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Aah man, this is common (the fact 3d animators being frustrated / angry) because someone can buy items for poser / daz and render it.
They can not see that possibility, and live attached to the idea that we have to do everything from scratch.
Actually this frustration is the result of a fear that bothers them.
This storm of technology causes fear even in large producers.
Here for 2 years, the GTX Titan "Z" will be much cheaper than its current price ... What did say a person in his own house, in your own bedroom, rendering scenes using GPU renderer, all on only one computer? Who will stop this person?
The kinect sensor technology, each semester is discovered a new role for him.
IkinemawebAnimate's there, making things easier,
Have you ever noticed that most famous singers, selling thousands of copies of your cd / dvds music, they are not always the authors of the letters that sing?
There is someone behind, who writes the songs ... And the singer paid rights / royaltes to use the music and give life to it in his voice ... as someone who creates 3d models ... and we bought them.
Just go on is what I say!
Just my 2¢ on tattoos
There would never be a reason to add tattoos to bump or spec maps. A tattoo should not "bump" the skin.
I have made a tattoo tutorial on deviant art designed to give a fairly realistic representation of how tattoo's actually look.
http://rawart3d.deviantart.com/art/Tattoo-on-skin-texturing-329660194
Rawn
So it's not like an old, worn-out tattoo "blends" into skin, making it darker on the inside? Because while I never had one, I saw several ones that had the ink that went very deeply into the skin, giving an effect similar to a dark vein.
Yeah, the old "Catch 22" - in order to get a job, etc., you need experience. But to get experience you need a job ... rinse, repeat :( I have a friend who is a self-published author. His work is, in my opinion, as worthy as many a thing I have read but unless or until he is 'picked up' his sales will be in single digits.
Very true stuff. I guess that is why we need to learn to better market our services. =)
Aah man, this is common (the fact 3d animators being frustrated / angry) because someone can buy items for poser / daz and render it.
They can not see that possibility, and live attached to the idea that we have to do everything from scratch.
Actually this frustration is the result of a fear that bothers them.
This storm of technology causes fear even in large producers.
Here for 2 years, the GTX Titan "Z" will be much cheaper than its current price ... What did say a person in his own house, in your own bedroom, rendering scenes using GPU renderer, all on only one computer? Who will stop this person?
The kinect sensor technology, each semester is discovered a new role for him.
IkinemawebAnimate's there, making things easier,
Have you ever noticed that most famous singers, selling thousands of copies of your cd / dvds music, they are not always the authors of the letters that sing?
There is someone behind, who writes the songs ... And the singer paid rights / royaltes to use the music and give life to it in his voice ... as someone who creates 3d models ... and we bought them.
Just go on is what I say!
Thanks for the inspiration to continue. I think your right that the advances in technology are changing things very rapidly. I remember starting out in the printing business doing paste-up mechanical's for pre-press. Within a year of starting in the business desktop publishing made using a waxer to paste down typesetting and cutting rubylith sheets obsolete.
It's interesting that you bring up the famous singers. I have been reading Keith Richard's form The Rolling Stones book, and he relates a very interesting story that relates to what you are saying. His manager locked him and Mick Jagger in a kitchen early on in their career to write some songs. They had never written a song yet as they had recorded there first album using only cover versions of old Blue musicians. They wound up writing a bunch of songs, but felt they didn't fit the Rolling Stones style. Their manager sold those song to other artist's who got big hits out of them. They made a lot of money selling those songs and eventually this process led to them learning to write there own songs that did fit their own style.
So it's not like an old, worn-out tattoo "blends" into skin, making it darker on the inside? Because while I never had one, I saw several ones that had the ink that went very deeply into the skin, giving an effect similar to a dark vein.
Sure it goes under the skin and blends...but it should not "bump" anything....unless grossly infected ;)
By this, I assume good tattoos don't affect the inner skin much. Thank you, I learnt two things together - one only has to add tattoos to diffuse maps and how you recognise a screwed one (apart from the fever of the poor person and other symptoms like that)! :P
I have to admit I always thought Warhol was a product of hype and the times more than a great artist.
