Monday, 4 May 2020

Portfolio and Job role research

Looking at the requirements for a vis dev or a bg artist to understand the skills I need and what to show through my portfolio to make me more employable.
Recently discovered that background design, as opposed to character design is an entry level job which is added encouragement. 
Vis dev is a dream job and although it's super competitive there is no harm in pursuing it.

It also meant I included learning Maya and using it for background reference as I'd picked up that it'd be important in a portfolio and generally a useful skill.

Research



I’m collating some of my favourite artists work in this document so that:
  • I can easily refer back to their portfolio links for reference
  • To advise my website in terms of content and layout 
  • Inspiration 
  • To remind myself of the quality that I need to eventually reach (a lot of advice is that we need to show potential that we can reach these studio artists and be about 80% of the way there.
AtomHawk Advice:
This is a website that Rob told me about and it’s sooo helpful in breaking down what a company might want from a portfolio. This has helped me focus on what I need to add to my portfolio. 


YouTube/Skillshare : Notes in previous blog post video

Katie Gasgoyne
Background portfolio should be- fully rendered jpegs. Vis Dev Portfolio- Thought process: development, iterations etc.
Clean and simple, White bg portfolio, large images, Simple UI.

Software I need to know
From looking at example portfolios, and job vacancies 
& according to ScreenSkills: Photoshop, 3D modelling and painting software (Maya etc), 2D animation (TV Paint etc), Traditional media


"Background designers are usually employed as staff in an animation studio, rather than being freelance. ( layout artist decides how the figures should be placed in the background.)
Firstly, they need to make a list of all the backgrounds that need to be designed for the film. They create designs which fit the style of the animation, thinking about colour, texture and light."

Skills: 
Draftsmanship (form, colour, texture, light)
Knowledge of environments (architecture of city and landscape)
Creativity
Communication (with director feedback)
Passion for animation 

Portfolio:
For background, prop or layout roles 
-Plenty of observational drawings, colour studies, perspective studies, landscapes, cityscapes and studies of light

    Sunrise on the Matterhorn study
  •  I have various lists of things that I refer back to if I'm ever forgetful about what I should be working on, including lists of landscape artist to do studies on and collections of their work to study.

 

Vis Dev/ Bg Artist lessons - How to get better

NOTES from classes, portfolio research and books I've read above
Some of the classes I've been checking out below 


Classes - Skillshare and YouTube
-confirmed my focus on backgrounds.
- help me better my work to strengthen my portfolio (an ongoing task).
- I see a huge improvement in my work from 2nd year.
 

Books:
  • Master the Art of Speedpainting - LOVeD this book, so helpful!
  • Colour and Light: A Guide for the Realist painters by James Gurney
  • Digital Painting Techniques Vol 7 Ken Barthelemy
  • How to Draw : Sketching objects and environments from your imagination by S. Robertson and T.Bertling
  • A big book on perspective - I can't remember the name!


--
Schoolism
When I hand in for extended practice I plan on taking a lot more classes to improve but I'm waiting so that I can take the classes full time to make the most of the money I'm spending - this is mainly for Schoolism classes. In particular:
- Painting with Light and Color with Tonko House and Cody Gramstad
- Introduction to Visual Development with Victoria Ying
- Landscape Sketching in Watercolor and Gouache with Nathan Fowkes 



What I definitely need to get better at if I want to be a good candidate for Background artist:
(Vis Dev along the way)
- COLOUR THEORY! Do colour studies
- I want to learn how to properly lay down paint traditionally as I think it'll help me digitally 
- lighting, shadow!
- perspective can always be improved - getting better at Maya will help this!
- Drawing urban areas, architecture as well as landscapes
 I plan to keep on taking classes where I can. The library resources have been invaluable, I'm glad this year I finally took advantage of it!

Covid-19 Lockdown plan

A change in exit plan due to covid-19:
With 'more time' on our hands, my focusses are slightly different considering I like many people don't have either of my jobs to fall back on now :(

-Start a BAME Collective????
- Apply to this online graduate gallery space by Light Grey Art Lab.
- Schoolism & Skillshare will be my saviours- learnt to background paint traditionally to properly understand colour??
- Working on portfolio
- Working on personal projects: series of diversity focussed illustrations
- Start animating again for fun!
- Learning Maya properly if my laptop can take it
-Do more commissions, more freelance work
- See where other crafts take me (embroidery, tapestry etc!)
- Staying in the animation loop e.g. studio news or podcasts like Cartoon Saloon https://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/podcasts/

Shop:
Starting to sell my work -really promoting that
I have a shop in mind, but want to spend more time working on branding when uni is done, plus it'll keep me sane during all this madness.
For now I think the shop will focus on
- a series of illustrations which I want to make into a zine (one focussed on mental health that I've wanted to do for ages)
- prints of my work, illustrations
- small lino prints

I've looked into some printing places etc, it's not with the intention of being anything great, just something fun on the side.

