Blog about breaking into the industry

[Loga]

Hey there,

you won't learn the stuff you describe at schools.
That's where self teaching comes into play.
Knowing what to do and not to do goes hand in hand.
Google some of the stuff.
Get yourself Steve Wright's and Ron Brinkmann's book.
Explore your software. Do your own tests untill you understand what the software does.
The Meyer books are also very good for AE specific info.
You also might wanna consider fxphd.

Don't worry. To get a job nobody expects you to know everything but still you obviously have to know your stuff so you can hit the ground running and can do the basic tasks in whatever area you want to work in.

Good luck!
Loga

[AAEuser]

I am seeing FXPhD all over this website. I guess that would be the best place to start cruising.

[im.thatoneguy]

[...]Don't worry. To get a job nobody expects you to know everything but still you obviously have to know your stuff so you can hit the ground running and can do the basic tasks in whatever area you want to work in.[...]

Great advice--and advice I always have to remind myself whenever I try something new.

When you're new you very often overestimate the abilities of those above you. Nobody knows the solution to every problem. Experience just hopefully teaches you *more* solutions. It's very rare you get the exact same problem twice so in all likelihood everybody involved is figuring it out as they go along themselves with differing levels of experience with similar problems.

I remember the thing that was scarriest for me before my first day was that concept that they could "ask for anything". But that's not something that ever goes away. In making-ofs and breakdowns it always seems so clear. "oh yeah we used this camera on this blimp that we made and shot it through a one way mirror and then a TD developed this algorithm which inverted the zdepth." Which of course was all the result of 3 months of R&D and probably not just someone showing up on set that day and saying "Blimp. We need a camera on a blimp."

[mjm7274]

You say there is no degree for visual effects but what about AAU's visual effects program and others like it. I realise that jobs do look for experience and a reel, and college does put you in some debt, but you learn a lot and gain knowledge that can get you far and make you a well rounded artist. I totally disagree that the teacher's are fake most calleges allow you to look at resemes of the teachers and most have worked on SEVERAL films and have an impressive backgrounds.

[Andreas.Jablonka]

You say there is no degree for visual effects but what about AAU's visual effects program and others like it. I realise that jobs do look for experience and a reel, and college does put you in some debt, but you learn a lot and gain knowledge that can get you far and make you a well rounded artist. I totally disagree that the teacher's are fake most calleges allow you to look at resemes of the teachers and most have worked on SEVERAL films and have an impressive backgrounds.

i think its unfair to say no teachers have experience but the point is that school will not, can not and is not intended to replace what you learn on the job. so i think graduates have to set their mind straight as to what they can expect when they get out of school job wise. I had some great teachers but also some very bad ones who used to be good and actually just cannot do anymore but just teach.

[mjm7274]

i think its unfair to say no teachers have experience but the point is that school will not, can not and is not intended to replace what you learn on the job. so i think graduates have to set their mind straight as to what they can expect when they get out of school job wise. I had some great teachers but also some very bad ones who used to be good and actually just cannot do anymore but just teach.

Yeah I dont expect to learn ecerything about the Industry from school I just feel like it can give you much better start. In your opinion do you feel it is worth it to go to school for visual effects?

[Andreas.Jablonka]

Yeah I dont expect to learn ecerything about the Industry from school I just feel like it can give you much better start. In your opinion do you feel it is worth it to go to school for visual effects?

thats a good opinion i think. im pondering about your question, did my filmschool degree help me get a job? no. did it help me to figure out what i wanna do? sure. was it worth the money? i think not.
i guess it depends if you have the chance to intern somewhere do that instea dbut if you have to move to LA from your little farmer town and try to get a job with no training OR experience, i say do some kind of gnomon or fxphd course.

[hiphopcr]

I would like to renege my comments about schools. There are plenty of fine visual effects programs. I was thinking more of the poor kid who gets sent off to art school and ends up making statues out of macaroni for four years at $100K+

I love the idea of shorter, cheaper courses, like what fxphd offers. It's a fantastic idea.

[AAEuser]

i guess it depends if you have the chance to intern somewhere do that instea dbut if you have to move to LA from your little farmer town and try to get a job with no training OR experience, i say do some kind of gnomon or fxphd course.

I have only looked briefly at the FXPhD stuff and the online Gnomon courses and was just wondering how would you mention that in a resume? I mean do they give you any kind of certificate of completion or anything?

I also want to say I agree about the interning. I have friends who are going to school that are getting all kinds of interning benefits that I can't do not being a student. They are off building huge reels working for a high turn over production company while I free-lance on small projects every once in a while.

Also, I just took a tour of an effects house where the head compositor teaches at the art institute and just pulls in his students to help on bigger projects when he needs rotoscoping or other grunt labor done.

