tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post3734203530969732454..comments2024-03-13T23:42:25.845-07:00Comments on Animondays: Plympton, Working for Free, and Securing Your Place in the IndustryDavid B. Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-40072403130115210602010-05-21T09:44:21.051-07:002010-05-21T09:44:21.051-07:00It reminds me of video games - EXP points matter m...It reminds me of video games - EXP points matter more than money.<br /><br />Sure, you can buy the best sword to defeat the final boss, but if you don't have enough experience points, you may not even be able to equip the super-weapon!<br /><br />I've been working pro bono on three different projects with varying levels of authority on each, and I'm very happy about it because I'm learning how to tackle situations that might be more stressful were money on the line.Caressehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08686509738834156095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-42489479989592868332010-05-15T08:16:03.879-07:002010-05-15T08:16:03.879-07:00Richard,
Well said, and I agree with your distinct...Richard,<br />Well said, and I agree with your distinction between the two situations.<br /><br />Michael,<br />That's a neat part of the story. Thanks for sharing that!David B. Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-43923216711434073652010-05-15T06:49:47.872-07:002010-05-15T06:49:47.872-07:00Connie D'Antuono did I&Pt for Bob Blechman...Connie D'Antuono did I&Pt for Bob Blechman. Bill had contacted me looking for advice before starting Boomtown. We met a couple of times. I was a fan of his strip.<br /><br />I tried teaching Bill how to do the cut and paste method of I&Pt. It was a fast process that I put together at Hubleys in the early 70s. But Bill didn't quite get it. I'd already taught Connie, so I introduced the two. They were a good match.Michael Spornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02018522723674960270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-11848823386553620282010-05-14T07:09:34.284-07:002010-05-14T07:09:34.284-07:00Animation doesn't have a byline -that's th...Animation doesn't have a byline -that's the thing.<br /><br />A commercial or broadcast segment rarely has "Animated by David B. Levy" tagged on like nearly every print illustration.<br /><br />Also, if I'm not mistaken, Bill retains the rights to "Boomtown". That makes it very different from most of the fly by night freebies we're asked to do.<br /><br />I agree with your underlying point -sometimes work for free pays dividends. We just need to be extremely careful when working this terrain.roconnorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04933040935053560675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-61043727065006185002010-05-14T06:17:48.387-07:002010-05-14T06:17:48.387-07:00True, Elliot.. and I'll go one further that &q...True, Elliot.. and I'll go one further that "most folks" could get a job at K-mart if their illustration, animation, or any-career-in-the-arts go bust. <br /><br />I think the point is that we all learn in our own way and make important connections in our own way. Bill had tried to make an animated short since the early 70s but couldn't figure it out. The four months of free work was the key that unlocked everything for him.David B. Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-66662024247802550362010-05-13T11:32:14.725-07:002010-05-13T11:32:14.725-07:00"Most folks" don't have a successful..."Most folks" don't have a successful career as an illustrator to return to if their first animation adventure is a bust.Elliot Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15952897418341461593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-41216034139066809712010-05-13T11:07:46.713-07:002010-05-13T11:07:46.713-07:00Richard, the argument could be made that a bit of ...Richard, the argument could be made that a bit of free animation work is a byline for the animator, albeit one that only shows in his/her reel. It can count as a professional sample the same way that Bill's free illustration work did. But, clearly the person doing free work has to be careful and not leap into it without fully weighing all the pluses and minuses. <br /><br />Elliot... Bill did have a solid career by that point, as an illustrator, but was completely unknown, untested, and unable to put a film together without the knowledge he gained by working for free on a four month long animation. <br /><br />I can't use the term, "most folks," because all of us are different. In truth every situation and person is a little different. One has to decided what means are best for them.David B. Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-80901870184217928892010-05-13T08:06:14.736-07:002010-05-13T08:06:14.736-07:00Bill also had a solid career behind him at the tim...Bill also had a solid career behind him at the time and was at a different stage of professional development.<br /><br />Most folks who are being confronted with working for free are not the same position he was at that time.Elliot Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15952897418341461593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-28361549204426512562010-05-10T07:11:54.276-07:002010-05-10T07:11:54.276-07:00Well put, in regards to when to do work for free.
...Well put, in regards to when to do work for free.<br /><br />Obviously there are times when it's "worth it" for whatever reasons. All too often it's taken as you says -as an operating model for a failed business.<br /><br />There's a difference between producing a job for free and working on someone else's project. If you're the author the benefits are clear (as in the case of "Boomtown"), if you're a lackey the degrees of benefit become smaller.<br /><br />On the topic of free illustration -that's a little different. Not simply because of the time involved but also the return. A published illustration with a byline is an advertisement for the artist. It's also evidence to other art directors that you're a professional. Work in animation is not really the same.roconnorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04933040935053560675noreply@blogger.com