I saw this cool article on 50 Practical Home Office Feng Shui Tips. I tell ya, it does make a difference whether you're facing the door. Let the chi flow!

Labels: Environment, Tips

I was slouching as I came across this article from LifeHack.org, 7 Habit's to Improve Posture. Surprisingly, having a cat on your lap is not one of their tips.

Labels: Health, Tips

This is a series on cultivating creativity. Each part of the series will focus on one trick to kick your creativity into high gear.

You need a change of scene

Seeing the same room day in and day out, working with the same projects, seeing the same people.... well, it's enough to explain why your creative spark can feel all wet.

The Quick Fix

Get away from the office. Take a walk in the park or just lay on the grass and stare at the clouds while your mind wanders.

I'll go to the gym and ideas will come while I'm sweating on the elliptical. Go for a swim or go to the beach for a few hours and play in the sand, feel the breeze and smell the air. Sometimes all you need is a bit of visual and tactile refreshment. Any positive change of scenery can spark your right brain.

Interestingly, a poll in the UK showed that the people tend to come up with their best ideas in the most mundane places:

1. In bed
2. Outside
3. In the shower or bath
4. At work
5. In the car
6. On the toilet

I work from a home office and I'll go to a coffee shop to work once or twice a week. The smell of the coffee and comfy chairs and the idle chat with the barrista are a rich contrast to my sunny, cluttered office. The caffeine doesn't hurt the cause either.

Change your workspace

If you can't leave your office, try changing the atmosphere in your office because it could be what is stifling your creative mojo.

• Tidy up your space. A cluttered desk equals a cluttered mind. Put away those DVDs and tapes that are collecting dust. Clean your keyboard while you're at it. Not that it will help with your creativity, but do you know how many bacteria are camping out on your keyboard?
• Practice some feng shui by moving your office furniture. This will give you a new perspective in the room and hopefully a new perspective on your issues. I'd recommend getting a book on feng shui. It might be the fact that you have your back to the door and you're in a corner that is causing your problems. Gotta let that chi flow! Spaces for Ideas has some great tips on improving the feng shui in your office.
• Put some aromatic flowers or a plant on the desk. Research has shown that plants can increase ideas by 15%. The scent is a nice pick-me-up, just make sure you're not allergic or overwhelmed by the scent.
• Adjust the lighting Natural light is best for the body, but I know many video pros work in basements and windowless offices. Glare from the sun is bad on computer screens, but natural light can really change your mood and the sight of a squirrel or chipmunk outside the window is just really cute.
• Use color psychology to your advantage If you have some time and can paint your office, a different color, like purple or metallics, which are said to be colors that inspire creativity.

Have a couple of weeks?

If you can, REALLY get away from it all. How about India, Peru or Kenya! I found Oaxaca, Mexico, and the ruins of Monte Alban to be one of the most inspiring places I've ever visited. Just remember, everybody hates a tourist. Be a traveler and get to know the people of the country one-on-one.

Another instance of travel inspiration came to me in England in 1999 for the total eclipse. I met some seriously odd people, went to dinner with a bankrobber, and was basically trapped in Torquay for a week due to bad planning, but it was one of the best weeks of my life. I was completely inspired to write a screenplay. I'm still plan to do it after 8 years. Luckily this series is about inspiration, not procrastination.

Labels: Creativity, Tips

Most of you probably do not do the majority of your motion work on a laptop, but I know a lot of students who do. Laptops now outsell desktops, so there's a good chance that you own one.

My old laptop battery went dead. I've been looking for a place to recycle it, and then I found this:



I have a G4 Powerbook battery and I wonder if it would work? I'm afraid to try it and blow up my laptop. Anyone like to try and report back to me? ;-)

Battery conservation is something that I always consider, especially when travelling. Sometimes it's hard to find an open outlet at an airport. Here are some Laptop Battery Conservation Tips.

My friend is flying to Las Vegas on Continental Airlines and was told that he had to remove his laptop battery on the flight, but many seats have outlets available. I sure hope the airline I'll be flying requires me to remove my battery. Not! (I learned that joke from Borat!) They've singled out Apple and Dell batteries. Don't even get me started on airline security...

Labels: Hardware, Tips

Okay, not a tip for After Effects, but this one is really good! You all use markers in your office or school to make lists, diagrams or storyboards and I'm sure for multiple other purposes.

