Throughout the years, my determination and appreciation for animation has increased, along with my abilities. I gave a great interest in creating realistic effects and movement. I specialize in 3D animation and Visual Effects, because I thrive on the creativity in which these processes hold. I find myself to be inspired by films and TV shows and especially the behind the scenes footages of them so I can see how they are all put together. I aspire to become the best 3D/CG animator and VFX artist I can possible be. I also have a passion for Dynamic and Particle effects due to the fact that I gathered a huge amount of research for my Dissertation about how 3D software simulations can use particles to create character elemental effects, I achieved a 1st for this. I believe that improvement can always be applied, and as an artist development is key. And when it comes to my personality I’m friendly, polite, and have the ability to work collaboratively in a professional environment.
The technical skills that I have acquired over the past are in Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, After Effects, Premiere Pro and IPI Motion Capture software. I have found myself being more of a 3D generalist due to the fact that I spend most of my time in Maya, However I have expanded my abilities to other 3D softwares like Blender, Houdini and Cinema 4D. I also have an enthusiasm for post production and compositing, if I’m not doing 3D then I’m creating live action visual effect within After Effects. I have gathered lots of experience with particle and dynamic effects in Maya because of my final year work creating simulations at Leeds College of Art. I have had experience working collaboratively on projects where it has taught me a lot about keeping up the communication with partners and being able to separate the workload equally.
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
ISSUU: End of Year Presentation
Of this module I had to create a 15 minute power point presentation about the reflection of the final year I've had at Uni. This was so that I could talk about how I have improved as a practitioner and what work I've produced over the past year.
In my presentation I have talked about my how I've grown and gained skills in multiple softwares, I talked about my online presence and how I've kept it consistent across the social platforms. I also used this opportunity to reflect on my experience in the industry and how I've had interviews at three different places.
In my presentation I have talked about my how I've grown and gained skills in multiple softwares, I talked about my online presence and how I've kept it consistent across the social platforms. I also used this opportunity to reflect on my experience in the industry and how I've had interviews at three different places.
Updated CV
Recently I've had another read through of my CV and I've decided to make a couple of changes to it to make it look more professional. Mike, my tutor, has had a look at my CV as well and he told me to make a few changes like rearrange some words in the educational section and put my part time job on my CV, which I did. This is what it looks like now.
vimeo.com/jjbeardsell
James Beardsell
19 Norwood Place, Hyde Park,
Leeds, LS6 1DY
Mobile: 07969602133
Artist Statement
Throughout
my years, my determination and appreciation for animation has increased, along
with my abilities. I gave a great interest in creating realistic effects and
movement. I specialize in 3D animation and Visual Effects, because I thrive on
the creativity in which these processes hold. I find myself to be inspired by
films and TV shows and especially the behind the scenes footages of them so I
can see how they are all put together. I aspire to become the best 3D/CG
animator and VFX artist I can possible be. I also have a passion for Dynamic
and Particle effects due to the amount of realism and wonders you can achieve.
I believe that improvement can always be applied, and as an artist development
is key. And when it comes to my personality I’m friendly, polite, and have the
ability to work collaboratively in a professional environment.
Skills
·
3D Animation
·
3D Modelling
·
3D Rigging
·
Dynamic effects
·
Particle effects
·
Storyboarding
·
Editing
Software Skills
Proficient
in: Photoshop, After Effects, Autodesk Maya, Premiere, IPI Motion capture and
Microsoft Office
Experienced
in: OptiTrack, Cinema 4D, Blender, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Illustrator, InDesign and
RealFlow
Experience
End of Year Exhibition
2015-16
I have
assisted and with preparing and coordinating the end of year exhibitions, and
had the individual job of editing everyone’s showreel together appropriately.
This had been a rewarding experience because it has given me the ability to
understand the best ways to present and display work effectively to the
audience.
We Are Universe 2016
This was
a project in collaboration with Leeds College of Music, Motiv Productions and
more. Myself, along with other animators all produced short animations based
around the elements and how they connect with the universe. This was then
projected at Leeds Light Night 2016.
Hello Leeds 2016
For the
Christmas festive season of 2016, I worked with other animators, Illustrators
and Graphic Designers to produce a series of animations for Jimmy Islip from
Lumen run by another company called Leeds Bid. Are animations where then
projected onto the lifting tower in Leeds.
Coordinating Third Year Film
Exhibition 2017
This was
an opportunity to coordinate and display the third-year Animation Final Film
Exhibition to the rest of the university and the public.
Part Time Jobs
Costa Coffee
– Skilled Barista 2013
- 2017
Education
Leeds College of Art
2014 - Present
BA
(Hons) Animation: Pending
Leeds College of Art 2012 - 2014
UAL
Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design (QCF): Distinction
Wakefield Independent
School
2006 – 12
GCSEs: A
[1], B [1], C [4], D [1]
Queens Elizabeth’s Grammar
School
2002-06
Other Interests
With the
time I have free, I like playing video games, being active and healthy. Due to
the fact that I have a part time job at Costa Coffee, I like to make/drink
coffee, with my own coffee machine, and socialize with other people. I also
enjoy biking, swimming and travelling, however I love just to sit down, relax
and watch a film with a beer.
