Hey everyone,
'AngelP' sent me this....it was originally a post from Craigslist that was on Deviant Art. Artists, take heed!
Wisdom (From Craigslist) Journal Entry: Sun Jan 27, 2008, 3:38 PM
"Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking “artists” for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.But what they’re NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.To those who are “seeking artists”, let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?More than likely, you don’t know any. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting on craigslist to find them.And this is not really a surprise.
In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!)Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?
If you answered “yes” to ANY of the above, you’re obviously insane. If you answered “no”, then kudos to you for living in the real world.But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen.
As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.A few things you need to know;
1. It is not a “great opportunity” for an artist to have his work seen on your car/’zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a “great opportunity” for YOU to have their work there.
2. It is not clever to seek a “student” or “beginner” in an attempt to get work for free. It’s ignorant and insulting. They may be “students”, but that does not mean they don’t deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a “student” once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition it JUST as stupid.
3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it’s one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their “ortfolio”. They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It’s not compensation. It’s their right, and it’s a given.
4. Stop thinking that you’re giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.
5. Students DO need “experience”. But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the “experience” they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother’s house when they were seventeen?If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.
6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to “submit work for consideration”. They may even be posing as some sort of “contest”. These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the “contest”, or be “chosen” for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or “spec”, work. It’s risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit [link].
So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are “spec” gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue."
No idea who wrote this. I found it quoted on another community I frequent. I've ranted about all these things before, so it feels good to read someone else's words saying the same thing. "
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
It's a super sonic flight
Hey to whoever reads this, :3
I just wanted to do a quick blurb on this video that I saw a few days ago on Gametrailers.com. It was a video....pod-cast thing about the 5 Best and Worst Sonic Games of All Time.
Now....a bit of my history...
Sonic was what got me into gaming. I can still remember waaaay back on Dec. 25, 1992, when my brother had recieved a Sega Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I trodded down the stairs, and walked in on him playing Casino Night Zone, Act 2....
...That was where it all began. :3
To date, I have played....probably...I would say at least 70% of every Sonic game ever released. EVER. That's....a lot. The only ones I haven't played either were not released in North America (Sonic Drift), extremely hard to find (Tails' Adventure), or I just didn't have the appropriate console (Knuckles: Chaotix [32X], Sonic Riders [PSP]). It's easy to play some of the games with a bit of creativity, plus marketing....I've gotten to play Sonic CD and Sonic R on the PC.
Now, with this review....hrrrmmm....I do and I don't agree with some of their choices. I can think of other games that would've taken top spot (Sonic Adventure 2), but....the video gave me a few laughs, anyways. :3
Anyone else out there play Sonic games? Let me know what you think!
~Cady
I just wanted to do a quick blurb on this video that I saw a few days ago on Gametrailers.com. It was a video....pod-cast thing about the 5 Best and Worst Sonic Games of All Time.
Now....a bit of my history...
Sonic was what got me into gaming. I can still remember waaaay back on Dec. 25, 1992, when my brother had recieved a Sega Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I trodded down the stairs, and walked in on him playing Casino Night Zone, Act 2....
...That was where it all began. :3
To date, I have played....probably...I would say at least 70% of every Sonic game ever released. EVER. That's....a lot. The only ones I haven't played either were not released in North America (Sonic Drift), extremely hard to find (Tails' Adventure), or I just didn't have the appropriate console (Knuckles: Chaotix [32X], Sonic Riders [PSP]). It's easy to play some of the games with a bit of creativity, plus marketing....I've gotten to play Sonic CD and Sonic R on the PC.
Now, with this review....hrrrmmm....I do and I don't agree with some of their choices. I can think of other games that would've taken top spot (Sonic Adventure 2), but....the video gave me a few laughs, anyways. :3
Anyone else out there play Sonic games? Let me know what you think!
~Cady
Monday, January 14, 2008
A nice change
Hello all,
Just wanted to spout off a quick few thoughts...
It's the new year. And, while I admit, I have already run into a few roadblocks, my health being one of them....
but...
With this being the start of a new year, it is only befitting that we come off to a nice start, eh?
One big factor (and my #1 goal for the new year) was to secure employment. Which, I mentioned in a previous post, I already have. ^_~
Now, allow me to gush. :3
I work at a teeny, tiny studio called Fit Brains. Located in the heart of Vancouver amidst the nest of entertainment studios, this half-a-floor studio (we share space with the independant comic creators, Zeros 2 Heroes ) makes what they call 'guilt-free fun.' Fit Brains creates flash-based PC games that train your brain.