How many times have you thought you've capped your dry erase or felt tip markers? How many markers have your kids left the caps off and ruined? My daughter got some dry erase markers and an easel for Christmas and left the caps off last night. I Googled "Rejuvenate Dried Markers" and found a great tip. I always tried dipping in water and that has never worked too well.

This actually works. I'm sure that Mr. Wizard probably had this on his show... or in a Heloise column somewhere. Use a 2 foot length of string and some tape. Double up the string and tape the end of the string to the marker. You'll have a loop. Put your finger in the loop and swing the marker over your head for 20 seconds or so, like a helicopter propellar. The centrifugal force will draw the moisture to the tip of the marker. The markers were so moist, they were drippy!

Labels: Tips

It seems that video résumé's are really gaining acceptance. This really is perfect for people in our industry. In addition to an online portfolio, it makes a lot of sense to have a video résumé.

Benefits of Video Résumés

• Practice your interview as many times as you need to and do as shoot as many takes as you need. Your comfort level in front of the camera will show, so keep that in mind. (Yes, you can call me Captain Obvious).
• Edit out your embarrassing flubs.
• Paint out any blemishes, cold sores or unsightly facial scars.
• Show off your mad lighting and shooting skillz. If you shoot over blue screen or green screen, you can show off your keying and compositing skills as well. Employers will notice how much effort you put into your video résumé.
• Present your personality in a way that a paper résumé doesn't allow (of course, this might work against you).
• Intersperse clips of your video work and explain them.
• Interview for jobs across the country without having to fly out there. If you're looking for artists, this is a nice way to check them out before initiating the interview process or paying for expensive flights to your city.
• You can possibly achieve a high level of exposure if you put your movie up on YouTube, MySpace or Google Video. Include links to your video résumé in emails, on your website and on your MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. and the employers will be knocking on your inbox before you know it.
• Video résumé's are still pretty new so it will show that you're on top of the wave.

The Downside

• If you're not too pretty or you're carrying around a few extra pounds, it might hurt your chances at a job. The media promotes an unattainable standard of beauty onto the public. I'm just sayin'.
• Your potential employer may have lousy bandwidth or an old computer with out-of-date software and can't view your video. Most of the people in this industry have high-speed, so I don't think this is a hot issue.
• YouTube and other video services don't have the best quality.
• Stalkers. No joke here, ladies. I don't think the men are at as much risk, but I've had a few men send inappropriate emails to me and it's creepy and unsettling.
• You need to keep it fresh, keep it up-to-date. It's not as easy to update as a text or pdf résumé.

Overall the benefits highly outweigh the downsidess of a video résumé. Have you created one? Please post a link in comments.

Labels: jobs, Tips

A collegue of mine, Bill Fischer, sent out a memo with some tips from his New York City visit to some big studios, including Psyops, Brand New School and Animation Collective. Just thought I'd share them, paraphrasing and adding my own comments...

• A DVD reel is critical for animators. Bill says to also be prepared to create a VHS. I'm not sure if VHS is that important anymore, however, it can't hurt.
• Reel length: 2-3 minutes. In my opinion, I'd rather see 1.5 minutes of hot animation and graphics than 3 minutes that is repetitive and weak content. Quality outweighs quanity any day.
• keep it fresh. If it's obviously more than 2 or 3 years old, you might consider not including it.
• Studios prefer to pre-screen applicants by looking at online portfolios. Your website should be easy to navigate. They're there to see your video reel, not your experimental navigation. Don't hinder a possible employer from seeing your work!
• For 3D character work, include some of your sketches, storyboards, and other important details on the process.
• Showing work completed with a group shows that you can work with a team.
• If you have the ability to do more than one specialization, show it off. Character design, animation, storyboards, titles, etc. Show a variety on your reel.
• Make sure the work is indeed your work! Yes, it should go without saying, but I have seen work on a reel that I knew was done by someone else. This is a surefire way not to get hired and to get yourself into some trouble or blacklisted in a city.

Got any tips of your own? Please comment below.

Labels: demo reels, jobs, Tips

I was reading this humourous article at Business Week Online called Internship Mistakes: 10 Top Goofs Interns Make.

I've had a lot of experience with interns... some bad and some good. Some that I thought would be great interns turned out to be lazy and flippant, and other that I thought would be weirdos turned out to be the best interns ever.

