Reply To: Backhoe Contribution – adrian2301 – Chassis/Stabilizer/Fenders and the Engine. And the hydraulics for the swing frame.

[Kent Trammell]

@adrian2301 @jakeblended There isn’t a magical moment where you know your skills are professional-quality. The primary realization comes when you first land a professional gig, complete it, and get paid for it. That’s when you know you know. Secondarily it helps to hear a career 3D artist tell you have what it takes. So hear it from me:

You BOTH have pro-level modeling skills. I know you could succeed in a studio context, a freelance context, or a passive-income context. The piece of the puzzle to make it happen has less to do with your technical skills and more to do with standing out in the crowd; being noticed.

These days 3D modelers are a dime a dozen which means high-caliber skills is just a foot in the door. You can check that one off your list. Next on the list is gaining an audience with the internet and thus a studio’s attention and/or clientele.

Take Luis Burdallo for example. According to linkedin he’s been doing freelance audio equipment renders professional for more than 10 years. There is absolutely nothing ground-breaking about his modeling. It’s just good and accurate. Easily you and other DOG POUNDERS can model same as him. But it’s the presentation that catches my eye and makes me hit the follow button. And I guarantee it’s the presentation that has fueled his decade-long career.

Similarly Karol Miklas is an established vehicle modeler. You can definitely model vehicles like his. But it’s his presentation that stands out and no-doubt has earned him a successful career.

If you really want to pursue a career in computer graphics, it’s valuable to decide on a specific avenue. I’ll mention 3 main avenues: 

1. Passive income through 3D modeling is super intriguing to me and involves the least risk. Blender Market, Gumroad, Second Life, etc. This video from JL Mussi turned me on to the potential of this:

2. The freelance avenue is arguably the most dependent on standing out in the crowd that is the internet. For someone with no professional connections and only their portfolio to showcase their skills, you can imagine how important standing out is.

I’ve often daydreamed about a full-time freelance career but personally am intimidated by the uncertainty of work drying up. However I dabble fairly regularly in part-time freelancing as supplemental income. 90% of all my freelance work has come from professional connections.

3. The studio avenue is the most traditional context imo: Working at a building with a team of co-workers, consistent paychecks, insurance, etc. In many ways this offers the most job security (though cg studios aren’t that secure compared to other industries but that’s another discussion). Landing a job at a studio is a little weird in that it’s usually a mixture of standing out and/or benefiting from a recommendation. I didn’t have any connections upon graduating from college and leaned 100% on my portfolio standing out and landing a studio gig. But a lot of my co-workers didn’t have stunner portfolios and earned positions through networking or resume.

I fear I’m rambling a bit at this point…hopefully there’s something in this wall of text to chew on. I really should distill these thoughts into an organized livestream and/or article.