FA+
Shop
1600
Views
Views
78
Favorites
Favorites
Category
All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 372 x 531
File Size 54.8 kB
Report this content
More from f27
Way back when i was still employed/employable...
A fun demon design i got to contribute to The Cabin in the Woods.
They ultimately only approved my body & horns. The head got changed to something real goofy.
Still quite happy, though, to see my scale-pattern designs featured so prominently in the film.
Became part of the duo known as the Dismemberment Goblins -
http://thecabininthewoods.wikia.com.....erment_Goblins
A fun demon design i got to contribute to The Cabin in the Woods.
They ultimately only approved my body & horns. The head got changed to something real goofy.
Still quite happy, though, to see my scale-pattern designs featured so prominently in the film.
Became part of the duo known as the Dismemberment Goblins -
http://thecabininthewoods.wikia.com.....erment_Goblins
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 372 x 531px
File Size 54.8 kB
Wow, this is absolutely stellar! I really wish they had kept the entire design, yours does look much better; I wonder how they came up with the decision to change the face, it doesn't seem to make sense.
Thanks so much for posting again! Seeing your work never fails to make me happy.
Thanks so much for posting again! Seeing your work never fails to make me happy.
Thank you so much for the kind words.
As for the design/decision process, i was very low in the hierarchy of things on that production. Ultimately it's those in charge of the money that get the final say, & quite consistently the least creative people to boot. Not a single artistic bone in their bodies, it all comes down to budget, deadline & test-marketing.
The entertainment industry is a horribly unforgiving, soul-crushing machine. & the artists involved are more often than not just vastly underpaid, easily replaceable cogs. Merely one of many reasons why i don't do SFX work anymore.
As for the design/decision process, i was very low in the hierarchy of things on that production. Ultimately it's those in charge of the money that get the final say, & quite consistently the least creative people to boot. Not a single artistic bone in their bodies, it all comes down to budget, deadline & test-marketing.
The entertainment industry is a horribly unforgiving, soul-crushing machine. & the artists involved are more often than not just vastly underpaid, easily replaceable cogs. Merely one of many reasons why i don't do SFX work anymore.
Not wrong at all imo, rest assured. Quite the contrary >:)
My first crush was Firebrand on the cover art for Demon's Crest -
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe.....nscrest_us.jpg
https://images6.alphacoders.com/351/351951.jpg
My first crush was Firebrand on the cover art for Demon's Crest -
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe.....nscrest_us.jpg
https://images6.alphacoders.com/351/351951.jpg
Haha, i'm not a pro. One too many lay-offs & nervous breakdowns to consider myself anything of the sort. My career is dead, & quite frankly I'm thankful to be free of the cutthroat, schoolyard bully, backstabbing game that is the entertainment industry as a whole. At least... those are unfortunately the cards consistently dealt out to the artists.
Thank you for the compliment, though! :)
Thank you for the compliment, though! :)
Honestly, my comment above is as good a description as I can give you without potentially destroying your aspirations. Goodness knows, I've got industry horror stories that would send you running for the hills, but I'm still far too depressed & affected by them to presently recount them all in detail. It was enough to send me running for the hills and never look back. But, I guess I can give you a rough summary if you want...
As someone who attempted to make a name for myself as a creature/concept designer in the entertainment industry for over ten years, take my word for it. It's a disgusting industry that treats artists like easily replaceable cogs in a very large, unforgiving machine. If it's truly your passion, just be prepared to get screwed over a lot. Be prepared for repeated disappointments and blows to one's self-confidence. One unpaid internship after another until you finally do land something, and then you have many thankless all-nighters to look forward to, otherwise you'll be ostracized & considered "not a team-player". All the while barely making enough to pay bills and keep yourself fed.
