Stupid commentaries about what you do.
sublime tool
i saw a thread similr in cgtalk , about people who dont have a clue what cg is still want to imply that pressing buttons does everything , share your stories, etc , we might have a laugh or two blabla...
mine :
Random person : So they told me you work with computers ?
me : yeah , Cg design ( if i said videogame artist or something like that they would think i only play games and do nothing of my life )
Random person : Oh i saw some stuff on tv about it ! they were making some buildings in the downtown in 3D ! how cool is that ? i never thought that 3d stuff would ever come to exist in computers !
me : uhh..my head hurts, be right back.
unknown person : my instructor told me that the cartoony style is for those who try to master a long forgotten art !
/me goes look at instructor class and i see a badly attempt at a character with decent anatomy that just looked plain wrong. and the instructor spent like 30 minutes telling students to copy it.
random friend : wow ! do you think you could make them send me a copy of the game or even test it ? i mean you are working for them i see no problem...
random person : i cant understand shit of what you are doing on that computer , what is that ?
me : its photoshop.
random person : you draw on the table and it appears on the PC ? whats the point ?
me : you see , this isnt a drawing, but a texture ( try to explain everything ).
random person : oh so basically the computer does it for you, i guess this is pretty easy !
me : belches loudly...
mine :
Random person : So they told me you work with computers ?
me : yeah , Cg design ( if i said videogame artist or something like that they would think i only play games and do nothing of my life )
Random person : Oh i saw some stuff on tv about it ! they were making some buildings in the downtown in 3D ! how cool is that ? i never thought that 3d stuff would ever come to exist in computers !
me : uhh..my head hurts, be right back.
unknown person : my instructor told me that the cartoony style is for those who try to master a long forgotten art !
/me goes look at instructor class and i see a badly attempt at a character with decent anatomy that just looked plain wrong. and the instructor spent like 30 minutes telling students to copy it.
random friend : wow ! do you think you could make them send me a copy of the game or even test it ? i mean you are working for them i see no problem...
random person : i cant understand shit of what you are doing on that computer , what is that ?
me : its photoshop.
random person : you draw on the table and it appears on the PC ? whats the point ?
me : you see , this isnt a drawing, but a texture ( try to explain everything ).
random person : oh so basically the computer does it for you, i guess this is pretty easy !
me : belches loudly...
Replies
Random person : So they told me you work with computers ?
me : yeah , Cg design ( if i said videogame artist or something like that they would think i only play games and do nothing of my life )
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Bah!!!
Say it loud and be proud! Come on man, if you aren't willing to say it it means your ashamed of it. What you do is awesome, tell people, and if they have a problem point out that you are working in a multi-billion dollar industry , making the fastest growing form of entertainment and doing something you love!
If they argue with that they are probably either jealous, or slightly retarded.
guy: I saw your game, your models looks sweet.
me: thanks, i've spent a lot of time practicing.
guy: I'm making a mmorpg, we're shooting for a commercial release.
me: cool, goodluck.
guy: you want to teahc me some 3d modeling? i've been given the ask of making our characters.
me: how long have you been modeling?
guy: ummm... i've started about 3 weeks ago.
me: you may want to get more practice before you try to make 3d art for a mmorpg.
guy: stop flaming me! i can do it, want to see some of my models i've been working on?
.... me: ... looks at some very boxy multicolored models made out of primitives...
me: once again, you may want to start practicing a little, making basic environemtns and work your way up to characters, then try to make a game.
guy: you're useless!
... never heard from him again.
i really need to take my aim sn off my profile in some forums...
although he isn't as bad a the guy who wanted to make the best mmorpg engine ever with thousands of galaxies and millions of planets to explore...
basically some people just don't have an idea of what it takes with 3d modeling and texturing, even if they're attempting a game themselves (which is scary).
i also have some sad stories of me trying to explain what i do on the computer to my grandpa since he is into art, but i am sure you can imagine how that went.
although he isn't as bad a the guy who wanted to make the best mmorpg engine ever with thousands of galaxies and millions of planets to explore...
[/ QUOTE ]
HAHAHA... Funnily enough I know a guy who wants to do that and asked me to help with the artwork. Classic!
Johny: Like Tulkamir said, say it loud and proud! I brag about how I work in the games industry. I worked hard to land a job making video games and wouldn't let anyone devalue my career choice. Chances are, they are stuck in some dead-end job flipping burgers.
Besides... The chicks love it!
But to contribute to the thread:
Nothing is worse than trying to explain what 3D modelling is and how it works to computer illiterate people. They just can't grasp the concept.
