Now there is a very sad situation for 3D artists. It came down to VFX rallies at the Academy Awards, where Life of Pi won the highest award for special effects in the film, and those who did these special effects were left without salaries.
Although this situation has two sides, one side is not better than the other.
Yes, on the one hand, it seems that if the foreign monsters of the VFX industry go bankrupt, then our studios (and Ukrainian studios are almost on a par with Indian or Chinese in terms of cheapness of the product) there is a chance to take their orders. But on the other hand, there is no joy from this! Absolutely! Since foreign film studios set tough conditions (both in terms of money and deadlines, and in terms of the quality of the result). Therefore, work may appear, but it is really slave labor.
When I was on and listened to the reports of the studios that were working on foreign projects, I always heard approximately the same phrase: ".. the budget was very small, and the deadlines were incredibly tight, so only our Russian ingenuity allowed us to give out Hollywood quality in such a time and for such pennies.." And then, after a few seconds, another phrase: "..but we know that if we show what we are capable of, then we will get more orders and fully enter the American market.." Think! Horrible! It sounds like Scott Ross from: "I'll work 16 hours a day and I don't have to pay anything, because I'm fucking working on Star Wars!"
I've been working for myself for quite some time now. My wife also works for herself. Therefore, I own experience I know that once you have done a job for a customer for cheap, you will NEVER be able to raise the cost bar!
Price competition is negative competition. This means that if you drop the price, then your competitors will drop the price (at least to your level). You will have to drop the price again. And so on until you and your competitors work for free.
It's like that joke:
Kum, and we bet for $ 100 that I will eat a spoonful of shit?
- Why, we argue! - says another godfather.
He ate a spoonful of shit, and the other gave him $ 100. But another felt sorry for $100 and he also says:
- And we bet, godfather, I will also eat a spoonful of shit for $ 100?
- Why, let's argue! - says the first godfather.
I also ate a second godfather a spoonful of shit. The first one gave him back $100. They stand together and one says:
- Doesn't it seem to you, godfather, that we got drunk on a ball of shit?
This is the true nature of price competition.
Moreover, don't think that since animation studios go bankrupt, this will not affect us, ordinary tridesh people. No! Will affect! Has been affecting for a long time!
Look, for example, at the animators from (rewind immediately to the 5th minute 40th second):
Yes, it is possible that it was the banter in the video above, but on real projects this happens all the time. People actually work 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for weeks, and sometimes months!
What can I say "people", I myself worked like that. Weekend work is the norm. And sometimes I had to work three days in a row without sleep. This is crazy!
Even if you profess a religion called "But I'm working on The Hobbit", then keep in mind that only 10% of the VFX specialists who actually worked on the film appear in the credits. Those. you simply can’t even brag to your family that you are in the credits of the Hobbit.
Let me summarize. The film studio puts pressure on the animation studio, the animation studio puts pressure on its employees. As a result, if the animation studio refuses to work or asks more money and time at the film studio, then the film studio simply blacklists the animation studio and then the hell will it get orders. There are only six film studios in the world...
If an employee tries to ask for payment for overtime hours, then it is more profitable for the animation studio to fire him and hire the next slave in his place, since no one will wait for money from the film studio for overtime.
Okay, my introduction has been delayed.
What to do?
If you were contacted first customer - this means that your level of work is worthy of being paid for. If so, then I suggest set minimum level hourly pay for your work as a 3D artist, $5 per hour. If you calculate the monthly salary (SW), then the calculation is $5 * 8 hours per day * 22 working days = $880 per month. But since this is a guaranteed salary, and not an unreliable freelancing (when there are orders, then there are none), I propose to accept the minimum salary of a tridesh worker is $750 per month.
It doesn't matter which customer it is. It could be the company your sister recommended you to. It may be an ignorant customer who thinks 3D is cheap. This could be an experienced customer who knows that 3D is expensive, but also knows that you can find a schoolboy/student who will do the work for a review.
It also doesn't matter which order it is. It can be a rendering of a sign, to make it quick and cheap. It can be a visualization of a house or a room. It can be a 3D logo animation. It could be a simulation of a stool...
Also, your experience in 3D is not important. Maybe you just opened 3ds Max the day before yesterday. Maybe you've been stuck in Maya all summer long. Maybe you have been sculpting sculptures in ZBrush for a month.
