FlippedNormals Podcast: Recent Episodes
FlippedNormals
A concerning trend is starting to happen, VFX and Games studios are starting to bet on AI over Artists.
We talk about our view on what's happening as well as making a clear stand for artists
In today's episode, we delve into Unity's recent decision to lay off 275 employees and close down their Weta Digital studio. This studio, acquired for $1.6 billion just two years ago, has become the focal point of significant organizational changes.
In this episode, we talk about the criticism that often falls on CG in Hollywood films. Often, people have a positive view of practical effects, but CG is not held in the same regard.
We're discussing our favorite Blender 4.0 features, like Light Linking, AgX, Node Tools and more. We're also discussing the future of Blender and what features we'd love to see. Blender 4.0 is an incredible release and we're really excited.
Join us as we delve into the recent wave of mass layoffs in VFX and games. Beyond the industry specifics, we zoom out to analyze the broader economic landscape, aiming to demystify what's been happening behind the scenes.
The return of the FlippedNormals podcast. We kick things off talking about what's been happening behind the scenes for the past couple of years as well as give insight into why we haven't been able to put out as much content as we used to.
In this video art tutorial, we'll discuss how you can effectively practice your art in order to become much better faster. One of the key ideas which can help you progress is to understand what you're optimising your studies for. Are you optimising a piece to look as good as possible (portfolio) - or are you trying to learn as much as possible about a speicfic topic, like perspective, color theory etc (study)?
Every artist can feel their art stagnate and not getting better is incredibly frustrating. In this episode we talk about our top ten reasons why your art isn’t getting better and exactly what you can do about it!
Learn how to recieve feedback as a 3D artist! This is a huge part of learning 3D and recieving feedback well is a really important skill.
Part 1 Here
https://youtu.be/vmFZUEZcHw8
-
There are always emotions connected, try to distance yourself.
-
Take a break to get distance
-
Find the right person to get feedback from. Do they know what they are talking about?
-
Be excited about an opportunuty to get better
-
Be humble and accepting
-
Dont implement feedback without thinking about it.
-
All feedback accepted = boring result
-
Try to understand what they are actually saying. Ask follow up if you dont fully understand it
-
There are no stupid questions!
-
Write down everything and make a todo
-
You can disagree with the feedback, but dont be a dick about it.
-
You might get hurt, but realize that the person isnt trying to hurt you.
Learn how you can give amazing feedback when reviewing other artists work!
Part 2 Here
https://youtu.be/i71_9DErnoA
Giving feedback is incredibly tricky is an art by itself. Here are some of our top tips:
-
What does the artist actually need? Is it encouragement or really specific feedback?
-
Make sure the person actually want your feedback
-
You're talking to an actual person with feelings
-
Sandwich: Good - bad - good
-
Leave them with clear things to fix!
-
Dont feedback areas you arent yourself confident in
-
Make sure they understand your feedback
-
Instead of them doing a 'fix' - make sure they understand the core issue
-
Focus on fundamentals
-
It's not your art work! Ultimately it's their art, their decisions
-
Paintovers are usually more helpful than words
-
Ask for their references. Helps you understand where they are coming from
-
Never say somebodys work is bad. You're here to help, not judge
As an artist, you have to be careful when using social media. You get more of what you measure, so be aware of what you actually measure. Likes, followers and shares are vanity metrics. Before you work too hard on your social media strategy, make sure you develop your artistic skills.
The VFX and film industry has a lot of systemic issues causing real health issues for artists. Films are underbid, there's a lot of unpaid overtime, crunch is 'romanticised' and passion is being exploited. We talk about how artists can stand up for themselves and make a create a better industry.
If you want to progress your art to the next level, you need to understand the difference between basics and fundamentals. This is true for graphic design, photography, 3D art, drawing, game art and much more.
Due to COVID-19, every single university and college will have to take extreme precaution for the next semesters. They are drastically changing their entire structure in response to the pandemic and this will cause complete chaos. We talk about why taking a gap year is a good idea and why attending university and college this fall will be a disaster.
In this podcast, we are talking about how to become motivated as an artist. Your success is so dependent on your discipline, which we cover in-depth. It's all about having long term goals which you work towards at a methodical place, while being comfortable with change and learning new things.
In this podcast, we are talking with Harriet from DNEG about how to get a job in VFX and in the creative field. We discuss how an interview goes, tips and tips, how to apply and generally covering the overall process.
In this exciting talk, we have a chat with Media Molecule artist Emilie Stabell, about how to become a better artist. We talk about her experience in the gaming industry, how to become a concept artist, and we talk about Dreams, Media Molecule's ongoing project!
In this video podcast, we talk about why you shouldn't use your own original concept art if you want to get a job as a 3D artist.
We talk about how you can get your first job as a 3D artist. There are a bunch of interesting internships which are open for applications in the Spring.
In this episode, we talk about how you can improve your portfolio to increase the chances of you being hired!
-
Build the portfolio around what you want to do. Look at Juniors and do what they did
-
Take presentation seriously: good lighting, do breakdowns, delete old work, color grade your work, FlippedNormals Lighting Scenes, etc
-
Get honest feedback from professionals
-
Have your contact info available
-
Cheat (do shot specific work, post work in PS)
Make sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date with what's going on!
In this podcast, we talk about the steps you can take to become a 3D character artist for the Film and Games industry. We talk about the tools you need to learn, like Maya and ZBrush, and the core principles needed.
In this episode, we talk about the role of the teacher - and how you can improve as an educator. This is a useful discussion for anyone who's attending school as a student - or working as a teacher.
