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Urgent! Looking for Capstone Mentor.

polycounter lvl 5
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Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
Hello,

I'm a a college senior who is aspiring to become an environment artist in the game industry. Seeking someone who has worked over the course of time in the industry As an Environment Artist. Seeing others work/portfolios have inspired me to change/improve on the way I do my own work. It has inspired me so much so that I would like to reach out and ask fellow artist someone would be my mentor for my Capstone class.

As a mentor for my capstone class, all I would need from you is a critique of my work and to speak with you once a week. The critique is only needed for the middle of my class (midterm) and the end of the class (finals). Besides talking to you, everything else is up to me a student. I would really appreciate if you would take the time to become my mentor and if so I wouldn't mind hearing back by Thursday or by the Latest Friday

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  • adam
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    adam polycounter lvl 19
    Is the mentorship apart of your course at school or just a personal mission of yours?

    If its the latter, why not consider Polycount your mentor and post your artwork for everyone to critique and review?
  • LChamberlin
    I believe this is my friend who I share this same class with. If not, ignore what I'm about to say.

    It's required for the class. As much as I wish the people of Polycount could collectively be our mentor, we're required to just have a single person.
  • Neox
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    Neox godlike master sticky
    you guys pay for the course? if so, why isn't your school giving you feedback and/or hire the mentors?

    i know it is not your fault, but this idea of mentorship is just wrong if a third party does nothing to it but collecting money.
  • LChamberlin
    Well we do pay for the course, but there is an instructor who critiques our work as well, and ultimately decides whether or not our work was good enough to pass our capstone class. Each student's mentor that they find helps them decide on a project that they both believe could be accomplished in the time we have, and critiques the work along the way.
  • Dave Jr
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    Dave Jr polycounter lvl 9
    The best critique I get is from making my own thread. Whilst I don't post often and to be totally honest very rarely finish my personal projects I've developed my skills quite considerably thanks to the critique I've recieved from various polycount users (you guys know who you are and I love you for it!!) .

    Why settle for 1 mentor, when you can have many many artists critiquing and then get live feedback on google hangouts with the polycount hangout room.

    To top it further why not even make a portfolio piece alongside other artists with the monthly challenges? Or if your stuck on something particular use the HUGE wiki... (Which has saved me countless times)

    I know you've probably been asked to post on here, but to put it simply one artist won't be able to dedicate a huge chunk of time to you. But consider as Neox and others have said - use polycount as a whole for mentorship .
  • LRoy
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    LRoy polycounter lvl 14
    I'm sure anyone here would be glad to help you, but it's kind of odd that your school requires you to get a stranger to help you for free.
  • LChamberlin
    Well we weren't specifically told to post on Polycount, it was just a good idea to get in contact with people who might be able to help us.

    Unfortunately we're not allowed to use Polycount as a mentor or resource for critiques. However, the only amount of work a mentor would NEED to put in is to help their student to set up a project to complete, and critique their work on said project once a week.
  • Ida_Jay
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    Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
    Wow, LChamberlin is my classmate. Alas this is our fate LRoy, my thoughts exactly I think it's kind of strange. I wish we could use artist from Polycount that would be very convenient.
  • BagelHero
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    BagelHero interpolator
    Well, that's kind of ass of your school to do, because mentorships can be really expensive if you want to get one worth your time with an artist who can actually dedicate any time to you. Having to find an artist to do it for free for you in order to pass your class is pretty scummy, because artists' time is worth money, and even if they're unemployed at current their time could be better spent working on their own stuff.
    :/ I know it's not much time, but on principal this isn't something schools should require if they're not paying for it.
  • LChamberlin
    From what they tell us it's not their rule, but one set up by the Department of Education. Regardless of whose rule it is, yeah, I agree that it's kind of lousy.
  • Neox
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    Neox godlike master sticky
    well can this mentorship be certified? i guess if so this could help in any international visa program and would be of worth to that free mentor.
  • Ida_Jay
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    Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
    Good question, to be honest I could ask tomorrow when I'm on campus.
  • LChamberlin
    Hey Neox, could you explain what you mean by that? I don't quite understand your meaning.
  • Neox
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    Neox godlike master sticky
    well if you want to get a working visa in a foreign country you need to prove that you are actually good in your field.

    your uni gives nothing to the potential mentor. but if this could get certified somehow, the mentor would get something for his efforts. an official document signed by the uni, stating he mentored other artists, could be worth alot to that artist if he/she plans to work abroad.
    Either way it is worth more than nothing.
  • StephenVyas
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    StephenVyas polycounter lvl 18
    Unfortunately we're not allowed to use Polycount as a mentor or resource for critiques.
    *if I grew tired of trying to find a mentor...