It really doesn't matter! Only one thing is important - your first customer contacted you and asks how much it will cost to do something like this. And if he asks that, then for some reason, the customer thinks that your result will suit him. And this is the most important thing!
Now there are two important steps on your part:
- You must understand that an hour of your time cannot be worth less than five US dollars ($5). And your salary cannot be less than $750.
- You should tell everyone you can about this, so that not only you, but also any other trideshnik would act in the same way. Repost this article on your blogs in social networks, on forums, etc.
Why would it work?
I decided that I should start with minimum wage. I just didn't reinvent the wheel and went the supposedly beaten path. After all, in our state there are such concepts as the minimum subsistence level and the minimum wage. Then why not create a minimum rate for trideshniki.
This will work for two reasons:
- Small customers simply will not be able to find cheap performers, since any clever man before naming the price for his first order, he will go to the Internet with the request "tridesh worker's salary." As a result, he will stumble upon either this article or your repost. I am sure you will have the courage to name this minimum amount to the customer.
- Animation studios will form the budget based on the new realities. If the minimum salary that yesterday's students/pupils will ask for is $750, then trideshniki with minimal experience will ask even more. And what can we say about the pros.
What will happen?
Roughly speaking, 3D artists and 3D techies will be respected as expensive specialists. It means that favorite hobby, will bring not only pleasure, but also money.
By the way, if you think that going abroad (USA, Germany, England, New Zealand, Canada), then you must consider one fact. In the contract of those people who go to work abroad, it is often stated in plain text that they have 100 (one hundred!) work week. That's 7 days a week, 14 hours a day!
How to do?
Write (just write) detailed plan work. According to this plan, you estimate how much, in your opinion, this work will take or ask the search engine about it. Add here the time for rendering (if needed). Add here the time for correspondence with the customer. Safely multiply the resulting hours by two. Multiply the total hours by $5. Tell the customer the amount.
The most important thing you should understand here is that the resulting hours (for example, 13 hours) does not mean at all that the work will take almost two days (8 hours each). No. You should tell the customer the following phrase: "Due to part-time work, this work will take 3-4 days." But you set the cost not as for 4 days, but as for the time that you calculated.
Thus, you will have a margin of time if you miscalculated. You will also have the opportunity to surprise the customer more fast execution if you get it done early. Or you can use spare time to not Just do the job and chic do the job. After all, you must understand that each of your work should be included in your portfolio and that it should not be ashamed to put it there.
After all, when placing an order for this customer, you create a result that will attract to you next customer.
What not to do.
If you are already working on some project, then you should not immediately run to your boss and say "I want more money because I saw this article." This is not a reason to increase your salary. When you were hired, you yourself announced your price. You are no one for the language Then didn't pull.
Another thing is when you have worked for 9 months - this is the generally accepted period for revising wages. Also, your incredible progress as a specialist or the start of a new project can serve as a reason for revising wages.
Scary?
Yes, scary! A whole bunch of doubts at once:
- What if he says it's too much?
- What if he finds someone cheaper?
- What if he says he needs to go faster?
Let me try to dispel those doubts:
It's cool to live in a time like this.
It's cool to live at such a time and be involved in something great and important!
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In this article, I would like to convey to the broad masses of the game dev community some of the features of working on special effects. The topic is undeservedly bypassed and there is very little information on it. Hence the often incorrect understanding of the specifics of this specialty of artists. Although there are effects in one form or another in every project.
- What is more difficult to do?
I often come across the opinion that making effects is not particularly difficult. Modeling highpoly, texturing in Substance Painter, handpainting, animation - yes, it's difficult.
In fact, it is both so and not so at the same time. On the one hand, it is really difficult and long to master all the tools of Zbrush, to thoroughly study the anatomy human body and develop professional sculpting technique. To master the understanding of the properties of materials and the ability to configure and create them. Just like learning to do natural animation of characters or objects. These skills are undoubtedly in high demand. But being engaged in only one area, the artist improves only in it. With effects, things are a little more complicated. To create a high-quality special effect requires the skills of modeling, sculpting, texturing in different styles, freehand drawing, including animation (and this is not easy), animation skills, understanding all the same forms, the interaction of colors, shades. Inventive design thinking. The most important thing, in my opinion, is the ability to come up with an effect that evokes an unambiguous association with the action in the game that it decorates.
