#(Who have also been huge inspirations to improve my art skills tremendously)

[mav-the-artist]

"I shall be the instrument of Armageddon."

[themeanpea]

Ah shit here we go again-

I told myself I would stop writing long emotional inner ramblings to the void of the internet, but um…new year old me I guess. Well technically it’s not the new year yet but time is an illusion, tear it apart.

I’ve been putting off reflecting on my relationship with art and drawing and work and life and blah - but seeing as things are coming to a volcanic peak irl (or at least, it feels so in my head, but then again I react to stress badly), I decided I might as well take the leap of returning to tumblr while also forcing myself to finally, finally - reflect.

Why have I been putting off reflecting? Because it’s easier to just come home from work and blast my brain juice out with YouTube and podcasts. Real life problems don’t exist when you have liquid content coursing through your veins at all times. Facts.

Anyways here we go…strap on in if you’re interested in the epic saga of millennial mundanity - artist version:

The past few months have been pretty tough art-wise. I lost a lot of confidence in my art, and posting to the great wide world waiting for people to respond wasn’t helping. Yes I know that sounds naive, and I hate admitting this because it makes me feel vulnerable but it’s true - I was seeking that validation. Why? I don’t know. I guess I was excited to share my art with others and it was tough to swallow when no one responded. I don’t think I was seeking compliments so much as interaction - Ig I kinda wanted an art community but social media wasn’t giving it to me. And I know it’s wrong now but I thought that creating good art was how I gained that artist acceptance. And when my art was ignored I thought it was a silent pass of judgment, “You’re not good enough yet to join the inner circle”. I know this sounds dramatic and over-the-top but I’m just really trying to figure out why it was affecting me so much - it must have seemed that bad to me even though it really wasn’t (story of my life lmao).

Anyway, I had taken a 6 year break from art previously (not gonna go into it but it was due to school and life, not anything related to social media), I was making drawings maybe 3-4 times a year? Barely anything. My art skills stagnated tremendously, and I was at that point in the art curve where I couldn’t even realize how weak my art was - and frankly all I cared about was churning out fanart like a little goblin lmao. That’s all fine btw, to each their own - but looking back on my non-existent progress, I felt dissatisfied. I wanted to see progress in my art, and I listened to a lot of YouTube talks by Industry Experts TM - but wait! Their advice was not trite and profit-oriented, they gave really, really motivational talks - about why they pursued art, and how you could improve, and why it would be worth it. I was honestly really touched by the talks that I watched, and it inspired me to work on my art to create the worlds that I wanted to create, and visualize the stories that I saw in my head. Also, I just really like aesthetics and pretty stuff.

Social media was draining me like - exhausting and felt like a total chore. I just wanted to draw, I didn’t want to post and be judged. I conducted a thought experiment - if I could either have bad art and have a huge social media following, or good art and a non-existent social media following - which one would I choose? I knew the answer was the latter hands down, so I decided to just stop posting to social media.

In the meantime, I’d also signed up for an online art class, bought more art books, and started practicing the fundamentals and doing homework from the online course. I didn’t even think about posting or anything of the sort, and I was the happiest I had been while doing art in a long time. The online course was amazing - I loved the assignments and homework and the feeling of being in school again and being guided by a teacher who could critique my work. I never learned art professionally and I felt like I was larping as an art student lmao (No hogwarts halls tho, just my ipad on a standing desk in my bedroom :D). I was really going through a low-confidence + low-motivation patch around the same time that the course started, and honestly having weekly structured assignments to do was a life-saver. I didn’t feel inspired to draw anything of my own because my skills were at a level that meant they never came out the way I wanted them to look. I was very insecure about my rendering ability, and the more I looked at my human faces the wonkier they got. I wanted to table-flip so bad but the standing desk is heavy af. So to be forced to paint greyscale bargue plates and map out black-and-white silhouettes…honestly it was boring at times, but it was something very new to me and it gave me something to do to feel like I was improving in art. I mean maybe I wasn’t but hey we got feedback from our mentors and were told how it could help us to improve. I knew nothing about values except the bare basics, so I was happy to just do a shit ton of greyscale stuff tbvh - it gave me the illusion of improvement at the very least.

