I recently moved out to Los Angeles & out of school, and am beginning to pave a way for myself. I’ve thought that there must be many creative freelancers in a similar position to me, so I have decided to share some ‘Good Habits’ to help you out — after all, having others to share ideas and inspiration with is key for growing…
First things first is routine: I find it useful to mentally create a routine at the start of a project, and as I figure out things like time management and what software I need to use along with rendering time, I adjust my routine to fit the deadline.
I was fairly lucky in my most recent project for ConceptD in that I had time to come up with an idea, begin working on it in whatever software I chose based on my needs, make sure I had time to experiment, have outsiders peer in to see what connotations and denotations they can pull from it, and create something from nothing. I prefer the quiet, so I generally render during the day and model at night unless it is an animation or something that requires overnight rendering.
Next up, it’s Software. At the moment, I am loving working with HoudiniFX. Because I am the type who learns through trial and error more than anything else, I am finding it a great platform for trying things and then backtracking thanks to its undo and history system — and I’d imagine that most young creatives would benefit from a similar set-up.
For instance, say if I’m experimenting with large node networks and stumble upon an effect I want to keep, I can backtrack and find exactly what node(s) caused the effect and pull them aside for use later or in a different project. As for the vex coding, there isn’t any easy way to learn it, except by running through tutorials or books and practice. In my free time, I spend a lot of time researching and learning more in the VFX world because there truly isn’t an end to the amount of knowledge available among all the different types of software out there.
In fact, this brings me on nicely to a separate point about how to keep improving as a freelancer away from an academic environment. Simply put, active practice is the key. Most of what I know started as a YouTube tutorial or something I saw on Instagram. I would use their foundations as a starting point and explore off on my own to see what I could do. Keep in mind that your potential opens up as you learn what tools can and cannot do.
This digression aside, after preparing a working schedule and striking on the software you want to use, the next step is to find the right hardware. I think it should be kept in mind that, for this type of work, hardware is just a tool, or a “translator” for your imagination. The way I like to see it is that the better your “translator” or computer is, the closer your products may look to your vision.
Once you get your routine, hardware and software sorted, we then come to the really important stuff; the work itself. For creatives, inspiration is key. This notion is different to everyone. To me, it’s based on the way we understand the experiences around us, and how we store that knowledge. For example, what is the first thing you think of when I say, “picture a red object?”. I guessed a red juice box, but I doubt we thought of the same thing.
The point I am getting at is that inspiration is all around us and it just depends on how you see everyday objects. I have taken inspiration for tent designs off the wrinkles of my clothes, or visual art pieces of space through the phosphenes in my eyes when I close them. That’s what I find so beautiful about creativity as a whole.
In a more material way, I have certain practitioners I like to follow to get ideas. My favorite artist working in the VFX world would be Tim Zarki, for instance, and I love to see what he has come up with. His ability to not become overly attached to any one idea or theme, and to always push himself to become better by going outside his comfort zone. From space stations to keyboards, and even organic abstract art, he always finds a way to make something so unique out of simple objects.
Finally, I think it is important to have a clear idea of the effect you want your work to have. For me it’s this: a sense of curiosity. That is what I find great art gives me, and that is what I hope to pass on to people who view my pieces; to galvanize them with a sense of possibilities, and to lend fuel to their imagination.
These have been my thoughts, my working habits, which have helped me so far as a freelancer. Of course, I am always looking to grow and learn more, so they may not stay this way forever. I hope they help you guys for now though!