Michele's Tips for Interns

1. Network - I worked at a post house for 10 years. If you didn't know someone there, your likelyhood of getting an internship was not too high. I know you all hate to hear about "Networking" but that IS where it's at. Attend user group meetings, MCAI meetings and other get togethers with local professionals. Get on all of those mailing lists. Volunteer for film shoots. This will look good on your resume and it will help you meet the people that can get you the internships and jobs.
2. Learn about the industry - By networking and going to user group meetings, you're already learning about the industry. Read the magazines, hit the websites (like this one!) and use the online forums. You never know who you might meet on those forums and I'm sure you'll learn something new.
3. Get your hours and contact info in writing - Maybe it was just the place I worked but we were immensely disorganized. We didn't have the hours that the interns planned to work and we didn't have their phone numbers either. Yes, it seems odd, but this sort of thing often seems to be overlooked.
   
   Problems arise when you can only work part time on certain days and they need you at other times. Getting this in writing up front will keep problems about your hours from popping up later.
4. Make yourself valued - When I interned, the Avid editors would bitch about having to black tapes all of the time. I had a hundred blacked tapes ready to go for them in a variety of durations. The graphic artists complained about not being able to find logos when they needed them. At that time many were printed and stored in boxes... yeah, it was the dark ages. I scanned them and created a logo database for them, complete with alpha channels. Everyone was so pleased that they didn't have to do this grunt work and they finally decided that they couldn't live with out me.
   
   Incidently, I left last fall and pretty much daily I'm still asked how to do certain things. It's called job security, kids. Use it to your advantage.
5. Keep busy - This really goes with the previous point. If you have nothing to do, find something to do that will benefit others at the company... something that they will notice. Ask if you can catalog their backups, set up a database of logos, update the client database, proof read others work... whatever you can think of. Ask others if they need help. You can be their extra hand. Maybe they need something small done that they can pass off to you.
6. Learn some new software - If you have nothing to do at your internship, spend it learning some high end software that you can't afford or brush up on your editing skills. Of course, you'd need an open computer to do this.
7. Help the non-profits - Find out what causes the owner or boss supports. There are always non-profits needing free work, so ask your employer if you could do some free work for the company, using their equipment. It makes them feel like they're helping the community, gets some professional work under your belt and helping non-profits is a good thing.
8. Never burn your bridges - So, your internship isn't what you want it to be. You don't like your boss or your clients. The best advice I can give you is to keep a positive attitude, even if it kills you. Keep showing up even if you don't want to. Internships are short term, usually just a semester, so it will not last forever. You will need references for future jobs and you never know... this guy could be best buds with the owner of the company you REALLY want to work at.
9. Don't be afraid to talk to people - Find the person in the office who is the lead designer and bond. You can learn insider tricks and build a relationship with a mentor. You'll soon get to hear the gossip and learn how thing REALLY work at the company.
10. Dress the part - The place I worked was really laid back. Everyone wore jeans and t-shirts every day. Some employees had crazy hair and lots of piercings. If that's how the company is, then sure, dress that way. However, if everyone else wears khakis and polo shirts, your Fugazi t-shirt probably isn't impressing anyone. Remember, this is a stepping stone to something else, so if you have to wear a shirt with a collar for 4 months, it could mean the difference between getting hired and getting a "Good luck with your career".
11. Take notes - No, it's not school, but writing stuff down as someone explains can help it absorb into your brain. I had notebooks full of notes on how to patch the patchbay in the machine room to the proper size to make logos to how to make a corner bug. I could go back and refer to it any time. The successful interns take notes and make lists.
    
    I had an intern that did a lot of damage by screwing up our numbering system in the library. I explained it all twice and the intern claimed that they understood the system. It all had to be redone at a cost to our time. Another intern messed up a website by not paying attention to instructions. Neither of these tasks were difficult and could've been avoided if the intern would've paid closer attention. They both blamed their ADD by the way. Take your ritalin, kids, and take notes.
12. Don't talk about your drunken partying - Yes, it's tempting to talk about the sexy girl you met last night and took home to meet your 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets after 8 Jaeger bombs. There's a time and a place, and your internship ain't it. Don't talk to other co-workers about it and don't talk on the phone about it with your homeys.

Labels: Internships, jobs, Tips

This is an interesting article that I'm sure you can totally relate to. Most of you, dear readers, sit behind a computer at least 40 hours a week. When big productions come up, you may spend upwards of 80 hours a week in front of your computer.

