In fact, Mograph has a meeting the day before ours, on Wednesday June 16th. Check out the details at their website:
http://mographmilwaukee.net/
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
NEXT meeting, June 17, 6:30 pm @ MIAD TBM theater
Our next Milwaukee Animation Group meeting will be on June 17, at the TBM theater at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
The snafu with the building closing time has been addressed, and MIAD will now be open every evening until 10:00, paving the way for us to continue having our meetings there throughout the Summer.
On a side note, Mograph Milwaukee (http://mographmilwaukee.net), a group similar to ours for motion designers in the Milwaukee area, has expressed an interest in working with MAG on future events and meetings. I think that everyone can see the potential benefits in joining forces with this group, and discussion about the possible ways we can work with them will be on the agenda for the 17th.
The focus at the next meeting will be:
1) Pitching your project to other animators and producers, and
2) working with local independent film people
1) If you have a personal project that you have been working on, or an idea that you have developed and can present with character sheets, animatics and other completed pre-production visual materials, please RSVP me so that we can work your presentation into the "pitch" segment of the meeting. The goals here are two-fold:
a. For you to recruit other animators to assist you in your project.
b. To hone your pitch so that it is more professional, for when you pitch it to potential funders and producers
2) If anyone knows any independent film people out there, please ask them to attend. Especially if they have a current or impending project for which they would like some animation or 3d effects. By working with local directors, there is a huge potential for both raising the standard for special effects and animation in the Milwaukee area, and for animators to learn the ins and outs of working with directors and in film, as well as developing relationships that will help both the film and animation industries in Milwaukee grow.
Again, please get the word out to all of your film friends. We would like them to pitch their projects to our group at this meeting.
Of course, there will be demo reel viewing and critique, and you can bet that somebody will be getting together for drinks after the meeting.
If you will be pitching your animation, or know of any film people who would like to pitch to get some animation done by animators in our group, please RSVP or have them RSVP me at this email address as soon as possible. Thank you.
Brad Krause
chairman
chairman
Milwaukee Animation Group
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
May 20th Meeting Notes
For those of you who turned up at the May 20th meeting to find it canceled at the last minute we apologize. When we moved the meeting from May 13th to the 20th because of finals week we were not informed that the school would switch to summer hours and basically lock down at 6:30 PM. We will get things straightened out and announce the date and location for the June meeting soon.
One of our scheduled speakers for the event Ken Kornacki and his partner @ Aurum Design Neille Hoffman did make their way over to MIAD anyway with me and we met a few folks outside the building. When a group of ten or so assembled Ken and Neille offered to host an impromptu meeting at their studio a few blocks away.
We made our way to Aurum Design and ultimately Ken gave his presentation to the 17 attendees followed by some good Q&A and demo reel viewings.
Ken's presentation ran about an hour and was full of great insights from his years in the business. Ken shared his notes with me and I editorialized a bit from the meeting conversation to give some of the highlights:
About Aurum Design:
Ken Kornacki has been in the business 21 years and is the Creative Director and co-owner at Aurum since 2002. Ken worked at over 15 other companies both as an employee and freelancer(he named most of them, quite a list).
Aurum was started in Chicago by print designer Neille Hoffman in 1996. Aurum Design is a design studio, which includes motion graphic design, visual effects design AND print design. The key is that all of their projects are DESIGNED, that is the ideas are generated by Aurum Design, usually starting with paper and pencil. They are not a "post production" facility, though they have the same hardware and software as one. Aurum Design works as the creative partner to ad agencies, directors, and corporate clients.
In 2009 they changed from employee based to a completely freelance hiring structure. There is abundant experienced talent available everywhere. About half of Aurum Design's projects have freelancers who never come into their studio. This is especially true for 3d.
Clients include ad agencies, both locally and nationally. Corporate marketing departments for large companies. Live action production companies for both commercials and feature films. And broadcast clients including HBO, TLC and the Oprah Winfrey show/ABC TV.
These clients are the result of relationship building for many years. Ken says "I didn't just call them and ask for a project. It's an expensive and delicate way to make friends and we fiercely protect our relationships with our clients."
Looking For Work
Ken has some very specific and direct feedback to give animators/motion designers in the field.
Avoid tutorials!
Tutorials are ok for learning basic techniques but they are not intended to be on your reel. Mimicking a tutorial and changing some settings does not constitute mastery of the application or expose your creative talent. Show your own projects or those that were hired to do. If you do use tutorials on your reel such as a technical tutorial (3d tracking, keying, etc), make sure that the sample looks good.
Visual Effects Artists/Animators looking to become employed either full time or a a freelancer:
MUST greenscreen.