Now, I won't lie. My boss warned me that we were going to be hitting the ground running. Our goal is to finish five games by the 31st of this month.
Yikes. o_O;;
On my first day, I had to bring work h0me because I ended up redesigning about 80% of a character roster for a game that was nearly complete. By day three, all characters were created, sketched, cleaned up, coloured in Photoshop CS3 (by the way....I HATE WINDOWS VISTA!!), and re-imported into Flash. So what I have been doing since then?
Designing the art for a game from the ground up. As in: backgrounds, characters, buttons, splash screens, icons, animations, task bars, score counters.....
....and so forth, and so forth. :3
Now, this is, among other things, and incredible learning experience. While I LOVE video games, I have quinessentially devoted my life right now and my education to animation. I honestly dreamed; nay, fantasized about combining the epic powers of 2D animation with video gaming, I never really thought anything would come of it. While there are, of course, 'indie' successes in 2D gaming, so many of these titles become what we call 'sleeper hits.' This is when a game becomes a cult classic more than a best-seller. The sad thing is, with gaming publishers, it really is all about the Benjamins. If a game doesn't sell phenominally well, much less just....well, it is deemed a failure, and canned.
All you gamers will know what I'm talking about when I mention say...oh, I don't know....Okami, by Clover Studios? Thanks for the support, Capcom! You guys rock! (FYI, for the non-gamers, Okami was artistically, design-wise, gameplay, story-wise and everything-else-wise the best game of 2006. Unfortunately, due to poor advertising and well, thinking outside the box with a clever and incredibly creative storyline, Okami didn't sell as well as it should've, especially according to a behemoth like Capcom. So, shortly after the games' release, Capcom shut down the creative power of Clover Studios. That was a dark day.)
We have old[er] success like Phoenix Wright 1,2 and 3, or even newcomers like Sony Entertainment's Patapon for the PSP. So, again, this was something that was either not possible, or possible only if I lived in Tokyo. -_-;;
But, here I am. Granted, it's not like we're making the next Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda. But I've been given such an amazing opportunity, and such creative freedom with a video game, how could I possibly complain? :D
Once I find out if it's okay to, I'll post up some art and designs...being forced to draw every day for at least seven hours gives rise to some pretty cool stuff. :3
Well, I've got OT to pull until Friday, so I'm heading off to bed. Wish me luck, everyone!
Here's to a bright, happy, and successful new year for all of those close to me (and even the ones who aren't). :3
~Cady
Just wanted to spout off a quick few thoughts...
It's the new year. And, while I admit, I have already run into a few roadblocks, my health being one of them....
but...
With this being the start of a new year, it is only befitting that we come off to a nice start, eh?
One big factor (and my #1 goal for the new year) was to secure employment. Which, I mentioned in a previous post, I already have. ^_~
Now, allow me to gush. :3
I work at a teeny, tiny studio called Fit Brains. Located in the heart of Vancouver amidst the nest of entertainment studios, this half-a-floor studio (we share space with the independant comic creators, Zeros 2 Heroes ) makes what they call 'guilt-free fun.' Fit Brains creates flash-based PC games that train your brain.
Now, I won't lie. My boss warned me that we were going to be hitting the ground running. Our goal is to finish five games by the 31st of this month.
Yikes. o_O;;
On my first day, I had to bring work h0me because I ended up redesigning about 80% of a character roster for a game that was nearly complete. By day three, all characters were created, sketched, cleaned up, coloured in Photoshop CS3 (by the way....I HATE WINDOWS VISTA!!), and re-imported into Flash. So what I have been doing since then?
Designing the art for a game from the ground up. As in: backgrounds, characters, buttons, splash screens, icons, animations, task bars, score counters.....
....and so forth, and so forth. :3
Now, this is, among other things, and incredible learning experience. While I LOVE video games, I have quinessentially devoted my life right now and my education to animation. I honestly dreamed; nay, fantasized about combining the epic powers of 2D animation with video gaming, I never really thought anything would come of it. While there are, of course, 'indie' successes in 2D gaming, so many of these titles become what we call 'sleeper hits.' This is when a game becomes a cult classic more than a best-seller. The sad thing is, with gaming publishers, it really is all about the Benjamins. If a game doesn't sell phenominally well, much less just....well, it is deemed a failure, and canned.