I poured well over ten years of my life into films, videogames & tv shows. Most of which were awful, soul-sucking ordeals and the final products turned out to be absolute shit (e.g. Legion, Battle Los Angeles, The Thing prequel, The Order 1886, and so-on). Only to be egregiously underpaid & denied even so much a a place in the credits. Out of all the projects I worked on, Cabin in the Woods was the only one i was actually proud to be included in, and I even got the opportunity to contribute some of my own designs. But of course, all documentation of said work was promptly lost by my boss (though he made sure to drag my expectations out for a good couple years saying he still had the photos before finally admitting he fucked up & lost the hard drive). By the time i found out all evidence of my work was lost, i learned that conveniently a couple months prior, every single prop/mask/mold/etc. from the film were all sold off at private auction. So any photos I have of what I did for the project have been acquired second-hand, either through extensive google searches or via taking screengrabs from dvd making-of special features. Actually, I'm not even sure if it's entirely legal for me to be posting this photo, considering it's from some random website to which I didn't ask permission. And what with my lack of credit in the film, i have no legal proof that this is something i made. Even TCitW had it's disappointments. Due to deadline issues, a lot of what we made for the film was ultimately replaced with blurry CGI. When we did The Thing prequel in 2010/2011, that's what happened for EVERYTHING we made, all just hurriedly covered over with terrible CGI at the last minute. And not even for deadline or budget issues, it was just because the producers thought it looked better that way. You'll find that "the money" always has the final say, and despite convincing themselves otherwise via test-marketing & fuck knows what else, none of them have a single creative bone in their bodies.
Anyway, that's been my experience at least. Sorry for the rant. Other people have certainly had different experiences of course, some more successful. But I've generally found those people to be... mildly if not completely sociopathic. Overachieving bullies who readily sell their souls, spread slanderous shit-talk behind fellow artists' backs, and kiss as many asses as it takes to secure name for themselves and climb that sacred ladder.
If you're willing to go that route then rest assured. Given some time, effort & plenty of backstabbing, you'll have it made in the shade. I'm just not able to do that, though, & never will be. Becoming a shitty person for the sake of success is not something I could ever live with. Just thinking about it all again is extremely nauseating & makes me want to rip my hair out for being so stupid to think things would somehow work out & I could make a living at this.
It's a pretty common saying here that Hollywood & the entertainment industry as a whole has a tendency to turn initially good people into monsters. Having seen it firsthand many times I can wholeheartedly confirm that it's not just a saying, but rather a very sad truth.
As someone who attempted to make a name for myself as a creature/concept designer in the entertainment industry for over ten years, take my word for it. It's a disgusting industry that treats artists like easily replaceable cogs in a very large, unforgiving machine. If it's truly your passion, just be prepared to get screwed over a lot. Be prepared for repeated disappointments and blows to one's self-confidence. One unpaid internship after another until you finally do land something, and then you have many thankless all-nighters to look forward to, otherwise you'll be ostracized & considered "not a team-player". All the while barely making enough to pay bills and keep yourself fed.
I poured well over ten years of my life into films, videogames & tv shows. Most of which were awful, soul-sucking ordeals and the final products turned out to be absolute shit (e.g. Legion, Battle Los Angeles, The Thing prequel, The Order 1886, and so-on). Only to be egregiously underpaid & denied even so much a a place in the credits. Out of all the projects I worked on, Cabin in the Woods was the only one i was actually proud to be included in, and I even got the opportunity to contribute some of my own designs. But of course, all documentation of said work was promptly lost by my boss (though he made sure to drag my expectations out for a good couple years saying he still had the photos before finally admitting he fucked up & lost the hard drive). By the time i found out all evidence of my work was lost, i learned that conveniently a couple months prior, every single prop/mask/mold/etc. from the film were all sold off at private auction. So any photos I have of what I did for the project have been acquired second-hand, either through extensive google searches or via taking screengrabs from dvd making-of special features. Actually, I'm not even sure if it's entirely legal for me to be posting this photo, considering it's from some random website to which I didn't ask permission. And what with my lack of credit in the film, i have no legal proof that this is something i made. Even TCitW had it's disappointments. Due to deadline issues, a lot of what we made for the film was ultimately replaced with blurry CGI. When we did The Thing prequel in 2010/2011, that's what happened for EVERYTHING we made, all just hurriedly covered over with terrible CGI at the last minute. And not even for deadline or budget issues, it was just because the producers thought it looked better that way. You'll find that "the money" always has the final say, and despite convincing themselves otherwise via test-marketing & fuck knows what else, none of them have a single creative bone in their bodies.
Anyway, that's been my experience at least. Sorry for the rant. Other people have certainly had different experiences of course, some more successful. But I've generally found those people to be... mildly if not completely sociopathic. Overachieving bullies who readily sell their souls, spread slanderous shit-talk behind fellow artists' backs, and kiss as many asses as it takes to secure name for themselves and climb that sacred ladder.