MUST motion track/stabilize
MUST learn expressions.
MUST know 3d space, even in 2d design.
MUST edit.
This is a technical field and there are too many talented people with MANY skills. Know what you want to do, but have these skills available. THIS IS WHAT TUTORIALS ARE FOR.
Do work outside of your main interest.
Immerse yourself in creativity. Every skill applies and adds depth to your knowledge and relevance to you as a potential hire. You can include these things in your portfolio/reel to show your capabilities, broad interests and talent.
Photography
Painting
Print (Posters, CD, website, etc)
Music
Have more than a few samples on your portfolio site. This is your chance to show more than techniques. Explore techniques and AVOID TUTORIALS (get the message?).
There's a difference between 'opinion' and 'quality'. You can disagree with someone's opinion (Avatar), but there's no denying good (or poor) quality. Don't defend an obvious mess. Learn from it and move on.
Demo Reel
Decide what your specialty is.
Show your best work only.
Keep it under 3 minutes.
Pick music that you can edit, or fade out and is not offensive/annoying to your target viewer.
Your demo and or portfolio must be available online.
Give credit to the studio that hired you. The studio has worked hard to gain their reputation and clients and you are working for them.
-Gives you credibility.
-Gives the studio more exposure.
-It's the right thing to do.
How To Get Hired
Demo reel. First point of contact.
Be ready to work out of Milwaukee. Milwaukee is not a "hot bed" of animation today. There are great companies in Chicago and other cities doing fantastic work. Go there, learn deep skills, learn about the business, then bring your knowledge back to Milwaukee. This will raise the bar locally and build a sustainable culture.
Have a decent attitude at the interview. This is pretty self explanatory
Be available. If not, make it known early. The employer is calling you because they have a need, not to talk shop. Know if you are available or not. "I have something but..." and "Let me check and get back" are not acceptable. The job will be filled by the time you call back.
Know your day rate. What you charge.
Understand that it's a team. You'll get your chance to shine. This is the employers project and every project has a leader. Contribute, observe, learn, wait your turn to lead.
On The Job
Play to your strengths. Compositing, 3d, design, etc. But, FOLLOW THE CREATIVE LEAD. Demand to see the boards. Demand a creative brief.
Comment only when appropriate.
Suggest a technique that's relevant to the project. Don't get offended if it's not picked up right away.
Don't engage in gossip/border disputes.
Watch out for 'neck down' projects. Beware of being hired for your headless skills re: robot pushing buttons. Try to find work where you can contribute and have something to offer. Your competence, skills and teamwork get you noticed. Not button pushing.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Big projects come with big expectations. Managing a large project includes dealing with client expectations AND employees/freelancers. You don't work for me (the studio), we all work for the client.
You'll make mistakes. You'll get hazed by the veterans. You'll get blamed for some screw-up that maybe you didn't even cause. You might say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. But it's not the end of your career. Get past it and finish the job.
It's the fox-hole camaraderie that makes you a better artist and gives you that experience you won't get working on your own projects.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again to all for your patience, Ken and Neille for your generosity. We will keep everyone posted on the details of the next meeting by e-mail, Twitter @MilwAnimGrp and the MilwaukeeAnimationGroup.com site.
-Scott Hill
MAG Board Member
One of our scheduled speakers for the event Ken Kornacki and his partner @ Aurum Design Neille Hoffman did make their way over to MIAD anyway with me and we met a few folks outside the building. When a group of ten or so assembled Ken and Neille offered to host an impromptu meeting at their studio a few blocks away.
We made our way to Aurum Design and ultimately Ken gave his presentation to the 17 attendees followed by some good Q&A and demo reel viewings.
Ken's presentation ran about an hour and was full of great insights from his years in the business. Ken shared his notes with me and I editorialized a bit from the meeting conversation to give some of the highlights:
About Aurum Design:
Ken Kornacki has been in the business 21 years and is the Creative Director and co-owner at Aurum since 2002. Ken worked at over 15 other companies both as an employee and freelancer(he named most of them, quite a list).
Aurum was started in Chicago by print designer Neille Hoffman in 1996. Aurum Design is a design studio, which includes motion graphic design, visual effects design AND print design. The key is that all of their projects are DESIGNED, that is the ideas are generated by Aurum Design, usually starting with paper and pencil. They are not a "post production" facility, though they have the same hardware and software as one. Aurum Design works as the creative partner to ad agencies, directors, and corporate clients.
In 2009 they changed from employee based to a completely freelance hiring structure. There is abundant experienced talent available everywhere. About half of Aurum Design's projects have freelancers who never come into their studio. This is especially true for 3d.