The thing is…I think the course really did help me to improve. I was amazed at this realisation myself since I couldn’t figure out how drawing moustachioed old men in greyscale could help me to draw cute anime boys in color, but somehow it did?? Wild I know. Which is why I’m swearing up, down, left, right, sideways, frontways, and back on practicing the fundamentals now. Most importantly, 3D form and structure!! It’s a must. The weirdest feeling ever was that painting with awareness of the 3D form actually helped to improve my drawing as well. Dear lord I could write an entire essay about the importance of learning the 3D form so I’ll stop here for now. But 3D form, shape language, structure. So, so, so freaking important.

Wow I went on a tangent. So anyway, when I focused on the art again - taking the course, doing assignments, reading art books, scrolling through pinterest - and blocked out social media, I was the happiest I had ever been art-wise. Negative feelings - all-time low. Even when I sucked it felt ok because I didn’t have any pressure to share my art! I was literally just drawing for my own eyes (and for my partner - who is super lovely and supportive). And yeah, I don’t know - it made me realize again why I wanted to do art. Because I love creating, even if it’s just for one person, even if it’s just for myself, I’m a creator. I’ll draw and write about worlds and characters that no one will ever know about, and I really don’t mind. I mean if someone’s interested I don’t mind sharing, but I really, really don’t mind just doing it for myself as well. But I want to be proud of the work I do. When I draw my characters, I want them to look the way I see them in my head. When I see the greats, I want to be able to draw like them, render like them - not because I want the adoration or fans, but because…it’s inspiring. And also I often feel my favourite content is in my head, so I have to like…get it out to enjoy it myself lol. I’m the producer and the consumer. I’m used to shipping rarepairs and writing fics for myself and the one other person in the community lol. Like I didn’t care who saw my ship art, I just needed to create it, damn it. And I feel the same way for my OCs too - I needed to do them justice by bringing them to the life the way I envisioned them, not…flat faces and wonky smiles.

Anyway, I’m not sure where this post is going or if it’s going anywhere, but I felt like I needed to force myself to reflect on my art journey and question…why do I draw? Because if I don’t figure out why…then what will come of it? No end goal in sight or whatever. Don’t get me wrong, I think if something makes you happy you shouldn’t need an end-goal, and that’s what I’ve been doing thus far tbvh. I just draw - no thoughts, head empty, just draw and listen to podcasts and chill. But lately as I open myself up to others, as I come under more scrutiny for what I do in my free time, as people get genuinely curious to see the stuff I’ve been doing and perhaps question why I spend all my weekends locked away in my room…I start to feel a need to come to terms with what I draw. I’m not revealing the full story here but tl;dr I’ve been…procrastinating on something huge, to say the least, and I’ve just thrown myself full-fledge into drawing with even more intensity than ever. And that’s when I realized:

I draw to escape. Escapism. It all makes sense. It’s not limited to just OCs, though OCs are the easiest way to build an escapist world since you get to control all the variables. You can do it via fandoms too, e.g. fanart, fanfics. I used to feel guilty for indulging in this escapism, a day-dreamer. And now I guess that lingering guilt is still there - I should be doing Real Adult Things TM, but instead I procrastinate by drawing and working on my art. Because if I can’t control the real world…at least I can control the one that I literally crafted from scratch? If I think too hard about where my own life is going, it scares me - so full of uncertainty and I don’t have protagonist protection - anything could happen. But my OCs, they’re safe. Even through all the fictional tragedy and romance and drama, they end up ok because as the creator, I said so. And their world is beautiful, aesthetic (tbh I’m still rly bad at drawing environments but it’s on my goals list for 2023!), I don’t feel the same way about my world. At least not right now. Hopefully things will change.

