I found it difficlut to make lighting for interior shot, but I finally made it.
Because the limit of the software ability, If there is no bright light inside the room, like the shot I made above. The main light source is from outside. If I just simply add a light from outside through that little porthole, it is impossible to make the inside room look good because the software cannot let enough light passing through that hole.
It take me a lot of time to light the edge of the character. I struggle at fist but finally find a way out. I use 5 different render layer to render. So I divide the whole image into five part: Character, furniture, the shell of the rocket, particle and light ray. So when I render the character, I can remove the whole door and let more light coming in.
In this way, I don’t need let the light to meet all of the need from different part and finally done this shot.
As I delved deeper into researching renowned animation companies in China and sought advice from friends, I discovered that these companies typically seek candidates with a minimum of three years of work experience. Regrettably, I missed the application deadlines for most student programs. Nevertheless, I remain determined to apply and have decided to broaden my horizons by considering opportunities with smaller companies as well. To streamline my job search process, I have compiled a collection of Chinese application apps that provide easy access to the information I require.
Zhilian Recruitment does not offer features similar to Zhonghua Yingcai Net’s “Quick Apply” function. Each job application requires selecting a resume and deciding whether to include a cover letter, which can sometimes be cumbersome. Zhilian Recruitment has a significant advantage in the number of senior-level positions available. However, it also has a notable drawback: the quantity of job opportunities in second and third-tier cities is significantly lower compared to others. This indicates that Zhilian Recruitment currently focuses more on major cities while somewhat neglecting smaller cities. Additionally, a major issue with the platform is the lack of communication following job applications. Many positions remain indefinitely listed without any updates, creating anticipation but leading to silence.
Qianchengwuyou stands out for its clear layout, providing detailed information about the company’s nature, salary, and benefits. It offers the most useful information, making it a top choice among job seekers. Many applicants have reported receiving the highest number of interview invitations through Zhilian Recruitment. The platform features practical and visually appealing resume templates. It pioneered the “All-in-One Recruitment Model,” combining newspaper, website, headhunting, software, and campus recruitment services. It offers a comprehensive range of services, from employee recruitment to offboarding, making it a one-stop outsourcing solution.
BOSS Zhipin provides a unique platform that empowers job seekers by facilitating direct connections with employers, skipping traditional HR channels. This feature sets it apart from other recruitment platforms. It primarily focuses on attracting and serving mid to high-level professionals.
Honestly, before now, I literally had no social media posts on eny platform. So I started to set up my social media account in instagram, facebook and youtube, also in some Chinese social platform like weibo, bilibili and wechat. Then I found it is difficult to show all of your works through social platform, so then I plan to make a website. I look through a lot of website making it, finally I choose Wix. I spent a lot of time on tiding my work together and upload to Wix and choose a style, then I spent sometime making the layout and finally done it.Honestly, until recently, I had completely refrained from posting on any social media platform. However, I eventually decided to create accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as on various Chinese platforms like Weibo, Bilibili, and WeChat. As I ventured into this new territory, I realized that showcasing all of my work through these platforms was challenging. Consequently, I devised a plan to develop my own website. After extensively exploring different website creation options, I ultimately settled on Wix. The process involved consolidating my work, uploading it onto Wix, selecting a suitable style, and then dedicating time to perfecting the layout. Eventually, I successfully accomplished the task.
Furthermore, I embarked on creating an animation portfolio to enhance my job prospects. A crucial aspect of this portfolio is the demonstration of my proficiency in concept art, modeling, rendering, texturing, and lighting. By adhering to these guidelines, I managed to construct my portfolio successfully. However, I recognize that there is still a task pending: crafting a showreel that effectively showcases my animation capabilities.
I will here make a list of Chinese Animation Company that I am interested in:
This company focus on creating high-quality animation content, Sparkly Key Animation Studio has gained recognition for its unique and visually appealing animated works.
The studio is known for its expertise in 2D and 3D animation production, employing talented artists and animators who bring life to their projects. They utilize advanced animation techniques, combining traditional hand-drawn animation with modern digital technologies to deliver captivating visual experiences.
Shanghai Animation Film Studio: Established in 1957, Shanghai Animation Film Studio is one of China’s oldest and most renowned animation studios. It has produced numerous classic animated films and TV series, including “Nezha Conquers the Dragon King” and “Monkey King: Hero Is Back.”
