James Brady

https://www.artstation.com/artist/jamesbrady

james.brady@creative-assembly.com

Notes from his talk:

• originally from belfast.
• has a computer game design diploma
• worked on several indie titles
• currently an environment quality assurance artist at creative assembly
• doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will
• specialize- don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none.
• quality not quantity
• start a personal project or join a mod community (steam workshop)

PBR theory (physically based rendering)

• Specular and gloss values were based on values that typically had little or no relation to the way that specular works in real life.
• PBR addresses this by using real-world measured specular values that are unified across the board, regardless of the renderer, your textures/maps should work in the same way.

Karin Cooper

Creature Supervisor of Industrial Light and Magic, San Francisco.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2902481/

Studied graphic design.

Software:

• Maya for animators and rigging.
• Own software for simulation. Zeno.
• Houdini.
• Houdini and Maya in London.

When Karin Cooper spoke to us, she discussed how long it took for them to create the bear in The Revenant (2015)  and how often they were sat waiting on renders, which was quite daunting, but I know that they all must have been so proud in the end. It just goes to show that even when I am working on something continuously and things go wrong, there is more of a learning curve- more knowledge of what not to do and hopefully getting it right in the end.

2015 The Revenant (visual effects)
2014 Noah (creature technical director)
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness (creature supervisor: Industrial Light & Magic)
2012 The Avengers (creature technical director)
2011 Cowboys & Aliens (creature supervisor: ILM)
2011 Rango (lead creature technical director)
2009 Avatar (creature supervisor: ILM)
2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (creature technical director)
2009 Star Trek (creature supervisor)
2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (digital models and simulations: ILM)
2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles (lead creature technical director: ILM)
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (sequence supervisor: ILM)
2006 Eragon (digital artist: ILM)

Laura Livingston and Reflection

http://vfxsummit.com/portfolio_page/laura-livingston/

Look into animation business management.

Managing Directors.

I spoke to Laura over the skype call and asked her how important it is for a student to take a study abroad year out on placement instead of a work placement because I have plans on studying business. She told me that it would be great if I wanted to go into a more managing role in animation and that I could look into places in Atlanta and give her a heads up. I admire her persistence and positivity as she discussed moving to america to achieve her main goal of becoming a VFX producer. At first, she didn’t have the required skills but she stayed and worked a normal job at a bar and learnt new skills and kept getting back in touch with the people who interviewed her. Now she’s working at ILM…..

 

Notes from talk:

From Armagh, went to Dublin to go to college DAT course- communications film and broadcasting. Half practical, half theory. Enjoyed practical film making aspect. Had to make a public short film every year. Tried every aspect to see which path she’d like to go down and ended up producing.

Course didn’t qualify them but there was a local production company. Worked as a production assistant. Went to Spain and Germany and worked on productions in Europe where they needed an English speaking production assistant. Took an internship in Los Angeles. Only got paid if the film got made. Went to San Francisco broke and got a bar job and started to work in the industry there. Discovered VFX and had to work for Pixar or ILM. She rang both and hounded them for an interview. Interviewed for an executive assistant job in ILM. They made it clear that it would not lead to a job in production. Went to film school in San Francisco- academy of art. Learnt fundamentals of compositing and was hired to work on Iron Man for ILM.

Worked for Atomic Fiction.
Worked for Zoic- a lot of episodic television. Faster, better, cheaper.
Work with entropic now. CG that she is doing is for companies like apple.

Always check in on artists who you look up to. Ask for advice. Find mentors. Ask for opportunities to shadow or work for them. Look into LinkedIn. See if they attend events and email beforehand to ask to talk etc.
When you are a graduate it is easier to get J1 visa to work in the USA. 18 month J1 where you can go out looking for a job and don’t need one before going over to explore.

Find Laura on Linked In and look into more animation studios in Atlanta etc or wherever I get placed in case she has any connections. Contact the people in charge on those companies to see if I can shadow them.

Best places for companies to find out: be honest with our regards to skill. Look for an entry level job. Make a google doc of all the companies I want to work for and emails. Keep getting in touch.
Necessary skill to have that may be overlooked: awareness of other software and their pros and cons. Even if you know the merits of them and why they wouldn’t work. Be flexible. Be aware of the industry trends.
Internships are better when you are a student or a recent graduate. Every spring, summer etc. ILM and Pixar. Be aware than San Francisco is expensive to live in.

James Baker

James Baker skyped us and had just worked on Inside Out. He started out in Australia in the 2D department.

Website: http://www.james-baker.com/

Some of his visual development towards Kung Fu Panda (in 2004), Finding Nemo(in 2000) and Ratatouille(in 2000).