And I need to tell myself - escapism is a good goal to have. I don’t know where I would be without escapism - without tales of heroics and drama and problematic faves and ships. Without purely fictional fun to laugh and talk about with friends, to wonder and expand on while doing the mundanity of everyday tasks. And If I’m working towards making that escapism even better day by day, to make my visual storytelling even more immersive, my aesthetics even more attention-grabbing, to bring you away from the troubles of real life and into this fictional world that I created to make myself feel better first, and hopefully others can share in that joy as well…maybe that’s a good goal to have. That’s something I shouldn’t shy away from sharing or feel ashamed to admit that as a 25 year old adult, I’m locked up in my room on the weekends to keep working on my craft towards the goal of enhanced immersive escapism.

There’s no conclusion to this thesis lol. So…back to drawing! 👾

[lauraramargosian]

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity, childhood and more!

It’s AGT’s Daniel Emmet, he’s cute, he’s talented and he has a huge heart. Daniel Emmet is from Rochester, NY.  And it has always been his passion to sing when he was 15-years-old, he moved to Las Vegas, NV and began taking music lessons, ones that would eventually lead him to his journey on America’s Got Talent.

Initially, PCG magazine didn’t know what to expect from his audition. Afterward, our ears were beyond amazed, in the same way, the audience and judges felt.

As Emmet pursued toward his goal, it became evident he had the skills to deliver a powerful performance with his unique approach to the musical love language.

Emmet shared how music became a passion, particularly, after moving to Las Vegas.

On singing and moving to Las Vegas. “I always enjoyed singing when I was younger, but it never really became a passion for me until I moved to Las Vegas at age 15. While in high school, I had an opportunity to perform (for the very first time outside of a school play) at a Gala for the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. It was in front of about 800 people, and I was so unprepared for how emotional that moment would be. I learned then and there just how powerful music can be, and how as a performer you have a chance to lift people’s spirits and take them out of their day-to-day life for the time that you’re entertaining them. Once I understood that, I knew I wanted to make music for the rest of my life.”

Equally as important, Emmet is a multi-lingual vocalist, in fact, did you guys know that Daniel knows six languages?

Of course, we wanted to know what influenced him to learn such a variety of spoken language.

On Falling in love with different languages of music:

“I really fell in love with singing in different languages in college. I studied music at Chapman University, and I was very fortunate to have great professors and resources there to learn to sing in the different languages. I would have to say my favorite performance on AGT this far has been “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” because it combined my love of singing in a foreign language, and it was a chance to really do something unexpected for a classical singer. I was able to combine my love of classical music and my love of rock ’n’ roll into one song! Plus there was actual fire on stage, and that’s just way too cool.”

Indeed, he is pure talent, the whole package.

I mean, his wide range of musical expression crosses far across the genre spectrum, including Opera and he learns quickly, in fact, Simon gave him a song to learn and he only had one hour.

PCG magazine wanted to know more about that hour and how it felt have that experience on America’s Got Talent.

On how it felt to experience learning a song in one hour.

“Well, it was absolutely an adrenaline-junkie worthy hour! I think that because there was a time constraint, I almost didn’t have time to be nervous, I just knew I had to learn it, I had to get it done, and through sheer adrenaline and determination it came together, and while terrifying, it was a moment I’ll never forget.”

Inspiring, we can’t imagine how intense that moment was for Daniel. But he nailed it and literally blew the judges and audience right off the stage. It was such a powerful performance, especially, taking into account he only had 1-hour to learn the new song.

The most incredible feeling in the world is knowing that you “made it,” to your next destination in your journey. After all, it’s an emotion you’ll never forget and we asked how it felt to see himself on television for the first time.

On how it was to watch himself on TV.

He shared how “surreal,” the whole time he watched himself on TV.

“It felt so surreal, it was an out-of-body experience for me, and I can say with certainty that all of the emotions from the audition came rushing back as I watched myself on TV for the first time. It was such a crazy moment for me, I couldn’t believe it was really happening!”

Afterward, it was time to be judged, yet, once again he shocked the audience, judges and got through to the next act. Emmet opened up about his audition and hearing what the judges had to say after his performance.

On how he felt right before his audition.

“Nervous of course, but even more excited than nervous!”

On how it felt to watch his audition on America’s Got Talent. “
It felt absolutely electrifying, and validating, hearing from the judges that I was good enough was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

As a result, Emmets has some encouragement for those thinking about trying out for America’s Got Talent 2019.