Beijing Enlight Media: Beijing Enlight Media is a diversified entertainment company that encompasses various media sectors, including film production and distribution, animation, and online gaming. The company has been involved in the production of successful animated films such as “The Legend of Qin” and “Boonie Bears.”
Tencent Animation & Comics: As a division of Tencent, one of China’s largest technology and entertainment conglomerates, Tencent Animation & Comics focuses on the production, distribution, and licensing of animated content. It collaborates with various animation studios and has developed popular animated series such as “The King’s Avatar” and “Combat Continent.”
Fantawild Animation Inc. is a prominent animation company that focuses on creating high-quality animated content for children and families. It has produced popular series like “Boonie Bears” and “Fantastica Adventures.”
The studio is committed to creating high-quality animated content for a diverse range of audiences. They work on both original projects and collaborations, catering to different platforms such as television, film, online streaming, and mobile applications. YHKT Entertainment aims to bring captivating stories to life through visually appealing animation and engaging storytelling techniques.
With these list, I will check their application information and submit my portfolio and showreal.
I always annoyed by thinking of an idea for animation and it is more difficult to develop one. Fortunately, I got a chance to attend the class of proposal development, which helped me a lot.
First, Lucy let us think of a character. So I thought of an astronaut and drew it out.
Then Lucy said she would gave us five questions about the characters and we needed to anwser those one by one. Those questions were:1. What they want. 2.What stop them getting it. 3. What they do about it. 4. What are they scared of. 5. What is their blindpoint.
So then I started to think about all of those five questions.
I thought he, the astronaut, wanted to launch the rocket. But he is stopped because of the rocket is broken because of certain reasons. Then he wanted to repair it but he forgot to switch the power off. So when the astronaut found the problem and fix it, the rocket launch without waiting the astronaut. As a result, he is left in this planet. His blindpoint is that he is too careless.
That was amazing that by these five simple questions, I already tought of a fine idea. I always wanted to do an animation about the universe, but it is hard for me to get an idea.
Then I started to detail this idea and found some references and I even though about adding an alien into this animation, which could be fun.
referencereferencedrawing: the astronaut and the plantsdrawing:rocket and the plant.
When you use Zbrush in modeling, you definitely will use “Zremesher” to help you poly automatically, which is far more convenient than other softwares like Maya, 3DMAX and so on.
Generally, After making a rough shape that you want, you will use Zremesher so that you can get a clean model to carve then. Here is what you will get.
Looks good, the mesh is even and the density is proper. But if you then continue to carve and then export the model to maya and rig it, you will find most of the plug can not support your way of mesh.
Most of the rig plugs acquire this kind of mesh. All of the lines should around the eye and actually it is because this round line is much better for expression than the one made by zremesher.
Also, the mesh around mouth should be like it so that the expression could be smooth and easy to control.
So, if it means that we cannot use Zremesher to grow the mesh for expression rig? not exactly, we still can use it!
There is a tool named Zremesher Guides! You just need to open the menu and type in Z and R, then you will active this tool and use it as a pen.
Now, You just need to use this pen to draw the round lines around your eyes and mouth. These lines you draw will be as a guide to affect the way how zremesher grow the lines.
As the button circled in the picture, it can decide the strength. Larger number means zremesher will follow your guide line much more tightly, Lower number means the other way.
Then, after choosing the right strength, you just need to click the zremesher button and finally you will get a nice mesh that is good for expression rig!
When I finished my modeling process, I needed to rig my character, which is actually a diffcult part of me because I have less knowldege about this part actually. Thus, I spent a lot of time on researching how to rig efficiently. Then I found this pipeline.
First, You need to clean up your model using the internal function of advanced skeleton.
Then export the model in FBX format and upload to the mixamo website.
It will automatically generate a skeleton and skin weight. Then you just need to download it and import the folder into maya.
When you get you binded model, open the menu of advanced skeleton, find the namematcher.
Then, choose the Mixamo in files option. Then select one of the skeleton, click the detect button.
Click the Create button, it will generate the skeleton automatically.
Then you need to adjust the eye, jaw and knee joint to the right position and then click the button build AdvancedSkeleton.
Then click the transfer button to transfer the old skin weight to new skeleton.
In the end, you just need to adjust the weight a bit and you will get a perfect binded model.
