hi folks,
please ur opinions are highly appreciated.

my question is this,
why is it so difficult to get artists to synergize and output on most projects?

is it the cash factor?
clearly, synergy is the way forward- so why the delay? or are we truly blind as to its potentials?

a couple of projects have sizzled out on this thread inspite of the participants best interests.
is the trend reversible? how?

please take a few minutes and share ur thots on the matter. it will help us plan better and grow in the future.
lets learn from our mistakes.

thanks.

Thats a nice idea, But you know we are nigerians and proud.Thats why some of us are stagnant. we fail to see possibilities. What say you?

well, shouldn't the 'pride' be based on some global accomplishment?

and its kinda sad if young minds fail to think laterally or see possibilities!
i guess even the response to the topic says something about where we place synergy on our scale of importance. lol

I totally agree, synergy is the way forward.

my question is this,
why is it so difficult to get artists to synergize and output on most projects?

Most of us are still on the learning curve and don't feel comfortable working in teams, i think.

is it the cash factor?
clearly, synergy is the way forward- so why the delay? or are we truly blind as to its potentials?

YES. I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to work without pay,  But really, if you believe in this growing 3d industry, you won't completely be locked on the money so soon.
I really wonder when i find some cg artists hiding information from other artists. i really think its a lame idea. And by the way do you think you can do all by yourself.

Anyway, mr. OKX, anytime you've got a solid idea, please let me know.

Issues with Synergy
---Funding
----Ego

In order to bring together the relatively few "experienced" hands in naija ; they'll need to be paid and committed,  Realistically, i for one will rather be home working on my small scale-but-not-spectacular indivdual project AND getting paid than on some ground-breaking Endeavour that will see me starving during it's course (am just saying----)

Besides that, most of the accomplished CG and VFX guys i know, tend to want to be "man-alone" aka "SOLO" so that in the end, when the project is done,  it will be their name only in bright lights,  Am sure everyone of us has some small ground-breaking project we have been working on , or dreamt of creating for a number of years,
The Harsh Reality, U cant do it alone,  Those projects will die

Synergy, Definately,  but how do we first overcome these stumbling blocks,

Synergy, Definitely, but how do we first overcome these stumbling blocks,

1. We need a very strong CG community, forum or an annual meeting or something. I know a small group started in Abuja some time back but i don't think it's active any more.
2. We need to change our mindset. We can't do it all alone and for those that think they can become the best by keeping knowledge, it won't work.

@ zpixel
wont the same challenges that prevent active synergy also affect any forum or meeting that one sets up.

i totally agree with changing our mindset, the challenge is in HOW to accomplish that.
i believe our mindset will inevitably change for the better, but if we don't catalyze the process-
i believe it will take a LONG time.

like i said, even the low level of contributors to this topic is in itself symbolic.
i guess we are not just ready mentally.


@ digidamage
thanks for being honest.
really appreciate the points u raised- i dont know any accomplished cg artist who is in it for 'bright lights' alone. and yes, a solo project looks exactly like that- a solo project, NEVER professional; unless u want to spend the rest of your life working on it

we need to realize that fame/publicity is a necessary by-product of excellence, and excellence in most cg spheres is a result of communal effort.

thanks for the contributions guys.

Interesting topic brought up by the person I’d expect to bring it up. OKX has been banging the drum of collaboration ever since I’ve seen him on this forum and quite rightly so. I wanted to have some proper time on my hands before I replied to this.

In my opinion I actually think we’re getting there. Maybe not as quickly as we all want. But I totally understand where OKX is coming from and I also agree with Zpixel and digidamage.

Finance is a key factor, especially in Nigeria. In some countries grants and other support systems are available to support those in the creative industries. Of course they had to fight to get that. But their governments realise that the creative industries can be a huge earner. We don’t have that here. Most people in our fledgling industry are young graduates with little financial backing, not large industry to take them up and pay them a decent salary. They have to make it up as they go along. It’s not like our main established industries (law, engineering, telecoms, banking) where there are clearer entrance routes and more money to be made. We are in the pioneering phase right now. Passion can only get you so far when you have no cash (maybe I’m getting to old!)