Or when I say I'm an environment artist, I've had a few people think that I minimise the polution emission that the game creates or design the packaging so it uses environmentally friendly materials
-caseyjones
Whilst working on pre-rendered cinematics using shave & a haircut procedural hair plug-in for maya:
EA producer: "Wow, that looks amazing. Can we get that working in game too?"
Me:
EA producer to press: "We use our own proprietary face scan technology"
Me:
EA development director on getting a stealth combat suit Bond into the game instead of a jacket & tie: "Well, it's just a texture swap, right?"
Me:
EA Art manager: "Well, what ARE LOD models exactly?"
Me:
I'm a little more relaxed these days.
Honestly though, it never ceases to AMAZE me how hard it is for some people to grasp the concept of 3D. *Particularly* realtime 3D. Older folks have an especially tough time. Most of my family with the exception of my brother really have no clue what it is that I do.
Usually after the umpteenth time trying to explain 3D to someone I usually just accept their reasoning that I draw a series of images and put them all into the game! The sum of all the images of course can handle any possible input from the player. That's a LOT of images I gotta draw
A
me: I make art for games for a living.
them: Really, did you work on Halo?
me: no
them: Half life?
me: no
(and so in until they give up and let me tell them where i work.)
them: Hey you think you can get me a free copy of the game when it comes out?
me: no
them: Why not, what ever... I play games all the time i bet i could make art for games, cant be that hard.
me: Yeah well have a nice day.
B
me: I make art for games for a living.
them: Really, one of my friends does that too for a game hes making. He had some artist working with him but he was taking too long.
me: Ahh so then he making filler art then?
them: No, it looks better than what the artists was making and it only takes him a few seconds.
me: Ahh, well i should get going...
C
me: I make art for games for a living.
them: Like board games?(or they say table top games)
me: no, 3d art on the computer.
them: Ahh so the computer does it for you then?
me: No, well i better run.
Most people i know in real life have no clue about game art so i usually dont bother getting into details.
*walks over to my desk*
her: "oh, you're actually pretty good at this graphics stuff"
me: "it is my career that I have devoted the last 10 years to"
her: "I wish I could sit around playing with graphics and stuff all day like you guys"
me: *looks at art team*
art team: *looks at project manager*
tumbleweed
Taxi driver : "What do you do?"
Me "Game artist"
Taxi driver "Sitting at a desk at all day? I could never do that."
But usually it is:
Can you get me XXX for free?
So you design the games?
So you just play games all day?
You must be RICH!
Me: nono grandma, i work making computer games.. you know?
grandma: oh yes, thats fantastic
Me: yea, its fun
Grandma: So... When are you gonna get a real job?
In all fairness. I can understand the fact that 3d and gameart in general can be pretty hard to grasp for someone totally new to it. If you cant sit down and actually show someone infront of the computer its pretty abstract with a lot of weird terminology and other quirks
EA Art manager: "Well, what ARE LOD models exactly?"
Me:
[/ QUOTE ]
... ?!
Me, telling my grandma I work for ThreeWAVE:
me: hey gramma! I just got a job doing video game art.
Gramma: Oh super! For who?
me: They're in Vancouver. A company called Threewave.
Gramma: Three way?
me: three WAVE, gramma. WAVE.
Gramma: What kind of name is Three way?
me: Yes gramma, three way. I am working for Three way.
Me telling my 2 little brothers:
Me: So I make games now.
Them: Oh sick! So how'd they make Halo?
Me: AAAARGH!!!
lol, this is how it usually goes in my family
Me: nono grandma, i work making computer games.. you know?
grandma: oh yes, thats fantastic
Me: yea, its fun
Grandma: So... When are you gonna get a real job?
[/ QUOTE ]
Reminds me of a discussion with my Grandma, even though I don't actually do game art for a living (nor much game art at all lately
She just couldn't grasp that that is a job you can actually live from, and that some sort of formal education is not necessarily needed.
EA producer to press: "We use our own proprietary face scan technology"
[/ QUOTE ]
I've heard of that before, it's called Daz Ultra isn't it? Made in the UK too I believe.
http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/briti...B4F696E7E024%7D
Person: So you do computer art?
Me: yep... (looks around to change the subject) Look flowers those are neat huh?
Person: So this "art" you do its for games?
Me: sigh, yes I make art for point and click adventure games.
Person: So what kind of games do you program?
Me: ... point and click adventure games...
person: You just said that
Me: You just ask that
Person: So do you get to play all the games, I bet thats fun? Do you have fun all day? How do I get a job playing games all day?