Saturday, 2 May 2020

Sending my essay to journals


Journals
I was really pleasantly surprised with my COP feedback on my essay exploring how representation of race and culture in animation affect society's psyche.
Mike suggested I put it forward to a journal so I've been toying with this idea, waiting to get the confidence. Race representation is somthing I am so passionate about so I would like to atleast give it a go.
I haven't sent them in yet as I'm still waiting on feedback from Dotty but after deadlines hopefully I can throw myself into it with some research at the ready as to where I can send it.

YES

NO

Thursday, 23 April 2020

Branding

Website:

https://eloiseawayling.wixsite.com/portfolio
Will try to sort a more professional domain soon.

Honestly this took me an embarrassing amount of time to get done, but once I focussed and got my head down I was happy with where I got to.
- Need to change the photo of me on the About at some point to something more professional but I have nothing more recent.
- I think everything reads easily.
- Branding is the same as Insta and Linked In
-Unsure on whether to make a life drawing page.
-Wasn't sure whether having a Live insta feed will just be repetitive but I think once I'm past uni projects the most recent stuff on the feed will begin to vary more from my professional portfolio - might get rid of it.
Got a new email address @gmail which I've added to all platforms

Linked In and Instagram are up to date with uni work- aiming for an Instagram post every 5ish days.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloisewayling/


Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/wayl_ofatime/


Business Cards

- I made some business cards when I volunteered at MAF last November. I ended up making them by hand and this was them:

 


 UPDATED Business Card design
 I wanted to change them up a bit when updating socials and sorting my website, there is a slight change in the icon, I think it's a bit sleeker plus I really like turtle necks. Changed the title to fit my other socials. 
-Dotty mentioned Moo Finity - once I have more BGs that I'm proud of I'll consider using business cards to also showcase my work.


Website changes

- Will add Life Drawing!! People's opinions on this differ but the BlueZoo internship said life drawing skills were a plus so they're going in too, I do like to do them in my spare time so have a bunch archived

-from Ben's feedback:
Changed button
  • The home screen is no longer the buttons but opens to the environment page.
  • Environment page opens to large clear images of some final backgrounds to make more of an impact; development work is below incase people get bored.
  • Buttons- Ben wasn't keen on the orientation of the buttons not matching the work in them. The character button is now a character turn around. May colour it in in the future.
  • I will change the backgrounds and illustration buttons when I have something more fitting to the portrait orientation but for now they don't offend me too much.
  • I adjusted the wording of About to something more professional with Ben's guidance.

After
Before




 

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

Careers Appointment

When I started to feel completely overwhelmed with the prospect of graduating (mainly because I have no confidence in my abilities and know my portfolio isn't strong enough to get employed at the moment) I booked a careers appointment and have been emailing back and forth since, about CV, cover letter, my call with an industry professional, finding journals to send to, and how to approach internships.
It was invaluable especially in making sure I have a professional CV and cover letter sorted. Also Sharon was amazing in helping me split tasks up into an action plan, I've now completed everything on the list. It's making it easier to focus on my long term goals. Getting advice throughout the year has been a God send.

The checklist that Sharon and I put together as a priority list



Monday, 30 March 2020

Looking for opportunities

 On my year out
I managed to get a few days at a studio in Bristol called Wildseed
I assisted an animation workshop for kids in my local town.

LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
- With my CV updated, after emailing back and forth with my Careers Advisor, Sharon, I could confidently start signing up to more job sites, feeling more prepared.

 Sharon had previously directed me to Prospects as well which really helped me understand the difference between a CV and cover letter.
- I've now got a speculative cover letter sorted for finding future opportunities.

Sites I'm signed up to:
Glassdoor 
D&AD News 
Indeed
Creative Access (have applied to be verified)  -- check again
Top Bananas - couldn't get past basic details, I think the website is down
Profiles Creative -
Creative Pool
Screenskills – going to read into this further as they have great advice

Internships:
Framestore- Environments, Digital Matte Painting Monday 11th May 2020- REMOVED
Bluzoo- Background Artist Friday 8th May 2020
The Line April 24 2020
Studio AKA CANCELLED
EA Games- no current internships in the UK
Access VFX- none currently

Looking at opportunities/ studios around Guildford/near:
30 March: 
Wargaming- Environment Artist
Jumpship- Concept Artist
EA Games- Shading Artist
EA Games Criterion – Envionrment Artist

Studios nearest to me
Fudge Animation Studios
Klopt (Godalming)
Figment productions (Guildford)
Creative Monster (Guildford)

