#Ah – Venice Beach!
21 messages in this thread
Hi Sanford, I doubt you'll be seeing anything from me on the reel this year. I
did send in a few and I'm hoping but I'm not counting on it. No real cool IPAS
stuff anyways. Next year. This year I sent in stuff from my first demo reel,
which I just completed last week. I'm very pleased with it but it's not the
most complicated imagery ever done, that's for sure. I live in Milwaukee, WI.
It's a pretty good marked for CGI stuff, but definately not too sophisticated.
I did my demo tape with what I thought people would pay for. Nothing else
really. So, of course there's a bunch of logos, some character work, pretty
much a little of everything. I'm really hoping people like it. I'm planning on
mailing out 50 in the next couple of weeks. After that I'll have to quit my job
and become fulltime on my own. Pretty scary, really. That weekly paycheck
really has something going for it, even though it is rather skimpy. So, off I
go with fingers crossed and dream in mind. <BG>
DM
Ah… excuse me, but what does this have to do with Byte 3D articles? <BG>
John
Good one! <BG> Made me smile. I see you moved it though. Thanks. I would have
done it myself but I'm still in practice mode, so Anne might slap my hand. <G>
I'm still trying to come to better terms on what to do with your projector
light trick. I'm finally starting to get some ideas. I'm usually not this slow,
it's just hard thinking in layers sometimes. I've been using Photoshop to
better visualize matte effects lately. The layer masking is a nice feature for
this. Anyway, take care.
DM
>>… so Anne might slap my hand. <g> <<
Both of us, if we don't stop fooling around. <G> (Actually, she must have moved
it… because I didn't… ;^) oh well… the heading changed too…
>> I'm still trying to come to better terms on what to do with your projector
light trick… <<
Well I don't know quite what to say about that… its just adds another layer
of visual complexity where it really isn't… you can do stuff in Photoshop but
if its over a series of frames you're going to need to animate them yourself…
with the projector light and this technique, you can do quite a few levels of
builds very quickly with dramatic effect… its certainly not the only way, but
a fairly easy way to accomplish the task with a fair amount of control… not
to mention that in combinations you get a rather elusive effect that would be
difficult to keep a handle on in PhotoShop even with only five layers over 15
frames… that would be comparable to 5 lights fadeing in and out… and easy
scenario in 3DS… Besides which it has a really nice effect… soft edges and
all which would more complicated to reproduce over many frames… QFX could
handle it better because its got batch capability but still… I use them both
so… you can consider it one more relatively simple effect much like KPT
Gradient for 3DS is easier to use than the standard version in Windows because
you can apply it over a series of frames…
As for Venice Beach… I'm seriously considering it… I think I'd blend in
with scenery. <g>
John
John and David –
No slaps! Take5 is the place to talk about whatever you want as long as it
isn't illegal, immoral or fattening <G>
I see those skateboarders in movies or TV on Venice Beach boardwalk and think
what a life – as I go shovel more snow or throw a few more logs on the fire.
Anne
Anne,
>> as long as it isn't illegal, immoral or fattening. <g> <<
I guess that pretty much leaves out any discussion on the best chocolate chip
cookie recipes… I'm bummed. <g> Isn't that like the basic diet of the well
healed animator?! That and Hagen Daz Chocolate ice cream? <G> Hey its better
than what the tv production crews would eat… Hostess cupcakes and Pink Sno
Cones with Pepsi… for breakfast! Bet you think I'm kidding? <g> Well sort
of… but I won't go into what the alternatives were. <BG>
As far as Venice beach goes, its got possiblities… the reality of that life
is quite a bit different than one might imagine, I think… How different I'm
not sure… I've got a condo here to sell, and projects to keep me busy through
summer… but at some point a move to L.A. seems like an inevitable thing to
have happen… Venice beach strikes me as good a place as any… (well Malibu
but who can afford it… <g>) The question I suppose is… when? And I don't
know, I'm not there yet. 🙂
John
John –
I'm sure my view of California is colored by David Lee Roth videos <G> and envy
at the good weather. I hope to get out to Autodesk U this fall for a return
visit to San Franciso. Last time was about 15 years ago. Got up to the redwoods
just north of SF and had a great time in Sausalito walking around. Dream one
day of flying into LA and then driving the coast up to Vancouver. Maybe we will
win the lottery tonight.
Doesn't everyone start off the day with a Diet Coke? sounds normal to me.
Anne
>> Got up to the redwoods just north of SF…
Marin is neat… but its changed alot. My folks still live there, but I don't
get up as often as I should… I think I've finally outgrown it, if that makes
any sense… Muir Woods for instance looms large in my mind, but in fact its a
fairly small Redwood Forest… actually all of So. Marin is in miniature, even
Mt Tam, but it didn't seem that way growing up… it remind me of hobit land
now. <g> Especially with Mill Valley at the base… I guess that's why Tolkein
was popular in those days… though I never got into it… seemed too fairy
tale at the time… irony of ironies. <g>
Hope you do get a chance to visit ADESK U. so you can check it all out once
again…
John
You can keep Venice Beach, and everything that goes with the LA monstrosity.
