Massive Black Workshop
polycounter lvl 19
http://www.massiveblack.com/sfw/sanfranworkshop.htm
What can I say? For me, this event dwarfs Siggraph, E3, and GDC put together. No fluff, No one there only because they are one of the good old boys. Only one vendor (corel painter).
Its all the good stuff, the lineup in just insane, John Foster, El Coro, Android, Jason Manley, Justin Sweet, and on and on and on. The amount of learning you will do in these 4 days is insane.
Its 550 bux, Hotels are 129 a night split between 4 people per room. I cannot stress how good a deal this is. This blows your school classes out of the water no matter how good your teachers are. These are some of the finest artist alive right now, all in one place, giving hardcore instruction. Its worth 5x this amount.
If you are a student, you cannot afford NOT to go. Don't wine, don't complain, just get there. Last year one guy sold his car in order to attend. If you are getting loans to pay for school, get one to cover this. It's seriously worth it.
I went to the Austin one, with Bobo, Darx, Guass, The_Bird, Scooby, St3ady, Joolz8000, J bradford, and BlankSlateJoe. I seriously learned more in those 4 days then any other class or workshop I have attended. Jason Manleys color theory lecture was amazing, watching Sparth lay down color and paint was out of this world, and seeing Smellybug sculpt was unbelievable.
This is the only workshop being held in the US this year. If it doesnt break even, (the austin one was at a loss) There will be no more workshops, and it would be a shame to see such an amazing thing die. Support the good artists, come learn a ton, and meet some amazing friends and artists.
I hope I sound like a friggin televangelist, because this was about as close to a religious experience you can have when dealing with art. Find a way to get there, thats all I can say.
What can I say? For me, this event dwarfs Siggraph, E3, and GDC put together. No fluff, No one there only because they are one of the good old boys. Only one vendor (corel painter).
Its all the good stuff, the lineup in just insane, John Foster, El Coro, Android, Jason Manley, Justin Sweet, and on and on and on. The amount of learning you will do in these 4 days is insane.
Its 550 bux, Hotels are 129 a night split between 4 people per room. I cannot stress how good a deal this is. This blows your school classes out of the water no matter how good your teachers are. These are some of the finest artist alive right now, all in one place, giving hardcore instruction. Its worth 5x this amount.
If you are a student, you cannot afford NOT to go. Don't wine, don't complain, just get there. Last year one guy sold his car in order to attend. If you are getting loans to pay for school, get one to cover this. It's seriously worth it.
I went to the Austin one, with Bobo, Darx, Guass, The_Bird, Scooby, St3ady, Joolz8000, J bradford, and BlankSlateJoe. I seriously learned more in those 4 days then any other class or workshop I have attended. Jason Manleys color theory lecture was amazing, watching Sparth lay down color and paint was out of this world, and seeing Smellybug sculpt was unbelievable.
This is the only workshop being held in the US this year. If it doesnt break even, (the austin one was at a loss) There will be no more workshops, and it would be a shame to see such an amazing thing die. Support the good artists, come learn a ton, and meet some amazing friends and artists.
I hope I sound like a friggin televangelist, because this was about as close to a religious experience you can have when dealing with art. Find a way to get there, thats all I can say.
Replies
The last one was a blast, and really let me know where I stand skills wise.
Really wish I could go
I'd love to go. Hawkprey was talking about the last one, we both would have liked to have gone to that one as well but when projects hit crunch you know how it goes.
I think you are completly right about just how huge an amount any of us would learn if we attended.
As an example..
I'm a hi poly newb but theres some hi poly monsters in the office and every couple of days or so I stand behind Pete Hayes ( YemYam ) for just 2 minutes and simply seeing 1 or 2 of what he considers 'lil tricks' completly changes my entire way of thought about hi poly and I grasp how to speed up my rate x3 and produce x2 my quality.
EVERYTIME.
Coming from the school of 'teach yourself' I've always had a sort of swaggering bravado mantra that would talk me into feeling pride in learning things the hard way and that I would get 'there' following my own road.
I was completly wrong on that one!
Spending 1 day listening to a master actually explain and demonstrate their methods shaves off 2-3 years of fumbling around by ourselves.
Point being, I think Poop is preaching the letter of the law here. Something like the MB Workshop is worth taking a loan for.
I was pissed that I wasn't able to go to the one down in TX earlier.
The whole thing makes me sad, because after seeing the pictures and write-ups from the Austin work shop I discovered a lot of badass artists like Marko and tons of others, and I promised myself that I would try to make it to the next one. With a little luck I will have some extra cash this holiday season, Ive got a birthday in December also so maybe that will bring me a little extra. Im not giving up hope yet!