Other Studios to keep an eye on
*Jellyfish (Ldn) – previously reached interview for a runner on my year out
*Cartoon Saloon (Ireland)
*Passion Pictures (Ldn)
*Seed (Ldn)
*Animade (Ldn)
*Kilogramme (Manchester)
*Trunk (Ldn)
*Cartoon Network
Yard B
Trunk (Ldn, Norfolk)
Picnic (Ldn)
Red Knuckles (Ldn)
Spiel (Ldn)
The Line (Ldn)
Beryl Productions (Cardiff)
GO! Studios LTD (Guildford)

Grad schemes through broadcasting companies: (Often not vis dev focussed but would be great opportunities)
BBC- had previously had a phone call with head of Creative and he said there was nothing relevant to me.
Maybe the 18+ work experience, entry level and first step into TV. Other is more news related.
Possibly relevant- apprenticeship at 4Creative (apply by 3 April) Not vis dev focussed


Wednesday, 18 March 2020

PP Tutorial with Dotty


      Bulk up your LinkedIn account and connect it with all other channels you use
Have featured my Instagram account, and my website. It's all up to date with uni work.

      Make sure to unify all your social media channels so they tell the same story
Same icon used in banners or headers - I need to design this alongside business cards
Made sure my email was updated in Instagram
My 'about' sections have continuity
Instagram and LinkedIn feature the same priority work
Had a problem where my current job position was a focal point on my LinkedIn, which Dotty said didn't read well. The careers advisor has said it's important to show you're a working person with skills so the compromise I found was putting LAU above it as a job, whilst not deleting other job experience. Unfortunately it doubles up but I can change that when I hopefully find a more industry relevant job. 

Updated About, job section and Instagram link
 
      Consider who you are and what you want to do – that’ll be the basis of your brand and will help you decide what you need to promote yourself
Maintaining 'Background and Character Design', I need to change my old business cards to fit this
My website, portfolio, business cards will reflect this - still need to design these
 
      Your brand should span all your online and printed channels, be cohesive and consistent

      Keep CV clear, legible and concise: quality over quantity; layout matters
CV done with Careers Advisor 

      Consider how your business card design can showcase your work or what you do
Need to look into a new business card design, Dotty suggested MOO.com and Printfinity

      When networking and finding connections, look for people who can become your support network for after graduation – people who can open doors, give you jobs or answer questions
When connecting with people on linkedIn, I've ensured they are relevant to me and my practice e.g. interest in diversity or vis dev.



Managed to fix the repeated LAU whilst getting rid of the shoe shop title
My LinkedIn banner is more professional- one of my illustrations. May change to background painting. 

Cohesive brandings, new icon for new business cards also
 

Friday, 6 March 2020

Conversation with Laurence Honderick

I had a call with Laurence Honderick, the head of the BBC Creative today in which he gave me some
advice about entering the creative industries. The main take aways from this conversation:
-It’ll be a long road ahead and it seems like there is a huge wall between me and where I want to be
 but it’s not there to keep you out, it’s to keep those out who don’t want to be there enough.
- If and when you are good enough, everyone will know and they then can’t ignore you. 
The best animators/ creators have these qualities:
  1. Give a damn about every project that you work on, because when people see how much you
     put into what you’re not passionate about they’ll know how hard you will work beyond that 
    therefore you get more work.
  2. Never stop learning.
When you get a new brief, ask yourself these things:
  • Can I use this to push my skills technically/ creatively etc?
  • Can I make the work from it good enough for my portfolio/ or add to it to make it so?
  • Take on the duty of making global animation better.


You have so much time!!!! Use it beneficially!!!!
  • Take on side projects, BETTER yourself, or do side projects that you love.
  • Use side projects to self correct your course to where you want to be.
  • Mindfully learn new skills constantly.


How do you imagine your dream studio’s room to look/ what makes them so successful? Detail?
 Passion? Sketches everywhere, moodboards covering the walls?
Imagine your own imaginary room and everything you need to become the best, it will gradually 
physically manifest, in accordance to the new skills you are learning.


Be a nice person. 


Don’t worry about not knowing where you’ll be or what you’re doing- everyone is free falling, but 
some people learn to enjoy it. Don’t internalise fear and feelings of being fraudulent. 
If you’re not falling and being pushed, you’re not where you need to be.

Learning to be technically and creatively is great, but learn how to do it happily.

The BBC aren't really the right fit for what I want to do re: vis dev
__________________________________________________________________

I prepped for this fairly thoroughly with prompts from Sharon my careers advisor. It was a short call where I didn't end up needing the information for the conversation but it led me to look into what the BBC can offer and the schemes they run, so very valuable research!