There are a great amount of interviews with digital compositors and I learn a lot from them and get lots of experience about the requirements and some small tips to be a digital compositor.
This is a digital compositor, named David Tate, from VFX industry who worked on films and shows like Ocean’s Eight, The Greatest Showman and Westworld just to name a few.
He metioned that senior compositor generally won’t be willing to do some cleaning work like cleaning the wire and some unwanted stuff in the picture because it was kind of repeating and boring for them. Thus, they sometimes will drop those kind of cleaning work to the junior compositors. I personally think it is a kind of opportunity because if people can master cleaning work, then they may get the chance to join this industry, at least I consider it possible. From this point, I can get it is a good chance to be a digital compositor by learning cleaning skills. When you get into the industry, learn more from your senior, then be them.
He also mentioned that the way to get a job could be tried to know other digital compositor from twitter, facebook or instgram and ask them what are they doing, what they get and show them what you got. You might get some opportunity to get into a big company in that way. Also, you got be doing some personal projects by helping some people in the industry for free, which help you in the future a lot.
He also mention you got be prepare a showreel, it would be better you choose your work in the industry rather than the college projects, but I personally think puting the college projects are also work if you just have college projects. And let the friends you make put some good words in your showreel is also a good idea.
This is another interview with a VFX compositor specialize in color. Adjust color is one of the most important parts in composition. When compositors get different elements from different group, adjusting every images and make them fit together probably are the main work a compositor will do in their daily work.
His name is J. Bills. He mentioned that hardware is important in composition work. Dedicated GPU, Good video card and good monitors which significantly improved your color adjusting work.
He is Diego Galtieri and he mentioned that different company have different pipeline with different software. For example, some VFX company did the composition based on After effects, others use Nuke. It depends on what the company are familiar with and what they think work better with other parts like rendering group and light group.
As I have a look at the linkedin, most of the digital compositor requirements includes skills in using After effects, Nuke. Thus, this skill should be the basic skill in becoming a compositor. Some company may more focus on your 3D compositing ability, others may more care about your 2D. Most of the companies point out the ability to composite mutiple exr channel, which is a commonly used format in VFX. Some companies will point out the system like if you are familiar with Linux. Possessing a strong sense of composition, colour, lighting, perspective, and scale is also a requirement of some companies. Thus, the basic aesthetic skill should also be pay attention to improve in the study.
Blink Ink company is a world class, london based animation studio. we create short-form video content with our partners in advertising, music, gaming, fashion and broadcast industries.
Very appreciate the opportunity given by my class to visit Blink Ink, which give me more reference for my future career plan.
When I step into their company, I feel the people here very friendly and the environment really beautiful, which give me a very deep impression at the first.
Then they gave us a introduction to their all area of work.
I really loved their working environment, you can see the plants everywhere and the artister here were really friendly and talented.
After the tour, they did a presentation to us.
Their work was amazing, the combination with 2D, 3D and stopmotion and that was exactly what I was looking for. Then they talked about their internship plan and we knew a lot about them. I hope one day I could get to there to work with all of those talented people.
Before I came to ual to study animation, I did some jobs before like animator, modeler, texture artist and compositor. The experience of being a digital compositor actually leave me a deep impression.
The work I normally did was to get all of the shots from different groups and then composed them into a intact film, it was really tired, but also really fun. However, I just did this part of the work for a few weeks, so I wanted to collect more information from it.
This is an interview with a digital compositor, He said his daily work was putting all the pictures together rendered by CG department. He also said the work of compisitors always meet the deadline because it is the last step of a project. That was exactly I always experienced when I was a compositor, which damaged my physical health a lot.
He also said when he got hired, the quality of his work dropped and that was what I felt because you always needed to fulfilled the requirements of your clients whose taste might not that good.
He said the joy of this job was from when making a great work, his clients will feel happy and the audience will happy. When a project was difficult, he and his coworkers worked together to finally made it, which also gave him happinese. This was very important, no one was willing to do something that never bring happy.
The work of digital compositor always comes to clean up the shot. Like the picture above, they need to clean up the wire.
Even clean up the terrain like the picture below.
Another important work as a digital compositor is keying and then composition like the picture below.
Overall, compositors basically need to put all of the shots together. Also, they have to clean up the things which should not exist in the shot. Third, they have to remove the green screen and replace it with other backgrounds. Finally, they also need to adujust the color, add the special effects from other CG department.
