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Get the best or find yourself a niche! Never stand still concerning the learning progress. Always try to be even more comprehensive. Grow with your tasks. Your goal should be to get one of the best, nothing less! Only this way of thinking never lets you stand still because there´s always someone better, some new tool, some new workaround of doing stuff. If you follow part one above you should know who and what is state of the art at the moment so you always know where to aim at. Not every project will go smooth that´s for sure but failing is okay as long if you learn from it and improve. Putting it in a nutshell you always gotta have the ambition to improve. Another way to keep alive in the “game“ is to niche thyself. If you are the only one doing it or doing it in an outstanding way you will survive at least until another one improves and get´s to your level of expertise. But then you´ll still have your good name you can rely on. Try to fill an insuperable gap in a company. By the way that doesn´t mean you should hide your sources! This doesn’t stand diametrical to topic 3! No way! Create yourself a surrounding as comfy as you can! Trust me on that if your desk doesn´t represent your style, behavior and preferences it´s not yours. We are NERDs ;) ! If you are at a company for one month only for freelance don´t take this too serious but then it isn´t your desk anyways! But if you get hired fulltime or for more than a month bring your gadgets along onsite! At a few companies there are chill rooms with a huge TV set and a gaming consoles for at least two players to give the chance to relax for a few minutes. Because the story goes if an artist’s feels “domestic” he will do good work. You will work over time, nightshifts, on weekends, at your birthday, at mother´s day, on 4th of July and during “Oktoberfest”. Sometimes the only way to ease that pain is to create yourself a surrounding as comfy as you can get it at least. I literally have seen desks of artists with more than 150 Star Warsâ action figures and vehicles on it and posters on the wall near the desk! If are affiliated to those who are called “early adopters” bring your technical toys along be it your 3Dconnexionâ Space Pilot, a glow in the dark keyboard or your “12keys High Performance Wireless Laser Mouse for Gamers”. Your desk is a place where you will spend more than half of the day if not the entire day plus the night so why shouldn´t you arrange it like your room at home if the company allows you to (and if they aren´t dumb and you don´t want to install an entire desert oasis they will…) just don’t overdo it. When I go on an onsite I bring my notebook along with at least two mobile USB-HDs with me providing music and movies as well as all tutorials I have because you can´t know what you will run into. Further on, I have DJ headphones created for clubs which kill 120dB surround influence meaning I can literally bomb myself into “musical coma” but the artist near me can hear a needle´s drop. I need that from time to time to create a kinda “tunnel” where I can focus on my task only. I beam myself into another sphere of consciousness if you will. That´s my way of creating myself a comfy surrounding…
Notice the Star Wars action figures on the right, the skateboard, really comfy chairs, a couch to chill out, books, the fancy StarTrekâ kinda look of the wall painting. The Nine Biggest Myths of the Workplace http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/05/the_nine_bigges.html Final Thoughts Liking back at the last 2,5 years I guess it was the right decision to become a freelancer. This text reflects on what I didn´t do but should have done, what I did actually and what I should/gonna do in the near or far future (finding my niche for example J ). Either you think this is total crap or you think it´s great I don´t care much. I think it was simply time to reflect on certain topics. If you want to comment on that text feel free to send me an email at mail@3delicious.de I´ll try to answer asap depending on how much I´m buried under current productions. Appendix section Appendix 1) Useful Freelancer Links to read in addition: Mind Your Business: The Sport of Negotiating http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Tutorials&article_no=264 Mind Your Business: Handyman Contracts http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Tutorials&article_no=2780 Mind Your Business: Tell Me Something Short http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Tutorials&article_no=2681 Mind Your Business: F.A. — Freelancers Anonymous http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Tutorials&article_no=2812 Don’t Budget Yourself Out of Business… Or Budget Blues http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Tutorials&article_no=2139 The Career Coach: Unemployment Insurance http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=1857 The Career Coach: Jobs In A Visual Effects House -- Defined #1 http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=527 The Career Coach: Jobs In A Visual Effects House -- Defined #2 http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=384 20 freelance problems and how to solve them http://www.computerarts.co.uk/in_depth/features/20_freelance_problems_and_how_to_solve_them The Unofficial Truth about The Industry http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=2&t=372592 The CG SCHOOLS and DEMO REELS thread http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=2&t=69427 Figuring Out the Recruiting Game for Gaming http://www.vfxworld.com/?atype=articles&id=1614 Representation 24/7 http://www.vfxworld.com/?atype=articles&id=1603 Animation Portfolio and Interview Questions http://www.cgarena.com/archives/interviews/interport/interport_ques.html How to Work Like the Masters http://liferemix.net/how-work-masters Staying Inspired http://www.superrune.com/technical/tutorial_inspiration.php Should You Start Your Own Work at Home Business? http://lifelearningtoday.com/2007/07/17/should-you-start-your-own-work-at-home-business/ Effects Corner - Visual Effects Career http://effectscorner.blogspot.com/2005/12/visual-effects-career.html Audio Blog of Visual Effect Career http://www.effectscorner.com/podcast/eccareer.mp3 Appendix 2) Useful demo reel links to read in addition: Building Your Demo Reel With Sony's Vegas 6.0 and DVD Architect 3.0 http://www.cgfocus.com/article/story/336&page=1 Demo Reels, Portfolios and Interviewing http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=2491 Demo Reels are Key to Opening Doors to Employment http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=2881 The Career Coach: Demo Reel DOs and DON'Ts http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&sval=demo+reel&article_no=16 The demo reel 101 http://www.thescratchpost.com/resources/reel.shtml Tips for a demo reel that works http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/demo_reel.html Demo reel music: copyright issues http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41362 What is Bad Demo Reel Etiquette? http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43044 Useful books to read in addition: The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything http://www.amazon.com/Art-Start-Time-Tested-Battle-Hardened-Starting/ Rules For Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Revolutionaries-Capitalist-Manifesto-Marketing/ How to Get a Job in Computer Animation http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0974323004 Getting a Job in CG: Real Advice from Reel People http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-CG-Advice-People/ Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581154453/ Careers in Computer Graphics & Animation (Gardner's Guide Series) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0966107527/ |
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