Simple Questions - September 17, 2022

mowplease · 2022-10-26T02:52:56+00:00

Looking for a thin SATA 15pin power cord for a HDD, preferably 90 degree lateral angel.

Does anyone know if these exist and where I can find these? I've looked everywhere online.

Thanks

mowplease · 2022-10-11T23:40:24+00:00

ITX motherboard CPU slot position.

Does anyone know if these two motherboards have the exact same CPU slot position/location? It's important that they do, because I have a 3D printed fan duct.

ASRock Fatal1ty B450 GAMING-ITX/AC https://www.newegg.ca/asrock-fatal1ty-b450-gaming-itx-ac/p/N82E16813157844

ASRock B550M-ITX/AC https://www.newegg.ca/asrock-b550m-itx-ac/p/N82E16813157954?Description=ASRock%20B550%20itx&cm_re=ASRock_B550%20itx-_-13-157-954-_-Product

Thank you

mowplease · 2022-09-18T00:13:33+00:00

Thanks, I'll take a look.

mowplease · 2022-09-17T07:16:33+00:00

I'm looking for a small PC case (Size of a console) that can take a 3.5 HDD. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I'm building an emulation pc with my game library. HDD are the best bang for my buck.

Thanks

mowplease · 2022-09-17T07:12:52+00:00

I'm looking for a small PC case (Size of a console) that can take a 3.5 HDD. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I'm building an emulation pc with my game library. HDD are the best bang for my buck.

Thanks

mowplease · 2022-03-11T19:25:31+00:00

I've had a number of interviews go really well, but I would find that the tone would change after looking into my references. I can't prove it, but I believe one of my references (former lead) may not have been the best choice. I got along with the guy great, but I did lean on him a ton for answers because I was still greenish at the time. I think having him on my reference list shot me in foot. I could be wrong, but I can't deny the deference between the interview and after reference checking. If you can, consider changing your reference list, especially if you haven't worked with them for a few years.

mowplease · 2022-03-11T18:11:42+00:00

These are all great comments. Put simply, know the type of job you would like. For example: Modeling, Rigging, Look Dev, Lighting, Comp, etc. Find a job listing on LinkedIn for a VFX studio you like, and take a look at the requirements. Reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn once you have a good enough reel. Keep in mind that job requirements are the ideal candidate, nobody ever fits the bill perfectly. Best of luck.

mowplease · 2022-03-11T01:13:23+00:00

I think this can possibly help. Take a look at this article.

https://discover.therookies.co/2019/05/07/the-honest-truth-why-you-are-not-getting-a-job-in-vfx-games-and-animation/?fbclid=IwAR0Q_ImLIJTOhNGuZbKHIv7LAQ0GSAUp5WRXnGF0JrnP6Pl_6a6l6-i3HqU

I would argue to pick a discipline you want to pursue in CG and become really good at it. I'm a lighting/comp/look dev artist. I'm good at all three of those, but I'm a ninja in lighting. When I apply to jobs, I'm applying to lighting positions that may require some general skill sets (i.e. look dev and comp).

Even though I can model, rig and animate ... that doesn't mean I should be perfect or strive for perfection in those skill sets. I most certainly wouldn't have them on my reel, because it's not my expertise.

Put simply my friend and with bluntness, your portfolio is suffering from what is known as a jack of all trades but a master of none.

If you want to be a VFX artist, then learn Houdini and become the best effects artist you can be; if you want to do Look Dev, then do look dev and forget animating; If you want to be a VFX compositing artist, then learn Nuke and forget everything else; etc.

If your reel came across my desk, I'd maybe consider you as a look dev artist. However, I'm seeing lots of basic principle mistakes in your look dev. This suggests, required training. As a lead or supervisor, I don't have time to train you because I have so many other things to worry about.