I always give a simple example for those who want to stretch mediocre graphics with cool effects. Imagine beautiful woman and decorate it with jewels. She will become even more beautiful, more refined. But even without jewelry, she is also great. Now imagine a terrible fat woman and decorate it with the same diamonds. Yes, we will see that she tried, that she has money for these trinkets, but general impression it won't save. It will be so-so. It's the same story with art and effects. 100% art becomes 150% when effects are added, and 30% art becomes only 80%, still not even reaching the norm. And often good effects only emphasize the low level of graphics, which leads to even greater dissonance in the perception of the whole on the screen.
Thus, we come to the conclusion that the effects artist is an already established universal artist, at least. Perhaps he lacked creativity or he was tired of modeling / drawing on one topic (tanks, characters, weapons). Effects give freedom of creativity, but at the same time they take away creative peace. I can’t do effects from 9 to 18, and then turn off my brain and go home and do other things. The mind constantly twists all sorts of schemes and options for the next effect. And I do them on weekends and in my free time.
So what is more difficult, to sculpt another character for a month or to come up with something new every day or two, to be a man-orchestra?
- Time.
Often managers, PMs and just people looking for an effector for their project misestimate the time frame for this work. It is generally accepted that the effects will be done at the end of the project, when it is already a stone's throw before the release. And there are often cases when they write to me - we need to make 200-400 effects, the time is 3 months. And after all, they mean that each effect should be no less than epic. As a last resort, it's better than in that game we're making a clone of. It is not difficult to calculate that 400 effects in 66 working days is 6 effects per day. And it's good if these are simple effects, like a pulsating glow or magical elven lights in the night forest. But no, 80% of the effects will be from the category - do that, I don’t know what, but to make it very cool. For example, the shackles of the soul of a fly agaric or the magical transformation of a tree into a bear. Yes, dozens of images and ideas immediately come to mind, and it seems that it will look really cool. But only by taking up the implementation of such atypical for associative thinking effect, you will encounter several alterations. And every time you have to start almost from scratch. What will demotivate you, thereby stretching the time. And in the end, when the effect seems to have turned out, a programmer will come and cut everything in the bud because such a mobile game will not pull :).
From personal experience I will say that on average 1 effect takes 1 day. Sometimes 2-3 days if the effect is multi-phase. This rhythm allows you to work stably and not burn out in a month. Although brains, of course, boil regularly ...
On initial stage creating effects will be even slower. There is no library of already created universal materials and textures yet. Each time they have to be created from scratch. Some fast, some not so much. I'll focus on textures in particular. A high-quality and well-made texture allows you to reuse it as much as possible in the future. Which has a positive effect on productivity and on the size of the project and on the time of work.
- special effects
What is the effect for the game actually, and how is it created? In short, each time it is a unique micro project, which has the entire pipeline of a full-fledged project. Namely, planning, sketching, storyboarding, creating and assembling a working blank, working out an idea that was invented on it, bringing models, textures, materials to perfect condition and in the end, like a cherry on a cake, tuning timing, colors in order to fit into the style as much as possible and game dynamics. Yes Yes. This must also be taken into account. In a dynamic game, dynamic effects are needed, in a measured RPG or turn-based strategy, measured, not distracting, and at the same time emphasizing the charm of the game. You can also add tuning here after embedding it into the game. When you can appreciate the whole art together. And up to this point, it is desirable to represent the whole picture in your imagination, which is also not given to everyone. And it is very difficult to convince the receiver that this nondescript effect is exactly what you need, that it will fit perfectly into the atmosphere of the game in the place where it should be.
- Tools
I'm working in the Unity particle editor. On this moment it is flexible enough to create a game effect of almost any complexity. reverse side medals will be performance and memory footprint. Here you need to find a balance.
As a separate item, I want to highlight the tools for setting up and testing effects in the project. It can be a scene where there are all the necessary features, size guidelines, the ability to launch certain actions for which effects are made. Ideally, this should be an interactive polygon in which the artist can set everything up, turn it on, run the necessary animations, etc. It often happens that there is nowhere to collect effects at all, except in an empty scene. Which then will lead to alterations, adjustments in size, colors, processing of textures, materials and much more, when all this goodness is built into the game. The test site is a must have! And it should be ready at the very beginning of work on the effects!
There is also a stereotype that the effector himself should write shaders and scripts for himself. Yes, some people do it, but it's not our job, in general. Yes, and find a specialist who does cool art, and also codes like a god is almost unrealistic. Confirmation of this is the leading VFX artist at Riot Games, in one of his videos on creating effects for League of Legends, said that he had not written a single line of code in all the time he worked.
