5 years for me.

Currently running a graphic/web design business with +Jamie.

---

Matt
http://theprophetmoses.deviantart.com

Curse my long winded reply, I wasn't fast enough to get the number 1 spot!

---

http://www.3dprevis.com

Brevity has served me well... that and fast, fast fingers.

---

Matt
http://theprophetmoses.deviantart.com

First introduced to 3d in a crappy course at Uni SA in 2003, but didn't really get serious until late 2005 when I did a good course at the Mad Academy. There I was taught by non other than fellow board member Tyson who is not only a good teacher, but made the course enjoyable. (On one of these "enjoyable" occasions Steve Martin was born - but that's another story).

Currently I'm doing a bit of freelance while enduring the seemingly endless wait for 3dprevis.com to take off. Also furniture removals to keep the money coming in. Not the greatest job, but it keeps the fat at bay.

---

http://www.3dprevis.com

that's a good adventure story on 3ds max...hehe!
BTW what's this 3dprevis? is this ur own website steve?

---

Not mine, but a company I'm involved with trying to get off the ground. Should have a new website up soon thanks to the talents of Mr Varnishedotter and Jamie.

---

http://www.3dprevis.com

Thanks for saying so Steve. The Adelaide courses were loads of fun to teach.
Much more sociable work than being at a workstation all day.

I started using max about 8 years ago. I bought a computer to do music sequencing and aquired a copy of Max 3 by chance. then the scope changed and I was trying to make short films with sound effects and music. Then the 3d kindoff took priority and I eventually made some images that landed me a job at Animal Logic, then I taught for a while and then went back to freelancing and now I have a salary job doing animation and graphic design at Konami. I'm thinking about trying to polish my reel and get out there and work overseas, not sure yet.

---

seeing u guys already settled .... i'm thinking abt my future in this industry... i mean i'm totally blank abt the job sequence like how u get recruited for this kind of job.... in which dept. do u find the place...modelling, lighting or texturing. someone plz suggest... well... in India... it is still in its booming stage. i read a report somewhere yesterday in newspaper which said that by 2010 India will need 199,999 animators.

---

I'd say to focus on your strengths and really work on the areas of 3d that you enjoy the most. Personally I like to focus on making models lighting and texturing them, creating materials etc.. I made my showreel to focus on these skills but whenever I apply for jobs they tend to want to know you can do some animation too. Each contract may call for a different skill but its important to know that you have a primary role.
Here in Sydney theres lots of work in games, architecture, and some work in TV commercials and film but its still hard to get contracts. The best advice I got when I was starting was to "make a single still image that is your absolute BEST work, pick an object to study, model for the camera and don't worry if it looks crap at the back" .
I did that and finally instead of 3 minutes of half finished badly animated 3d on my reel I had a few polished stills and they were what got me hired for the first time.
And once you have a few shots from a studio on your reel doors start opening alot easier.

---

hmm.....i see that it's tough in the beginning to get hired or do some commercial work. India too is picking up the race in the fields of animation and gaming industry...... well...i plan to open my own teaching institute if i don't get some good job or something sort of that.
well... i'm practicing everyday atleast 2-3 hrs of 3ds max.... lest i fear i'll forget some imp. concepts as my summer vacations r on...last before the vacations our tutor had started the Camera topic. we r still do to do much in 3ds max- character modelling, animation, mental ray etc. we've just finished half of it till now.... i guess. In these type of courses.... u need to find a good animation aschool .. where the teacher focus on the basic concepts and principles of animation.

how much time did u take to learn 3ds max??

---