If you're willing to go that route then rest assured. Given some time, effort & plenty of backstabbing, you'll have it made in the shade. I'm just not able to do that, though, & never will be. Becoming a shitty person for the sake of success is not something I could ever live with. Just thinking about it all again is extremely nauseating & makes me want to rip my hair out for being so stupid to think things would somehow work out & I could make a living at this.
It's a pretty common saying here that Hollywood & the entertainment industry as a whole has a tendency to turn initially good people into monsters. Having seen it firsthand many times I can wholeheartedly confirm that it's not just a saying, but rather a very sad truth.
Ah, reading over my rant here & noticed some things. Sorry for reiterating the aspect that I worked the industry for over ten years. Not intended to come across as pretentious, but more-so I'm just still shocked and saddened at how many years of my life I essentially wasted on an industry that surreptitiously chewed me up & spat me out.
Oh! and I didn't even get into the whole risk of being blacklisted! That's a whole other frightening can of worms. The final dreaded tier of being marked as "not a team player". So many bridges unknowingly burned & careers destroyed simply for assuming that one should leave work at a reasonable hour & not stay overnight slaving their asses off.
Oh! and I didn't even get into the whole risk of being blacklisted! That's a whole other frightening can of worms. The final dreaded tier of being marked as "not a team player". So many bridges unknowingly burned & careers destroyed simply for assuming that one should leave work at a reasonable hour & not stay overnight slaving their asses off.
That is a heartbreaking recount.. thanks for sharing.
It's hard to hear things like that without becoming even further hardened and jaded to the entertainment world but it would be willful ignorance to assume these things aren't constantly going on behind the scenes. It really can be a horrific industry. Your observation of the personality types who seem to succeed in those fields is hard to fault, as well. I've always been baffled by it and deep down always knew it wasn't a component of my character, thereby essentially eliminating me from ever attaining fame or wealth. :P
I often wonder weather pursuing success in this field is worth the emotional and mental trauma. It's the height of hubris, really. I think that's part of why many artists are driven to the frayed ends of sanity, fighting against their better instinct and capitulating to our insatiable, cannibalistic culture.
I just hope, for your sake and mine, that we never let it drive the love and creative spark out of us, regardless.
It's hard to hear things like that without becoming even further hardened and jaded to the entertainment world but it would be willful ignorance to assume these things aren't constantly going on behind the scenes. It really can be a horrific industry. Your observation of the personality types who seem to succeed in those fields is hard to fault, as well. I've always been baffled by it and deep down always knew it wasn't a component of my character, thereby essentially eliminating me from ever attaining fame or wealth. :P
I often wonder weather pursuing success in this field is worth the emotional and mental trauma. It's the height of hubris, really. I think that's part of why many artists are driven to the frayed ends of sanity, fighting against their better instinct and capitulating to our insatiable, cannibalistic culture.
I just hope, for your sake and mine, that we never let it drive the love and creative spark out of us, regardless.
It's most certainly not worth the emotional, mental AND physical trauma (countless carcinogenic chemicals, extensive sleep deprivation, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, etc. etc.)
The older sfx guys I was lucky enough to work with (legends in their own right), in nervous attempts at gallows humor would reffer to each other as "canaries in the coalmine", in light of all the toxins they've handled & absorbed over the years.
Not to mention, these guys who've been working on incredible films since the early 1980's are now relegated to the same struggling freelance status as i was. The same all the other starving sculptors & creature designers still trying to make a living, of all ages. There's no magic or wonder left in this line of work anymore, save for the rare occurrence of a film like Fury Road or a show like Stranger Things. Those instances are extremely rare though.
And there sure as fuck is no such thing as fame or wealth in the entertainment industry. At least not for the artists grinding away so as to keep the machine in motion. That degree of recognition and financial security is exclusively reserved for the egomaniacs who act as the face/voice of these studios. Not artists, just businessmen (wolves) in artist's (sheep's) clothing. The rare acceptions being people like Rick Baker and Rob Bottin, who were actually skilled special effects artists working alongside their crew. Long since retired though, and the few remaining like Amalgamated Dynamics and Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop are sadly a dying breed.
The older sfx guys I was lucky enough to work with (legends in their own right), in nervous attempts at gallows humor would reffer to each other as "canaries in the coalmine", in light of all the toxins they've handled & absorbed over the years.