    I'd make a thread on polycount anyways. I'd then post my work. Get critiqued.
    If, the school requires a means to verify the Mentor. I'd then ask if it'd be alright if I could use the name of someone who critiqued my work(in the thread) and pretend it was there advice the whole time.
    I'm sure a couple guys would have no problem saying they helped you out. No big deal
    This way you're getting more feedback, while not taking up anyones free time.
  • Ida_Jay
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    Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
    Neox wrote: »
    well if you want to get a working visa in a foreign country you need to prove that you are actually good in your field.

    your uni gives nothing to the potential mentor. but if this could get certified somehow, the mentor would get something for his efforts. an official document signed by the uni, stating he mentored other artists, could be worth alot to that artist if he/she plans to work abroad.
    Either way it is worth more than nothing.

    Ok I see what you're saying now and I see why you asked. The only way I can properly answer this, is by asking my instructor and President tomorrow and give you a better answer. If you wouldn't mind we could exchange emails and I would get back to you early morning tomorrow.
  • LChamberlin
    I'll mention that idea tomorrow in class, but I doubt we'll be able to. Our school is kind of rigid in that sense.

    But I like the way you think. If we can't find a mentor by this Friday, we'll most likely drop the class so we don't get charged for it. Then wait 12 weeks until the class is offered again. This is literally the last thing I need before I graduate, so I guess I would spend that time working on stuff and posting it on polycount for feedback.
  • Ida_Jay
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    Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
    I'm in the same predicament as my bud here. If I can't, I'll be doing the same.
  • Neox
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    Neox godlike master sticky
    this is not for me ^^
    i am just trying to find a way to get something in return to whoever will be a mentor, giving them a bit more for their career than just "thank you"

    i think not many would mind mentoring you in the forum, just for you, but having a paid school in this makes it all weird, especially as they demand it, while they should be offering it to you :/
  • Ida_Jay
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    Ida_Jay polycounter lvl 5
    ^^
    Yea, most people would feel that same exact way. "Thank you", isn't enough most of the time.
    As for the class and finding a mentor I'll keep searching, and as for Polycount I'll of course post my work and have people help me improve on my craft. I'm glad at least the people who has posted here today tried to help.
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    I can safely say that most people here are more than happy to help you with this.

    - Though not everyone is qualified. (only some are in the industry, others are trying to break in)
    - If they are in the industry, they are gonna be busy working. If they aren't, they're gonna be busy working on their folio.
    - Artists are really standing together now to 'not work for free'. Unless it's what they want to do.
    - This feels like a slap to the face of the artists and inspiring artists. It's quite a shitty move by the university. Unless the professor agrees to pay each and every Mentor with the tuition fee students pay.
    - Crowd-sourcing is pretty powerful. Multiple artists may help more than just a single mentor.


    Question: Is this the only capstone class ? When I was in Uni, I had a choice of two to choose from.
  • adam
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    adam polycounter lvl 19
    Is your teacher aware of polycount? Can you show them this thread?

    I'm also more than happy to talk to them on the benefits of showing your work to a community like Polycount and why seeking an individual for mentorship is a recipe for curriculum failure (Just incase: I co-own Polycount and have been a member since 1999).

    "However, the only amount of work a mentor would NEED to put in is to help their student to set up a project to complete, and critique their work on said project once a week."

    This sounds exactly like what the teachers should be doing and organizing, not the students or the 'strangers'/peers/fellow artists. I know the curriculum isn't going to change over night because a few people on Polycount have voiced their concern over a requirement like this, but I am really interested in hearing why this is part of the schools curriculum.
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