After Learning Shake

[user_deleted]

I know this sounds really cliche' - so please forgive me in advance - but I'm looking for some serious guidance and direction. I really do appreciate honest and professional input.

I'm intrigued by Shake. I've done some simple freebee work for my friend's small Post company and tried After Effects (which I also think is a great compliment to Shake) and Combustion, but I feel most comfortable in Shake. I'm not into Motion Graphics but more into high end seemless compositing work. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge.

If I decide I want to pursue this line of work professionally I'm not sure where to begin. All technical, artistic, and hardware assets aside, once a person feels confident they have the skills to freelance or "open up for business" how do you get the ball rolling? I live in Las Vegas and unfortunately there is little tv/film work here. Without being in L.A. I feel like it's a long shot, if even that. Are there other people out there living in cities not typially known for TV/Film that are able to fulfill the need for compositing work? Before I dive into the deep end I'm trying to get perspective on things and make sure I do not have false excpectations.

Comments are welcome..

Regards,
-m

[user_deleted]

Step 1) Read "The Art and Science of Digital Compositing" by Ron Brinkmann

Step 2) If you have access to a mac, buy "Apple Pro Training Series : Shake 4" by Marco Paolini, install the shake 4 demo and do all the tutorials. If you dont have access to a mac, your only option is to find a copy of shake 2.51 for windows. You can still do most of the tutorials in the Paolini book with this.

Step 3) Do all the tutorials which come with shake and read the documentation thouroughly. Look on the web for all the tutorials that you can find. This site has some, so does the CMI studios site. Read all the articles you can find about rotoscoping. Satisfy yourself that you have learnt to roto fast and well because this will probably be your entry point into the industry.

Step 4) Read "Digital Compositing for Film and Video" by Steve Wright

Step 5) Beg borrow or steal a 3 chip DV camera. Do whatever you have to do to shoot footage for your showreel. Comp it really well, as well as you can.

Step 6) Send the showreel to everyone you can find in the Yellow Pages (they have yellow pages in america?). Ask for an entry level position painting and rotoscoping. Be prepared to relocate.