Hey 3D Artists: Social Media Isn't Real!
And I have over 100K Instagram followers to prove it
I’ve been working as a professional artist in the era of social media since the beginning. Before TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and even MySpace, a social media site ruled them all. There was Friendster. And yes…I was a professional artist on Friendster.
In today's landscape, many artists on social media grapple with decisions like whether to share their work, which platforms to embrace, and how to elevate their social media presence. Over the years, I've experienced numerous successes and failures, which have led me to a fundamental principle: the internet is not a mirror of real life, but rather a distinct entity in itself. While it undeniably plays a significant role in our lives, it doesn't replicate the nuances of living in the analog world.
So, I've condensed my extensive thoughts on social media into a few bite-sized insights that hopefully can help those making the plunge.
1 | Many of the Best Artists I Know Are Not on Social Media
Let's get going with one that surprises many people: Many of the most talented artists I know have zero online presence. These remarkable artists, primarily working in fields like film, commercials, or gaming, are absent from social media.
But how does this happen? Wouldn't they want to showcase their work, amass followers, and gain as much recognition as possible?
Honestly, it's just not their style. Social media is a voluntary choice, and many creatives are naturally introverted and reserved. They aren't driven by the popularity contest of likes and retweets; instead, they build their reputation through their exceptional work, which speaks for itself and is all they need.
2 | The Privacy of 3D Companies
If you're working at a company making commercials, video games, product design, or films, you can’t post your in-progress work as others can. You are limited to the final shots even after a project is released. At Blue Sky Studios, multiple artists were reprimanded for sharing breakdowns of shots or other behind-the-scenes footage without the consent of the studio. So you are stuck only posting personal projects, and most professionals don’t have the time or energy to do 3D outside of their regular work hours.
3 | Controversy Wins
There was a time when social media was far simpler. You had your friends or followed people; when they posted something, it appeared at the top of your timeline. As more posts rolled in, they seamlessly stacked on top, ensuring that you were greeted with the freshest content whenever you logged into the app. You could also use hashtags and easily filter by the most recent posts in a given category.
Then came the algorithms.
These algorithms weren't designed to show you the latest updates; rather, their focus shifted towards showcasing the most "engaging" content first. Initially, this meant highlighting the most popular posts. A prime example of this phenomenon was the YouTube video for "Gangnam Style." While it did teach us some unforgettable dance moves, its real triumph was going viral at precisely the right moment.
YouTube was fine-tuning its suggested video model during the rise of "Gangnam Style." At that precise juncture, the system focused on suggesting more and more popular videos to recommend. And since Psy’s song was the most popular thing on YouTube, almost every recommendation included a link to that video.
So, whether you sought guidance on changing a tire or tips for cleaning your cast iron skillet, you couldn't escape the clutches of "Gangnam Style." No matter where you began your journey on YouTube, it seemed all roads led to that beautiful video.
However, this approach later shifted to favor content with robust engagement within specific subcultures. By engagement, that just means the content received a lot of likes and comments relative to the number of impressions (or times it appeared in someones feed.)
This transition brought about some murky waters because what gets engagement on social media? The insanely good or the outrageous. And the outrageous is just easier to create. We are much more likely to forward an Instagram post we vehemently disagree with versus one we just sorta like.
So instead of starting with a question about geography and ending up with "Gangnam Style," you found yourself diving into more controversial topics within those subcultures, such as "Is the Earth Flat?!?" and "Are Birds Real?!?" So unless your artwork is driving a high number of engagement you are less likely to get traction and that can lead artist to get frustrated.
4 | False Sense of Satisfaction
The previous points hinge on something I don't want to overlook. I must admit I don't have any scientific evidence for what I'm about to say; it's more of an internal theory. So, here it is: Many artists who feel a desire to publish their work on social media are fueled by praise. We create something and want to showcase it to people, yearning to hear how good it is.
Half a century ago, gaining that praise was a formidable challenge. You had to invest considerable time building a substantial body of work. Then, you had to navigate the labyrinth of art galleries or strive to be chosen for a juried show. Transporting your artwork to the gallery and setting it up was another hurdle. Finally, there was an opening reception, where you'd invite friends and family, and only local and available people would attend to offer their praise.
Fast forward to today.
Now, I can snap a quick picture with my phone, and within seconds, I'm receiving praise from every corner of the world. It's also quantified, giving us a numeric value for how much people appreciate our work. Sounds fantastic, right?
Well, not exactly. Let's pause for a moment and consider the consequences of this shift.
Firstly, likes have become cheap. You can easily accumulate them for something hastily created, instantly satisfying our craving for praise. The laborious process artists used to undergo to earn that reward is diminishing. Yet, the effort artists put into creating their work is incredibly valuable. Spending extended periods immersed in your work allows you to delve deeper, pushing your boundaries and truly exploring your craft.
However, the reward mechanism has shifted. You can receive praise instantaneously, and social media platforms incentivize daily posting. This drives up engagement and followers, causing those like and follower counts to skyrocket. As a result, the motivation for artists to produce more substantial and thoughtful work is dwindling.
5 | Permanence Issues
The internet has a peculiar way of being simultaneously permanent and incredibly fickle. One day, an embarrassing moment can be recorded, shared, and haunt you forever. The next, the social media platform you've poured hours, days, weeks, months, or even years into could suddenly implode into chaos.