We discuss how you can be successful in the creative industry as a self-taught artist. Going to school simply isn't an option for many, so in this video, we talk about how you can get a job by going the self-taught route.
Part 2 of 2 where we sat down with the Blender Guru himself, Andrew Price, about the future Blender 2.8.
A lot of exciting additions like Blender 2.8 Layers, sculpting and the Blender 2.8 Beta as well as particles in Blender 2.8
Part 1 of 2 where we sat down with the Blender Guru himself, Andrew Price, about the future Blender 2.8.
A lot of exciting additions like Blender 2.8 Layers, sculpting and the Blender 2.8 Beta as well as particles in Blender 2.8
In this Q&A, we talk about character art and answer your questions.
00:19 - As an aspiring modeler, how important is it to have original designs?
05:19 - Why is likeness so hard when sculpting?
11:01 - What are the most important aspects for a character artist to display to have a chance at a junior position?
15:13 - When you guys started sculpting characters, was it bad or were you guys good from the beginning?
In this Q&A , we take your questions about getting a job in film and games!
00:17 - What field is the hardest/easiest to get into in the VFX industry?
06:41 - Are you able to have a good and stable life with the income you get from when you start working in the CG/games industry?
12:54 - What are some ways to build your network for those who are self-learning?
17:07 - How do you succeed in an interview - and what should you ask the recruiter?
We discuss the topic of going to school to learn CG and art. This is an incredibly controversial topic, where there's way too much misinformation. In this video, we hope to shed some light on whether going to university/college is right for you.
For many, it's the best part of their lives, and for others, it's the single biggest mistake you can make.
We have a detailed discussion about what life is like as a 3d modeler in the Film & VFX industry. Learn what kind of modelers there are, how they differ, how to prepare to be a modeler and what not to do. We also cover what tools you'll be using as a modeler, including Maya and ZBrush.
The goal is that you'll get a solid understanding of the ins and outs of the life as a 3D modeler in the film and visual effects (vfx) industry.
We are interviewing Vincent Ménier from CCP Games about what life as a senior character artist in the gaming industry is like. We had a lot of fun with this one and we hope you enjoy it!
In this Q&A video, we answer your questions about art-school!
00:16 - What do they teach you in art school?
04:01 - For you to get into one of the top art schools, do you need to have knowledge of the field you're getting into - or is starting as a complete beginner totally fine?
08:09 - Should I know 2D traditional art to understand 3D art?
12:45 - As a beginner, at what point can people start applying their vision and creativity?
In this episode, we're talking about how you can improve your skills and become the very best like no one ever was.
One aspect of university which is rarely truly discussed is the true cost. Going to university or college can be extremely expensive, to the point where you'll be in debt for the rest of your life. In this episode, we discuss how expensive it can be, and why you should be extremely careful when choosing whether to go to University or not.
In this episode, we cover some of the most important parts of becoming a better a better 3D artist. If you're interested in becoming a better 3D artist, we definitely recommend that you check this out.
In this episode, we talk about what you need to know before studying 3d and art at university.
One of the biggest issues for art and 3D students is getting jobs once they graduate. In this video, we talk about one of the key reasons why this happens - along with a bunch of tips on how to fix it.
We cover important things to keep in mind when you're working in a studio as a 3D artist
We talk about why you dont need a custom website for your art portfolio. Artstation is really your best bet when it comes to a portoflio.
We have over the years learnt a bunch of 3D software, like Maya, Max, Blender, Mari, ZBrush, and many more. In this video we talk about our approch for learning 3D software.
In this episode, we talk about how you can improve your portfolio to increase the chances of you being hired!
-
Build the portfolio around what you want to do. Look at Juniors and do what they did
-
Take presentation seriously: good lighting, do breakdowns, delete old work, color grade your work, FlippedNormals Lighting Scenes
-
Get honest feedback from professionals
-
Have your contact info available
-
Cheat (do shot specific work, post work in PS)
In this Part 2 discussion, we talk about how important the tool is to your work when working as a CG Artist. If you stay up to date on new tools and techniques, you will have a huge competitive advantage. Combine strong fundamentals with up-to-date knowledge of software and you'll be a great CG Artist.
In this Part 1 discussion video, we talk about how important fundamentals are to your career and overall skillset. Unlike the tools, the fundamentals will stand the test of time - and the more you understand them, the better your art will be.
We are interviewing Vincent Ménier from CCP Games about what life as a senior character artist in the gaming industry is like. We had a lot of fun with this one and we hope you enjoy it!
In this very special podcast, we talk with Matt from Matt VS Japan about how to achieve mastery in a craft. Matt has achieved a near native level of learning Japanese at a young age, and we speak with him about how to replicate his success for other fields, like CG and 3D.
In this podcast, we are talking with Harriet from DNEG about how to get a job in VFX and in the creative field. We discuss how an interview goes, tips and tips, how to apply and generally covering the overall process.
In this discussion, we are talking about the harsh truths of working in the 3D and art industry. It's an amazing place to work, but there are things nobody talks about, which we're discussing here.
We have a detailed discussion about what life is like as a 3d modeler in the Film & VFX industry. Learn what kind of modelers there are, how they differ, how to prepare to be a modeler and what not to do. We also cover what tools you'll be using as a modeler, including Maya and ZBrush.
We discuss the various 3D software used in the CG industry with some of their strengths and weaknesses. Is there such a thing as a 'the best 3d software'? We talk about Max, Maya, Blender, Houdini, Cinema 4D, MODO, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Substance Designer and Mari.