jayfaker wrote:Curses, I was actually excited to go download Fusion but I forgot that it's windows only for now. They've been saying a mac version is on its way but who knows when it will drop.
Oh, sorry, I should have mentioned that it's currently Win only...but as you noted, Mac is coming. As for motion graphics, as much as I love using Fusion for compositing cg and live action, I have to admit AE's workflow is actually better suited for motion graphics animation. I really like having both options now, and sometimes I will take advantage of both programs on the same shots.
Regarding scripting for AE, I recently started learning Javascript/Extendscript and I created my first tool for AE a couple of weeks ago. Admittedly, it was a pretty simple tool and I had a lot of guidance from my boss, but it was also a lot of fun to do. Now I'm inspired and curious about how to write tools for ASP and other programs I use.
Greenlaw, maybe I should start a new thread for this, but how's life post R&H/DD? Is everyone sticking around in Florida? Are people trying to migrate to Canada? Is it a scramble finding work? Can vfx graduates expect to find work? The whole situation was kinda a big deal to the motion graphics world, even though the two industries aren't completely related.
Thanks for asking. Wow! I just realized it's been two years since the studio closed down.
It's actually turned out well for me. I was at the main Rhythm & Hues campus here in Los Angeles. (I don't think R+H had a branch in Florida.) As much as I loved working with my friends at R+H, the 2.5 hours round trip commute across town was a real killer and I don't miss
that part at all. I once estimated that I spent roughly 6800 hours sitting in traffic during my 12 years as an employee. (Man, I wish I could get those hours back.) Otherwise, Rhythm was a terrific, artist-friendly place to work and I'm very proud to have been part of the company. After R+H, I focused on
'B2' and other personal projects for a while, and then I freelanced with my friends at The Asylum for about a year. (While there, I created the infamous 'chainsaw scene' in
Sharknado 2 that was popping up everywhere last summer.) That was a fun gig and the commute was much better for me (about 15 minutes from my house.) These days I'm at Dreamworks Animation, which is
even closer to home (5 - 10 minutes,) so I'm very happy about that. I really like the people I work with there, which you may have guessed by now is very important to me. That and the educational opportunities that come up everyday on the job. (Like that scripting assignment.)
Many of the people I knew at Rhythm found work at other studios around town--I even ran into a couple of them at DWA. Most are freelancing though--with fewer big vfx studios around Los Angeles these days, staff jobs are harder to come by. A few of my friends left the industry entirely to pursue other interests. I don't blame them--a career in vfx can be very stressful and burn-out is common. This is where working with people you really like pays off because good dependable team mates help keep you sane in this crazy business.
I don't know a whole lot about the motion graphics world but I know a couple of guys who work in it. Some are staffed at broadcase TV studios and others freelance from their private studio. They seem to be busy all the time so I imagine motion graphics is doing okay. But I really don't know that side of the business.
The best things since leaving Rhythm for me is that I now have more time to spend with my family and I'm starting to make time for our Little Green Dog projects again. I can't complain about that.
G.