Take my own experience as an example. I maintain an Instagram account (@michaeltanzillo) with over 100k followers. Building that following was a grueling journey. For years, I meticulously posted images of designers, dedicating countless hours to engaging with fellow artists and individuals to grow my audience. During my busiest periods, I even enlisted the help of an agency to boost my presence.
Then one day, TikTok encroached on Instagram's territory, prompting Instagram to introduce stories and reels in response swiftly. Suddenly, everyone produced short videos, and the platform rewarded those who posted multiple times daily.
However, this new direction didn't align with my interests. I remained committed to sharing simple still images and engaging in discussions, but I watched my engagement metrics plummet drastically. My once-thriving posts, garnering 15,000 likes, dwindled to 15. Disheartened, I essentially stopped posting for an entire year.
Then I lost my job and joined Adobe/Substance 3D. I was encouraged to showcase my work and reinvest in myself as an independent artist there. So, I overhauled my Instagram account, focusing on personal projects but by then it was too late. Instagram had already downgraded my accounts no matter what I do now my posts are only ever seen by 1% of my audience.
I'm confident that my story is just one of countless others who've experienced a similar fate on all social media sites. But even if it is, social media platforms are going crazy right now.
Facebook morphed into a platform that undermined democracies, causing people to flee and followers to disappear. Reddit made war with many users over their change to the API policy. Twitter, meanwhile, is a shell of it’s former self after the purchase by Elon Musk. Now users are seeking refuge in alternatives like Blue Sky, Threads, and Mastodon. Even Artstation faced criticism for its lenient stance on AI-generated images, causing artists to seek greener pastures.
So even though social media platforms may feel evergreen, either your individual account or the system as a whole will have an end. (Except, of course, for Substack, where I write these articles... which will undoubtedly last forever, right? Right? RIGHT?!?!)
6 | Embrace the Cringe
“Embracing the cringe” is something a social media coach told me she used to impart to her clients. Although originally intended to convey "Embrace your awkward side," she stopped using it because she found that many interpreted it as encouraging embracing all forms of absurdity in the quest for social media popularity. For example, you must lean into the outrageous for more likes. You must become part of groups where members mutually agree to comment on each other's work to boost engagement. You must employ phrases like "mash that subscribe button" and "swipe up if you want to learn more." You must manufacture a reason to post something with that day’s trending hashtags.
In many ways, it goes beyond simply embracing the cringe factor. It often involves being inauthentic to garner popularity, a strategy that many of us adults are not inclined to pursue.
7 | Not Real People
Humans don't even operate certain accounts on social media platforms; they're bots designed to cause chaos.
Then there are those accounts controlled by real individuals that still don't exhibit typical human behavior. They spew hurtful comments and engage in conduct that would lead to their isolation in the real world. However, such behavior is often encouraged in the digital realm because their drama boosts engagement and can even garner them more attention.
So, how can you counteract this? One clever approach, as recommended by Nichole Behnam on Twitter, is to vocalize their "names" or usernames. This act alone can help shed light on the absurdity of these online personas and the fact that they often deviate dramatically from real-world norms.
When I thought I got canceled on X, my lawyer asked me to read out loud some of the names of the people who were trying to ruin my reputation. “No seriously, I want you to read the names out loud to me right now.” So I did. “Zero x pick” “Bored ape two four six” “Shop lifter dot kongz dot eth” Then he said “exactly. These aren’t real names. Let’s move on, shall we?” And then I did. There’s a big lesson here. Don’t miss it.
The Positives
While this article has predominantly presented a critical perspective of social media for artists, I genuinely believe numerous positives can emerge from these experiences.
I've had the privilege of meeting extraordinary individuals and cultivating real-world friendships and professional connections. A shining example is Debra Coleman, whom I interviewed in last week's article. I’ve never worked with Debra and live on a different continent, but we connected through comments on LinkedIn and I am so happy we did.
3D Artist Interview with Career Coach Debra Coleman
I’ve also found incredible artistic collaborations online. I met a brilliant artist name Rich Gemmell and we collaborated on a project where I converted one of his drawings to a 3D scene.
Moreover, I've been fortunate to encounter numerous opportunities to expand my professional network and explore various business prospects. In fact, I got found out about my current job at Adobe through my connection to Alwyn Hunt, who I believe we first made contact on LinkedIn since we, again, live on different continents.
While I feel these positives outweigh the bad, it's crucial to approach it all with a hint of skepticism and bear in mind that social media and the online realm, as a whole, do not mirror the complexities of the real world. They're unique spaces with their own dynamics and should be navigated with caution but if done correctly can yield some positive results.
3D News of the Week
A roundup of interesting 3D-related news you may have missed this week.
Into the Omniverse: Blender 4.0 Alpha Release Sets Stage for New Era of OpenUSD Artistry - NVidia
Illicit Elixirs Celebrates Hedonism With AR-Enabled Cans - AdWeek
A Fully-Procedural 3D Material Based On The Colosseum - 80.lv
Google Introduces Generative Image Dynamics - Github
Behind the Scenes on MetaHuman Animator Showcase ‘Blue Dot’ - YouTube
Unity Open Letter to the Community - Unity
Artist of the Week
3D Tutorials
3D Job Spreadsheet
Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)
Michael Tanzillo is the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, Michael is the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging.
www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel
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