Long Awaited Update..

What have I been up to these past 2 weeks?

An unrelenting job search.

Finishing Uni with top marks means nothing if no one is hiring! This means I've been having to rely mainly on sending out speculative emails to studios around Leeds on the off chance they might have the need for a 3D Artist/Designer. The chances on getting anything from this tactic are slim, but hopefully the companies will keep hold of my CV and Reel in case of a future position opening up.

Around 16 applications sent off means one hell of a waiting game. What to do in the meanwhile? Work on my skill set and improve my show reel. I've decided to burn through everything Digital Tutors has to offer, even going back to basics by following the initial modelling tutorials, brushing over existing skills is never a bad thing and I've learnt a few new short cuts that will make life much easier.

Currently I'm working through the following tutorial..

Following the tutorial I model a futuristic corridor that utilises various modelling techniques resulting in a high detail environment fit for use in video games. I'm really enjoying it so far and it's helped me practice creating high detail models without the use of a smoothing modifier.

In this screenshot I've created 3 pieces of geometry that use 3 different modelling techniques. The air-con unit attached to the wall used general poly modelling, utilising a lot of chamfering to generate detail. The door frame was modelled with the intention to be smoothed, this means no Ngons could be present and to add detail I used the Graphite Modelling Tool's Quick Edge Loop Tools. Finally the Terminal on the wall was created using Splines that were refined to make a wire frame mesh which then had a surface modifier added to it.

I feel the best option right now for me is carry on improving my show reel and work. A stronger skillset will only increase my chances of getting the job I want and make my life, in the long run, much easier.

The rest of this week will be spent working through digital tutors tutorials, selling stuff on ebay and awaiting at least one interview opportunity.

1:1

So I finally got my final mark from Uni, I spent around an hour refreshing the page, waiting for 4 years of my life to be summed up in 2 numbers.

I got a 1:1! So all that work was definitely worth it, I was pleasantly surprised with the mark as I still saw flaws in the project that I felt needed addressing, I'd have liked to show more documentation, and possibly tried some newer techniques on certain aspects of the final piece. When breaking the score down I got an A for my final project, an A for my Special study and a B for my Dissertation, so I'm pretty damn happy!

Currently I'm applying for various jobs that have taken my interest. I've updated my CV to include my new grade, and I've also decided to add software skills that seem relevant for the industry I'm interested in. Also I've been working on my showreel and have my first draft complete. I've started sending this out with my applications in hopes it will strengthen my application.

Here's the first draft of the Showreel. I'd like to add in some more detailed examples of my environment design, and possibly some asset creation with breakdowns of the modelling, texturing and rendering stages.

Till next week!

Done Dusted and A&E

2 Weeks since the last update, it has been pretty hectic! The degree show went great, it was a packed event and people showed a lot of interest in my work. In total I had around 10-12 of my business cards taken, so these past few days I've found myself watching my inbox like a hawk.

My Set Up

I got a nice little corner where I could have my work next to my A1 poster. Sadly there wasn't a decent place to put my business cards so I settled with balancing them on an wiring cover, checking back every so often to see if many were missing. I was quite impressed with how many people took interest in my work, I had a decent group of people around it most of the show. The only major downfall was the fact that the only way to hear sound was using a pair of headphones, this didn't create the group immersion I had hoped for, but getting this spot at the show was hassle enough so I can't complain!

Here is the Final Piece that was shown at the degree show..

So this week has comprised of organising my CV and getting feedback on my show reel. In the middle of all this I had a nice trip to A&E for some stitches due to a nasty gash in my thumb, but now I'm back on track and preparing to send my Show Reel off to various companies I have interest in working for.

Preparing for the Degree Show & Visit from the External Examiner

It's been an interesting and busy week. I was one of the students chosen to have my work shown to the external examiner, Ian Bowden, who also happened to be an Art Director at Rockstar Games! I was pretty chuffed to have my work looked at by him, and he gave me some great advice on how to further improve it.

In particular he drove attention to the edges in one of my scenes. It's a corner where two walls meet.

The edge is far too harsh, the texture shows bricks that should jut out of the wall, but instead I have a perfectly straight edge. It's far too noticeable due to how close the camera gets to the wall. The solution was as follows...

I modelled separate bricks on the corner of the wall that created a more interesting and three dimensional appearance. You can see how each separate brick sticks out from the wall and makes it look built, instead of modelled. Also Ian explained to me how "Smoke and Mirrors" will now take place on the fly through, the camera shows a close up of this modified corner, which leads us to assume that all the corners are the same, even though I only modelled the bricks on the corner nearest to the camera.

Also this week I've been planning for the degree show. I have some business cards on order that should arrive next week, I'll be placing these out next to my work for people to take. I'll also hopefully have a TV showing my final piece, a computer with a slide show of work in progress shots as well as my project documentation and possibly a 3D Model of my character.

Final Year... Complete

Four years of University Over. Now time to wait for my results!

It's been an interesting ride, but I feel I've learnt a lot during my time here. At first I thought I would regret my countless nights sat at the PC, working away at Digital Tutors Tutorials, or messing in 3DS Max whilst my flatmates ventured out to get drunk, but I now realise I made the right decision and wouldn't change it if I ever had the chance. I feel more confident in my ability than I ever have, and with more dedication and training a job in the film or games industry could no longer be just a pipe dream.

The final year was hectic. A lot of "stuff" happened that I feared would hamper my Final project and as usual I was a little too ambitious with my project proposal. However, I pulled through with the help of little sleep and a newly found addiction to tea. A lot of students do say they learnt the most during their final year, but I feel for me it was in a way the opposite, I spent 3 years prior to this practising programs, techniques and skills that would enable me to have a "trouble" free final year, I can't imagine anything worse than having the project delayed due to not having the right skillset or know how. I did however learn a lot about time management this year, and how quickly deadlines can loom. But with countless plans, tables, "to do..." lists and 3D marathons I managed in the end.

My Project

So, my project. I knew I would be creating something in 3D, and I wanted it to be very environment driven as this was my strength. Initially I played around with the ideas of a fight scene between two Norse warriors, clad in iron and steel, battling it out in a muddy forest. I came very close to actually starting this project, but after considering the amount, and quality, of animation needed, I decided against it. I'm not an excellent animator, and I didn't want the focal point of the project to be shifted from nice models, texturing and rendering to.. well.. choppy animation. 

After a few more iterations of project ideas I decided on an environment driven reel, however, due to my capability of creating good quality character models, I didn't want to exclude them from the piece. So, as an introduction to the reel I created a short animation that set the scene. My environment is based in a fantasy world created by myself, I really enjoyed creating the Lore behind the project, and I've had new ideas about future projects that take place in this world. Below is the final output.

I'm pretty happy with the final out come, although I would like to adjust some render settings and lighting, which I probably will do when creating my showreel. I did underestimate the render time once or twice, so I had to make sacrifices by removing lights and displacement maps to speed everything up.


What now?

It's strange having no deadline ahead of me to worry about, but at the same time it's nice having the time to work on the projects I've had to put on the backburner for a few months. Me and my partner move to York in August so whilst finding work to "to get me by" over the summer I want to do some more training.

I plan to add some new software to my skillset, Autodesk Maya and Zbrush being the priority. I'm also wanting to learn some more advanced techniques in Photoshop and 3DS Max, especially with an emphasis on different methods of texturing. I would like to explore some game engines this summer and I plan to look into creating a few levels for popular games such as Counter Strike and Half Life.

So a relatively busy summer ahead.This week I'll be working on my show reel and sending off a few letters to potential employers. I plan to update this blog at least once a week with work, random thoughts and ramblings, so check back soon!