I work from home so I didn't really have any limitations for a while. I'd work in the evenings after my family went to bed. I had to quit and only do it once in a while if absoutely necessary.

Michele's Tips for a Healthier Geek Lifestyle

I spend minimum 40 hours per week in front of the computer and have for ten years. I've noticed that I do suffer from ADD, depression, sleep problems and stiff fingers. I've found some things that really help. So, take my advice... I'm not a doctor, but I've been there.

1. Sleep problems - Simply turn off the computer a few hours before you go to bed. Easy as that. Last night, I had this great idea to go to Mexico. I was up until after midnight researching flight plans and off the beaten path locations. I couldn't get to sleep until after 2:30am!
   
   Turn down the brightness of the monitor. Having bright lights shining at your head confuses your brain into thinking it's daylight. Your conscious mind seems to know better but the subconscious wants to stay awake. Of course, if you're doing color correction, you can't very well turn down the computer brightness, but turning it down also saves your laptop battery.
2. Coffee Consumption - I'm addicted to coffee but lately I've had a weird twitch in my right eye and I think it may be related to my pot-o-coffee consumption. I only buy quality organic Guatemalan roast, the best kind, but one person probably shouldn't drink a full pot. I'd recommend cutting down to just a couple of cups a day and switching it out with some high quality green tea. I'm not talking the stuff in tea bags - I'm talking about the stuff imported from Japan that costs $15 for 6 oz of the dry loose stuff. The taste is amazing, you still get a kick from it, and it's loaded with antioxidants. Hopefully it will not disrupt your sleep cycle, make you shake, or make your eye twitch.
3. Join a gym - Lose the belly and the backaches. It also does wonders for the carpal tunnel, depression, sleep problems and tush. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and go to a great classes like BodyPUMP or BOSU. If you don't go to a gym, those terms are probably Greek to you, but any cardio workout will help. It has helped me immensely and is probably the biggest change I've made in my geek lifestyle. I feel the best I've felt since I was 8!
4. Take a vacation - You have to get away for at least a few days and unplug. I feel reenergized after just 48 hours away from the glowing screen. It's weird not obsessively checking email every ten minutes but it will make you a better person. Find a nice beach or open market and soak up the sites instead of the radiation from your monitor.

Follow my advice and within six weeks you'll be feeling great without losing your geek lifestyle.

Labels: Health, Tips

An interesting little article on how to fix CDs that have been scratched. I've had my backups scratched before and it's a nightmare. And what happens if your software installation CDs get scratched?

A friend in high school swore by Turtle Wax.

I'd recommend trying this on your old Spin Doctors CDs first.

Labels: Tips

In the MGLA Forums, there's a great AE 7 Survival Guide, which I know I will be referring to often. I'm in a bit of a situation. I'm running a demo of AE 7 right now because I don't have my own copy yet. Can you believe that! It's sad but true.

It gets worse... not only am I running a demo, but I no longer have AE 6.5 installed. My copy of AE 6.5 was from my previous employer. I did a lot of work from home, so it was a legitimate copy. A couple of weeks ago I was in San Francisco and on the way home, my computer decided to become suicidal and end it's life. I took it in to the repair shop and all of my data was retreived, but they reinstalled Mac OS X and so I began the nice process of reinstalling.

In the meantime, I had a new computer on the way. Thank God! My old lappy has narcolepsy pretty bad and is not very useable. Now I have this beautiful new PowerBook which I'm trying to get all of my software and plug-ins onto. I never realized how much stuff I had on my old computer.... stuff that won't run unless I have serial numbers and installers.

Many of our vendors have given me NFRs (Not for Resale) copies of their plug-ins for the purpose of tech support and tutorials. This is a wonderful perk of my job, however, I have a bad feeling that I am missing some of those serial numbers. I received them via email and some of my email is living in oblivion.

I've learned a valuable lesson here. Valuable, and obvious lessons.
1. Backup often.
2. Keep a copy of all serial numbers in hard copy in a safe place.
3. Thank your lucky stars when everything is working properly.
4. Don't 'upgrade' install Tiger over Panther. You can do it, but you're asking for trouble.
5. Keep your computer up to date so it won't be so stressful when you actually have to update.

Labels: After Effects, Tips