My main gripe in this area is Damien Hirst and his platinum skull - a very expensive item, basically a skull made from platinum and imbedded with diamonds. It's a Damien Hirst item. Guess what part he had in it's making. Yup, he drew the design and did NOTHING of the actual work of physically creating it.
...this also occurs with a lot of the publicly funded art one sees around in cities. The artist designs it, but often because of the sheer size of many of the works, they are fabricated by others according to the artist's plans.
Thanks for the inspiration to continue. I think your right that the advances in technology are changing things very rapidly. I remember starting out in the printing business doing paste-up mechanical's for pre-press. Within a year of starting in the business desktop publishing made using a waxer to paste down typesetting and cutting rubylith sheets obsolete.
It's interesting that you bring up the famous singers. I have been reading Keith Richard's form The Rolling Stones book, and he relates a very interesting story that relates to what you are saying. His manager locked him and Mick Jagger in a kitchen early on in their career to write some songs. They had never written a song yet as they had recorded there first album using only cover versions of old Blue musicians. They wound up writing a bunch of songs, but felt they didn't fit the Rolling Stones style. Their manager sold those song to other artist's who got big hits out of them. They made a lot of money selling those songs and eventually this process led to them learning to write there own songs that did fit their own style.
...then there's Barry Manalow,, famous for the hit I Write The Songs which was actually written by a fellow named Bruce Johnston
"...then there’s Barry Manalow,, famous for the hit I Write The Songs which was actually written by a fellow named Bruce Johnston"
That is just too funny!.
Look at it this way, the same fellow who complains about Daz Studio or Poser is probably snagging lots of things off the 3d Max model database, or grabbing up stuff off turbo squid because as a pro, he'd have deadlines too. What is the problem with a Daz3d model or Poser model? It didn't cost enough to limit its users to trust fund brats and Hollywood production studios? More time and money goes into developing products for Poser and Daz3d than goes into much of the "Pro" items offered up on turbo squid. Yes, Poser and Daz Studio are the Walmart of the 3d world. They count on more people being able and willing to buy their product for a lower price. They do volume sales compared to others. That's what keeps the costs down, the size of the community. The ability of the community to create many items and attract many more buyers has resulted in affordable products of superior quality, not inferior quality. The Poser and Daz community allow regular people to be a part of the community and have a team of people designing content and offering it up at reasonable prices. Some people will only buy name brand fashions and they always over pay for the name. They want to be robbed. If they don't overpay, it means they don't think they are worthy of a $500 shirt, or they are so poor they just couldn't be comfortable risking eating in their new $500 shirt. They must overpay for the shirt, they must overpay for a spaghetti dinner (what is cheaper than pasta, really?) while wearing the shirt, where they will drop a meatball right down the front, then they must toss out the shirt and never shed a tear or they are just defective and low class. There is nothing wrong with Poser and Daz models except the people can afford access to them, not just the wealthy. Classism is the new racism. Some people just want to make sure they are always first in line, top of the pecking order, king of the mountain. If it can't because they happen to be a certain color, can it be because they went to a certain school, can it be because their daddy is richer than your daddy? They don't really care why as long as they can build a gutter and put you in it and have you build them a mansion and a sporty car etc. This is at the heart of whether the art is real, whether the music is real. If people ever just wake up and stop buying into this system, who will flip the burgers and clean the toilets? But do understand we live in a world where first and foremost we must bow to this system, we must perpetuate this system, or the people in the mansions get all worried and bent. Just always understand its a way of thinking that is rammed down peoples throats from the day they are born and it repeats itself over and over in many guises. Don't be bothered by people trying to keep a glass ceiling placed firmly on the top of your head. Lets all just stop that. Why not? He says you can't. But you can and you have and you are doing just that. Don't let others tell you can't do things that you can do very well.
...well said. I've seen models at TS with price tags of 100$, or more that look poorly made with no rigging,
When I was looking around for a good 9' concert grand piano, I found only one that had the correct proportions and details (for 125$), Of course all the materials were .max so the only version that would work would be an untextured unrigged .obj. Not worth 125$ if I have to do all he texturing and rigging myself. Other examples priced at as much as 50$ to 75$ either had poor proportioning of the case, incorrect keyboard compass/configuration, no interior frame or strings, and in one case, the keyboard was just a flat map on an elongated flattened cube primitive rather than modeled.