To help the effects artist, simple scripts that any programmer can write are suitable. Like rotation, shift of texture coordinates. In extreme cases, they can be found on the internet or even bought. Stores are full of stuff. As in many creative fields imagination is much more important end result than a bunch of cool shaders, scripts and other tools. Often the same thing can be done by simple means, just by creating optical illusion. On illusions, by the way, it is possible to make up to 30-40% of the effects, in my experience. For example, swirling smoke doesn't have to be a huge 256 frame animated texture. It will be enough to make 1 successful sprite, which, with proper settings, will create the illusion of a real swirling, living smoke.
Developed fantasy, a non-standard approach to solving problems and the ability to invent will help you create great effects.
Another plus creativity against the technical is that cool third-party shaders, effect constructors, scripts, etc. may stop working when porting a project from PC to mobile phones. Or even from Android to IOS. Therefore, I am in favor of an integrated approach that takes into account most of the possible scenarios for the development of the project. Under which it will not be necessary to redo everything every time. But on different platforms of the same project, the effects should look the same.
- Sufficiency and appropriateness.
Another important factor, which people who set tasks for the efyxer like to neglect. It seems to them that every effect should be made cool, juicy, bright. And then everything together will look cool and bomb. But it's not. Often leads to the opposite effect. Everything will look like a huge colorful mess, in which it is not clear where the background is, where the effects of the main character / heroes, where are the effects of the environment. What is going on. Everything is mixed up - people, horses, effects :).
It is much more reasonable to divide the effects into several categories, which will allow you to avoid color and dynamic chaos on the screen at any given moment in the game. For example, environmental effects (glow from lanterns, fire, haze, butterflies in a meadow, spray from a waterfall, rain, etc.), effects of explicit character actions (attacks with weapons, magic) and entourage effects (dust from steps, breathing in the cold ). These categories should not be regarded as a strict rule. It all depends on the project and may vary. But there must always be some kind of division so that the effects can be divided according to the saturation and the coolness of what is happening, so to speak. For example, there is nothing epic in the dust from steps, and the effect in which this dust will always fly out from under your feet in huge, juicy spots will look stupid. This will already lead to an association with levitation (feet shrouded in clouds). And here the rule of unambiguous association of action and effect is violated.
- Beginner Effects Artist.
Start with simple effects. Understand all the features of the particle editor you are using. Often their potential is not obvious.
Develop in different areas. Not only in creating effects, but also in modeling, classical drawing, animation, animation, materials science. Learn new software. Read technical literature. Study the features of human vision. Watch scientific programs about mechanisms, space, nature, man. Point out one or the other interesting moments In movie. Take an interest in psychology, the peculiarities of the perception of colors.
Learn from other artists. Collect references of pictures, gifs with effects, color palettes, record video from the screen from games, so that later on slow-motion playback to make out how this or that effect was made.
Don't try to clean up the effect right away. Work on general forms, colors, dynamics of what is happening. It is possible that you will have to do everything differently. And this can save both time and nerves.
All these things will gradually bring up in you not only a competent, highly qualified specialist, but also a diversified person.
Thank you for your attention. I will be glad to answer your questions in the comments :).
Visual effects and computer graphics have firmly entered our lives. Today, anyone is able to explore the mysterious and Magic world post-production and become an expert in the field. The tips below will help raise your VFX and CGI knowledge.
This is fairly obvious advice, but it is often ignored by beginners. The habit of looking and analyzing should become part of the work process or training. After watching a film with cool visual effects, review it again, but not as a spectator, but as a specialist. Try to find mistakes and partners, there are actually a lot of them. Analyze how the shot was created, how it was lit, and why it was done the way it was.
Copy
Try repeating frames from your favorite movies or videos. Of course, a cool team of artists was sitting on the creation of one cool shot. But I am sure that most of the frames can be realistically recreated with a minimal budget. The task is to create something similar with a minimum budget and maximum quality. Remember, you are doing this in the interest of your professional development. As a result, these works will fit perfectly into the portfolio, and they can be published on behance.
Who am I?
When you watch a Hollywood CGI blockbuster, remember that a team of professionals worked on every frame. Each team member did one highly specialized job. One group modeled while the other lighting these models, someone drew the environment, someone animated the characters, and someone composited it all, blurring the line between reality and the CG world. If everyone did everything, the result would be disastrous.