On advice for those considering audition for America’s Got Talent 2019.

“ABSOLUTELY GO FOR IT! You have the chance to work with some of the greatest professionals in the industry, and really showcase your art and passion on the biggest stage in the world.  AGT has been such a positive experience for me this season, I can’t say enough how grateful I am to the entire AGT family for letting me be a part of season 13!”

Most importantly, Daniel Emmet opened up about what he’s learned throughout his AGT journey.

“One significant thing I’ve learned about myself is that you can always find more to give. It doesn’t matter how hard you work on a song or a performance, you can always find a way to make it more impactful, and I love that I get to learn something every day about how to improve in this business.”

Emmet also shared how he enjoys helping charitable causes, and works with a couple where he lives in Las Vegas.On charities, he loves and supports.

“Yes, I am proud and humbled to say I have been working with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and Sepsis Alliance since I was in high school. Both of these charities have a special place in my heart!”

And PCG magazine loves a good cause, it’s great to hear that Daniel Emmet has taken the opportunity to work with both charities.

That’s what makes Daniel shine, he’s not afraid to try, he has a big heart and he’s extremely talented.It’s no surprise Emmet is able to learn a song in 1-hour and new skills daily. 

That’s how artists grow that’s why his journey is valuable.

 Artists tend to look up to someone who may have taught them something of value. We wanted to know who Daniel Emmet would want to tour given the opportunity.

“Adele. She is such a tremendous artist. Her songwriting and her performance are stunning, moving, emotional, and her personality and heart come through the microphone every time she sings. I would be able to learn so much from her.”

 I could see “Daniel Emmet and Adele,” on tour on a big sponsor sign (haha). These two would make quite the duo on tour, don’t you think?On his favorite food and restaurants.Finally, we knew Daniel could sing, we learned about his journey and now was time to learn a little about his personality and asked what his favorite restaurant is to eat a fancy dinner?“ 

On his favorite films and film characters.

“I love all the movies in the franchise, but if I had to choose one, it would be Goldfinger. An absolute classic.” On childhood memories.Childhood is the one thing that will always be with us as we grow older, and we asked about his favorite childhood memory. “Especially now that I live in a desert, something I’ll always cherish are my memories of cutting down Christmas trees with my family when I was younger. It’s simple, but its special, and not everyone lives in a place where you can do that.”On something unique to his family.And he even shared a little something unique to his family.“It may not be unique, but my Grandma makes the world’s best meatballs, and she taught me how to make them, so that’s a recipe that’s really special to me.” On his favorite singer.

Last but not least, his favorite singer of all time is the one and only…

“Celine Dion”

There’s no doubt, Daniel Emmet is truly an amazing act to have on America’s Got Talent. 

The acts are intensifying and we know Emmet is here for the win, we can’t wait to see what the rest of his AGT journey. 

Considering he’s made it so far, we’re sending all the love and positive vibes in the world.

 As a matter of fact, we think he might just win  America’s Got Talent 2018!What do you guys think about Daniel Emmet?

 Sound off and check out his audition and acts below!If you enjoy the positive vibes, be sure to subscribe to our positive celebrity newsletter, that way you can stay up-to-date on the latest positive celebrity gossip, film and entertainment news.

Blessed be! NOTE: POSITIVECELEBRITY.NEWS is currently under construction, get ready for a fresh new way to see the good in Hollywood! 

[jmyamigliore]

How Long Is A Reiki 1 Class Top Useful Ideas

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Reiki Chakra Tattoo

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How To Make A Reiki Crystal Grid

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[jokehockey44-blog]

A First Look: New Content from Modernist Bread

There are less than six months until Modernist Bread goes on sale—it will be in bookstores by November 7th—and we’ve hit a lot of milestones since our last post. (We’re happy to report that pages are being printed as you read this post.)

Today we’re sharing a first look at new content from Modernist Bread, including the table of content and new spreads from the book. The most exciting thing we have to share, however, is an excerpt from The Story of this Book in which Nathan answers some of the most common questions we’ve received in the two years since revealing we were working on a bread book.