Me: You don't do anything but find a golden ticket in a shoebox.
person:I went on the internet once and found this cheat code. I used it and it made the game really easy and I beat it in 3hrs, I called in and told them the game was too easy and guess what they said?
Me: Don't use the code?
person: BWHAHAHA! Oh man yeah thats totally what they said. So your job has to be the funnest evar!?!!1 Playing games all day getting paid tons of money to do it.
Me: (trying to make the person see what its really like but already its too late) So those butchers, I bet those guys do nothing but BBQ, drink beer and have pool parties with hot chicks.
person: Hey my brother is a butcher. That job sucks its all intestines, blood and harsh chemicals, that shit will make you sterile, not like it matters he'll never meet a chick smelling like blood and ammonia.
Me: Thats kind of how working in the industry is, lots of blood, intestines and no dates.
Person: SoOooOoo.... you make games. I have this idea (takes a deep breath)
Me: Stop, I already heard it, and its a bad idea. Even if by some chance it is a good idea I have 50 ideas of my own I would make before making yours.
person: so its about a trucker named Jack Burton. His friend Wang Chi asks him to pick up his finance but Jack gets into trouble in china town, BIG trouble!
Me: You might want to check with John Carpenter before making it.
person: Who's he?
Me: The guy that hold the rights to the movie you are trying to rip off.
person: no way this is totally my idea!
Me: Let me guess you came up with it in the 80's sometime?
Person: yea thats how I know its all mine!
Me: Go rent Big Trouble in Little China, it will rock your world.
whenever a stranger asks me what i do i just tell them i wear a cape and beat up on (insert random minoritys)
that usualy shortens the conversation
My barber asked where I was working nowadays and I told her that I'm IT for a newspaper but I was going to have an interview at a game company over in xxxxx. She couldn't grasp the concept that the game company wasn't a newspaper as well.
Guy: So what's your major?
Me: Game Art and Design
Guy: G..Gay Art?
Me: VIDEO Game Art and Design
I've learned to enunciate "Game" rather well when describing what I study.
I take the Greyhound from time to time. Normally, I pop some sleeping pills and stay away from everyone. This one time, though, I was drawing this man at the bus stop, he "caught" me and decided to strike up a conversation with me. Turns out he was a Biological Engineer straight from India. He was fascinated with what I was studying, and we ended up having a good 3 hour conversation about biological engineering and game art. Overall, I learned a lot more trivial knowledge on biological engineering, and he wished he had gone into game art. hehe. Pretty cool experience to be honest.
I've come across the occasional student that will come up to me also:
Guy: Dude, I'm setting up a team to work on a game while we're in school. We need a few more modelers, interested?
Me: Do you have a game doc I can take a look at?
Guy: ?
Me: Well, what engine do you plan on using?
Guy: ?
Me: ...What's the game about?
Guy: Well...it's an MMORPG..
Me: Ah, hey...there's the elevator!
Guy: Wait...wait...want to see my anime drawings?!
Me: ...
I've also heard one of our "recruiters" (as I call them) giving a tour to a couple of prospective students say "And this is where the student's scanned sketches are turned into 3D images."
went to the hairdressers and she asked me if wemade every concievable animation/image when making a game.
I always get the, "Can I test your games?" question.
Me, telling my grandma I work for ThreeWAVE:
me: hey gramma! I just got a job doing video game art.
Gramma: Oh super! For who?
me: They're in Vancouver. A company called Threewave.
Gramma: Three way?
me: three WAVE, gramma. WAVE.
Gramma: What kind of name is Three way?
me: Yes gramma, three way. I am working for Three way.
Me telling my 2 little brothers:
Me: So I make games now.
Them: Oh sick! So how'd they make Halo?
Me: AAAARGH!!!
[/ QUOTE ]
Apropos of nothing, Cincinnati's most famous native cuisine is commonly known as a three way. The city also has a fondness for a game called cornhole, which suddenly makes eating a three way seem only that much weirder...
Them: What do you do?
Me: Video game art - I make art for games
Them: Oh, that sounds pretty cool
Me: Yea, it's fun
My parents still don't really know what it is that I do, or how it's possible to make money doing it. I think they still believe it's not a "real" job, somehow.
When asked by clueless relatives what I do, I generally say something along the lines of "Heard of Grand Theft Auto? A Playstation or Nintendo maybe? All that colourful stuff you see on the screen, I make that. All of it."
I've ran across this too many times:
them: So what do you do for a living?
me: I make videogames for a living.
them: COOL! Hey, I have this cool idea for an RPG that's totally going to revolutionize the industry! You take the role of a loner who's forced to save the world when he... etc
Too much of that.
