my updated work, in retrospect, would have to compensate. I've updated an animation reel with the facial animation work I've had over 2014... And I began to redo my modeling reel. But then, as fast as the time went by, it was time to leave, again. Fast forward a couple weeks, when I look back I'm not sure if it was worth it to redo my 'package' -- when I can spend that time actually building more artwork and doing what I actually enjoying. But in the end I tend to steer toward doing whatever I think will actually help me get paid work. Perhaps its self-defeating. But I did it. And it's done. Here is two comparisons of the new website the old website: I'd love to hear feedback on which is more professional and pleasing to look at, but I know this blog doesn't produce too many comments.
HOMEPAGE
There's no doubt the site needed an update, but a complete renovation had honestly been pushed off for quite some type. A) It's a ton a work. B) How to design a site that is functional but still interesting to look at, as I'm not confident my work can stand on its on merit yet. Meaning, presentation should sell what is lacking in content. At least in my opinion, and as that cliché always screams (said it before and will say if again) "Presentation is everything"
I don't want to go too far into the updates in this post, but the main objectives that I was trying to achieve was putting the best content in the opening page and narrowing down my focus(es) to what I am aiming for as a career that I'd be happy in. Also, I nixed the branding, simplified the navigation, and attempted to go as neutral a color scheme as possible. Although, I didn't completely curb the designer side of me. I stuck to natural with one non-invasive accent color.
CONTACT PAGE
For my new site, I simplified by combined my Qualifications and Bio into one page, and kept me contact form within reach on every page by including it in a side tab. Also, I offered more of a closeness / familiarity by including a face to the name.
So... California. Things have swung into a busy schedule very fast. I am keeping tight lipped about my current work situation, as I am not wanting to jinx myself. I am more deeply invested in animation than ever before, which has been pleasure to enter a weekday with, but still currently on a wild craze to secure an independent living for myself out here.
Outside of my elusiveness, I have been busy with interviews in all types of industries and busy with different industry tests, one for photoreal work and one for gaming -- both have which have resulted in higher learning, texturing work, and overall more enhanced pieces for my portfolio. I cannot complain either outcome, although circumstances are still leaving me a bit high and dry.
So I find myself looking around for work... anywhere. Because I have to survive, right?
My tips from this mess?
Not in this industry alone, but ANY industry for ANY job, even if you feel over or under qualified, do NOT lie on a resume. I hate the thought that I would ever have to resort to lying because I'm worried about what a potential employer might think... I never have and never will.
Give yourself due merit, and give the potential employer an opportunity to hear your side of the story or let them take it upon their selves to compromise your integrity (or not). Instead, try your best to sell yourself in your cover letter. Clarify what they write in their advertisement while including yourself in the equation, almost in a 'repeat after me' fashion. They want you to get personal and tell you a bit about yourself, give it to them... But don't lie on your resume.
If I have to go back to 1999, for crying out loud, I will. (And have). What should make work experience become obsolete? It should never become obsolete. There's a reason why you worked some jobs, and there's a reason why you'd work those jobs again. No one has the right to judge or discriminate why you're standing there looking for work. And , yes, on another note, discrimination is usually silent. I can understand being underqualified for a position, but if anyone had ever given me advice... Should it have been suggested that I need to under-qualify myself after all these years?
A 34 year old single jobless woman or a 62 year old jobless man...
There is a reason why that person is standing there at that place applying-- and that reason is for no one but that person to understand. Most people would never waste their time without an intended purpose.
This doesn't need to be written, but there needs to be awareness and it should no ever be forgotten to all those out their struggling. The hardest obstacles to prove unlawful, when all one wants to do is work for a fairly earned buck, are issues that deal with mixing sociology and psychology in the standard status quo. It just never quite mixes right. Like oil and water-- although both are used together sometimes.
Even applying blindly online to a variety of jobs in a variety of industries, which is defeating enough as devoid of social interaction it already is, it truly makes one question if it would really be this difficult if friends put in a good word... I mean, how much quality and authenticity does an online voice really have? How does an employer gage that outside of what's on paper? In employment reality, its essential to have a references, but not have many associated friends? But what is a reference in contrast to friend anyways? Aren't they doing you the same justice by endorsing you as a person without underselling your skills? They are the ones would acknowledge how they'd feel you prevail because they know you and your ethics personally. What does networking do, if not building budding professional relations? To me, networking has always seemed like a cold way of communicating your desire to mold with other opportunists. Who really cares? We do it, but do we really like each other I find myself wondering sometimes... and if we did or didn't... where does that interaction take you?
I'm not saying, it's bad. I do it all the time... It just makes me wonder.
I try to equate networking to some type of animal behavior and all I come up with is a bunch of birds hanging out in the trees waiting to figure out which flock their going to fly south with.. I don't know? Just the first thing that came to my head. :-)
Anyways, it's just a stream of consciousness written without a set emotion outside of sheer hope.
All just curiosities and observations.
As far as my tests -- that's just what they were-- and each of them two had very powerful personal results, but sucked a ton of personal time out of me, which is why I haven't been able to finish up this post until now.
Here is one of them so far:
I will make a post of all the difficulties I had along the way and some suggestions for how to approach them maybe. There were a lot-- as this was intended to be a model for gaming purposes with an ultimate 'passing' goal to skin and rig him. I have no formal training on modeling for gaming, so the process is self taught and/or scattered with protips and potholes.
Overall, however, the concept and model itself was well received... This model is my first model I finallyI feel comfortable with working with textures and UV layout, although pipeline and workflow integration is still very iffy.
Much of my stumbling came from going back and have to adjust topology, seams, etc and then having trouble working with fixing up projection and polypaint data again. Along with skinning and rigging in 3ds Max, a program I've never had to skin and rig in before.
In finishing, I will probably default to my native 3D program for that area, Maya-- since I am already familiar with the process. Or maybe even Motionbuilder, now that I have learned that program in the past month! It seems to work well with Maya, too, but we'll see. I'm not going to give myself a headache about rigging or rush into the specific trade, since I know longer have to... but I am interested to see if he will actually work as an animatable character. Unless there is anyone out there who wants to give the skinning / rigging a shot? ;-) Otherwise, 'll get back around to him at some point in the future postmarked with a promise...
BUT-- Before I had left New York, I started building a personal piece in Maya, as well, which I've had to put on the shelf since then. I am planning on finishing up the sculpting details this week, since I'm finally test-less!
I've got the itch to get back to my personal work. I can't wait to incorporate all I've learned.
But, first I need to prioritize.
So this week it's hustling to try to find a way to make ends meet, continuing with the project I'm keep tightlipped about for fear of alternative hexing, and I'm back to my A-game focusing on my personal work.
Until the next time... I will have some more to show soon.
Please come back and visit! Hopefully good things are on the near horizon!
