Well I got my first break at Atomic Props in Oakdale. They have a cool website showing their work at atomicprops.com. They specialize in 3 dimensional billboards and signage. The work is backbreaking but fun. I get to do a little of everything from driving a forklift to welding and eventually will get to do some painting and sculpting also. I have to put the grunt work in now while I still have the physical stamina to keep up with the younger guys. Hopefully this will put me in a position to broaden my job search.
This is a freelance job and should fit nicely into my schedule. I still need to follow up with 3 ring scenic as well.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Interviews so far!
I've had a couple of informational interviews so far with Minnefx Studios and the Vee Corproration.
At Minnefx I met Gordon Smuder who is a fantastic guy who gets to explore the inner geek on a daily basis. At Minnefx they specialize in doing special effects miniatures for various companies. They do some really incredible work. Over at Vee I got to meet and talk to a man named Steve Bergman. He was kind enough to give me some good advice and refer me to some other companies locally who also do prop work and special effects.
As far as I'm concerned if you want to get out there and meet people and really get some good info you just have to pick up the phone and ask people straight out for an interview. It's gone a long way for me already. It's thanks to that way of thinking that has gotten me the informational interviews. I think both went well but unfortunately it's slow for everyone right now and no one really has any work to do.
Tomorrow I've got another interview with Atomic Props over in Oakdale. That was a referral from Steve at Vee that prompted me to look them up. They do specialty billboards.
I also submitted my info to a place called Apropos Studios, but they are hurting worse than me right now. I sent a resume and submitted an application to a place called 3 ring scenic also who does props for music videos and commercials.
I'll elaborate more on these companies individually, right now I just wanted to get caught up to speed as to where I've been applying.
At Minnefx I met Gordon Smuder who is a fantastic guy who gets to explore the inner geek on a daily basis. At Minnefx they specialize in doing special effects miniatures for various companies. They do some really incredible work. Over at Vee I got to meet and talk to a man named Steve Bergman. He was kind enough to give me some good advice and refer me to some other companies locally who also do prop work and special effects.
As far as I'm concerned if you want to get out there and meet people and really get some good info you just have to pick up the phone and ask people straight out for an interview. It's gone a long way for me already. It's thanks to that way of thinking that has gotten me the informational interviews. I think both went well but unfortunately it's slow for everyone right now and no one really has any work to do.
Tomorrow I've got another interview with Atomic Props over in Oakdale. That was a referral from Steve at Vee that prompted me to look them up. They do specialty billboards.
I also submitted my info to a place called Apropos Studios, but they are hurting worse than me right now. I sent a resume and submitted an application to a place called 3 ring scenic also who does props for music videos and commercials.
I'll elaborate more on these companies individually, right now I just wanted to get caught up to speed as to where I've been applying.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Starting Over!
It's a little weird to go to interviews when you haven't had one in probably 6 yrs minimum and the last one before that was probably another 5 years. The whole process has changed so drastically! What used to be referred to as a go get 'em attitude is now treated as stalker behavior, following up is a lost art form, and 1/2 of the people interviewing me are younger than me. And I'm not that old.
The plus side to the way things have changed is that everything is much faster now! E-mail has replaced a trip to the post office, almost everyone accepts digital content over traditional hard copies, and it's now faster than ever to get rejected! That's still a good thing because it let's you move on quicker. The other positive is that it's less personal now and has become the way business is done. Straight forward and to the point which is fine with me.
It also means the game has been upgraded. Because it's so much easier to get your stuff out there, there are a lot more people putting it out there. A lot more content means a lot more competition. Game on!
My job search is 3 tiered. Tier 1: Any old job! This is where I'll do almost anything for a buck. I hate this tier. Tier 2: I'll do anything to build the resume. Pay stinks but at least there's a point to the job. This includes freelance graphic design, sketchwork, etc. Tier 3: The career job! This is the job that'll take a little while to get. It's where the other 2 tiers come in. Once I get here tier 1 will immediately disappear. The tier 2 stuff will still supplement this income but the faux business will probably come to an end. Ultimately this job will hopefully take care of most things and I'll be able to secure steady and lucrative work as an illustrator to have extra.
This all needs to take place by the time I'm 40 at the latest. I'm running out of energy to be on 20 ft ladders and scaffolds, and I'm running out of patience to work like a 20 yr old. I'm not looking for easy street, just easier street!
I'll also be posting how my networking is going and any artwork that I create for my portfolio. It'll be interesting to watch it progress over time.
The plus side to the way things have changed is that everything is much faster now! E-mail has replaced a trip to the post office, almost everyone accepts digital content over traditional hard copies, and it's now faster than ever to get rejected! That's still a good thing because it let's you move on quicker. The other positive is that it's less personal now and has become the way business is done. Straight forward and to the point which is fine with me.
It also means the game has been upgraded. Because it's so much easier to get your stuff out there, there are a lot more people putting it out there. A lot more content means a lot more competition. Game on!
My job search is 3 tiered. Tier 1: Any old job! This is where I'll do almost anything for a buck. I hate this tier. Tier 2: I'll do anything to build the resume. Pay stinks but at least there's a point to the job. This includes freelance graphic design, sketchwork, etc. Tier 3: The career job! This is the job that'll take a little while to get. It's where the other 2 tiers come in. Once I get here tier 1 will immediately disappear. The tier 2 stuff will still supplement this income but the faux business will probably come to an end. Ultimately this job will hopefully take care of most things and I'll be able to secure steady and lucrative work as an illustrator to have extra.
This all needs to take place by the time I'm 40 at the latest. I'm running out of energy to be on 20 ft ladders and scaffolds, and I'm running out of patience to work like a 20 yr old. I'm not looking for easy street, just easier street!
I'll also be posting how my networking is going and any artwork that I create for my portfolio. It'll be interesting to watch it progress over time.
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