Guy: So what's your major?
Me: Game Art and Design
Guy: G..Gay Art?
Me: VIDEO Game Art and Design
[/ QUOTE ]
Haha, reminds me of a time when my Girl's mother told some people at a notably "gay" shopping mall that I am currently enrolled in Game Art. They mistook this to be Gay Mart, and began inquiring where this "Gay Mart" could be found because they would love to shop there.
:S
"Oh my god, do all game designers live with their parents?"
"Do you sleep in a car?"
"Do you sleep in a bed shaped like a car?"
"Sweet! I wish I could play old school games all day."
"So how much dope do you guys go through?"
"Like-oh-my-god, make sure when you get a monkey, it's not a chimpanzee! Get a squirrel monkey."
And then some of my co-workers might say something along the lines of, "Ah, still taking the celibacy job, eh? Must be pretty lonely."
And then I fight back the urge to say anything about a certain plastic Tomb Raider doll*.
*The most hilarious scene from Grandma's Boy.
mom: So that's all done on the computer?
me: yup
mom: Well, that's not art.
me: O_o ... -_-
Random person: so what are you up to in college?
Me: 3d modeling and texturing
Person: modeling? Like, clothes? Are you one of those gay runway models or something?
Me: ..no THREE DEE modeling, as in making objects and characters for video games...
*me modeling some thing on 3dsmax or Zb*
random person - What game are you playing?
me- it's not a game it's... explain it all... blalalal...
random person - Can i try to play it?
...
btw, have you ever tried to explain someone what normal maps are? don't try it!!!
they'll never want to talk to you about your job again.
I once wanted to make video games, until my dreams were crushed when I realized I lacked the capacity to learn coding, and am too lazy to even think about working on 3d modelling for more then 20 minutes at a time.
That's why you tell people you just work for a hardware company in the paper filing department...
they'll never want to talk to you about your job again.
I once wanted to make video games, until my dreams were crushed when I realized I lacked the capacity to learn coding, and am too lazy to even think about working on 3d modelling for more then 20 minutes at a time.
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Yeah, those are the facts of life!
The Europe "intellectual" side (Austria):
Q:So, what do you do for living?
A:I am a Video Game Artist, doing art somewhat.
Q:Oh really, tell me...
A:Telling (using verbal presets and explanation methods)...
Q:aha
silence...
(switch to next topic. He/She didnt get it)
btw, have you ever tried to explain someone what normal maps are? don't try it!!!
[/ QUOTE ]I tried and I think I succeeded
(the guy I explained it to was a coder so that might've helped
Thankfully many of the people I work with are at least Photoshop saavy.(photographers)
My dad keeps calling my 3d models "drawings" and no matter what I say I can't get him to let go of this. I see other people have experienced this too.
One of my big contracts is with a Swedish company and I think I have told my mom this on about 30 different occasions. Everytime we get talking about my work, she'll say something like "oh I was telling so and so you work for a danish company, wait no it's switzerland right??"
One thing that really does piss me off that no one else has mentioned yet is when I tell people I work on games and then get this response:
"Oh games? Yeah I don't play videogames at all, I usually go out with my girlfriend and I don't have time because I work long hours..."
I am just sitting there thinking WTF? It's amazing that you know so much about me and already know what I am going to say next, fuck me you should have your own show on tv. If I had a meat cleaver in my hand at the time I probably would have used it. I've had this automated, condescending response twice now.
"Oh games? Yeah I don't play videogames at all, I usually go out with my girlfriend and I don't have time because I work long hours..."
[/ QUOTE ]
next time someone gives you that, reply with "oh, what do you do?". And when they tell you about their job, which will most likely be a soulless desk or service job, you can say "ah, that sucks man... it's a shame that we can't all make good money at a career we truly love doing." Then walk away laughing heartily.
Btw also my parent's are great and supportive just funny sometimes
btw, have you ever tried to explain someone what normal maps are? don't try it!!!
[/ QUOTE ]
I've done it with a fare amount of success. Problem is that then you have to explain the rest of what 3d modeling is. I've gotten fairly good at it. Both my parents, and all of my friends back home who don't, and/or have never played video games understand what I do, and what normal maps are if I've explained it. Problem is if it's just some random stranger I usually don't care enough to take all the time to explain it. :P
Oh, and I once had a conversation that went something like this over msn.
"So what are you in school for?"
"Game art, I do 3d Modeling"
"Oh, that's cool"
20 minutes later
"So what exactly is it you're doing now?"