Compare that to Ness Reproductions' Harpsichord (based on an historic Flemish design) which is beautifully detailed, complete with a rigged lid that has two angle settings, strings, jack rail, soundboard details, two complete material sets, character poses, and a fully articulated keyboard which is priced at 13.95$ The only flaw (and it is a very small one) is the keyboard has 61 keys (harpsichords generally had 54 - 56 keys) but only someone like myself who is trained on the instrument would really notice the difference.
wow
can we pin that somewhere ?
Just my 2¢ on tattoos
There would never be a reason to add tattoos to bump or spec maps. A tattoo should not "bump" the skin.
I have made a tattoo tutorial on deviant art designed to give a fairly realistic representation of how tattoo's actually look.
http://rawart3d.deviantart.com/art/Tattoo-on-skin-texturing-329660194
Rawn
that is not how a tattoo looks
you must not have one
that is not how a tattoo looks
you must not have one
yeah...whatever
joeping - Your money in exchange for my content means you get to call yourself whatever the heck you want. ;)
My personal opinion is this:
I don't care about the tools you use. I care about the art you create. The software won't do a damn thing you make you an artist. You have to do that yourself. From the looks of your portfolio, you've got the fundamentals down. My hats off to you for that. It was refreshing to see.
That said..
If you are looking to get into the gaming or movie industry then you'll be asked what your experience is in the software each company uses in their pipeline. The fact that the individual artists may or may not respect DAZ or Poser is irrelevant. What matters to the company is if you a "plug and play" hire. Can you sit at the desk, fire up the software in question and get to work? They don't have time to train and they'll tell you so.
Look at the pro level publications to get an idea of where you need to be.
These are my favorites:
3D World - eMag
3D Magazine - eMag
3dTotal - Website
And any book put out by Ballistic on 3D, 2D concept art and 2D matte painting (pick your poison)
If you really want the pro level experience it, you have to work for it. How long it takes is entirely up to you.
Carry on. Have fun.
Maybe he isn't trying to get job for a company. Looks like he wants to be the company he works for. Maybe the movie industry wouldn't hire his company because they'd need something different. But maybe every customer isn't making a blockbuster game or movie? If some of the content was to be used in a game, you'd need to make sure it could be licensed for that. But I'd think the customer could absorb the costs for that. Yeah, if he he looking to work for others in the industry, he'd need to jump threw some hoops. To work for himself and a customer, all he needs to do is make his customer happy to pay him and not violate any usage restrictions set out by artists that created the content. Small businesses are all over the place and they get to do things as they please.
He who owns the company gets to decide who, if anyone, the company hires and what skills they are looking for. If you were asking him for a job, maybe he wouldn't care if you knew your way around 3dmax? So he has this company, what is he looking for in an employee?
...the stumbling block to learning pro grade software on one's own is the ridiculously high cost.
There is no way in 30 days (the usual duration of a trial version) one will grasp even the basics of a complex programme like 3DS to show someone he or she knows what they are doing. Only E-on offers a pro grade application (Vue Infinite) in a personal learning format where there are no time limits. Unless one is a student at a college or university (another large expense), he or she is not eligible for student discounts.
Many of the basic concepts used in CG are the same whether it is Daz Studio Carrara, Cinema 4D, or 3DS Max. All four of the professionals whom I spoke with did not have a degree in in the field, they pretty much learned what they knew on their own and on the job. True it would take a studio or company seeing a unique quality in one's work to "go out on the limb" and hire or recommend someone who doesn't have the direct experience with industry standard software (yet). I feel that occurred a couple weeks ago for myself as I mentioned earlier in this thread. There are also different avenues ("back doors" if you like) such as apprenticeships, internships, or even a state funded OJT programme (like my state offers). So just because one doesn't have the "on hands" training with industry standard software and/or a degree doesn't necessarily mean all the doors are closed.