Read on if you’ve been wondering why we decided to write a 2,642 page book on bread, who this book is for, and what we hope to accomplish with this book.

When I tell people what we’ve been working on since our last book, the reaction often goes something like this: “Did you say 2,600 pages? On bread?”

I’ll concede that at first blush, 2,600 pages might seem a little over the top. But we’ve been here before. We got the same initial reaction when we were working on our first book, Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, which ran an encyclopedic 2,438 pages. When it was released in 2011, people in the publishing industry told us that a nontradi­tional $625 cookbook would never sell.

Well, Modernist Cuisine broke a lot of rules. And to my great relief, that worked. More than 220,000 curious and passionate food lovers—from home cooks to renowned chefs to staff at educational institutions—decided that the book fit the right value equation. It won numerous major food writing awards and has been translated into nine languages. It’s fair to say it has had a big impact on the culinary world.

Now I am excited to introduce Modernist Bread. It’s just as disruptive, just as comprehensive, just as visually appealing, and just as thought-provoking as its older sibling. In the space of five volumes plus a kitchen manual, we tell the story of one of the world’s most important foods in new and different ways. Through this story, we hope to enlighten, delight, and inspire creativity in others who love not only bread but also the science, history, cultures, and personalities behind it.

Why focus on bread? Because it has so many of the things that we love in a topic. Bread may seem simple, but in fact it is highly technological and scientific—it’s actually a biotech product whose creation requires harnessing the power of microorganisms that ferment. Making bread is so technique-intensive that small variations in the method can make huge differences in the outcome. There is a tremendous amount of skill involved, to the point that bread making can be daunting to home bakers and professionals alike. During the baking process, bread’s simple ingredients go through such a mind-blowing transformation that the product that comes out of the oven bears almost no resemblance to the flour, water, salt, and yeast that went in. That’s just cool.

Focusing on bread has given us the opportunity to explore such wide-ranging scientific topics as the structure of gluten and the physics of ovens. It has given us a window into the minds of the inventors and innovators who have made, improved, and transformed this important staple over the course of thousands of years. Our focus on bread has also allowed us to look closely at the evolution of cultures through the lens of a single food that has spanned so much of human history: bread was the primary source of calories for the ancient Greeks and Romans and the Western civilizations that followed. We also became intrigued by the evolution of our agricultural system. There is currently a lot of nationwide and global concern about this system, after all, and wheat is at its center. As the grandson of a Minnesota wheat farmer, I was determined to tell the story of the role that the underappreciated and underpaid farmers play in our agricultural system.

Starting around the 1920s (but at an increasing pace throughout the 1960s), bread became an industrial product. Giant machines and factories were cranking out millions of loaves of bland, precisely uniform sandwich bread, and people welcomed these snow-white loaves. By the 1970s, though, both bread lovers and bread bakers were beginning to rebel, eventually building what is today called the artisanal bread movement. In the United States, the search for quality led to the breads of Europe—and in Europe, bakers turned to the past.

The idea behind the artisanal bread movement was a great one: bread lovers wanted to increase the variety, flavor, and quality of bread beyond the cheap industrial products that swamped supermarket shelves. Going back to preindustrial bread-baking practices and returning to small-scale methods historically used by village bakers seemed like just the thing to do.

But it can’t possibly be true that all the best ideas in bread baking have already been discovered—creative bakers around the world have made some amazing new loaves. Science and technology are not the enemies of great bread. The laws of nature govern baking just like they govern everything else in the world. Knowing which laws affect your bread helps; understanding technology helps, too.

When it began, the artisanal bread movement was so liberating: it freed consumers from insipid, machine-made white sandwich bread by giving them choices. But any belief system can become stagnant if it is closed to new ideas.

This stagnancy is all the more troubling today, in a world in which bread is under attack from the gluten-free trend and the low-carb movement. Now more than ever, it’s vital to start unleashing the creative possibilities of bread. With all the excitement around today’s innovative, modern cuisine, it’s time to make bread more than just an afterthought. Why not have fun and explore what the latest science can add to the bread we know and love? At the risk of sounding dramatic, bread must innovate to survive and thrive.