All you gamers will know what I'm talking about when I mention say...oh, I don't know....Okami, by Clover Studios? Thanks for the support, Capcom! You guys rock! (FYI, for the non-gamers, Okami was artistically, design-wise, gameplay, story-wise and everything-else-wise the best game of 2006. Unfortunately, due to poor advertising and well, thinking outside the box with a clever and incredibly creative storyline, Okami didn't sell as well as it should've, especially according to a behemoth like Capcom. So, shortly after the games' release, Capcom shut down the creative power of Clover Studios. That was a dark day.)
We have old[er] success like Phoenix Wright 1,2 and 3, or even newcomers like Sony Entertainment's Patapon for the PSP. So, again, this was something that was either not possible, or possible only if I lived in Tokyo. -_-;;
But, here I am. Granted, it's not like we're making the next Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda. But I've been given such an amazing opportunity, and such creative freedom with a video game, how could I possibly complain? :D
Once I find out if it's okay to, I'll post up some art and designs...being forced to draw every day for at least seven hours gives rise to some pretty cool stuff. :3
Well, I've got OT to pull until Friday, so I'm heading off to bed. Wish me luck, everyone!
Here's to a bright, happy, and successful new year for all of those close to me (and even the ones who aren't). :3
~Cady
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Wow, time for an update! o_O;;;
Hello everyone~
My goodness! It's been a busy....two weeks? Has it been that long since my last post? : /
Heh heh....oops. :3
Anyways, first off - I'M WORKING AGAIN!!! XD
Yeah! I started at a small gaming studio called 'Fit Brains.' They do flash-based PC games that train you brain, much along the same lines as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for the Nintendo DS. I can't say any more than that, y'know...the games haven't even been released yet. ^_^;;
Really though, I'm so happy to be working again. It's incredibly hard work (I had to bring work home on my first day...! ;___; ), but honestly, I couldn't be happier. ^_^
And hey, when they go gold (officially announced), look for my art! XD
So, I'm working, still have a Deviant Art account...
New Years was nice...I poured myself a [few] drink[s], sat down, and just....wrote. I wrote down all my goals, what I want out of the new year of 2008, things I want to buy...and then I just wrote.
To be honest, I haven't kept journal, much less written in one, since...oh, highschool? I was really surprised by how much I had to say (thirteen pages!), and I felt so refreshed. Like someone hit the reset button on my head. It was such a clarifying experience....so I'm experimenting with keeping a journal.
Hmmm....I thought I had more to talk about....guess not. :3 Well, my friggin' scanner died in a power outage, so....rawr. Next paycheck, I'll wrangle up $100 and grab a CanoScan LIDE 90 (that's what I have at work).
Well, I'm gonna get ready for bed...Keep safe, and happy new year, everyone!
Here's to success for you all!
~Cady
My goodness! It's been a busy....two weeks? Has it been that long since my last post? : /
Heh heh....oops. :3
Anyways, first off - I'M WORKING AGAIN!!! XD
Yeah! I started at a small gaming studio called 'Fit Brains.' They do flash-based PC games that train you brain, much along the same lines as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for the Nintendo DS. I can't say any more than that, y'know...the games haven't even been released yet. ^_^;;
Really though, I'm so happy to be working again. It's incredibly hard work (I had to bring work home on my first day...! ;___; ), but honestly, I couldn't be happier. ^_^
And hey, when they go gold (officially announced), look for my art! XD
So, I'm working, still have a Deviant Art account...
New Years was nice...I poured myself a [few] drink[s], sat down, and just....wrote. I wrote down all my goals, what I want out of the new year of 2008, things I want to buy...and then I just wrote.
To be honest, I haven't kept journal, much less written in one, since...oh, highschool? I was really surprised by how much I had to say (thirteen pages!), and I felt so refreshed. Like someone hit the reset button on my head. It was such a clarifying experience....so I'm experimenting with keeping a journal.
Hmmm....I thought I had more to talk about....guess not. :3 Well, my friggin' scanner died in a power outage, so....rawr. Next paycheck, I'll wrangle up $100 and grab a CanoScan LIDE 90 (that's what I have at work).
Well, I'm gonna get ready for bed...Keep safe, and happy new year, everyone!
Here's to success for you all!
~Cady
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