Student Success Story: 3D Modeller Stephen Clark

"My advice is to work as hard as possible and always be on the lookout for alternative measures to increase efficiency without sacrificing quality."

We recently interviewed CG Spectrum alumni, Stephen Clark, who now works for Iloura, a major animation and visual effects studio based in Melbourne, Australia known for massive projects such as Game of Thrones and Mad Max: Fury Road

We spoke to him about what's like to work for Iloura, the lessons he's learned, what challenges he's faced and what graduates can expect from a major studio!

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What has it been like working at iloura?

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

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

I have faced numerous challenges however, in my limited experience, communication is key. The better you can effectively convey what problems you're facing, the quicker a solution can be reached and progress can be made.

How different has your actual experience been to what you expected before being hired?

Starting a new job can be quite initmidating. You're suddenly in a new and unfamiliar environment facing the unknown. However, working for Iloura 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 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.

How do you think graduates can prepare themselves for a job in a studio environment?

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.

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have you had to learn alot on the job?

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.

The job requires an adaptive attitude where your boundaries will be pushed.

any lessons or stand out moments?

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

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