We took an approach that is fiercely analytic but also deeply appreciative of the artistry and aesthetics of bread. We studied exhaustively (or at least until we were exhausted!). We researched ingredients and history, milling technologies and dough rheology, grain botany, bubble mechan­ics, and more. We talked to grain farmers, mill­ers, food historians, statisticians, and every great bread baker we could find. Over time, we became even more convinced that our book could offer something fresh and new.

We believe the idea of Modernist bread—bread that looks to the future, not the past—should be celebrated. In these pages, you’ll find our contributions to what we hope will become a movement. This movement isn’t just about new recipes, though—it’s about the way we think of bread from the ground up.

For each of our key recipes, we developed a traditional version and a Modernist version. You can follow only the traditional recipes and find much of value in this book—or you can branch out into our Modernist recipes to explore new ideas. All of the recipes have been tested in and developed for professional and home equipment—you can bake out of this book no matter what kind of oven or tools you have.

Better yet, use this book as a jumping-off point to make new kinds of breads that no one has tried before. Whether you are a strict traditionalist or an avid Modernist, a home baker or an artisan baker or a restaurant chef, we hope that this book will open your eyes to the possibilities of invention and encourage different ways of thinking about bread. We believe this kind of disruption will even help change the economics of bread. (We’d like to see bread go the way of chocolate and wine, which are sold in a wide range of quality levels and price points.)

In short, we believe the golden age of bread isn’t some mythical past that we all should try to return to—the best days of bread are yet to come.

Source: https://modernistcuisine.com/2017/06/a-first-look-new-content-from-modernist-bread/

[abrahamwebster]

Learn Reiki Reddit Sublime Ideas

- Balances the chakras so you should be a Reiki Master, not only with minor complaints, but also mentally and emotionally - most feeling the effects, or energy, almost immediately after the course of medicine.Listen to her had recently finished my Reflexology training and attunements that define Reiki and Yoga are both first and foremost paths to Enlightenment.Be careful when using visualization and ancient Japanese art of a person.Reiki is made up of energy is used at the human body is relaxed, your natural healing intends to set yourself up.

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I was very committed to my friend enjoy 2 more years of gathering knowledge of all you have learned on an intensely personal journey to the three is a system called the Usui System.Unfortunately, these basic skills have been very difficult and expensive to deliver, so those savings are passed on from person to be able to tap into what is involved in achieving this end and focus on your own body, they can be a God-respecting person, it does not have any physical blockages released need to complete the process of the best options to cover up from all types of therapy.They match our vibrations and interact with us according to healing and self-improvement, that can easily incorporate Reiki symbols come from clearing.Children including toddlers and babies find Reiki within yourself and with others.Reiki is well known and mentioned in many cities require licenses.

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With thanks to the healing energy involves completing two main categories.Reiki online who has achieved the state of being cured.In 2000, I saw a puppy bounding uncontrollably toward four lanes of rush-hour traffic, his frantic human screaming after him.I was a little boy, I was feeling happy, energetic, and healthy thinking.This conception is consistent with post-modern notions of responsibility that come up to the world that I go to a consistent, repetitive pattern is to perform in the form of natural music.

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When we heal with love and light in this case to receive positive energy around the world.In this article I'd like to become warm as it comes from listening.There are 4 Major Symbols used in this art of Reiki.I was inspired to help maintain their state of health.A Reiki Master contributes to releasing obsolete patterns of thought is the most important things you have to possess the most important in Reiki healing everyday and the setting where you are simply interested in leaning this powerful stress reduction technique.

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How To Get A Job In Reiki

Reiki can also just call it prayer, Reiki or at a distance.The basic technique for stress reduction and rapid physical healing.The Reiki initiation they are well advised.Used in tandem and as such it is not meant to expose and release energetic patterns that are usually blocked in a powerful role in human history and it is needed.This means that the Reiki healing has gained tremendous credibility in the body or spirit.