"Modeling"
"WOW! You model!? You must be pretty good looking!"
I led her on for a good 15 minutes after that, before preceding to confuse her by saying that I was currently modeling an airplane. :P
I once wanted to make video games, until my dreams were crushed when I realized I lacked the capacity to learn coding, and am too lazy to even think about working on 3d modelling for more then 20 minutes at a time.
[/ QUOTE ]
You're 14 and your dreams are crushed? I see that Generation Emo is still angsting according to plan...
I see that Generation Emo is still angsting according to plan...
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, it's pretty awesome. MY dreams get crushed, like, every day.
twice
One thing I do love to say when people get snarky is just mention how much money I make and that I get to wear whatever I want and don't have to kiss ass all day. That usually shuts them up.
And my parents totally respected whatever it is I actually "do" in their eyes as soon as they knew what my starting wage was at my first job. It was more than what they were making and they've been working the standard fare jobs for 20+years. I think that right there deserves some cred. I know not all companies pay all that well though. It seems the west coast in the US does a pretty good job.
btw, have you ever tried to explain someone what normal maps are? don't try it!!!
[/ QUOTE ]
Lol Frankie and Peppi are still having to exsplain to me what a normal map is...with limited sucess,but im slowly getting there
Im surprised noone has had the Mathamatics pop-up in convosation e.g
MD:- "John Could you give us a quick demonstration of what you do?"
*demos*
Client:- "That must require alot of mathamatical knowledge."
me:-
My dad and sister are the only 2 in my family that understand what I do,my dad becuase he is a gamer and my sister becuase she really into her art and shes had afew goes on 3dSmax
John
I was asked what I did for a living yesterday and said I did contract art work for video games. Then I said, "It is like traditional art but much much harder"
It is really good that people don't talk to me like they talk to you guys. If anyone ever tried to tell me that what I did wasn't art, I would tell them that they had shit for brains, even if it was my mom.
Guy: So what's your major?
Me: Game Art and Design
Guy: G..Gay Art?
Me: VIDEO Game Art and Design
[/ QUOTE ]
Same thing happens to me except they think I say "Gay Mart". Like some sort of gay clothing store. Ive had to just start saying video game art. And even then Ive had people thinking I said "Video Gay Mart". sigh
person: What do you do all day? Why do you do on that computer? You play video games all day? (a guy ask me why I'm going out to play *insert sport here* rarely than others)
me: want to say: yhm ehm, my brains are open for more stuff than running after ball..., but remain silent...
person: *insert name here* told me you create games, can you teach me?
me: No, I don't create games, it involves a lot of people working togheter and it takes a lot of time, few years or so. I make art for games.
person: so you can't make doom4 on your own? We could do it togheter ...
msn-like polish IM:
guy: What do you use for making those movies?
me: macromedia flash mx.
guy: Ok...
5 minutes
guy: can u send me it? (via file IM app file transfer)
me: www.macromedia.com, get trial version.
guy: no, i want a dll link.
me: www.macromedia.com
guy: but I want that app, can u send it? I got websites with cd-keys, I don't need yours...
me:...
same guy as above after dlling and cracking trial version of flash mx...
guy: OK, how to make a movie?
me: ...
(i usually point them to tutorials or tell them to search for them but they never do, example: a guy printed whole flash mx layout and gave me to explain him)
same idiot:
guy: what should I do a flash about?
me: about moron with no talent and small ant-size dickhead.
When I shown (he saw them when i was checking new posts on school comp)
dev forums to a friend he thought that I make games using this forum (after explaining that I work on a game and ppl use forums to show progress, discuss etc).After period of time (few minutes) it was clear he didn't understand what forums are and kept repeating (and lots of other morons fallowed him and kept striking me with stupid stuff like "let's make a game, combination of GTA, MP, the sims etc etc BUT BETTER! We should include big cars with laser turrets... Ah! and we have to remember about cheat codes, I will do them! (authentical quote actually)") that I make games using the forums, so others wanted...
Lots of other situations like that happened, only one who understood what textures/models/LD and so on was my english teacher and mother (she uses term model&texture pretty often now
I keep avoiding telling what I do, I just let them to think I keep playing "stupid" games all day long. And when they ask why I know english so good (in comparision to them and considering my age) I'm changing topic. I learned a lot of it from games and movies with subtitles (you hear english read polish, I knew a lot of foreign words (and their meaning in polish) when I was >10yrs old.
No non technical person could ever understand how much work and effort you put into your jobs. In fact the ungreatfull lack of recognition has made me question my career choices. A lot of IT workers are actually abandoning the field for vocational jobs.