thought my ambitions had changed so much in
the 3 years on this
course, from exploring 2D animation, VR, 3D animation, but no. these 3 years
have just made me realise that what I do and like to do, is tell stories. Ive just been exploring new ways of telling
them..
Throughout
my 2nd year I spent PPP researching VR and now
in the past 9 months I have started acting on this research, forming my own
opinions about this medium, voicing them and becoming active within the VR
industry.
If I was going to sum up the past 9
months in a sentence it would be: ‘hey I don’t really know how to do that but il
do it anyway and see how it goes’
but its from this going out my comfort
zone that I’ve grown in
confidence, widened my skillset and had a bloody exciting year.
So,
at leeds young film festival this year I curated
the whole of the VR thread for the festival…
Learning
on the job actually ended up working out fantastic, and now I do know all about
events management, being on the inside and seeing how a festival of such scale
is run, it was fantastic! I reached out to companies for content such as the
BBC, dealt with licencing for the first time, dealt with the hire of the
equipment and it’s set up, and floor plans, endless meetings endless email
chains, CC’s everywhere.. So time consuming but worth everything. I recommend
it as experience to any of you.
Ive made some fantastic VR contacts
exposure on social media through this.
And it has really changed my ambitions regarding VR and it
being used in education. So many teachers came up to me saying you should take
this round schools we would happily pay you! Which got me thinking about a new
business venture… Why would I not want to inspire the next gen with this
powerful tool!
I have been making effort to pursue this ambition by
attending Edtech events like this one at Leeds digi
fest.
As
part of
Leeds International Film festival I
hosted a 360 workshop , this came about because I was in the middle of curating
the VR Zone, and yet again, didn’t really know what I was doing…
I
hadn’t actually delved into 360 film before! Yet was due to host a workshop, as
part of a festival…
So yet again, didn’t know what I was doing but did it
anyway!
I had
VR knowledge but not live action VR film knowledge as Ive only ever dealt with 3D animation and
VR. Watched some youtube videos, took time to plan the
schedule of the workshop then that was it!
But I
did it and it went fantastic! I posted about it and got noticed from a local
company in Leeds to do VR stuff. Who I
am still doing freelance work for at the minute. My most recent project with
them is a VR hazard detection app for Gear VR! Great fun working on real live
briefs. Im also yet again learning on the job, I'm
still a newbie when it comes to Unity so for this job I've had to put in a lot
of hours into learning this software, its been stressful working on the project
on my own with real client deadlines, but brilliant. Here is a picture from
when we took the app to the workplace last week..
It
was this job that introduced me to the world of business and tax!
Business?
Don’t know what that is, but il have a go at it anyway.
So
yeah Im now set up as a sole trader with an
accountant. This
was the start of my freelancing journey!
Twitter has been fantastic and the main place I have been contacted by companies to demo and talk at events and festivals. From doing Inktober in VR, I gained a lot of notice and 400 followers within that month. Following the current trend of VR and VR art has been great for exposure. At manchester science festival I met a VR team
in Leeds who already knew me by my twitter logo, which really shocked me and
was the moment I sort of realised about the impact of exposure. I have depleted my pack of 250 business cards at various events and festivals around the UK.
Since last year I have been working on my confidence, and thought the best way to become a more confident speaker was to go round events and start public speaking. And
from the panel talk I took part in last year I realised what fantastic exposure
it is, and its weird having people approach you rather than the other way
around. On top of that I really enjoy it, its an adrenaline rush and imbues this ambition to do
it more and spread the potential of VR at events!
I was
so nervous because I was the only person speaking who wasn’t from a well-known
company, I seem to have found myself in these situations quite a bit people
think im more than I am, seeing everyone with
fancy banners. I felt so out of place but after the initial
…what the heck am I doing here.. I suddenly found this confidence through the passion in what
I was talking about and realised that that is key for me speaking confidently!
I soon forgot that there were 70 people watching me, the passion sort of drives
you through.
When I have shown my showreel
to industry people I usually get the comment, are you in game or in film? Like
I have to specialise in one of the other, this worried me as I like them just the same
and can see myself dipping in and out of both which is why I’ve probably found
a fondness for VR so much as this does collide the two. But then I went for my interview at Sumo
Digital, where I was speaking to industry professionals who have worked in
games for years but beforehand worked in TV and film? Which really showed me
everyone is different everyone finds their different ways into the industry and
some go through different paths of specialisation in the process. It’s still
good talking to people and finding out their industry journey but this will not
necessarily be yours, everyone's different.
This freelance work I am being approached
for is all VR based, even though I have been selling myself as an animator too.
Which shows there is a demand for VR content, which I am happy about! Which
made me adjust my ambition for VR, promote the fact im
a VR artist and creator more on social media. After University I will continue
freelancing with these fantastic
companies seeing where it takes me… Hopefully
getting involved with more of the theatre world of VR too, VR performances,
live painting… But these are small companies I am
freelancing for.. I want that bigger company on my CV my ultimate goal is a career in a
big UK studio, games or film, VR or animation. That’s my ambition.
In conclusion, these 9 months have been monumental, I have learnt so much about the
industry and who I want to be in industry.. And have changed a lot in the
process.. I have made mistakes, and learnt from them and become a better person
as a result.
But
I still look silly in VR..
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