Visual Communications

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Overall, the services that most of my clients seek from MediaMajik are web graphics and 3D modeling and animation. Most local clients desire the fulfillment of more basic design projects: logos; web stills and animation; some user-interface (UI) design. Most out-of-state clients typically solicit more-sophisticated projects: product-prototype (3D) designs; multimedia UI projects; advanced web graphics; copy writing/editing/proofreading.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. My best advice for an individual or company seeking the professional services that MediaMajik provides is to consult someone--before commissioning their particular project--who can adequately inform them of what technically is required to address their project professionally.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. What all of the services MediaMajik provides entail in the way of skills and experience. The response would be that all of the work types provided require much natural and/or acquired skill and extensive experience--expertise covering at least several years.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Potential clients should have conceived a "treatment"--or at least some reasonably concrete concept--for their project and be technically savvy enough to provide any furnished digital materials on the appropriate medium (usually CD or DVD). They should have some definitive ideas about what they want, specifically, selected color(s), etc.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Few, if any, businesses in the municipality in which MediaMajik operates offer the complete and diverse array of communications solutions that it provides.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The variety of project types that I address I find to be the most-stimulating and -exciting aspect of my work. Variety and diversity help mitigate the sometimes-mundane nature of some work.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. 1. Q: What do you charge? A: Hourly and per-project rates depend upon the type/nature, required turnaround time and complexity of the work. (If specifics are discussed, then I will provide an hourly rate upfront or deliberate about a project rate, then return contact with the inquirer to provide the job quote.)
2. Q: Have you done this type of project before? A-1: If yes, I describe the nature of the project and the client for whom the work was done. A-2: If no, then I usually--if it is the case--mention personal-project work in that particular area, or knowledge of skills and steps required to complete it. (I may offer a reduced rate if I have not completed such a project for pay.)
3. Q: May I see some samples of your work? A: Absolutely. I direct the potential client to the MediaMajik web site: in particular, the "Showcase" and "Clients" pages.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. One of my favorite stories about my work concerns three post visual effects shots that I produced for a local independent filmmaker's short film (film run time about 10 minutes). Although I never had produced any post VFX shots for FILM before, I was fully confident I could complete the project professionally, and I knew which tools I would need to do so. I explained these circumstances to the gentleman, provided him with a quote, and he commissioned me to do the work. I quickly researched which tools would be the most-capable, yet most cost-effective. Then, in a period of about two months, I acquired the tools, learned the software and techniques, and produced the finished product. (I logged approximately 20 hours more than were included in the quote in order to fulfill the job.) A great learning experience and a testament to my experience, skills and learning abilities!

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish those seeking the services MediaMajik provides had at least some knowledge of the skills, experience and time required to professionally complete the type of project commissioned. (Because I live and work in a relatively provincial area, most of my clients HERE are unaware of the resources required to professionally complete their type of project. [Out-of-state clients usually have much more knowledge of what the necessary work entails.])

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. As a former daily newspaper editor and writer, and an ex-PR professional, I had become aware of the growing appearance of digitally-produced visual media and was intrigued by many of the projects I had seen. My natural curiosity and creativity led me to purchase some consumer-level computer-graphics design software. After dabbling with it for several months, I gradually developed a more serious design interest, then began to approach digital design with professional ambitions.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. An ongoing, evolving project (nearly five years) for a local client has occupied most of my time during the past several years: producing extensive, relatively sophisticated, fully navigable Flash "slide shows" (3) and updating and editing the large volume of copy repeatedly. Each of the original 25-40 frame Flash movies has been down-scaled to several mini-presentations, for easier and more-efficient user navigation. Each has entailed the following: color selection; user-interface design (including interactive buttons and logos); much ActionScript 2.0 Flash coding, and complex, sophisticated animation sequences involving the use of 3D, special effects, compositing, audio, video editing, and more. The "mini-presentations" work interactively with three directly related web sites.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I continue to persevere in being abreast of new software and current software upgrades, and computing-hardware developments in the digital-technology world. Recently I upgraded my graphics workstation's on-board memory (RAM) and operating environment (Windows 7 Pro 64-bit), and made two key creative content-development software purchases.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Unfortunately for professional digital creative content-development providers such as MediaMajik, highly-capable and user-friendly tools have been made available to the average computer user who wishes to invest some time in learning the proverbial trade ropes. The result, of course, is that, as time evolves, more and more potential clients will be doing their own work--albeit not as well and complex, but nevertheless done. In addition, computing-hardware advancements and consumer demand have made greater technology available to consumers at continually declining prices. (However, ultimately, the truly high-end creative digital work always will require more-expensive tools and greater expertise.)

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. An ongoing, evolving project (nearly five years) for a local client has occupied most of my time during the past several years: producing extensive, relatively sophisticated, fully navigable Flash "slide shows" (3) and updating and editing the large volume of copy repeatedly. Each of the original 25-40 frame Flash movies has been down-scaled to several mini-presentations, for easier and more-efficient user navigation. Each has entailed the following: color selection; user-interface design (including interactive buttons and logos); much ActionScript 2.0 Flash coding, and complex, sophisticated animation sequences involving the use of 3D, special effects, compositing, audio, video editing, and more. The "mini-presentations" work interactively with three directly related web sites. Again, this is an ongoing project and, currently, because of the United States' prolonged recession, the project hourly rate remains $15. (This is an inordinately low rate when considering the skill level and diversity of services I have been performing for this client. Realistically, $20-25 hourly should be in place, here, but, unfortunately, the prevailing rates for such services in the immediate geographic area largely are lower than they should be.)

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. MediaMajik's pricing system is not complicated, but here are the details, which must remain flexible, by the project, based on the particular job's requirements:

> 2D/graphic design -- $15 hourly
> 2D animation -- $20 hourly
> 3D modeling/animation -- $25 hourly
> Audio editing -- $15-20 hourly
> Compositing (still) -- $20 hourly
> Compositing (motion) $25-30 hourly
> Copy writing/editing/proofreading -- $20 hourly
> Creative conceptualization/strategizing -- $20 hourly
> Digital imaging/correction -- $20 hourly
> Journalism -- $20 hourly
> Multimedia authoring/development -- $25-30 hourly
> Post visual effects (digital/film or video) -- $30-35 hourly
> Photography -- $20 hourly
> Photo restoration -- $20-25 hourly
> Promotional consultation -- $15 hourly
> Video editing -- $20-30 hourly
> Web design -- $15-20 hourly

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Firstly, you had better be a fast learner. Secondly, you had better be willing to work feverishly in embracing a variety of digital creative content-development (DCC) areas: graphic design; web design/development; digital video; 3D; visual effects; multimedia authoring; Flash authoring. Pick a specialty, and focus on it, but you MUST learn at least a little bit of each. Versatility in this business is invaluable. A degree doesn't hurt (especially in 3D), but most of the people I have met in the CG business have been largely self-taught. (At the higher levels, however, you'll find much of both in modelers and animators.) Presently, the industry hotspots are 3D modeling/animation, Flash authoring and game development. Where's the money? Work in the creative side of 3D is rewarding in every respect, but the competition is absolutely brutal--as are the hours. (It's best to freelance, and don't try any of it in California or New York, as these are the high-tech hubs.) Flash authoring is red-hot now, but this means, in large part, being very, very good in Flash's ActionScript scripting language. Again, brutal competition. If you're programming-minded, and you are very, very good in C+ and/or C++, one of the hottest tickets is with game-development companies. These jobs are fewer and highly coveted, but so is the talent.