Reconstructing Vigville
mod
After switching my portfolio galleries over to SimpleViewer, I decided to revamp my portfolio for 2008. As I was going back over some of the stuff, I realized most of it is from late 2006 or before and starting to show its age. Zero, spec, or bump maps to be seen, and no high poly sculpting... I haven't been slacking so I think I need to get cracking with some updates, but why not toss the whole thing out?
<font color="orange">Idea #1:</font> Standard Portfolio Update.
Content:
- Should I keep any of the old stuff, and if so, what pieces are my strongest?
- Would finishing some of the unfinished assets be a good idea, or should I build some new ones from scratch?
- I've build a lot of stuff for Her Interactive but most of it is higher poly for pre-rendered work, and animation. I'm not sure I want this stuff to be confused with my "real time game assets" but I'm not sure I should create another section just for HI stuff?
Construction:
- Anyone have any construction pointers? I've seen some pretty awesome portfolios go up recently what have you learned in the process?
- I'm thinking of doing some WordPress/SimpleViewer just to make it easier to manage. Has anyone used the SimpleViewer Server side script or is it easier to just upload galleries?
- I want to re-write a few tutorials I have written, can anyone suggest a good simple to use, easy to update format? I THINK wordpress could be handy at this?
Sections:
- 2D: This section might go, I don't have much new to show.
- 3D Characters: I might update some older stuff, and I have some newer characters not posted before.
- 3D Props: I have so many props from HI this won't be hard to fill out unless they say I can't use em.
- 3D Environments: Fully comprised environments I worked on. How should I handle the pieces I didn't work on? For the most part we are given an environment theme, some goals and left to create.
- Resume: Duh...
- Tutorials: Not sure if this should be part of my portfolio, or just a separate function I link to when the I need to point someone to the info? A good chunk of what I do at HI is train others, its how I got to be lead, but I don't think I can post the internal tutorial stuff, I'll check, they did let me post the pelt mapping stuff.
- W.I.P: I'll still have a WIP folder but it won't be linked in the portfolio.
- MaxScripts: I have a handful of scripts I've written over the last month, most are pretty basic and very specific to my/our workflow they might not be worth posting.
<font color="orange">Idea #2:</font> Old Idea Made New Again.
I create a few scenes with 1-2 characters, I dress the scenes up to look like screen shots and provide mouse overs to different key props. Each one of those props has its own construction page with detailed info, texture sheets, wireframe views ect... Same for characters. I had planned for 3 environments: 1 survival Horror, 1 Sci-Fi and one historical piece, maybe WW2 or maybe Art Deco or Victorian but now that BioShock is out that last idea might be a lamer duck.
Questions:
- What should I keep/toss? www.vigville.com
- Whats the best way to ask an employer if its OK to use the stuff you created for them, in your portfolio? I might start looking for another job soon so my wife can stay home with our daughter, but it could turn out that I can't make more than what I'm making now as a Lead Character Animator so I don't want to burn any bridges as I attempt to jump from big fish in a very tiny pond to the ocean.
- Should I keep my 2006 portfolio live and keep in an archive/vault? I like seeing other peoples progression over the years but maybe I'm just nutty?
Feel free to rip my current portfolio apart as I would yours
<font color="orange">Idea #1:</font> Standard Portfolio Update.
Content:
- Should I keep any of the old stuff, and if so, what pieces are my strongest?
- Would finishing some of the unfinished assets be a good idea, or should I build some new ones from scratch?
- I've build a lot of stuff for Her Interactive but most of it is higher poly for pre-rendered work, and animation. I'm not sure I want this stuff to be confused with my "real time game assets" but I'm not sure I should create another section just for HI stuff?
Construction:
- Anyone have any construction pointers? I've seen some pretty awesome portfolios go up recently what have you learned in the process?
- I'm thinking of doing some WordPress/SimpleViewer just to make it easier to manage. Has anyone used the SimpleViewer Server side script or is it easier to just upload galleries?
- I want to re-write a few tutorials I have written, can anyone suggest a good simple to use, easy to update format? I THINK wordpress could be handy at this?