Regardless, I would absolutely LOVE to attend this workshop, it would be a good kick in the ass to go back to my traditional roots and start drawing again. Plus it sounds like you guys had an awesome time partying with the massive black guys after hours also
I must be blind, stupid or something or there is no date listed for this event on the website ?
This roomsharing thing, if somebody wants to do that, could he post that here.
Very hard to get that amount of money together but we will see
official roommates thread
its january 7-10
So who is DEFINITELY going, out of the polycount crew? We need to meet up sometime
I can't wait ... I don't care if I'll be eating baked beans and noodles for the next 3 years - it will be worth it!
MoP
I guess I won't be able to go this time as well.
I highly doubt I'll be able to get the time off, as I'll be scrubbing the blood off of poop's cubicle that week while he's gone.
Any Seattle-area polycounters want to carpool? I'm up in Bellingham (2hrs north) and I'm looking at transportation down to CA, and I'll probably Greyhound it down if I can't find some people to go with. I'm willing to drive, I can pay my portion of gas costs, and I am also willing to drive my car, and unless bad luck befalls me, it should survive the trip (its an '89 Integra coupe w/ 200k+ miles on it).
Lodging is another issue... I've got a cousin in Modesto, which is about 2hrs away from San Fran, and he might possibly come. Don't necessarily want to drive 4hrs a day back to stay with them. A friend of mine from university is staying at the smaller of the two hotels, and she's rooming with a bunch of girls. Now that I think about it, she's also needing to figure out the transportation dealy. Regardless, feel free to contact me if it suits ya!
Pity I cant book any time off at the minute due to crunch ... and the fact that I dont reall yknow anyone who would go with me from my circle of friends - or know anyone of here well enough to bunk rooms with
Will have ot get my IRC client working through my client, start going in #modeldesign and socialise with all you rich, lucky, non-deadline having shmos to gleam some of the tips and secrets you got there...and make some buddies who I can share a room with at next years1
...and yeah - hope that DVD gets made - I for one would snap it up.
Scott
really freakin excited
joolze - hey man, remember me? I think I ate at ihop with you, medalwinds, cotron, metaphisiks, maldrin and his lady... at least.. I'm pretty sure that was you.
jeffro - I didn't know you were there, I wonder if I met you there..
SF is just an hour's train ride away.
What's the current PC headcount?
Jeffro: Awww! Seriously, I'm not worth it
SouL: I'm getting there a day before the workshop begins, and leaving 1 1/2 days after, so sure, it looks like I'll have a little free time, on the evening/night of Jan 6th, and on the 11th I think. Probably not the 12th because I have to be at the airport for about 11am.
I'll be arriving at SF airport around 5pm on the 6th.
Would definitely be cool to meet up with you, and anyone else in the area who isn't attending the workshop.
Yeah, we should assemble a list of polycounters going there, so we can arrange a meetup or something.
So far all I know for sure is:
Poopinmymouth
Blankslatejoe
MoP
LegionaireJoe
b1ll
possibly also (though I'm not sure):
Shotgun
Bobo
aesir
Scott Ruggels
Flaagan
Anyone I'm missing?
I'm rooming with two other guys at the Triton, from the 6-11th. We have room for one more, so if anyone needs to squeeze in, we'd gladly take ya.
-END-
Well, I got my tuition paid, and in the middle of getting transportation figured out. I'll be staying from Jan 6-11, and I'd feel the most comfortable roomin' with polycounters, even though nobody probably remembers me from the old boards (reg. sept 01, only 200+ posts, professional lurker)... but still, Polycount is the community I know best, and frequent the most, so if at all possible, roomin' with PC'ers would be my preferred setup. Be talkin' to you soon~
LegionaireJoe - Are you still looking for an extra roomate?
Have fun, and at night be careful around the Tenderloin, Market st, and Poop!!!
http://www.sfstation.com is a great city guide.
Eli_Heuer, I think myself and Poopinmymouth are still looking for a roommate - maybe two! Depends if Shotgun is in or not.
I for one guarantee not to rape you while you sleep, I don't know if I can say the same for Poop though..... hahahah
Send me an e-mail and let me know whats up.
Im gonna have to do some seriousthinking about this it looks awesome.
EDIT
meh just read the course schedule it looks awesome, I cant believe they crammed so much into such a short space of time!!!!
-R
No way Joe, he belongs to the brit and I. Room with us Eli, we are having strippers and crumpets every night!
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Well Poop, I guess I wasn't cool enough to room with you & MoP when I asked a few weeks ago...
Nah, on a more serious note, doesn't matter to me. Regardless, its not like rooming will be the only time we'll be able to hang out. My roomates & I still have an open spot, if anyone is still interested.
But yeah we will definately have to get a polycounters get together.
my MSN is bboybris@hotmail.com
my AIM is aesur
my ICQ is 202047534