Clients include ad agencies, both locally and nationally. Corporate marketing departments for large companies. Live action production companies for both commercials and feature films. And broadcast clients including HBO, TLC and the Oprah Winfrey show/ABC TV.
These clients are the result of relationship building for many years. Ken says "I didn't just call them and ask for a project. It's an expensive and delicate way to make friends and we fiercely protect our relationships with our clients."
Looking For Work
Ken has some very specific and direct feedback to give animators/motion designers in the field.
Avoid tutorials!
Tutorials are ok for learning basic techniques but they are not intended to be on your reel. Mimicking a tutorial and changing some settings does not constitute mastery of the application or expose your creative talent. Show your own projects or those that were hired to do. If you do use tutorials on your reel such as a technical tutorial (3d tracking, keying, etc), make sure that the sample looks good.
Visual Effects Artists/Animators looking to become employed either full time or a a freelancer:
MUST greenscreen.
MUST motion track/stabilize
MUST learn expressions.
MUST know 3d space, even in 2d design.
MUST edit.
This is a technical field and there are too many talented people with MANY skills. Know what you want to do, but have these skills available. THIS IS WHAT TUTORIALS ARE FOR.
Do work outside of your main interest.
Immerse yourself in creativity. Every skill applies and adds depth to your knowledge and relevance to you as a potential hire. You can include these things in your portfolio/reel to show your capabilities, broad interests and talent.
Photography
Painting
Print (Posters, CD, website, etc)
Music
Have more than a few samples on your portfolio site. This is your chance to show more than techniques. Explore techniques and AVOID TUTORIALS (get the message?).
There's a difference between 'opinion' and 'quality'. You can disagree with someone's opinion (Avatar), but there's no denying good (or poor) quality. Don't defend an obvious mess. Learn from it and move on.
Demo Reel
Decide what your specialty is.
Show your best work only.
Keep it under 3 minutes.
Pick music that you can edit, or fade out and is not offensive/annoying to your target viewer.
Your demo and or portfolio must be available online.
Give credit to the studio that hired you. The studio has worked hard to gain their reputation and clients and you are working for them.
-Gives you credibility.
-Gives the studio more exposure.
-It's the right thing to do.
How To Get Hired
Demo reel. First point of contact.
Be ready to work out of Milwaukee. Milwaukee is not a "hot bed" of animation today. There are great companies in Chicago and other cities doing fantastic work. Go there, learn deep skills, learn about the business, then bring your knowledge back to Milwaukee. This will raise the bar locally and build a sustainable culture.
Have a decent attitude at the interview. This is pretty self explanatory
Be available. If not, make it known early. The employer is calling you because they have a need, not to talk shop. Know if you are available or not. "I have something but..." and "Let me check and get back" are not acceptable. The job will be filled by the time you call back.
Know your day rate. What you charge.
Understand that it's a team. You'll get your chance to shine. This is the employers project and every project has a leader. Contribute, observe, learn, wait your turn to lead.
On The Job
Play to your strengths. Compositing, 3d, design, etc. But, FOLLOW THE CREATIVE LEAD. Demand to see the boards. Demand a creative brief.
Comment only when appropriate.
Suggest a technique that's relevant to the project. Don't get offended if it's not picked up right away.
Don't engage in gossip/border disputes.
Watch out for 'neck down' projects. Beware of being hired for your headless skills re: robot pushing buttons. Try to find work where you can contribute and have something to offer. Your competence, skills and teamwork get you noticed. Not button pushing.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Big projects come with big expectations. Managing a large project includes dealing with client expectations AND employees/freelancers. You don't work for me (the studio), we all work for the client.
You'll make mistakes. You'll get hazed by the veterans. You'll get blamed for some screw-up that maybe you didn't even cause. You might say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. But it's not the end of your career. Get past it and finish the job.
It's the fox-hole camaraderie that makes you a better artist and gives you that experience you won't get working on your own projects.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again to all for your patience, Ken and Neille for your generosity. We will keep everyone posted on the details of the next meeting by e-mail, Twitter @MilwAnimGrp and the MilwaukeeAnimationGroup.com site.
-Scott Hill
MAG Board Member
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Next meeting date change
Please see the attached poster for details...
Because so many of you who want to attend the next meeting are students, we've made the decision to change the date of the next meeting from May 13th - the middle of finals week - to May 20, 6:30, in the same location at MIAD.
We have some awesome speakers lined up (no hyperbole at all!). Both Ken Kornacki, owner of Aurum Design and Jerry Reidel, Principal from Independent Edit will talk about what they look for in freelancers and potential employees for motion graphics.