One avenue I am already looking at is the Adobe Creative Cloud. One can subscribe to the basic PhotoshopCS for a mere 9.95$ a month. Now while I am not all that thrilled about cloud computing, I do see it as a means of offering one the option to learn the software on one's own at a minimal cost compared to attending a 2-year college or technical institute. If Autodesk heads in that same direction, there's another option.
True, it is more of an "uphill" route but not impossible if one is truly committed to achieving that goal.
Bluebird 3D - Thanks for the honest response it is greatly appreciated.
This is why I started this thread. I didn’t mean to imply that I thought the initial reply to my post was wrong or being elitist. It’s seems to be the brutal truth. It’s a wake up call to transitioning from personal work to working in the industry. If I don’t bring anything unique to the table in a real world production environment, then there are many skilled individuals that can. Another responder (he was the head of a large CGI firm) on LinkedIn was very encouraging to me to keep learning, but also stated I need to improve to be considered for a job with them. Since they don’t use DAZ Studio or Carrara, I would be like any other applicant with out any practical experience in the software that they actually use. And there tons of those.
That means I need to change my training to something other than DAZ Studio or Carrara. No matter how fun they are to use.
I was looking to market myself as a freelance artists. I have been a full time freelancer for the last 14 years and was trying to leverage my hobby into a new service My current client's couldn’t care less about my 3D work. Most are large corporations that I do website, FLASH and After Effects work. This is mainly stock photos and clip art artwork because of time and budget. Or they have in house designers and they only need me for programming work. Flash is pretty much dead except for e-learning applications. That’s why I was hoping 3D would pick up the slack. The market for low to mid-level 3d work seems very scarce. Price doesn’t seem to be the issue.
Thanks for creating such great models for us in the DAZ community to use. Your work makes us all look better than we ever could with out your hard work. The reason I started this thread is that I didn't want to insult artists like you by marketing myself in the same category. :)
RitaCeleste - That is dead on in describing what I was trying to do. I have been a full time freelancer for the last 14 years and was trying to leverage my hobby into a new service. I was looking to provide 3D illustration and animation to low/mid level customers, not movie companies or game developers. I am well aware that my DAZ work prohibits me from working in a team environment that uses other software. That is why I asked if I was marketing my services correctly.
I probably am marketing myself wrongly and I can see why others take offense. The typical consumer for 3D is unaware of the distinction between the levels of 3D work and see all 3D artist the same. They are aware of what they see in movies and video games and think that is how all 3d must look. Not considering the wide ranging budgets involved. My portfolio may not be suited for the actual market I am trying to reach. That is why I asked if I was deluding myself because my work might not match what the low/mid level market needs.
Thanks for the kind words and insight.
Kyoto Kid - That is very funny about Barry Manalow and a good point about publicly funded art.
I also agree with your point that the stumbling block to learning pro grade software on one’s own is the ridiculously high cost.
Lightwave is 1,495 USD
Cinema 4D is 3,695.00 USD
3ds Max is 3,675 USD
Maya is 3,675 USD
That doesn't even include the cost of the plug ins that are standard to the industry. Then i would still need to spend a long time to learn these products to get a basic understanding. But it may be worth spending the money and time if that is what the market demands. I bought the full Adobe Multimedia Package (cost of over $3,000) when I started freelancing because I could justify that was what the market demanded. Adobe Creative Cloud has reduced this cost to make it viable to the new user. It appears that Autodesk also has a similar program now.
The fact that DAZ studio is free and that Carrara is only 285 USD is the reason I started using them. Like you stated, I thought that many of the basic concepts used in CG are the same whether it is Daz Studio, Carrara, Cinema 4D, or 3DS Max. Learning how lights, materials, modeling, rigging work should apply to all software. I was hoping to take what I learned doing my 365 days of experimenting with these concepts and leverage them into some additional work. I thought that the final artwork would be enough to reach this goal. My reliance on using pre-made content may have led to my self delusion that I had the skills the industry requires.
Oh well, live and learn. Now I realize that I have a lot more to learn than I thought. My plan is to start delving deeper and learn how to model and rig, learn some other software and keep improving.
