Student Success Story: 3D Modeler Stephen Clark

Working at Method has been an incredible experience so far. Working in a studio amongst some seriously hard-working individuals have taught me a lot about the industry, however, I’ve only just scratched the surface. 

There have been a number of stand out moments during my short time with Method, one, in particular, was seeing assets of mine go through multiple departments and seeing what difference each department makes.

WHAT’S A MAJOR CHALLENGE YOU’VE HAD TO FACE AND HOW HAVE YOU SOLVED IT?

HOW DIFFERENT HAS YOUR ACTUAL EXPERIENCE BEEN TO WHAT YOU EXPECTED BEFORE BEING HIRED? 

Starting a new job can be quite intimidating. You’re suddenly in a new and unfamiliar environment facing the unknown. However, working for Method has been fairly close to the expectations that were formed after chatting with mentors from CG Spectrum.

My mentor Jeremy Chinn advised me that working in a studio can be fast paced wherein deadlines are tight and results are expected fast. 

During my time with CG Spectrum, my mentor Jeremy Chinn advised me that working in a studio can be fast-paced wherein deadlines are tight and results are expected fast. Although studying affords the time to really nail certain aspects of the pipeline, in reality much less time is spent on various stages of asset development and it becomes more about time efficiency. In other words, quality results are dependant on how efficient your workflow is. This is something I have experienced with everything I’ve touched on.

From my limited personal experience, graduates can best prepare themselves by developing efficient workflows that yield great results fast. My advice is to work as hard as possible and always be on the lookout for alternative measures to increase efficiency without sacrificing quality.

The job requires an adaptive attitude where your boundaries will be pushed. That’s not to say learning in a fast-paced environment is easy and stress-free, however learning from industry veterans is, in my opinion, the best way to progress as a professional.

There have been a number of stand out moments during my short time with Method, one, in particular, was seeing assets of mine go through multiple departments and seeing what difference each department makes. For instance, I was modeling and texturing an architectural component that, like all assets, progressed through a number of departments.

One of the more noticeable differences that other departments can make occurs within the shading/surfacing department.  The surfacing department can take texture information and create shaders that accurately address what a CG model needs in order to become photo-real. This was exciting to see with an architectural component as contrary to make believe CG, an architectural asset already exists in real life.