Not to mention, these guys who've been working on incredible films since the early 1980's are now relegated to the same struggling freelance status as i was. The same all the other starving sculptors & creature designers still trying to make a living, of all ages. There's no magic or wonder left in this line of work anymore, save for the rare occurrence of a film like Fury Road or a show like Stranger Things. Those instances are extremely rare though.
And there sure as fuck is no such thing as fame or wealth in the entertainment industry. At least not for the artists grinding away so as to keep the machine in motion. That degree of recognition and financial security is exclusively reserved for the egomaniacs who act as the face/voice of these studios. Not artists, just businessmen (wolves) in artist's (sheep's) clothing. The rare acceptions being people like Rick Baker and Rob Bottin, who were actually skilled special effects artists working alongside their crew. Long since retired though, and the few remaining like Amalgamated Dynamics and Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop are sadly a dying breed.
Candid accounts of work in the industry are super valuable, thanks for sharing! I knew production for entertainment wasn't glamorous or even fun, but I'm always dreaming of being one of those sad souls immolating themselves for the sake of their craft and the opportunity to rub shoulders with the greats (still am, of course). Realistically though, I know I'm probably better off on the career track I accidentally dug myself into, doing page layout and graphic design for print media- something that shares the same skill set with none of the challenge or personal investment, which (sometimes) leaves me with enough energy for personal work at the end of the day. But if I'm going to pour this much of my life into work, that work really ought to be something I could care about.
I hope your talent finds a proper home someday, but if we'll be getting more furry smut from you in the meantime, then don't rush it!
I hope your talent finds a proper home someday, but if we'll be getting more furry smut from you in the meantime, then don't rush it!
My eyesight is degenerating in a way that no doctor has been able to diagnose. Seen every specialist possible and spent a lot of money just to see a lot of shrugging shoulders at best, and at worse i was treated dismissively like some crazed hypochondriac. Things continue to get worse by the month and still no answers, despite seeking holistic treatments now due to western medicine failing me across the board. So taking that into consideration, new artwork is very unlikely. Extremely infrequent if at all. Everything I've posted within the last few days are either two years old or just downright ancient like this particular post, sculpted in late 2009.
I'd say stick with what you've got. The whole "rubbing shoulders with the greats' thing was certainly the highlight of my experience in the industry, and i made some brilliant artist friends along the way. But in my experience, making a career of what you love doing initially sounds like a dream, until you're confronted with the reality of the situation. The soul-sucking hours and lack of adequate pay. Bullying & horrendously childish, abusive behavior from grown-ass adults.
It was a delight meeting legends of the special effects industry, and especially thrilling when i was lucky enough to work alongside them. But considering the mental and physical damage I'm having to deal with now, and the equally strong memories of egregious mistreatment by self-centered egomaniacs... I'd be a bald-faced lier to say it was all worth it. Great memories for sure, but as things stand... I don't even really even have a life to live anymore. The depression & anxiety is near omnipresent, and it's a feat of near impossibility having to cope with the fact that my already damaged eyesight will only last me for an indeterminate number years to come. Nothing is able to reverse the damage, let alone halt the degenerating nature of the symptoms.
Best I can do now is just cope with things as best I can, and brace myself for the inevitable. Luckily I have my family and some truly great friends who are willing to supporting me in the midst of it all.
I'd say stick with what you've got. The whole "rubbing shoulders with the greats' thing was certainly the highlight of my experience in the industry, and i made some brilliant artist friends along the way. But in my experience, making a career of what you love doing initially sounds like a dream, until you're confronted with the reality of the situation. The soul-sucking hours and lack of adequate pay. Bullying & horrendously childish, abusive behavior from grown-ass adults.
It was a delight meeting legends of the special effects industry, and especially thrilling when i was lucky enough to work alongside them. But considering the mental and physical damage I'm having to deal with now, and the equally strong memories of egregious mistreatment by self-centered egomaniacs... I'd be a bald-faced lier to say it was all worth it. Great memories for sure, but as things stand... I don't even really even have a life to live anymore. The depression & anxiety is near omnipresent, and it's a feat of near impossibility having to cope with the fact that my already damaged eyesight will only last me for an indeterminate number years to come. Nothing is able to reverse the damage, let alone halt the degenerating nature of the symptoms.
Best I can do now is just cope with things as best I can, and brace myself for the inevitable. Luckily I have my family and some truly great friends who are willing to supporting me in the midst of it all.