I hope this thread helps other avoid my mistakes and assumptions. Thanks again for everyone insights and encouragement. It means more to me that I can express in words.
...yeah, it's kind of a catch22 for many of us. We don't have the resources to afford the pro grade software or formal education for 2 - 4 years. Crikey, I'm 60 and have no inclination to spend several years of what I have remaining on this rock in school again going back in debt again as well (finally paid off my previous student loans). One of the advantages I have is that a good part of my previous formal education (since primary school) was in design and visual art so that gives me a bit of a foot in the door from the angle of knowing how to compose an image. I spent some time in theatrical lighting and set design so there again I have a good supporting background.
The big hurdle as I mentioned is getting the "hands on" experience with the tools of the trade. I'm one who pretty much is self taught with all the software I know, from bland and boring office productivity programmes (like Excel, Access, and Word) to 2D and 3D CG. Sit me down for a couple months and I'll have a fairly decent grasp on a programme (except maybe Blender ;-) ) to effectively work on projects. If I didn't have to spend so much of my day looking for work and could just dive into the software from dawn to dusk, I'd have the "hands on" experience they are looking for in short order.
...unfortunately to be able to do so would require winning a lotto or receiving some other kind of windfall - not a reality.
As is I've been pushing different aspects of the software I have looking at different ways and workarounds to solve issues. Most of my recent purchases here have been for Resource Content (morphs, surfacing, lighting resources/plugins) rather than premade meshes. and "hand dial" all my characters rather than use preexisting ones.
If I had access to something like 3DS or C4D, I'd be learning modelling the "proper" way as well with software that is "up to date".
I'll take a look into the Autodesk subscription offerings. Maybe I can convince one my backers to front me the subscription price.
Greetings,
Look, for a long time I thought people who 'program' in Visual Basic and PHP weren't programmers. Honestly, having interviewed them, they often don't have a clue how algorithmics work, or what a data structure is. The few times I've had to interview people for PHP roles, I've eventually been taken out of the interview loop because I was asking questions that absolutely none of the candidates could answer. I believed that if you were going to write software, you damn well better know how to do it right.
Nowadays (a decade plus later) I'm a little more relaxed. There's so insanely much programming work to be done...95%-ish of all software development is local; in-house forms and tiny databases, where an awareness of algorithmic complexity or data structure design is just...overkill.
People are writing software to solve problems they are encountering. That makes them programmers, although not necessarily 'professional' ones. I don't have a word for someone who is not only able to do a job, but has a deep knowledge of the underlying field, so I use the catch-all 'professional' here. Feel free to suggest a better word...
That doesn't mean I'd hire one to work with me on aggregating terabytes of data from a dozen disparate systems, and building efficient queries to show the results. But if someone needs a simple form designed, or a custom contact database, or something like that, those folks are going to be able to do it just fine.
Translating this to 3D work, I am a DAZ Studio user. I used 3D Studio before it was called 'Max', but I was never very good at it, but DS makes it possible for me to build wonderful images despite not being able to build the underlying objects. I am the VB programmer of the 3D world. I can just barely understand the stuff taught in the Silo tutorials on 'rosity, and if you put me in Maya, there'd be too many options for me to make sense of. Nobody with serious needs would hire me to do 3D for them, just like I wouldn't hire a VB programmer to help build a graph layer for a social networking site.
But if you needed a book cover for a self-published book, or a poster for a local group, or a business card background, or, or, or, or... I could do that.
Okay, I probably can't do that now, but it's a hypothetical point. :)
Just like there's so much programming to be done, that not every person who is doing it can possibly be a professional programmer (or needs to be!), there is so much of our world that needs illustration in one way or another, that it's impossible for every person who is providing it to be a professional artist.