I've settled for San Diego, where the term "rush hour" is accurately
descriptive, the people are nice, the air is breatheable, the men are strong,
the women are good-looking, and the children are above average!
But, I still like to go to Disneyland.
.. and the Zoo is great and Balboa Park is fun and the aviary at the zoo out
past Miramar is incredible and where else can you find an Irish pub serving
Mexican food? Enjoyed San Diego a lot but a few too many people for me. And why
doesn't anyone ever take their boats out. These $200K sailboats just sitting in
the marinas to have cocktail parties on. her in Maine we sail them hard fo rthe
few days possible <G> But no good Mexican food in sight.
Anne
Anne,
>>… and the Zoo is great and Balboa Park is fun… <<
San Diego is nice, no doubt about it… for lots of reasons but Venice Beach is
calling… I may not like it but nothing ventured… nothing ventured. <G>
Isn't that right? 🙂 (We keep this up and you may move out here. <BG>)
John
Anne
>> But no good Mexican food in sight
Incomprehensible! A fate worse than….. Still, Maine in the summer….. Tough
call.
JB
>> Still, Maine in the summer…. Tough call. <<
I don't know about Maine but New Hampshire was awesome! You could see stars
like the heavens bowed down and brushed your forehead… absolutely
incredible… and the lakes were pristine and the trees and the mountains, just
fantastic… yeah Jim you gotta point, besides I was just teasing Anne, she
wouldn't wanta leave… ALL THAT LOBSTER!!! <BG>
John
>> But no good Mexican food in sight.
Anne, I'll bet you can't find Finnan Haddie in San Diego, either<G>
TedB
-Ted Boardman
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Ah ! The bane of living too far North. You go past Salinas, and real Mexican
food disappears. In February, we had two weeks of clear weather, and we had our
pool up 85 deg.! Floating in the sunshine, eating oranges off a tree . . . life
is too tough down here.
Living in lotus land, chanting a mantra – looking forward to seeing you all at
the Biltmore. . .
>> best chocolate chip cookie recipes… I'm bummed. <g> Isn't that like
>> the basic diet of the well healed animator?! That and Hagen Daz
>> Chocolate ice cream? <G>
Actually, I prefer brownies (extra fudgy and a little sticky) and Ben & Jerry's
Cookie Dough Ice cream! (At Siggraph, you'll likely notice the too many inches
created around my waist! <g>) Don't forget the IV of steaming hot coffee…
– Dave
Hi David,
Haven't touched base with you in awhile…
I can handle the extra fudgy as long as it comes with a tall glass of milk, and
the IV of coffee is constantly on brew… so we're totally sympatico there…
<g>
My metabolism burns this stuff like rocket fuel… but I'm not so sure that's a
good thing either…
Either way, I'm sure the offerings will be high octane. <G>
John
>> Haven't touched base with you in awhile…
Quite a while… I look forward to meeting you at Siggraph. Let me buy you a
cup of coffee – or something a little stronger, as thanks for your help a
couple of years ago. Man how time flies…
– Dave
David,
It'll be nice to meet you as well…, time does fly… its crazy too. <g>
I still have my EVO… I just play with it mostly. Did you ever sell your's I
remember you had one with the rgb card… they make a great home unit about as
good as it gets. 🙂
>> Let me buy you a cup of coffee…
That would be great… and strong enough too.
Thanks, I'll look forward to it…
John
And have a great 4th… I'm outta here for what looks to be a beautiful
weekend!
>> Did you ever sell your's I remember you had one with the rgb card…
>> they make a great home unit about as good as it gets. 🙂
Still have BOTH. I was hoping to use the additional cash toward a PAR or other
disk-based recording system, but there is really no market for the decks as
used equipment. Besides, my finished product has been excellent (given the
majority of clients we work with — engineering types.) As my experience
grows, I just expect better and better quality from myself.
I posted for sale messages on two different occassions, and had one "nibble". A
problem as I see it, is the high cost of "routine maintenance". Getting it
overhauled after 1800 hours cost nearly a grand.
>> And have a great 4th…
Thanks!! The Special Olympics World Games are 10 minutes from here in New
Haven. As part of the celebration, there will be a huge fireworks display and
Tall Ships parade through the harbor. It's probably the most excitement
Connecticut has seen in decades…
Enjoy your long weekend.
– Dave
David,
I wish you all the best luck. Funny thing about IPAS's….most of the
customers in L.A. want particle stuff and photo-real cloud and electricity
effects. The market here seems to want all the cool stuff and they don't much
ask for logos ( from me.) Maybe because I don't have any on my reel?
(g)
Sanford