Showreel
/ Portfolio at:
@jjbeardsell
www.jbanimation.uk
Motion Capture
During my time in third year at Uni I've had a lot of experience with motion capture and I've found myself using different softwares like IPI motion capture and OptiTrack. The two different motion capture softwares have been very interesting for me to use but one of the softwares definitely stands out the most and that's the OptiTrack system. This is because it is so much more user friendly and technically it is better than the IPI software because it can track a persons performance clearer and faster than the IPI software can. But the down fall the OptiTrack system is that it cost so much to use and for me it is very hard to get my hands on a version of it.
The only reason I didn't use the OptiTrack system for my extended practice module was because it was booked out when I wanted to use it and by the time I could book it out it would of been too late for me to use it.
However, this has made me determined into experimenting with more motion capture and different ways in which you can use motion capture in animation. I also wanted to recreate my final animation because I feel like I can capture the performance so much better then I originally did. Hopefully I'll be able to as my tutor mat if I can have another go with the OptiTrack system so that I can experiment with it's abilities and expand mine.
As well as motion capture I also want to delve into facial capture to improve on my character animation abilities and I'd like to look into capturing multiple performances. My ideal thing to experiment with would be the Medusa Performance Capture that captures facial movement, but this software is used in industry and was used in films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Doctor Strange, The Jungle Book and Maleficent. the video below shows how the vfx and motion captures were create for the character Maz Kanata from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The only reason I didn't use the OptiTrack system for my extended practice module was because it was booked out when I wanted to use it and by the time I could book it out it would of been too late for me to use it.
However, this has made me determined into experimenting with more motion capture and different ways in which you can use motion capture in animation. I also wanted to recreate my final animation because I feel like I can capture the performance so much better then I originally did. Hopefully I'll be able to as my tutor mat if I can have another go with the OptiTrack system so that I can experiment with it's abilities and expand mine.
As well as motion capture I also want to delve into facial capture to improve on my character animation abilities and I'd like to look into capturing multiple performances. My ideal thing to experiment with would be the Medusa Performance Capture that captures facial movement, but this software is used in industry and was used in films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Doctor Strange, The Jungle Book and Maleficent. the video below shows how the vfx and motion captures were create for the character Maz Kanata from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Daryl Obert
Daryl Obert is another YouTuber who does tutorials about Maya, however he is different to Mike Hermes because he produces more motion graphic type 3d animations and creates visual effects within Maya. Daryl teaches you more about ncloths, Bifrost, rigging and nParticles hens why I've also been watching the tutorials, it makes my understanding of Maya and its effects clearer.
He also has this thing on his channel where he makes a playlist and creates videos dedicated to Mondays and called the playlist Maya Mondays. With Darly he has many tutorials on liquid simulations so this really helped me in the Context of Practice module where I created particle and liquid simulations. Looking through his YouTube page he does loads of tutorials that really interest me but some of the things that he uses in the tutorials are pre-built and he doesn't explain how he built them because they are not an essential part of the tutorial, which makes some of the tutorials frustrating due to the fact that you can't follow fully what he id doing.
Another thing about Darly Obert's YouTube channel is that he uploads his videos quite slowly so he doesn't have as many as Mike Hermes but the videos that he does do are very different from Mikes. Plus his videos are quite up to date with the new technology that's out there which is good because I like to keep up with the latest of technologies.
There was a couple of videos that he made that really helped me during my time at University especially when doing my dissertation on particle effects in Maya. The videos that he did tutorials on where about the feature Bifrost in Maya which deals with liquid simulations and the videos were all about editing the attributes in the simulation to achieve realistic effects. For example he talks about voxel sizing, density, time scale, droplets and stickiness strengths of the liquid attributes. This was a huge help for me to understand.
Mike Hermes
Mike Hermes is a YouTuber who creates Maya tutorials for people ranging from beginners to experts. He mainly works in Maya but he does do Maya plug-ins as well, he focuses on modelling, rigging, animation and design.
I've been going to Mike for many of years now if I have ever wanted help trying to model something that I didn't know how something should be modelled properly. Plus Mike is great at showing you how to place different textures on to the model to make them look more realistic, and he shows you what is the bast way to apply the textures when using different renders.
His channel is solely devoted to teaching people how to create 3D objects within Maya and in my opinion he is one of the better YouTube tutorial guys that takes to time to fully explain what it is he is doing in his scene. For beginners this guy is great to learn from because he is very detailed in what he it doing and creating, also he takes his time and goes slow.
He's also made videos on how to animated dynamic bodies and ncloth which is the kind of thing I'm looking for seen as though I'm going into the visual effects and 3D animation industry and need to learn about effect in Maya. One of the tutorials that he's created explains how someone can model a 3D object that can float in water, and me thats already created water effects has found this tutorial quite interesting due to the fact that learning this technique would increase my abilities as a 3D and vfx artist.