Now to now dedicate your time and effort to a project with people just for the sake of it is hard. Don’t get me wrong, I think that is precisely what creates the best work. It’s just tough to do from a logical day to day stand point.
The ‘ego’ thing is also there. There are positives and negatives to this. We ALL want our projects and studios to be the best. I think natural selection will sort things out. Once VFX/animation studios start to emerge that can hire people, get projects consistently etc most people will want to work for them. But at the stage where there are so few, people are still trying to figure out whether their studios will be the industry leaders. I make no apologies for saying my studio is one of them.

But I still believe in collaborating. Zpixel mentioned a forum that used to take place in Abuja. That was my initiative. I had to stop it for various reasons. It was costing me too much to host as I was paying for the meeting room. But more importantly I felt some people were expecting too much and abusing it. I learnt a lot from the few meetings we had and met good people. The forum will also be resurrected soon too. It’ll just be different in nature.

We’re getting there though. There are too many people around with the passion to let things go backward. Also money is now coming into the industry. Sorry if this is a long post.

The stunted growth of the Nigerian CGI industry is a result of the  unavailability of dedicated animation, visual effects and game development studios. The moment some people with money (and foresight)wake up to realize the earning potential of a Nigerian CGI industry, the growth will spiral since the dedicated studios will separate the modelers, the animators, the TD and so on. this will lead to a more polished output because each artist will focus on his area of expertise.

I will like to point out that collaboration without a platform, like a dedicated studio and financial remuneration (certain and not promised or imaginary financial reward) has a very huge chance of failure. I know a kick in the nuts or a punch in the face will be the least of worries for the person who will suggest I dedicate a big chunk of my time and skills on a project that ''promises'' financial reward at the end of the rope. Collaboration in an empty stomach doesn't work for me, so I wouldn't approach any CGI artist with such proposal.

My goal has since shifted from collaboration to setting up a dedicated animation/vfx studio in Nigeria. That is the most efficient way IMHO to bring together CGI artists who will get paid to have fun, yes, to most of us, it is like fun and when we make a decent living doing it. . . it is impossible to describe the type of joy and fulfillment it brings  . Those who want to do their own thing will still be there and honestly, it will only bring diversity to the industry (in terms of mode of operation). There is enough room in Nigeria for Specialists and Generalists (is that even a word ) The studios will attract dedicated CGI practitioners who will like to push the envelope through team work.

We can sit here and thrash this topic but after we have plastered the pages with our turenchi  , we will still have the big "SHOW ME THE MONEY" staring us in the face.

I still have a lot to throw in but I'll stop for now. This is a very important thread and I wouldn't like to bore anyone with lengthy posts.


@AdamuW, I forgot to give you guys the much deserved props. What you are doing is clearly the way forwards and I wish you guys the best.

To those who hoard CGI information from noobs. . . if you have never seen a reprehensible slowpoke, take a good look at the mirror.

Now this is heating up, reminds me of the nairaland of 3 or 4 years ago,
With the "biggest and best"(no flattery), CG artists on nairaland contributing again
grafikdon, OKX, zpixel, AdamuW on one post, definitely nostalgic, Goes to show how important this topic is,
Back to the issue,
sorry if i sound like an extremly realistic pessimistic person but for me funding is still a major issue and any attempt on any project without substaitial funding WILL flop,

@ grafikdon, I agree that setting up an animation/vfx studio will be a solution but again, how will u raise your funding? seeing that in Naija, most of the better projects are ads/commercials etc, Whose gonna sponsor a studio while still giving them creative license??,
@ AdamuW, Really appreciate ur effort on the Abuja forum thingy, wish i could have been there, But i appreciate there's a cost of running these things thats hard to meet as an individual
( Personal Example: some years ago i had a website called 3dnigeria.com, had all the prominent members of this forum on it, but the cost and time of editing and maintaining it was too much to handle and yet another good project broke done---yet another case of poor synergy? )

grafikdon:

To those who hoard CGI information from noobs. . . if you have never seen a reprehensible slowpoke, take a good look at the mirror.

Well said, IGNORANCE and STUPIDITY

Good thing we are talking about this, at least we all seem to agree on most points,
So wats the step forward??

