Getting a job

[saxo_boy]

So can i get a job within 3d if i am good at modelling?
No qualifications, just mouthwatering work?

i am not good at modelling as yet be am determined to master this skill.

So can i get a job with no qualifications?.

i am planning on going to college do to 3d then uni hopefully.

[MonteCristo]

Yes you can. If your portfolio is good, you should be fine. I recommend working up a good 2D portfolio as well. 2D can be a reall boost to your chances. Good texturing is important here.

[saxo_boy]

do you mean - 2d as in making my own textures on the pc, then using them in 3d...

Kewl - thanx for ur reply - i am not gonna go college as yet - might not now, just gonna work hard everyday on max until i build a very good portfolio.

Going to do alot of tutorials until i become a master. lol

so besides modelling. do u think i should get to know animation?

right now i am learning how to model cars, then i want to go onto learn other stuff - iv tried houses but i didnt get far - and i done a cartoon thing before - which was okay. and a few logo's.

it would be a dream come true to get a job in 3d - getting paid for modeling ( somethink i enjoy alot) - i could sit here for 16 hours a day doing this!

[Chris-3DT]

2d as in character and prop designs, scenes, and so on. concept art kind of stuff.

(I think)

[MDX]

What type of 3D Modeling is it you want to do?? It might help to have a speciality or something. Depending what exactly you want to do.

Soz if that isn't really useful to u...

[saxo_boy]

concept art - i can draw but not to good at it,

right now i am doing cars, i want to learn how to design my own cars, and afew other cars that are already out there, i also want to animate the cars in some way. beside doing cars, i want to learn how to make characters and animate them - make a short vid.

i did try this before but i am more eager to do cars right now.

Beyond that - i want to do level design for games like grand theft auto - nice level design, all types of scenes - i think i have loads of good ideas in my head - want to turn them into 3d.

What to learn about lighting, cameras, textures, animation.


I say this could take a good 3 years to learn - probally more to master it.

id rarther work hard on max and try and learn asmuch as i can. so when i use max i could press Ctrl + x

iv always been into graphics = but only found 3d 7 months ago and only used it for 5 months as the 1st 2 where bad for me. did not hardly use it - thought it was too complexed for me. but really - its not - lol.

I want a job in doing 3d but i am not sure what 3d skills i need besides modeling.?

[MDX]

In that case, buy some games which are easily modifiable, like Doom3, Counter-Strike, Half-Life 2, Jedi Knight 2, Jedi Knight 3, Soldier of Fortune 2, Elite Force, Elite Force 2. The last 5 use a program called QE Radiant. GTA use something else, not sure what atm tho. But if you make maps for those games, you can make some prefabs in max, then import them onto your map. It gives you some experiance in game level design. And if they end up being popular. Even better.

Hope some of that info was useful. And if you want, You can find a copy of Radiant at www.qeradiant.com.

Good luck.

[saxo_boy]

thanx alot mdx = iv made a note of the software so once good - i will more then just give it ago - i know u can get the gta programmer somewhere on the net - seen it before - i think its so kewl to make ur own car and use it in the game, i seen an aston martin in gta-vicec - it looked better then all of the cars on vice.

as for there other games like half life - they are just perfect to learn level design...

can i ask if you work in the 3d field? and other ppl?

if so can u tell me what a 10 hour shift is like? modeling takes alot of time, i take it the companies dont mind if you spend about 100 hours on making a car - aslong as is superwork?

do companies perfer ppl who can work fast? i work at a steady paste right now...

[saxo_boy]

How good do i need to be before i apply for that dream job? - i see alot of work on the net and alot of it is good = very good infact. - i take it not everyone has jobs in this field.

[MDX]

Don't ask if you can ask. Just ask:P. I'm just a hobbiest. And I believe that some gfx companies aren't too keen on the overtime thing, 1 because of the comps... 2, it costs them more money on wages.

Most companies probably work to deadlines, so you have to get it done by whenever.

Thats all I can think of atm. Don't suppose others could reply?? :P

[Andy_k-3DT]

most freelance work will be done on a fixed price, you'll talk to the customer, find out exactly what they want then quote based on your time, now the limits are going to be that the person hiring you is going to have a set budget, so if it's not high enough you can either take it on the chin and work for a lower hourly rate or just walk away and say "no thanks". The price you quote will also vary depending on where in the world the client is based, it's no good quoting "american prices" to an eastern bloc developer as they just won't have the budget.

I find most of the work I get comes from people asking me directly or from referrals rather than from me chasing work, every 3D advert that is posted gets thousands of replies - it's a bit of a lottery as to whether or not you get chosen.

Remember a few things

1, you will probably have to do a lot of small amendments to any image/model so always allow for this in a quote - most companies don't realise just how much work is involved in these "minor" changes

2, there will always be someone who is willing to work for less than you - that's their loss so never do jobs that seem too cheap. It has a knock on effect of reducing overall prices and then everyone suffers

3, before you quote for any work make sure your software is all legal and licenced - there's no excuse for using pirate software on commmercial projects and some agencies will ask for licence confirmation as it can be their neck on the line

4, unless you are very lucky you will not be busy all the time

HTH

Andy

[saxo_boy]

wow - thanx alot andy-k - ur advice is great and was somethink that i just needed to here - thanx for ur time, how much money do u want - lol

i so cant wait to get a job in this field.

Once good hopefuly i will do some freelance work.

how do u become a freelance worker - do u just advertise urself until u get customs?

[Andy_k-3DT]

advice is free

how do you get freelance work?

that's the hard question, it's just a case of keeping your name in peoples minds, making sure you post to galleries such as the one here is a great way of doing this, my last two big contracts have both come from people who had picked up a link to my web site from either here or other internet galleries.

Depending on what you are aiming for finding work will always be hard, I'd suggest that you contact all of your local architects offering your services, whilst you won't get rich doing this kind of work it's surprising how regular it can become and these guys all talk to each other so you will get referral work and at the risk of offending a few people you don't need to be a great 3D modeller to do it but you must have the ability to work fast and accurately.

HTH

Andy

[saxo_boy]

glad iv spoken to you andy - so you dont need to be the greatest modeller to work in this field - just the ability to work accurately and fast - thats kwel with me - so other then just making cars - its good to learn how to model the everyday items - things like table's chairs, computers, most things etc etc, by doing this - it will help me to become more fast and accurate at modelling.

As soon as i get a new pc - i will start building my portfolio and website and work hard on scenes to achieve my goal.

Awwww, just cant wait now - thanx andy i now have more then just determination thanx to u

[Wormin8or]

I know that freelancers can get involved with the global animation studio http://www.globalanimationstudio.com They act as a sort of alliance that distribute work out to those who they believe can get the best results. One restriction is they expect max users only.

Does any1 have experience of being part of their system? (have you had work offers from them, etc)

Also, do you know of a similar service that is available to those not using max and only bases itself upon artistic/creative talent?

I'm sorryif I'm stealing your thread, but perhaps someone willl write an article for the 3DT homepage that will be a definitive source of information on getting into the industry and not simply say "cold call companies, send unsolicited mail to them, and so on)