My $0.07, adjusted for inflation over the time it took me to write that. ;)
-- Morgan
I don't think you made any serious errors. There are actual professionals who rely on open-source software like Gimp and Blender. You have learned so much already that you will find you already know more than you think no matter what software you select to use. I recently made my first 3d blob using Blender's sculpting tools. Blender's GUI is a pain the butt but you'll figure it out watching YouTube videos. 3dmax use to have a learning edition where you could have all the features and produce watermarked work. Yes, you may need to learn more to meet the needs of your customers. But I think that is where you should put your attention, meeting the needs of your customers. There is nothing wrong with using a pre-made model in your work. Eventually a customer will come in and say, "But I need it to look like an alien landscape and I want purple trees with blue pear shaped fruits....." Okay so do that job you are going to need to model something or texture something. Your website is putting you in touch with a customer base. I like the website. I think the pictures are true to the level of work you do in fact do. Anyone that knows enough to ask if you are wiz at 3dmax might not be your target customer. Snobby types can spot Vicki a mile away, you can't possibly fool them. Some of what you are doing is creating a nitch for yourself. I believe in Jesus but not all Christians want me to go around calling myself a Christian because I don't sit beside them in church and Amen at the same time they do. There was a show on Sci-fi I think about this little team who made monsters and did special effects for low budget sci-fi films. I recall that he did in fact market himself as a special effects artist just like the big boys would. The industry got to know him and his work and he still gets work. You keep doing what you are doing. Who wants to be your customer and who doesn't will sort itself out. You have not mislead anyone. And I'm still a Christian no matter what His other followers might say.....;-)
Anyway what would make the experts happier about what you call your work? Do they think you should say you are jackleg illustrator and animator? Would that make them happy? Samples of your work are visible, do they want running subtitles NO I DID NOT MODEL THIS MYSELF. I USE DAZ3d MODELS. IF I MODELED ALL THIS, IT WOULD COST YOU MILLIONS AND BE FINISHED SOMETIME IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
PS. You are welcome to use that if you think it would appease people. heh.
Great point s Cypherfox
I had the same problem when I started in web site design and development. I always consider myself a "scripter" not a programmer. I use languages like javascript, php, perl, Visual Basic, SQL and Actionscript not languages like C, Cobol and other languages. When I started out I had no clue about algorithms and OOP, and data structures. I had to learn these things on the job to get the projects assigned to me done. They weren't the most effective languages, but the clients were happy with my results.
I can't tell you how many times I have had a client get mad at me because I built a site for them and then years later they want something like a complete POS system added to it. Or they want me to build them something just like Facebook or YouTube, because they sold those company for billions of dollars. I am just one person with a limited skill set and I am very upfront with clients about my skills before beginning any project. Otherwise nobody will be happy. This process proved to me the value of hiring professionals to do the things beyond my skill set. As Dirty Harry said "A man has got to know his limitations" :)
I value my scripting experience and I have been able to leverage it into my motion graphics work by writing expressions in After Effects to automate tasks and built a profitable freelance business using Actionscript in FLASH. I've even written a few Mel scripts for Maya. I had to learn at least the basics of OOP and algorithms to build the games and training applications my clients requested. This actually led to all my customers not caring about my art skills (which is my primary focus) and only thinking of me as a programmer. Which I still cringe at this label, because I don't consider myself a programmer. That is part of the reason why am trying to add 3D to my services.
I guess that is why I started this thread. I have been through all this before and didn't want to insult people with real skills by comparing mine to theirs.
Thanks for the feedback.
RitaCeleste - Many great points.
I guess that is another point of this thread as to what are clients expecting. I have sold 3D work to clients in the past and it was mainly product mock ups and animations. I modeled these in Carrara 4 using Adobe Illustrator to convert their blueprints into extruded objects. This process allowed me to quickly create over 150 fireplace mock ups for use in a FLASH product catalog. I tried modeling humans and never had much success as organic modeling baffles me. That why DAZ is such a valuable resource. I even won shocked site of the day for using Poser to create Ford Motor Companies 2000 Detroit Auto Show's Flash website. I got his project because my design using the figure beat out other design from high price agencies.
I'm not sure what they want me to call my services, but I also don't want to overstate my qualifications for a project by marketing myself wrong. Maybe labeling my work clearly will get rid of the confusion.
