The 3D Caste System Trap
Avoid Falling Into This Common Industry Trap
A couple of weeks ago, I released an article about The Art of Being Laid Off As a 3D Artist. I received an enlightening response from a former co-worker Will Starling.
“…for me, who can sometimes internalize and accept the caste system that exists in studio production, it really forces me to remind myself that any particular person only has that title “here,” and that somewhere else they could be something completely different.”
This was a little earworm for me. For days after, I kept coming back to this thought in my head as it so concisely sums up something I have felt for years in this industry…let me explain.
When I started at Blue Sky Studios in 2008, I was a Lighting Technical Assistant. That was my title. It was a glorified render wrangler but I was proud of it. I tacked it onto my LinkedIn profile, my email signature, and everywhere else I could. And when I introduced myself to my new co-workers, that’s what I said.
“Hi. My name is Mike. I’m the new Lighting Technical Assistant.”
I didn’t realize it at that time but that initial title (and salary) stuck with me.
I did manage to climb the ladder from Jr. Artist to Mid-Level to Senior over the next 6 years. But the whole time I was doing that, friends that entered the industry at the same time zoomed up the income and title ladder by doing a bit of job hopping from company to company. Now…don’t get me wrong…these are some talented peeps but they were raising more quickly because their entry-level position was no longer tied to them. It was quickly stripped away the second they moved to another job. Then, they could reestablish themselves at the new location under a higher job title.
A lot of it has to do with the way companies operate. When you are being hired, you can tend to more easily negotiate a higher title or pay since that is the time when the artist has the most leverage in negotiations. Once you are in the door you will hear things like, “You know…it’s corporate policy that we don’t promote someone within 2 years of receiving their last promotion.” Or “You know…I know that your pay is below the average for this job title but we can only authorize a maximum of an 8% raise this year. But don’t worry…in 5 to 6 years, you will be up to the average.”
To be clear, this isn’t restricted to the field of animation and 3D. This happens everywhere. I remember when I used to bartend. I was working and we hired a bar back. Nice kid. Smart. Hard-working. Eventually, I left that job and when I came back to visit he was bartending. I was like, “who let the barback serve drinks?” Do you know what that guy does now? He’s a dentist. And do you know what pops into my head? It’s not “Wow. That smart, hardworking young man really dedicated and created a respectful career for himself.” Instead I think, “Who is letting the barback put his hands in their mouth!?!?”
It’s human nature. We tend to categorize the things in our lives. Even the people. We tag people as their job, where they went to school, or whatever the first thing we know about them. And it is really REALLY hard to shake it. And when it comes time for promotions or raises, it can truly present a barrier.
But that’s not the real problem…
The real problem is that it’s easy to allow this perception that others put on you as your own self-evaluation. If everyone around you is treating you like a barback, it is hard to think of yourself as a bartender, let alone a dentist.
The first step is to be aware that it happens. Be aware others at your current job already have a perception of you and what you do from this point forward can either solidify those viewpoints or begin to adjust them.
So what can you do?
The obvious thing is to leave your job and look elsewhere. As was pointed out by Will, it took all of us getting laid off for people to break through this caste system and find other roles at different companies.
For many though…this isn’t a realistic option. You might genuinely love where you work. You love the people and the projects and just don’t want to leave. Or it’s the only job in an area that’s close to your family. Or maybe it’s one of the 10,000 other reasons why someone wouldn’t want to leave their job but still have their eyes set on a thriving career full of growth milestones. What do you do then?
You first start by breaking your own notions of what you are capable of. Don’t let others define you but understand that you are not your job title, nor do the current responsibilities of your job represent the entirety of your skills.
The next step is figuring out how you want to grow. Generally speaking, there are only two growth paths for an artist.
You can become an expert in your artistic craft.
Or you can become a leader or people manager.
They are very different paths in the types of skills you hope to foster along the way so make sure you choose a path that fits where you want to be and how you want to spend your days.
Once you decide (and this is no small feat) then you meet with your supervisor and lay out exactly what you want. Together, you can identify any skills or training necessary for you to level up your career. Remain focused on those goals and position yourself in the best way possible so that when that position becomes available and you can pounce on it.
This is also a good test. If your supervisor is not supportive of you setting up a path to grow, it might be a really strong sign that you may want to reconsider looking elsewhere.
As you may notice, this isn’t a perfect system. It will be difficult to work up the ladder at one company and avoid all the perceptions about yourself. The key, again, is to understand that it will be an obstacle and something you will need to actively solve. Because no one will believe that you are ready for that big promotion unless you believe it yourself.
So in summation, just be aware that this is something that can happen at any job in any industry. People are going to do what they do but you must not allow their perception to influence how you see yourself. Always remind yourself that you can be more than your job title and continue to grow your career regardless of the surroundings. And for the love of everything holy, don’t get dental work from the barback…you don’t know what he had to clean up!!!
3D News of the Week
A roundup of interesting 3D related news you may have missed this week.
digital impact: the immersive visions of 15 global artists go beyond time & space - designboom.com
CLO Academic Month: Jumpstarting a 3D Curriculum and Establishing a Roadmap - clovirtualfashion.blog
Nothing, Forever Is an Infinite, AI-Generated Seinfeld-Like Show - twitch.com
Sony Slashes PlayStation VR2 Headset Output After Pre-Orders Disappoint - bnnbloomberg.ca
Turn 2D Images into Immersive 3D Scenes with NVIDIA Instant NeRF in VR - nvidia.com
Meta's VR Division Lost $13.72 Billion in 2022 - 80.lv
3D Artist of the Week
Mike Voropaev
Artist statement about this project:
An exploration project aims to turn Midjourney AI-generated wooden carvings into 3D models using AI depth estimation and Substance Designer. The project aims to demonstrate how AI can be used to create 3D models from 2D designs.
3D Tutorials
3D Job Spreadsheet
Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)
Michael Tanzillo has been 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. Currently, Michael is a Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe.
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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This is some great advice for everyone, everywhere.