PS: my ID used to be damseremie (in case u were wondering how i knew u all) till i was banned weirdly for no apparent reason,

@ AdamuW
great input. and no, it wasnt a long post- in fact long posts are welcome!
this is an important issue and our collective experience, i'm sure, will make some difference.

@ graphikdon
thanx man. ur experience is evident in ur post.
was rolling on the floor with a mental picture of a kick in the nuts to ur propositioner. (if theres such a word) lol

@ digidamage
thanx for still checking in.

seems the general consensus seems to be that funding is a key factor.
i tend to lean more towards ignorance or mental myopia.

AdamuW funded the abuja forum, and he owns up that, while funding it was a challenge- funding wasn't the main reason he temporarily shut it down. in fact he attributes it to peoples attitude. (i stand to be corrected)

i have a project that was due to be released last year January. (its only about 20% done after 5 months of active work)
we produced a pilot of our project and got a foreign investor.
owing to the fact that we were relative 'no-bodies' in the industry, the investment was limited.
however, it could support 5 artists working for 60k a month for 6 months aside from cost of equipment.
(so at least there was funding of some sort)
believe me, it was a challenge to get any kind of professional output from the team.

for starters, when it came to allowances, everyone was well versed on how much Pixar artists earn per hour and seemed to think similar rates should apply to them.
truth is, we all could have earned similar rates or more- but that would only have been possible after completion of the project (when we had struck a deal with a cable company or whoever).

lack of vision stalled (or is stalling) the project.

personally i mistrust any kind of motivation that is based on finance/renumeration alone-
in fact, i dont think wealth, fame etc. makes a good motive for success in our industry.

of course we all have bills to pay, but the right mindset creates money- i believe.
30 people working 'for their beliefs' on a project for one month, will generate output that can pay their bills for a year!

personally, if i find such people, i am willing to put them on an allowance and work on a project with them-
not people who present their professional fees first- unless you're John Lassiter.

so, i don't think funding alone guarantees success or commitment.

@ graphikdon
t'would be my nightmare if u set up a studio and all u attract are people, who see u as merely a lucrative employer.

thanx for ur input guys! very informative

@Digidamage I had no idea you were damseremie. 3Dnigeria was wonderful no matter how short lived. I think that’s how I found out about some other artists and got a taste of what was happening in the scene.


@ Grafikdon Many thanks. Needless to say I’ve been following your work for ages. I admire it and your insane focus. You and a select few are just ruthless in your pursuit of quality, marketing and making the animation pay. All the best with your projects. ‘I know a kick in the nuts or a punch in the face will be the least of worries for the person who will suggest I dedicate a big chunk of my time and skills on a project that ''promises'' financial reward at the end of the rope.’ Classic quote of the day man.


@ OKX Glad you didn’t think my last post was a long one because here comes another one!! I hope it doesn’t derail the thread because this ‘synergy’ thing is based on so many factors.


Again I basically agree with what everyone has said. But I just don’t want to repeat what has been said but add to it by giving you my experiences as well just like OKX and Digidamage did regarding their various projects.

I feel what stage in life you dictates how you attack this. I’m in my thirties and to be blunt, I want to get paid for what I do. Not because I’m some greedy maniac but because I want a good quality of life for me and those who depend on me. Also I want to invest my company’s profits in building up others as well so we have a vibrant creative industry. I want those who work for me to be well paid and to have career prospects. Not because I’m some wonderful human being who loves everybody but, the happier my staff are, the better they work.

Of course you have to have the right staff. That is why I could relate to OKX when I read his last post. I’ve been there. Finding the right staff is very hard. A lot of people want the money and can’t deliver either through work ethic or technical skill. They don’t seem to realise NO Nigerian studio is Disney(…not yet!) They just want to take up a seat which my company is paying for. The business side is something a lot of people don’t take into account. At a particular level, it’s not only about doing cool stuff.


When I was in my twenties all I wanted to do was cool stuff and push myself. I worked for free for a year just to get into a studio etc etc. But I’ve passed that now. I’d like to provide to provide the platform though for those who are at that stage.