Therefore, it is important to decide what the soul lies to. What are you ready to do for 10-12 hours a day, not regretting a single second spent on work? You can choose several directions for yourself, but it is important to highlight the primary ones, and pull up the rest, if possible.
Learn the Basics
Being a highly specialized expert is important, but you need to understand the whole process of creating a visual work. If your job is to rig characters, then you need to understand and know how those characters were modeled, how best to light them, and how they will fit into the footage. Basic knowledge in each of these areas will give you a huge boost to development.
Chat and meet experts
Go to CG and film related events. Of course, there are very few of them in the CIS, but when they pass, real sharks of visual effects gather there.
It's never too late to learn or how to save a few years
A few years ago, it was believed that only a select few could become a VFX artist. In fact, that's how it was. Only the most diligent and persistent could find the necessary valuable information and spend hours studying programs through trial and error. Now everything is exactly the opposite. There is so much information that you can watch only tutorials all your life. But you won't get that far.
the only the right way will be trained by professionals. Only under the control of the master will the student conquer the heights of the CGI industry.
The only question is where to go to study?
There is only one answer here - the best masters your business. For example, take studio courses TerminalFX just look at them portfolio to understand how cool teachers work there.
The money spent on training will pay off dozens, if not thousands of times. Sphere computer graphics is only gaining momentum and specialists are always needed here.
Well, for inspiration, a selection of cool showreels and breakdowns. I really hope one day to see your work in the showreels of these cool studios:
Vitaly Volkov
Green Light CG Supervisor, Scream School computer graphics teacher
Movies have a lot of CGI
special effects
and the visual effects are
not the same
Usually everyone says: “This film has cool special effects” or, conversely, “How did you get the special effects,” meaning a large number of explosions, collapsing houses, running robots, flying monsters. But there is a rather significant difference between the concepts of "special effects" and " visual effects". Special effects are something that can and should be implemented on film set, those effects that can be filmed live. Visual effects are what are finalized in the post-production stage.
Special effects include all kinds of atmospheric effects on the set - rain, snow, fog, light smoke - and various pyrotechnic effects such as explosions and bullets when small charges are laid and explode in certain time. There is work with stunt mechanisms, tricky plastic make-up and work with miniatures, when reduced models of objects collapse and explode and it turns out more efficiently than drawing on a computer.
Then post-production begins, and the VFX is finalized on the computer. On set, we also work when we need to shoot against a green screen. But in general realistic effect- it is always competent planning and joint work of SFX and VFX departments. During the post-production stage, it is necessary to remove cables from the frame, replace and modify makeup, and often improve filming effects. If it was an explosion, make it stronger, break more glass, and so on.
Visual effects are used for a reason
Why are certain things not filmed live, why are they made on a computer? There are three main reasons.
When there is simply no way to film live what what is written in the script, and what is in the head of the director. Departure spaceship into orbit, a person jumping from an airplane - you can fantasize a lot of things.
When there is a threat to health or actors' lives, film crew or those around you. This is always clearly thought out: can we blow something up, can we set fire to the stuntman. If there is a danger, then all these things are transferred to computer graphics.
When by means of computer graphics make it much cheaper and more efficient than filming live.
Visual effects are not getting cheaper, but their quality is getting better. If we compare explosions five years ago and now, the bar is raised, the effects become more realistic. But the labor costs remain the same, so the graphics remain in the same price category.
On good project VFX-supervisor comes into work at the pre-production stage. When a project is announced, a VFX supervisor is already hired and he reads the script, because you can add five lines to the script and the whole production will become several million more expensive. An experienced, good VFX Supervisor senses this when reading the script and can help the writers and directors come up with a solution for this scene that will also look visually good, but will cost ten times less.
VFX professionals perceive the world differently
Our profession is at the intersection of creative and technical areas. The result of the work is beautiful pictures, but to make them, we have to develop complex technical solutions. Each new day throws up new tasks that we have not yet solved - it's a lot of fun. As an effects specialist, I have been studying the world around me for a very long time, I look at it like an artist: I try to figure out how chiaroscuro works in certain conditions, I look at the perspective, what happens to the air when the sun sets, or how the wind puffs up dry leaves, or how sparks fly from a fire. I am also trying to understand the nature of all these phenomena. Here mathematics and physics come to the fore. After all, in order to repeat what I see with my eyes on a computer, I need to collect mathematical models that give the same visual result. All that mathematics, which at school seemed terrible and incomprehensible, becomes insanely interesting: you see how a tornado spins from your manipulations or a computer flame flares up.