Blindness supercedes quadriplegia and death on my list of fears. I worry about it all the time- I've got retinal thinning several decades early, and every flash, streak and floater I see reminds me one or more times a day that a baseball or walking into an exceptionally clean glass door is all it'll take to detach my retinas and ruin my life. So I know that fear, but I don't know how I'd ever cope with certainty. The same way I deal with work, I guess: you just zone out and let life batter you without thinking about it too hard until it stops. I keep thinking I'd just kill myself, but that's a bit too proactive and passionate for me. Music, audiobooks, the sound of television, masturbation, hot showers, food, maybe some carnival rides or swimming. There's always going to be a distraction. I'm so sorry to hear this.
And really, they can't tell you anything? No visible lesions in the ophthalmoscope? Nothing showing up with an MRI? Is your vision just getting blurrier?
And really, they can't tell you anything? No visible lesions in the ophthalmoscope? Nothing showing up with an MRI? Is your vision just getting blurrier?
I'm so sorry to hear you have serious eye problems so early in life. But at least that's a definitive diagnosis, and an often successfully treatable one at that via surgery if you ever do experience a tear of detachment.
My problem in neurological. My field of vision is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of little swarming spots, as well as large patches of shifting discoloration, intense visual static/snow in dark environments. Bursting flashes of light & auras. Seeing trails, extreme sensitivity to light. I'm sure there's something I'm missing but that's the worst of it, and they're all becoming more visible by the month.
I've been to so many ophthalmologist & they all say my eyes are fine & healthy, so in other words "just be thankful & get out of here, i have other patients who aren't delusional". Also saw more neurologists than i care to recall, and their reactions were all the same "you're fine, get out of here". Multiple MRIs, all clear, EEG, all clear. There is simply no diagnosis and that's possibly the most frightening aspect of my situation. At least you have the comfort of knowing there are surgeries (albeit invasive) that can fix your ailment. I don't even have so much as that. Just the knowledge that it's all getting worse & no one knows what to do. It's built a stigma and has me afraid to go to doctors anymore, considering how shitty and unsympathetic (often outright unbelieving) they were to my plight. The sad realization that in western medicine, if there's no easy diagnosis and therefore no easy money to be leeched off of the sick, then the don't want anything to do with you.
My problem in neurological. My field of vision is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of little swarming spots, as well as large patches of shifting discoloration, intense visual static/snow in dark environments. Bursting flashes of light & auras. Seeing trails, extreme sensitivity to light. I'm sure there's something I'm missing but that's the worst of it, and they're all becoming more visible by the month.
I've been to so many ophthalmologist & they all say my eyes are fine & healthy, so in other words "just be thankful & get out of here, i have other patients who aren't delusional". Also saw more neurologists than i care to recall, and their reactions were all the same "you're fine, get out of here". Multiple MRIs, all clear, EEG, all clear. There is simply no diagnosis and that's possibly the most frightening aspect of my situation. At least you have the comfort of knowing there are surgeries (albeit invasive) that can fix your ailment. I don't even have so much as that. Just the knowledge that it's all getting worse & no one knows what to do. It's built a stigma and has me afraid to go to doctors anymore, considering how shitty and unsympathetic (often outright unbelieving) they were to my plight. The sad realization that in western medicine, if there's no easy diagnosis and therefore no easy money to be leeched off of the sick, then the don't want anything to do with you.
The shorter & more germane reply here -
I'd strongly suggest sticking with your current job. Sounds like it pays well enough and also miraculously affords you time to indulge in personal creative endeavors on your own time. For the vast majority of folks in the industry, that's simply not possible. There's just not enough sense of self left upon finishing the day's work. You come home drained of all energy. physically, creatively, emotionally. It sucks you completely dry. And if your flavor happens to start running out, it surreptitiously spits you to the curb without a second thought...
I'd strongly suggest sticking with your current job. Sounds like it pays well enough and also miraculously affords you time to indulge in personal creative endeavors on your own time. For the vast majority of folks in the industry, that's simply not possible. There's just not enough sense of self left upon finishing the day's work. You come home drained of all energy. physically, creatively, emotionally. It sucks you completely dry. And if your flavor happens to start running out, it surreptitiously spits you to the curb without a second thought...
Immediately made me think of Vermilion Pleasure Night, btw :3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGXWDqQB3NU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGXWDqQB3NU
Comments