" Hey guys. I had the pleasure of attending CGProtoge's CG industry seminar on saturday, and I would like to share some notes I had taken during the talk and when I had the opportunity to chat with the speakers. Of course, take some of these info with a grain of salt and don't just follow it blindly, think about how these points may apply to you and then take them into consideration.
It's quite a long list and some things may seem like common sense, so sorry about that! Hope that it may at least be of some help to you guys. Oh and big, big kudos to the CGProtoge staff who made the event possible. A 6 hours seminar is no joke lol.
From the talk
- It's important to work well in a team.
- Communicate your ideas effectively, don't let other people guess what you are doing.
- Be able to explain your decisions with confidence.
- A passionate person will find his way to solve problems, even when by himself.
- Visit product launches, workshops and talks to meet people from the community.
- It's good to start a learning blog. Make yourself easy to find online.
- Leave your ego at the door.
- Challenge yourself, then you will make mistakes, learn from them.
- Don't be defensive or make excuses when people critique you.
- Do not limit your job search. Promote yourself. Make use of all your skills and see how they can be used together.
- Search for collaborations with other artists and designers, even across the globe.
- Don't mix professional blogs with personal blogs.
- Don't post unprofessional stuff on your Facebook or other personal social media.
- Make full use of LinkedIn. Join professional groups.
- Make people curious about you in a positive way. Be visible online and in-person.
On Portfolios for aspiring Concept Artists/Designers
- It's good to design your portfolio pieces in "sets". A good way is to think of common theme or a "story" to tie them in together. It will be more interesting that way.
- If you're looking at the video game industry, a good idea is to design "upgraded versions" of a specific character, building or prop.
- It's good to show colour scripts.
- Make sure that when designing "cute" things that they are really appealing enough to the general audience. Ask other people for opinions before settling on a design.
- Good to show background, matte painting ability. Not neccessarily photorealistic, as long as it can fit in whatever style you are working with.
- Cloudscapes are especially important in animation projects.
- Show ability to do design turnarounds.
- Show ability to think like a product designer, for example how an object moves or articulates its joints, etc.
- Storyboarding ability is very useful. Show understanding in camera shot design.
- Keep good consistency in your style and proportions in your designs. Don't put good work beside bad work in your portfolio. (it may be hard to see it yourself, seek other people's opinions)
- Think of how your designs can be marketed or used as merchandise in the future.
- Don't end up as a clone (in terms of style, design choices, etc.)
- Composition is important. Not only in illustrations but also in layouts and design sheets, especially when it's in your portfolio. Always have a strong focal point.
- For final renders/illustrations, put the details in specific areas, not everywhere.
- Other people may not find your favourite portfolio piece to be the best piece. It's good to be objective.
- Remove any portfolio piece that cannot match up with the rest of your portfolio.
- Think of something new and interesting, not somethat so generic that everyone has already seen in a hundred times.
Last important point!
- Is your portfolio really exciting to the art director? Or will he just look at it like it's one of the other 1000 portfolios he may have seen before and then move on? Always strive to create a portfolio that is absolutely mind-blowing and don't settle for a "not bad, looks nice". " - Long Junhong, one of the CG Protege CG Industry Seminar Attendee
Here is the link to the facebook page
No comments:
Post a Comment