Let's say there is a helicopter, completely drawn on a computer; it should be well placed in the frame. We need to recreate the material of this helicopter, metal plates, figure out how they reflect light, how scratches glare in the sun - this requires knowledge in physics and mathematics. Or, for example, to control the nature of explosions: there are complex models built on mathematical models developed many, many years ago. Here we work as engineers.
Until recently, in Russia, no one taught visual
effects
Many years ago, I was choosing which institute to study at and looking for where they teach computer graphics. There was nothing like that. Everything was limited to individual courses in Photoshop and 3D Max. How to make graphics specifically for cinema was not taught anywhere at all. There are few VFX specialists in Russia due to the fact that until recently we did not have any systematic education on this topic. I am very glad that now there is a Scream School - the only educational institution in our country, where all this knowledge is systematized and given to students. I myself graduated from Scream School when it just opened, in the first test year, and the school became a bridge for me to a new industry. Now, five years later, it is gratifying to see that many professionals are happy to share their knowledge.
We have fewer visual effects specialists in the whole country than there are animation studios in China. But the level of our specialists is very high. Many of our VFX specialists easily leave for the West, for Hollywood, because they are talented, experienced people who can do beautiful things. The amount of computer graphics in our projects is quite large, but in many ways we cope on our own. There are times when work is outsourced to China or India.
Most often, routine work has to be outsourced. For example, cutting masks. Several people ran over, waved their hands, and then it became clear that we wanted to replace the background behind them. Initially, they decided to save money, did not hire a supervisor on the set, did not shoot these people against the backdrop of a green screen, and now they have to be practically cut out frame by frame, trying to capture their movements. Masking is the most routine job in our entire industry. These types of jobs are most often outsourced. In the studio, we rarely do masking in large volumes.
What do effects artists do in the gaming industry? What skills do you need to pump and where to look for inspiration? And finally, the most important thing - how to get into the profession (spoiler: it's easier than it seems)? These and other questions were answered by Anton Gritsay, Sub Lead VFX Artist of the Krasnodar studio Plarium.
- Anton, tell us about the specifics of the work of a VFX artist. What place does he occupy in the creation of games?
In my opinion, the VFX artist is a great finalizer. He creates the final image and completes the work, which went from concept to modeling and animation. VFX Specialists last place in the pipeline, but perhaps one of the first in importance. All because in modern games effects are used not only as a decoration, but also as an interactive marker that affects the gameplay. For example, an effect gives a signal that something is about to happen, and the player must have time to respond to such an event.
- What are the main tasks facing a VFX specialist?
There are two of them: creating visual effects according to the style of the project and optimizing the effects for devices. The second task is justified by the technical limitations imposed by a wide range of mobile devices.
- What is the difference between the work of a Real-Time VFX Artist and the work of a film effects artist?
These two specialists are often confused. At first glance, they achieve similar results: something glows, moves, and explodes. But there is a difference, and sometimes significant. The key difference in working on game effects is the response speed. The Real-Time VFX Artist monitors every part of the effect in real time and instantly tracks changes, making it easier to learn from mistakes. But the Cinematic VFX artist has to wait an hour or two for the render to see the result and make adjustments. Another significant difference is that real-time effects need to be optimized for the devices on which the game is launched. The weaker the device, the more difficult it is to make a beautiful, fast-working effect. For mobile games technical limitations are almost paramount.
- How does a VFX artist interact with other game industry specialists?
As a rule, work issues are discussed with employees of the departments of 3D modeling, animation, and sometimes texturing. But VFX specialists interact most closely with programmers, including those who deal only with graphics - Graphic Dev. Together we decide non-standard tasks on current projects and build the most ambitious plans for the future.
- What skills does a VFX artist need?
At the heart of any effect is the construction of 3D objects, so the VFX artist needs experience in classical and procedural modeling. A 3D object renders a texture - this is where artistic skills and knowledge of graphics packages such as Adobe Photoshop or Substance Designer. To make textures come to life, start moving, you need to know how shaders work, be able to create them, which means that you will need skills in programming and modular prototyping. In addition, an important component of the effects is dynamics, and to create it, you need to understand animation. And of course, you need to know the development environment, in my case it is Unity 3D.