The Mill
The Mill are a multi based company that produce a range of things from VFX, colour, auto, design, animation, interaction, virtual reality, gaming and beauty. The Mills visual effects are a combination their talented artists and their technology with creates inspiring or invisible work, but always unforgettable. Some of their most recognisable work comes from their advertising where they've produced work for Lloyds, Halifax, Virgin Media and audi.
Most of their work comes from advertising and live action with a bit of animation and vfx, however they have worked on feature films dating back from 1997. These films included Gladiator, BLack Hawk Down, Tomb Raider and the first two Harry Potter films.
One piece of their work really stands out to me because I feel like it is one of the best vfx projects within an advert. This project was the Virgin Media advert where they created an action pack spot, depicting the inside of a virgin media fibre-optic wire as an ever-extending tunnel, showcasing the unparalled entertainment waiting for views.
Behind the Scenes: Virgin Media 'Delivering Awesome' from The Mill on Vimeo.
Another good thing about The Mill is that they have so many partnerships with other companies which would mean that they get plenty of workflow coming in and they'll be able to distribute the workload out between different partnerships. As well as this that also have studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago so they are not just allocated and restricted to Europe.
They have very much influences me in becoming a vfx artist and I have applied for a couple of jobs at their studio, but unfortunately I haven't heard anything back from them so I might have to try and chase them up on that.
Most of their work comes from advertising and live action with a bit of animation and vfx, however they have worked on feature films dating back from 1997. These films included Gladiator, BLack Hawk Down, Tomb Raider and the first two Harry Potter films.
One piece of their work really stands out to me because I feel like it is one of the best vfx projects within an advert. This project was the Virgin Media advert where they created an action pack spot, depicting the inside of a virgin media fibre-optic wire as an ever-extending tunnel, showcasing the unparalled entertainment waiting for views.
Behind the Scenes: Virgin Media 'Delivering Awesome' from The Mill on Vimeo.
Another good thing about The Mill is that they have so many partnerships with other companies which would mean that they get plenty of workflow coming in and they'll be able to distribute the workload out between different partnerships. As well as this that also have studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago so they are not just allocated and restricted to Europe.
They have very much influences me in becoming a vfx artist and I have applied for a couple of jobs at their studio, but unfortunately I haven't heard anything back from them so I might have to try and chase them up on that.
Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Applying For Jobs
Throughout my third year at Uni I have been applying for many different jobs across the UK ranging from junior animator, runner to CG generalist. I feel like my CV is strong because it has gotten me three different interviews but the thing that is letting me down is the fact that I don't have loads of experience within the industry.
For applying for jobs I have mainly been using websites like animatedjobs.com, indeed.co.uk and animationbase.com because these websites in my opinion have the latest job offerings and updates than others. However I have been expanding my search and been going onto other sites like CWJobs.co.uk, Jobsite.co.uk and jobmatchers.co.uk so that my presence is out there on the internet so that more people in the industry can see my work and hopefully want to hire me.
Here is a short list of just a few places I have applied for, it tells you what the job is, where it is and who it's for.
For applying for jobs I have mainly been using websites like animatedjobs.com, indeed.co.uk and animationbase.com because these websites in my opinion have the latest job offerings and updates than others. However I have been expanding my search and been going onto other sites like CWJobs.co.uk, Jobsite.co.uk and jobmatchers.co.uk so that my presence is out there on the internet so that more people in the industry can see my work and hopefully want to hire me.
Here is a short list of just a few places I have applied for, it tells you what the job is, where it is and who it's for.
3D animation Internship - Digital Shotgun - Edgwer
CG Modeller / Texture Artist - Blue Zoo - London
Studio Runner - A Large Evil Corporation - Bath
CG Generalist - A Large Evil Corporation - Bath
Jr Compositor - Jellyfish - London
Maya Generalist - Axis Animation - Bristol
Studio Runner - Framestore - London
Internship - Framestore - London
Jr Animator - Rockstar - Leeds
VFX Artist - Haybrookit - oxfordshire
VFX Artist - Cloud Imperium Games
Digital Artist: Video Games, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, 3D, 2D, Graphic Design, Artist, Development, GUI - JY/2208 - Oxfordshire
Character Animator - Framestore - London
Jr CG Artist - iSite - colchester
3D Animator - Tag Games - Dundee (Scotland)
Modeller - Framestore - London
Jr VFX Artist - Datascope - London
Maya Animator - A Large Evil Corporation - Bath
Video Editor / Animator - Pertemps Network Group - Cheadle
Digital Animator - Bright Carbon - Bristol
Jr 3D modeller & Visualiser - ADS Ltd - Pontefract
Jr Designer - Neo G Ltd - Harrogate
3D Character Artist – AAA Video Games - Netherlands
Animator - St John’s - Canada
3D Generalist - London
Jr 3D Modeller - 360 Resourcing Solution - Manchester
The ones highlighted in bold are the ones I have had interviews for, so this shows you how hard it is in the industry to try and get a job. I did have an opportunity to have an interview in Belfast for a studio called 'JamStudios' but because they work on kids programs I wasn't that interested and I wasn't going to go all that way over to Island for a job I didn't really want.
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