🧵 Feeling like a massive fraud
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:27:02 UTC No. 914130
>Lucked into my first 3D artist job in a small advertising company, wasn't even applying for that
>It's been almost two years now, we rarely do the same thing twice, but three things come up often: Shading/texturing, simulations and environments
>Not much modeling, unless we have to make something very specific or simple (we often have to fix meshes we bought, though)
>We use Blender for everything, and maybe a bit of Photoshop for textures and Fusion for compositing
As you read this, you may ne telling yourself, ''This blendlet can barely model and has almost no experience, if he loses his job he's fucked'', and I would agree with you on that. So what would be the best course of action for someone in my situation to be more employable? I have a few ideas, but I'd like to know your opinions.
Quick note, I'm also a decent video editor and dabbled in compositing and motion design
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:43:24 UTC No. 914132
OP here, on a more positive note, I should also add that I'm probably not going to lose my job soon: there's only two of us in the 3D department and we're hard to replace, since the 3D talent pool in my city in almost non existent. My coworker is also close to retirement, so if I were to leave, everything would fall on his shoulders and he'd probably just leave the company, thus making the department fall apart. That being said, I wouldn't rely on this for job security
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:54:19 UTC No. 914134
>>914130
If you're employed, rest assured, you're not a fraud... it costs money to hire you, and any paid creative position has basically the entire city's artists applying to it no matter how shitty it is, so you're already in the top 1-10%. When you think about it like that, imposter syndrome would seem like a joke to you.
If you're worried about your portfolio and would like to do bigger/better things in the future, then you should start doing side projects... game jams are also a good way to commit yourself with a deadline.
Do also look into augmented and virtual reality... of course I'm not talking about the crypto metaverse nonsense, but edutech... they are the hot new toys there and for very good reason as they allow the learning to be extremely effective and personal... so diversify your skills accordingly.
Good luck, and don't forget... you already made it, just keep it up.
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:01:54 UTC No. 914136
>>914134
Thanks anon, where should I start looking if I'm interested in Edutech?
I might also get into Unreal Engine someday, I heard whispers that we might build a virtual production setup in the future
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:25:00 UTC No. 914145
>>914136
Edutech essentials:
- SCORM (just know that it is a standardised content delivery system for e-learning, no need to know the inner workings)
- iSpring Suite
- Articulate Storyline
- Adobe Captivate
- ADDIE model
iSpring is just an add-on in Powerpoint, and Captivate and Storyline are basically just Powerpoint but more geared for learning designers. Standards for content are extremely low so somebody like us with motion graphics/actual artistic experience usually just blow the competition out of the water. This is apparently top-of-the-line work: https://community.articulate.com/se
ARVR essentials:
- ARCore/ARKit
- Vuforia
- Unity ARFoundation
- Unreal
- Cardboard for Unity (requires annoyingly specific setup so follow this strictly: https://developers.google.com/cardb
Unity has their own learning portal for you to be hand held through making a game: https://learn.unity.com/ Everything else in ARVR is pretty poorly documented though, so you'd have to do a lot of asking around and self-directed learning (aka just fixing shit yourself).
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:49:20 UTC No. 914155
>>914130
>So what would be the best course of action for someone in my situation to be more employable?
learn houdini
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:47:10 UTC No. 914188
>>914130
just get better (daily tutorials) if you care or let it ride if you don't
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:49:41 UTC No. 914189
this >>914155
or c4d if you're a brainlet
you can probably leverage your position into a spot at one of the advertising/design houses
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:54:27 UTC No. 914191
Where do you live and how much are you paid? I'm tempted between going back to webdev or get a 3D job but desu I'm gonna follow who's gonna pay me the most.
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:27:30 UTC No. 914198
>>914191
If you only care about $$$, you should go back to webdev (unless tout specialise, for example as a rigger). Most 3D jobs that pay well are in expensive cities, so it evens out IMO
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:30:38 UTC No. 914200
>>914189
What are the big differences between Blender and C4D?
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 22:50:55 UTC No. 914225
>>914155
Lmao you remind me of one of my classmates
>Doing retopo? Use Houdini!
>Rigging a character? Use Houdini!
>Unwrapping UVs? Use Houdini!
>Sucking cock? Use Houdini!
All jokes aside, webm related was a massive pain in the ass to pull off in Blender and the final result isn't that great, how do you think you would have done it using Houdini? The shot is supposed to show some micelles of a disinfectant killing a virus
>>914145
Thanks chad, appreciate it
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:04:58 UTC No. 914228
>>914225
>how do you think you would have done it using Houdini?
for one, you could do it all procedurally
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:17:02 UTC No. 914232
>>914225
Cool webm, I'd probably make a growth/infection sim on the virus surface and use it as a mask that morphs between a pristine and damaged mesh, basically just noise and dark discoloration. Plus some POP particles for the disintegration effect.
Like these apples a person made, see the process video @ 0:11.
https://www.behance.net/gallery/100
Anonymous at Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:34:15 UTC No. 914242
>>914232
Interesting, this solution might actually be doable with geo nodes... I ought to look into it some day
>>914228
No doubt about it, this shot seemed tailor made for Houdini when I was briefed on it
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:27:17 UTC No. 914345
>>914155
telling someone who is too dumb/untalented for fucking blender to just learn houdini is like telling someone that is too dumb to work with a hammer to "just build a CNC machine from scratch MacGyver style and do the same job with 1/100th mm precision".
houdini is for 130IQ+ only
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:36:01 UTC No. 914347
>>914345
Houdini is easier than blender with much better and more realistic simulations, true procedural workflow and /stage/. Stop gatekeeping
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:46:11 UTC No. 914349
>>914130
Educate yourself. Read a book. Expand your skillset. You never stop learning.
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:55:25 UTC No. 914357
>>914130
OP, don't listen to >>914347
this place is full of extremely bitter blender beginners that actively try to sabotage other people's progress. the anon i just referred to wants you to invest precious time into a 3d program legendary for its steep learning curve instead of actually helping you.
if you know your way around blender and need to improve quickly you should stick to it for the moment.
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 11:40:58 UTC No. 914360
>>914357
you dont know what your talking about. In 10 minutes you can get simulations going in houdini that arent even possible in blender and you can do it all procedurally. Fuck off back to learning.
Anonymous at Wed, 17 Aug 2022 11:43:45 UTC No. 914362
>>914360
you are fucking retarded, bro.