I see benefits to school but I don't know if the school is worth the money. I mean once I'm in a position to go full force with effects I think in the same amount of time it takes to do school I could have a good job.

[Andreas.Jablonka]

I have only looked briefly at the FXPhD stuff and the online Gnomon courses and was just wondering how would you mention that in a resume? I mean do they give you any kind of certificate of completion or anything?

I also want to say I agree about the interning. I have friends who are going to school that are getting all kinds of interning benefits that I can't do not being a student. They are off building huge reels working for a high turn over production company while I free-lance on small projects every once in a while.

Also, I just took a tour of an effects house where the head compositor teaches at the art institute and just pulls in his students to help on bigger projects when he needs rotoscoping or other grunt labor done.

I see benefits to school but I don't know if the school is worth the money. I mean once I'm in a position to go full force with effects I think in the same amount of time it takes to do school I could have a good job.

you said it yourself gnomon has a high placement rate because the teachers might remember you and bring you on. i dont think any diploma or cert will help you but the contacts you made while studying might

[AAEuser]

you said it yourself gnomon has a high placement rate because the teachers might remember you and bring you on. i dont think any diploma or cert will help you but the contacts you made while studying might

Do you make contacts with the online version? I understand Gnomon means instant job afterwords. I mean their stuff is pretty intense (quality) and they know it which is why they seem to charge a ridiculously large amount. My guess is it's probably worth it with them though. I mean if you actually attend the physical school that is.

[Andreas.Jablonka]

i guess online is less helpful but still. i find gnomon students lack rounding though, no offense a 3 month course does not make a full artist *HATER*

[AAEuser]

i guess online is less helpful but still. i find gnomon students lack rounding though, no offense a 3 month course does not make a full artist *HATER*

I don't think any school can teach you to be an artist. It can teach you to be a tech and understand the process but it wont give you talent. What is it you mean about them not being rounded? You just mean understanding the reality of the industry?

[Bomax]

I too want to chime in here . I have to agree with the comments leaning to that off school not being very necessary in becoming a compositor. I am a jr. compositor and just came off my first comp job comping on the "Watchmen", now I'm going to be doing Roto on the upcoming Nelson Mandela Biopic. Before that for the last 2yrs I have been doing feature film Roto. This industry is WHO and WHAT you know! And a shit load of determination.

I started out taking Classical Animation at Vancouver Film School (VFS). It was a 1yr program at about 16K. Alot of money. About 2 months towards the end of the program we were told that Hand Drawn animation is being phased out and Flash and 3D are where the jobs are. After paying 16k you tell us this?! Now they are encouraging the class to take their 3D Maya program; the 6month one at 10k or the 1yr one at 35k. I remind you I had already taken 2yrs of college before realising I wanted to pursue my artistic and creative talents. So we are talking 27k-45k for just 2yrs of School!!!!!

I for one was pissed off, and felt that I had been had for a sucka. I'm not bashing VFS by any means, most of the teachers were very knowledgeable and the students were some of the best people I ever met. But as one who has been on my own since 17 and funding my own dream without mommy or daddy, I was disheartened. ESPECIALLY when the good/honest teachers are telling you be ready when you finish school to have long layoffs in the early parts of our careers.

So basically I decided to get smart and do my research. I hated 3D and didnt want to do flash animation. VFS had a guest speaker from Rhythm and Hues for the 3d VFX class open to all students. I went and by the time it was done I knew that I wanted to become a compositor. So I started looking for Digital Compositing schools, but I WAS NOT going to pay 35k to do it. After going and touring a few schools I took a 5 months Comp course at VanArts for 10k. Exspensive for 5months but far cheaper than other vancouver schools. Again nothing personal to the school but the curriculum was so fast and the teachers were not very good. You cannot become a compositor in 5 months. But that was OK because I wanted to get through school quickly and get on the job learning. 2 weeks after school ended I got a Roto/Paint job on Blades of Glory and Vantage Point. Got laid off and went back 5 months later to Roto on Golden Compass. I got that because the guy that sat beside me on Blades became the lead after I left and Got me in 5 months later.

This is the point of the whole ramble. You NEED to be self learner and network with people. You need to get into a studio to understatnd the dynamics of Feature Film Compositing. School can never teach you that. The path to the prize is NOT straight forward. Its taken me 2yrs to really figure out how to handle layoffs, shady studio practices and how to self learn all that compositing encompasses. Of all the people I went to school with I only know 1 of us who got a comp job right out of school. for some of us it took upwards of 1-2yrs. In my opinion you SHOULD take some school but not as much (timewise or financially) as you might think.

[AAEuser]

Hey Bomax,

Agreed 100%. I think school has its benefit. You are paying the money for the contacts. How else can you force your peers to hang out with you? lol

Networking is EVERYTHING. even if you are a crummy compositor you'll get more gigs if you know the right people.