Sections:
- 2D: This section might go, I don't have much new to show.
- 3D Characters: I might update some older stuff, and I have some newer characters not posted before.
- 3D Props: I have so many props from HI this won't be hard to fill out unless they say I can't use em.
- 3D Environments: Fully comprised environments I worked on. How should I handle the pieces I didn't work on? For the most part we are given an environment theme, some goals and left to create.
- Resume: Duh...
- Tutorials: Not sure if this should be part of my portfolio, or just a separate function I link to when the I need to point someone to the info? A good chunk of what I do at HI is train others, its how I got to be lead, but I don't think I can post the internal tutorial stuff, I'll check, they did let me post the pelt mapping stuff.
- W.I.P: I'll still have a WIP folder but it won't be linked in the portfolio.
- MaxScripts: I have a handful of scripts I've written over the last month, most are pretty basic and very specific to my/our workflow they might not be worth posting.
<font color="orange">Idea #2:</font> Old Idea Made New Again.
I create a few scenes with 1-2 characters, I dress the scenes up to look like screen shots and provide mouse overs to different key props. Each one of those props has its own construction page with detailed info, texture sheets, wireframe views ect... Same for characters. I had planned for 3 environments: 1 survival Horror, 1 Sci-Fi and one historical piece, maybe WW2 or maybe Art Deco or Victorian but now that BioShock is out that last idea might be a lamer duck.
Questions:
- What should I keep/toss? www.vigville.com
- Whats the best way to ask an employer if its OK to use the stuff you created for them, in your portfolio? I might start looking for another job soon so my wife can stay home with our daughter, but it could turn out that I can't make more than what I'm making now as a Lead Character Animator so I don't want to burn any bridges as I attempt to jump from big fish in a very tiny pond to the ocean.
- Should I keep my 2006 portfolio live and keep in an archive/vault? I like seeing other peoples progression over the years but maybe I'm just nutty?
Feel free to rip my current portfolio apart as I would yours
Replies
As for the managing functions of a tool such as simpleviewer, as if that's going to be such a timesaver considering the time you'll be spending on each asset you have to add to your website. Amazon.com needs good managing functionality, you just need a simple site where employers can browse through without any flashy crap.
Last but not least, if you're currently the lead character animator why isn't there any animation at all in your portfolio? It seems kind of relevant if you have it on your resume as your last job.
Good luck!
Mr box,
It's an old portfolio, the animation examples are Manga Spawn (UT2k4, Quake3) and The Soldier which are all playable characters. At the time I created the portfolio I didn't want an animation gig. I put together a separate reel when I applied for the in-house lead animator position, it was never made public since it used company models I didn't make and where for a game that hasn't released yet. It was more of a proof of pipeline then it was a reel.
If I was to start looking for another job, animating other peoples mistakes wouldn't be the first job I go for. I like animation but too much stuff is made without thinking about animation. I'm more of a technical artist than I am an animator. Our animation is heavy on the tech and light on the animation so its easy to do once you sort out the tech side of it. More than likely after the pipeline has been refined and I can train others who can train other people, I'll either move back to my first love (environments) or into a technical director roll, or leave.
Plus I'm the only guy here willing to take it on and it was the one thing that stood in the way of bringing character development back in house, so I took one for the team. The money didn't hurt things either...
Axe simple viewer = 1 vote
What if I increased the number of thumbs you see or is it the flash you're not hot on? If I axe simple viewer my alternative is PhotoShop > Automate > Web Gallery, which isn't much different. Anyone have an alt?
I've used SimpleViewer before and quite frankly it doesn't help at all--I still have to create thumbs and place everything right for it to work. No automation that I saw, at least in the version I tried (this was several months ago, so they might have added something since then). IMO it's better to just have fullres images out in a simple page--loads faster and you can see more detail (due to larger images).
If you want a full-on gallery system and are willing to spend some time tweaking themes to fit your site, try JAlbum or SPMG. The Coppermine gallery system is too bloated I think.