Another useful skill will be flexibility, as the developer toolkit is updated and modified from year to year.
Also, to create high-quality effects, a VFX specialist must have a broad outlook. This may scare young artists away. Starting from scratch is difficult: you need to have basic skills in at least a few areas and continue to develop. Experts in everything are a rarity. Everyone has weaknesses and strengths, so learn to work in a team, complementing each other. This has a positive effect on the development of professional and personal qualities of specialists.
- Skills are important, but in this creative profession still need some inspiration. Where to look for it?
A characteristic feature of a VFX artist is observation. You need to be attentive to details, be interested in trifles, and then you will be able to look at the world in a new way. I consider having my own visual library one of the principles of success. It’s good to replenish it regularly, for example, watch movies, focusing on special effects and action scenes. It is also useful to look at the effects in games of any platform: from mobile to console. You should play more often and focus on successful projects.
As for my personal sources of inspiration, I really love The Slow Mo Guys web series. In slow motion videos, it is possible to see in more detail the dynamics of real physical processes to try to translate what you see into the language of effects.
- Are there many VFX artists on Russian market labor?
There are not enough specialists. Professionals have long found work, and only good reasons can force them to change companies. The root of the problem lies in the shortage of young VFX artists. Perhaps this is due to the lack of good training programs.
- What does it take to enter the profession of a VFX artist?
I believe that it is enough to love visual effects so much that one morning you wake up and say to yourself: “I want to learn how to do them.” This applies to both those who have artistic taste, and those who have excellent technical potential.
There are many entry points to the profession, and everyone chooses their own path. The main thing is to keep in mind that in the end you will have to strive for the harmonious development of all the necessary skills. Someone purposefully prepares to become a VFX artist, and someone becomes one by accident and devotes his whole life to this work. In my case, it was a unique experience: since childhood I loved drawing and did not stop practicing, and during my studies as a specialist in computer systems and networks, I managed to combine technical knowledge with artistic skills, and I realized myself as a Flash specialist. After doing a number of freelance projects (mostly small jobs and mini-games), I felt that a real breakthrough needed a launch pad with a team of like-minded people. In those days, a little-known Plarium company with a small staff became a treasured place where I found true friends and really opened up. I wish everyone who reads this article to go to the end and believe in their dream.
- Are the professions of a VFX artist taught in Russia?
Alas, in Russia little attention is paid to the training of VFX artists. Of course, it would be useful to master such an actual specialty in universities, and we are talking about creating effects for mobile games. Plarium is well aware of the current situation, so the company plans to contribute to the popularization of this direction.
- Tell us about your career at Plarium: what are the requirements for VFX artists?
Skill requirements and personal qualities. Sometimes how a person suits our team as a person becomes a good reason to approve a candidate. We will train a specialist of a level below the required one on the spot, this is a fixable matter. And to maintain a positive atmosphere in the team, which was formed long years, is possible only by hiring a person whose values correspond cultural property companies.
- What tasks await candidates?
Here is a list of categories of effects that specialists from the Krasnodar studio Plarium are working on:
- Character Effects (effects for characters and mobs);
- Spells/Abilities Effects (effects for hits, spells, explosions, etc.);
- Environmental Effects (effects for the environment, effects for the background);
- UI Effects (effects for the user interface).
Most often, the work is related to the creation of effects for mobs, bosses, secondary and main characters. Their traits can be enhanced with effects such as glow, fire, and more. As a rule, unique spell and physical effects are used for each character. For locations, they also come up with characteristic effects that complement, and sometimes enhance the atmosphere of the place. For example, the land of volcanoes will not do without sparks and flows of exploding lava, and the picturesque area with plants - without falling leaves and waterfalls.
Now about UI. The interface is an integral part of any game, and effects are also needed here. Some are responsible for usability or game mechanics, others are responsible for the design and style of the project. There are practically no identical tasks, and every day a specialist faces new challenges.
What are the opportunities for development in Plarium Krasnodar?
The company sends employees to trainings and conferences in other cities, pays for online courses. Here they encourage healthy lifestyle life, organize team building and maintain a favorable climate for fruitful work. I'm ready to say with confidence: Plarium is the place where the boring phrase "Everything is in your hands" really makes sense.
Start your career as a VFX artist
Do you want to create visual effects for mobile games? Studio Plarium Krasnodar is looking for employees! We are waiting for your resume by mail: [email protected].