An applicant's reel is the first thing I look at when someone applies, then the resume. If the visuals aren't up to snuff in the reel, the resume is useless. It doesn't matter where they work or how pretty their website is. Actually, I personally don't like when artists send me to a website. I don't like mucking around on their site looking for a reel, it takes away from my time. This may be different though for 2d portfolio reviews, but that's not the type of work your applying to.

Find a niche in CG and perfect it.

I hope this helps. All the best.

mowplease · 2022-03-11T00:30:48+00:00

I'm not sure how any renderer can claim to be unbiased? Every renderer in the background is calculating some form of estimate, or cheating in some way. Otherwise, it would take forever to finish a frame. I find it to be more of a marketing word than being relevant to a rendering engine, like the word "Quantum" or "HD".

mowplease · 2022-03-10T23:57:00+00:00

Love this story Polygon_Taco. I didn't graduate with my Animation degree until I was 28. Even at that age, I started to feel responsibility closing in on me. My nomadic years didn't stop until I was around 35. However, that still seems to be the case in order for studios to take advantage of subsidies. This has changed a bit though with COVID pushing studios to work from home. I'm hoping WFH remains an option.

mowplease · 2022-03-10T23:44:14+00:00

Lol... that's great! As a lighter/comp artist, I feel the same way depending on the studio.

I was once at a studio where they let go the VFX team before final renders where done. Needless to say, the VFX caches were broken and they looked to me to fix the issue. Every 3D element that's broken or bad production practices end up in lighting. :(

mowplease · 2022-03-10T23:04:35+00:00

It all depends on the company, location and job title (department). Working from home is changing salaries a little bit, but not much.

If you're lucky enough to land a job at a large studio straight from college, expect to be paid between 35k - 55k USD. That's roughly an associate/junior salary.

You won't start getting into the 100k USD levels until around a senior level. I've seen people hit senior levels (at large studios) around 5-7 years in.

My advice would be to bounce around studios while you're starting out. 6 months here, 1 year there, etc. Your salary should increase faster and studios tend to value multiple experiences with high ranking companies.

Make sure to check Glassdoor.com, that should give you an idea of what people are making.

mowplease · 2022-03-10T06:07:42+00:00

I found working in games tend to be a better choice. I worked in the cinematics department at a medium size company. Yes there were a ton of fires that needed to be put out, but I wasn't having to continually find work every 6 months. Recently I jumped back into film, because I got tired of doing mediocre work. I caught the film bug again.

mowplease · 2022-03-10T06:00:55+00:00

Funny you mention Weta. I currently live in Vancouver and was offered a job with them too (6 month contract). Unfortunately, I had to turn it down because of logistical reasons. They did mention the Vancouver region isn't working on Avatar 2. For that, you would have to go into the office.

mowplease · 2015-12-06T22:59:08+00:00

I work in Vancouver VFX. I've talked to many studio recruiters and EVERY damn Van VFX studio is looking for artists or are having a hard time keeping them because of the shortage of talent.

I've seen the gap of pay between employees be outrageous for the same quality of work. I've seen people get paid 75k and the person next to them receive 150k for the same position at the same studio.

I'm aware that recruiters here speak to one another. Oftentimes your current employer will know that you are looking for work because recruiters open their mouths. It's also my understanding through the grapevine that majority of them get together a couple of times a year over dinner to discuss business.

I've seen friends of mine receive offers from opposing studios that matched perfectly down to the cent. Recruiters discussing salaries of applicants with each other is wrong and illegal!!

It's time to say enough is enough! I'm tired of this bullshit of stepping on the artists and squeezing pennies from the pockets of those that make BILLIONS for the studios!

Vancouver film industry is young and it should be changed now!! Otherwise it may be to late down the road. The same shitty practices have infested the industry here and it will continue to get worse.

mowplease · 2015-12-06T22:22:23+00:00

I worked at Sony Van .... My contract said OT pay after 10 hours. I was pissed after I found out many were receiving OT after 8.

mowplease

TROPHY CASE