• Medium Sized companies are good to work for but bigger places are for experience.
• Community is important. Friendly competition is important.
• Personal projects show what you can do: keep thinking of new stories and new ideas as much as possible.
• Always try to improve yourself as a person and your abilities.
• Storyboard structure is taken from the script- but many artists may see this in different ways.

Glenda Martin- Career Advice

Glenda Martin is a career development consultant at Ulster University.

Career Development Center

In library on the second floor. There every Wednesday. Drop in or 1-1 Appointments via Graduate Recruit (careers connect). Can check this in portal.

More companies are looking for an elevator pitch.

Why would a company choose me?

[Get a linked in account.]

Skills Employer’s want

• Commercial awareness
• communication
• teamwork
• confidence
• problem solving
• accuracy and attention to detail (provide evidence)- strive for the best possible outcome
• organisation
• perseverance and motivation
• ability to work under pressure (critical).
• negotiation and persuasion

The world of work is about continuous improvement. Bring through fresh, up to date technology and creative way of thinking.

Evidencing that I have managed to keep a part time job and college work.

Work Placements

Look outside the box. Think about where else I could apply to besides places people have applied to from previous years.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk

• Download an occupational profile for your subject- look at skills needed to add to your cv etc
• day to day activities
• skills required for industry
• professional and career development
• contacts and resources
• sources of vacancies- look at companies who are recruiting

Application Forms

• May be the only thing that will get you to an interview.
• Attaching online portfolio etc that will evidence work.
• Sometimes it comes down to what it says on the paper.
• Make sure skills, abilities, knowledge and experience fit the job application.
• Follow instructions carefully.
• Check for mistakes. Re-read.

Preparation is key- research the company

• Its development
• Expansion
• Markets
• Products
• Mission Statement
• Its values- this is important to the organisations. This should be one of the reasons you are applying to this company. Deliberately matching yourself to the company.
• Its ethos/culture

What do you believe will be the companies next challenges?

What will happen in the industry- what will be the next opportunities?

CV’s

• What are your unique selling points? What makes you stand out from everyone else?
• Why should they choose you? Ask other people.
• 2 sides of A4
• Appropriate to role/job being applied for.
• Follow a logical order.
• Aim to be ordered and allocate space in relation to the importance of the information.
• Draw the reader’s eye to important areas.

Include:

• Personal details- name (front centre, large), address,mobile, email, linked in profile, website address,
• Career objective/personal profile- differentiates people. No more than 150 words. could be the most important part of your cv. Write it in first person.
• Education
• Work experience
• Skills profile- give evidence. I have consistently been chosen as team leader and have organised checklists and time constraints to achieve team goals.
• Achievements/interests- What have you been committed to? mentor/class representative. Volunteer. Sports. Power words. Follow certain companies. Provided technological support for family business?
• Referees (2)

Cover Letter

• Encourages someone to read your cv.
• Where you saw the job, why you’re applying, what you’ve found out about the company, your skills that are relevant,
• No more than half a page long.

Interview

• Show enthusiasm
• Smile
• Be positive
• Make it easy for the interviewer to obtain information
• Don’t give up even if it feels like things aren’t going well.

g.martin1@ulster.ac.uk

Gavin Moran

We had a talk from Gavin Moran from Epic Games who worked on Unreal Engine’s most recently released pre-vis demo “Kite.”

• Work your way to the point where you’re doing something that you enjoy doing.
• Show that you can fit into the company during the interview. They already know you can do the job.
• Showreel should be two minutes of decent and entertaining work. Avoid using clips with cursing or comedy.
• Learn different software and variations of programs you already use as it makes you more adaptable.

 

Gerard Dunleavy

https://vimeo.com/42056697

I’ve looked up to Gerard Dunleavy’s work ever since we were shown it here in First year in animation. His work is to such a high standard, and like many artists, it is hard to keep looking up at them and to not feel so terrible about your work at that point in time. It’s important to focus on how far you’ve come and to strive on and keep working harder.

 

http://www.gerarddunleavy.com/portfoliosets/concept-art/

Notes from the talk:

• Currently works primarily in advertising. Advertising enables you to try new things as clients often don’t know what they honestly want.
• Got his first job at the Mill as part of an award for winning CGI student competition.
• It can be disheartening to work on a film, for your scene to be cut as you cannot share it publicly.
• Fake it until you make it.
• Expect long hours at the start to improve on your work.

Niall Carlin

Doublejump: motion graphics, vfx, compositing.

Learn the hard shit

• design theory
• colour theory
• typography
• composition and animation

 

• need heroes to compare your work to and to know the difference- the gap between your knowledge and theirs.
• criticism is good. share with others.

Deadlines

• time is money in the industry
• no right answer to a creative brief
• you could perfect it forever so you need a stop point
• excellent time management skills.

Always ask why not how

• anyone can learn the technical things
• don’t be the best- always keep learning