We are also opening the floor to anyone who wants to present their "Group Project" proposals. Do you have a project in mind that will need more than just your own work? Need a sound editor, traditional animator, storyboards, voice work, specialized 3d? Here is your chance to ask for help from everyone who attends (and perhaps their friends, too).
Don't forget to bring your reel or recent work to show as our traditional meeting finale!
Brad Krause
Chairman, MAG
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tenative agenda for next meeting
We have thumbs up(s) from Ken Kornacki, owner of Aurum Design and Jerry Reidel, owner of Independent Edit for our next meeting. Specific topics are TBD, but they will be basically addressing the issue of what they look for in freelance artists and employees.
Still a possibility for this meeting is a demo of exchanging files between Maya, 3DsMax and LightWave using the .fbx format.
Of course, there will be the customary Showing of The Demo Reels at the end of the meeting.
Here are links to Aurum Design and Independent Edit:
http://www.aurum-design.com/
http://www.independentstudios.tv/
Brad Krause
Monday, April 12, 2010
Below are the minutes from our April 8th meeting. Thank you Michael DiMilo for keeping track and compiling the minutes.
We had an attendance of over 35 professionals and students... pretty good for an informational meeting.
Lots of great ideas were passed around, and some excellent animation was oogled.
We hope that you can attend the next meeting on May 13th. We will have at least one solid event scheduled, as well as continued reel and project viewings.
Thank you to everyone who attended! We are well on our way towards making Milwaukee a go-to source for creative, quality animation.
Minutes for Milwaukee Animation Group Meeting
Thursday April 8, 2010
TBM Screening Room
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Mission statement of group
It is our intention to create events, give demos and create a space where animators in S.E. WIsconsin can network, learn and enjoy an environment of camaraderie that otherwise would not exist.
There is a lot of potential in our group for career development, learning and creativity, and we encourage you to participate and help to shape the future of animation opportunities in Milwaukee.
Introduction of officers:
Brad Krause Chairperson
Seth Swanson CG Society tie-in/postings
Matthew Wooten Treasurer
Michael DiMilo Secretary, Marketing
Darrin Lile Forum Publicity
Chris Giacinti Webmaster
Jon BrownStudent Liaison
Scott Hill Webmaster
Group website address: MilwaukeeAnimationGroup.com
No food or drink at meetings.
Review of minutes from previous meeting. We discussed membership fees and outlined goals of the group. Many attendees were from Parkside, ITT Tech and MIAD.
Roundtable discussion topics:
• Goals of MAG
-Camaraderie
-Training product demos
-Group projects
-Networking
• Catch 22 of animation 'brain drain."
• Ways to pool talents, and take stock in local resources.
• Finding animators who can collaborate effectively.
• The need to raise awareness among local agencies and producers.
• Milwaukee's strong emphasis on business to business communications.
• Potential of our group to help people find artists with specific talents.
• Great animation schools vs. great reel.
• Focus on Pipeline & Process
• What are the main problems with reels (student or professional)
• Calling out your specific contribution to a project in your reel.
• The importance of having strong personal style.
• The use of software as a creative tool vs. an end in itself.
• Online presence of MAG used to network (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger)
• Creation of online sub-groups (2D 3D storyboard etc.) for collaboration, sourcing talent
Potential Presenters
-Creative Directors
-Jim Wilson (Artists Rep, Wilson Creatives, ex. Wilson/Zumbo)
-Dan Ablan
-Josh Nizzy(ie)
-Vue Tutorial Guy, Nicholas Pellegrino
-Raven Software
-Paul Burgermeister game co. - Guild Software
-Channel 4 3D/ Motion graphics creatives
-Safe Harbor (sponsor?)
-Ken Kornacki - Aurum Design - After Effects
-Dan Kattman - Lilghtening Rod
-Planet Propaganda - Nate Theis Associate Creative Director Motion
-Backlot Imaging - Milwaukee Philosophy
-Christian K - On Your Mark (Independent Milwaukee Filmmakers)
-ADDITIONAL: Artists who do 3d at their full-time jobs
• Ideas for events, outdoor screenings, field trips
Video Screenings Done Today:
Seth Swanson
Darrin Lile
Michael DiMilo
Jon Brown
Scott Hill
Brad Krause
(Guy with Karen Johnson Oink and vintage TV bumper reel) Rick Eshbaugh
Kacie D.
Mitchell Vizensky
(Parkside Student projects?)
Wrap up. Dues Student $12.50, Professional $25 6/Month membership payable to Paypal at MilwaukeeAnimation@yahoo.com
or in cash/check form written out to "Milwaukee Animation Group" and collected by Matt at the meeting.
Names and e-mails on sign in sheet. We were all very enthused by the turnout and look forward to our next meeting.
Next meeting May 13
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