It might sound crazy but I haven’t opened up 3D studio Max for over a year! I’ve been too busy trying to work out how to make the business side work to ensure our survival. I currently have one full time employee. That’s Xothermik (though I don’t call him that in the office!). The rest are either companies or freelancers I collaborate with. Another person should be joining us at the end of this month.


All these factors impact on me and my company working with others etc regarding synergy. OKX you are right when you said that one of the reasons why I stopped the Abuja Creative Forum was because of people. Another major reason was because I realised through the meeting there was too much talk and no action. From me included. So I decided to take action. That was to take a step back and focus on becoming a stronger business that could contribute in a more concrete way (in my mind) to our industry. I’m not the best multi-tasker in the world so that’s why the forum died because I stepped away. Which I regret doing. I should have reached out to people to let them know. I’m sure people like Zpixel, Wham etc would have continued it. Lesson learnt.

As for collaborating on a project, like has been attempted a few times on this forum (Resichild’s being the last major one I remember) I have to agree with Grafikdon on this one. I personally can’t fully commit to something that has no real financial return. Not because I don’t want to and don’t think it’s worthwhile but because I don’t think I’d be of any use.

It’s a mix. You need those who will do the crazy, risky, ‘let’s show the world we can do just for the hell of it projects because they creatively and technically push things. You also need those who are more focused on the business, investment attraction and political side of things to ensure there is a sustainable future to the industry. A chicken and egg scenario! People will know what stage they are at. Having said all that, we could all communicate more and the synergy could happen in more subtle ways behind the scenes.

Man that was long. Apologies for any spelling and grammatical errors!

I'm loving this topic. Can i smell change ?

After reading this thread, I've noticed that the main reason synergy won't work yet is because of the lack of finance, So that means if investors don't come to our rescue this industry will remain where it is?

@ AdamuW
awesome!

AdamuW:


It’s a mix. You need those who will do the crazy, risky, ‘let’s show the world we can do just for the hell of it projects because they creatively and technically push things. You also need those who are more focused on the business, investment attraction and political side of things to ensure there is a sustainable future to the industry. A chicken and egg scenario! People will know what stage they are at. Having said all that, we could all communicate more and the synergy could happen in more subtle ways behind the scenes.

i guess that about nails it. the mix for success.
the challenge now boils down to finding the specific people.

@ digidamage
yeah. this topic has to matter to any progressive mind.

investors abound, u just have to professionally package ur idea and prove to them ur no windbag.
ur main challenges will actually begin after u get the money, and wish to start production- u'll be amazed at how undisciplined we can be regarding output!
and the industry is growing- all be it at snail pace.

i have a pal whose theory for accelerated growth is to invite a bunch of foreign artists, set up studios and let them churn out stuff.
he favors Canada where animation, for instance, is taught as part of some schools curriculum.
he argues that if u choose relatively young chaps- those AdamuW classifies as wanting to creatively push things, ur costs wont be too high, and they are adaptable.
his theory is that the market will be more favorable to output created with foreigners input.
that idea brings up the racist in me, but i wonder if his plan has any merit?

thanks guys. great input, has broadened my views.

In my opinion, graphicspalace.com is a good start for Nigerian & African Centered Artist.

I am a moderator at the 3dPalace Section, Blender3d area ([url]http://graphicspalace.com/index.php/board,28.0.html[/url]).

We talk about all kinds of CG at the forum graphicspalace.com please visit us and show your area of intrest.

@ grafikdon, I enjoyed watching your series Mark of Uru, must say job well done.
If you open a studio in Nigeria would not mind doing some freelance work for your studio.


Email : amhatup1@webafrica-global.com

Skype ID : skypeeairhighspd ( call free voice to voice Skype or leave voice message I get back to you soon as possible)

OKX:

i have a pal whose theory for accelerated growth is to invite a bunch of foreign artists, set up studios and let them churn out stuff.
he favors Canada where animation, for instance, is taught as part of some schools curriculum.
he argues that if u choose relatively young chaps- those AdamuW classifies as wanting to creatively push things, your costs wont be too high, and they are adaptable.
his theory is that the market will be more favorable to output created with foreigners input.
that idea brings up the racist in me, but i wonder if his plan has any merit?