Was there actual confusion from actual clients? I this because someone just quipping, "OMG, you used Daz3d Models, you amateur!!!" isn't really a sign there any real problem, only that there be Trolls on the web. Considering what I've seen on gallery walls, I'd be willing to let every kid with a pack of crayons call themselves an artist. Just saying. No one is going to die because you got your medical degree out of a crackerjack box or something. Its art. You have had customers. Are they happy? Did they say they expected more? Did they complain or refuse to pay you? The actual customer who pays your bills is who you need to worry about. Don't worry over offending a great artist because you feel you are not as great yet and are in the same field. I work at Burger King but we can't all be Sponge Bob....I am in awe..... Your site is nice, the work looks good. Beware TROLLS! They are not and never will be a real paying customer. They will just pop by to heckle you. I don't think you need to invent some new label to somehow humble yourself. I think the labels you are using to describe your work are working just fine.
No comment from an actual client. Just comments from people on Linkedin's 3D Animation group. I should just consider it as trolling, but a CG manager at Lucas Films chimed in with encouragement, but echoing that I have a lot to learn and that DAZ isn't used in the industry much.
I have had 3D customers before, but I have gotten pigeon holed as a programmer and I am trying to re-market myself as a 3d Artist to bring in more business. My current FLASH work is almost dead and I am slowly losing clientele. So I figured this would be a good time to try to reposition myself doing something I enjoy. I am finding that the market is pretty small for low/mid level 3D projects in Phoenix, AZ. My new site hasn't generated much response, so I thought I would check with others to see if there was something I was missing.
Late to the party here, but here are a few thoughts.
1) The quality of your 3D work is very very good, far above the average hobby 3D user. IMHO it is easily good enough to be "professional".
2) No matter what you do, or how much experience you have, there will always be those that will question your credentials. As someone in an earlier post said - haters are going to hate (people will always be jealous and envious of others, and try to "elevate" themselves to feel better).
3) The important thing is that your clients/potential clients understand what they are getting, let them be the judge as to whether your work is worth paying for. As long as your clients understand they aren't getting ILM or Pixar level work, then there should be no problem.
4) Keep in mind that right now the 3D "industry" in the US is difficult at best. There are 3D Studios overseas that are charging pennies on the dollar compared to what studios here have to charge just to break even. Many people who spent years learning their 3D craft, and were gainfully employed, are now out of work. So you may also experience (or have already experienced) some issues related to this unfortunate situation.
5) I think focusing as a freelancer is the most appropriate strategy. The big studios receive 100's of applications every week. They are are looking for outstanding talent, and typically specialized outstanding talent.
It's hard to do, but IMHO you really need to ignore a lot of the negative feedback your getting on Linkedin. It really doesn't matter what the rest of the "3D world" in cyberspace thinks (where anyone can call themselves a professional). True professionals, like the one you mentioned from Lucas Films, will recognize talent, and they understand that the market your are going after isn't even close to their market. They know that it's passion for the craft/art, and the results of that passion that build success, not the tools, or content used.
Edit: Just remember - all professionals were amateurs first!
Thanks for your kind thoughts Dustrider,
I researched some of the people who responded on Linkedin and there work was ok, but nothing special. I see much better work all over these galleries and forums. Most were students fresh out of school with no actual paying clients. So I should have done the research before getting nervous about my work.
The response on this thread has exceeded my imagination. So many supportive people saying such kind things. It proves that the DAZ community is strong and filled with so much knowledge and wisdom. All your inspiration has emboldened me to continue learning and stick with my passions.
I try to be very up front with clients that I am not at ILM or Pixar levels. I may need to alter my site to reflect this reality since I don't get to talk to all prospective clients. First impressions matter.
The 3D market is difficult. That is why my ambitions may have clouded my judgement of how easy the transition from amateur to pro would be. It's harsh to imagine that the company that produced "Life of Pi" went out of business right when they where winning an Oscar.
BTW: great gallery
pro program to try Carrara - this is 2008
http://youtu.be/tYAVCECi6_o
Seriously... Why should you care about what trolls say? Focus on the work. It is very good now, with each render, you get even better. Stop worrying about opinions and comparing yourself to fields of interest outside your interest. Comparing freelancers to big studios like Pixar with loads of cash to burn is silly, because it's not about the talent anymore, but resources.