thanks guys. great input, has broadened my views.

i feel it kinda does. the ideah of having experienced foreigners on the local scene to catalyze industry growth seems like a  good one in my opinion. lack of a decisive control over activities in nigerian studios i think is what is responsible for the slow pace of progressed envisaged in the country today. i dont necessarily think there is a racist angle to it but generally someone from a studio in any part of the world where the cg industry is developed and thriving. sloppiness seems to be the main thing killing our studios despite the best of intentions. many people who embark on a project dont even have a proper filing system on their computers to start with and the efforts are very uncoordinated. i know because it was a huge problem in the first studio i worked in although there were very skilled and talented hands. our efforts were not synchronized and a lot of the time you find us doing what we felt we wanted to do and comfortable with and not what is actually best for the project at that point in time. and although we all met at the studio the atmosphere was not a professional one and more of friends who cannot wait for closing hours so they can play call of duty multi player. cg is kind of like a battle sometimes. knowing when, what or where to attack is very crucial and can win or loose you a battle. its only natural to run into challenges in just about any project and when you get bugged down you might waste precious time that you would have used to accomplish other stuff while trying to solve one problem can greatly affect whether your project sees the light of day. there are times you have to retreat and attack from a different angle and then come back to finish that.  this is where i feel foreign hands will be of great importance. their experience will go a long way in coordinating and conducting the talents available into a great symphony. most of us are learning and are merely trying to develop workflows, methods etc. an experienced person from an actual sustainable studio and not just an experimental one will cut out that bug and allow the gear cogs roll smoothly. adamu's years in the uk and his time at an actual cg studio i think is what keeps us going and making the progress we are at EVCL because even though i could handle pretty much what u can throw at me given sufficient time. i know i still need to be managed to operate optimally. and though sometimes i might grumble when im suddenly told to leave what im doing and do something else. i cant help but appreciate the intervention at the end.

@Zpixel Investment is very important. It just depends on the scale. Technically I’m an investor. If you are putting in a percentage of your own money, time and sweat into building this industry then you are an investor in my opinion. I might not have pumped in billions to build a creative city like they did in Dubai or wherever it was. So I don’t think we’ll remain stagnant. But big money investors can help speed up things.


@OKX I wouldn’t call your hesitance ‘racist’. Well not in this case anyway. Just healthy scepticism.

I have no issue in theory with foreign expertise and companies coming in to boost the industry. It will annoy me though if a company comes in from say, South Africa, uses our raw talent but sends most of the money out of the country. Just to be clear, I’ll have nothing against the SA company. They’re just doing business. Just like MTN and DSTV. Whether we like it or not they came in, provided services and employment when Nigerians didn’t believe or want to invest long-term in our own market. Now they are making big money and we’re playing catch up. I’ll be angry because as usual we didn’t believe in ourselves to get things done.

One thing is this, think for a second. The Americans developed their industry by themselves as did the British, Japanese etc. Sure there must have been some interaction. But they more or less started from scratch. So I don’t see why we can’t. I’m sure they went through similar problems we are facing now (to a degree). It’s just that the world is moving faster now and there are established companies in creative centres to look to as examples of where we’d like to be such as Disney, Pixar, ILM, Framestore etc. But Disney and even their predecessors had no one to look to. They just had a vision and worked towards it. So I welcome foreign help if it’s beneficial in the right way and speeds up the process. But I also don’t see why we can’t get there ourselves.

Xothermic mentioned the fact that I worked in the UK helped me and is helping the direction of my company. I agree. But I have to point out that you can work abroad and still end up ‘useless’. It depends who you work for, your work ethic and opportunities etc. I’d say 70% of the Unis over in the UK that have CGI/Animation courses are useless. We know as much as they do. What you do get however is exposure, a supportive learning environment (no worrying about light, water gen set etc) and brilliant chances to network.

I was lucky enough to work in some great companies a learnt a lot. I wasn’t and still aren’t the most talented but I worked DAMN HARD and kept my eyes open!! I’ve met guys here in Nigeria who if given the opportunities I had would have been in the top 10 percentile globally. They still will be. But going or looking abroad isn’t the answer to everything but is a very powerful option if used right.