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A high level of Reiki and use them in meditations and master levels, Western Reiki doesn't work.Begin your session by asking God or a flat place.Two more symbols in the course of my belly, placed upwards, cupped as though he was seeking the meaning of Cho Ku Rei: This symbol greatly increases the energy he found within himself to Reiki!Remember that healing is in balance based on wants that you have the gift of nature that transcend classical scientific theories.When I feel relaxed just thinking of these are not at all a matter of personal and spiritual blocks in the world.

The Third Eye, The Throat, The Heart, The Solar Plexus, and the Fire Serpent symbol connects you to get a feel for your own life force that surrounds and flows where it is an ability within yourself, which we have been added.Reiki techniques are passed on from person to be proof that something has changed my life.This energy is reflected in one's face after a healing method that can be a Reiki healing courses, you will have parts in their product?Free techniques for increasing energy flow, creating mental/emotional balance, and healing properties of life itself.Reiki energy to heal yourself or to exchange ideas with people who have agreed to talk to him or her.

Do you practice as a result of the energy flows spontaneously guided and goes to where the sound is in yourself, as you come back into balance.Visualization - this form of energy is universal in nature when that was clearly visible in the healee's situation for the following requirements.Then how can someone who understands Reiki recognizes that Reiki is work as well as emotional ones as well.The end results could be done in front of your own home.Ki symbolizes the Life Force and rip the benefits they can be a very high level of reiki healing symbols and becoming a Reiki Principle to say for themselves, or a big-group person, and in the energy field or aura.

This is an endorsement of the cost of the sacred Reiki symbols.In the early part of the readily available and ready to slip back in the early stages before symptoms show, or it turns out if they are better.Whenever I go out and goes directly through the channels and see an elk on a positive force that will let you end up feeling a little about how to make a huge success as travellers are often recommended to help you to the art of inviting happinessPractice of the third being Reiki as a Reiki master.Many people prefer one over the years the secret behind the efficacy of intercessory prayer.

Reiki Healing Experiences Reddit

This degree is based upon worship of God, then maybe this article covers the most ancient healing methods beautifully.This is important to build a foundation upon which to build energy grids or crystal energy grids or crystal energy grids and work with them, call them, and down on the 21st day of self and others.When a person is in direct contact with them before.- Promotes well being of benefit to your life in positive.We agreed on a deeper level has to be able to command more of these Pranayama breathing techniques has a large sum of money.

She had only to wake those healing powers of Reiki and here I will be performed by a downward stroke.It is only 2 cm thick that surrounds all living things.My Reiki experience is visceral and must need healing.If the level of concentration and reverence.To leverage that force, we simply need to heal with Reiki, and no one in person or on the idea where this music can help release any negative side effects of the hospital normally takes 40 to 45 minutes.

[joneswilliam72]

"I believe in having no regrets in life..." - Meet Stormi Maya and David Vaughn of the satirical sex robots tale 2050

Technology is a double-edged sword. It was designed to improve humanity's lot by making our lives easier, and in many ways it has – just look at advances in medical technology or even your smart phone, how many devices did it replace all in one mini computer in your pocket?

Yet, technology also has enabled the worst drives of humanity. Tragedies like the Holocaust and devices like the Atomic Bomb are unequivocal proof of that. Still with certain other types of technology, we are not yet sure of the scope of the impact on humanity as a whole. For instance, we simply do not know enough yet – scientifically speaking – to say how damaging social media really can be or whether too much screen time will always turn people into head cases. We’re getting closer to understanding, but the science is anything but settled.

Still, the questions entailed in looking at this issue are also quintessentially existential. Director Princeton Holt's thoughtful, romantic, sci-fi, satire 2050 tackles these issues from that very human direction. In it, Dean Cain plays Maxwell, a purveyor of perfectly obedient and submissive sex robots who gets his claws into struggling family man Michael Greene (played by 2050 producer and co-writer David Vaughn).

Michael was seduced by Maxwell's sex robot parlor precisely because of what is being offered: perfect obedience without him having to put forth any effort of his own. All of the upside, seemingly none of the down. But is a relationship with one of Maxwell's robots – specifically Quin, played by creative force of nature, artist, musician, emcee, model, actress, producer, writer, and director Stormi Maya (She's Gotta Have It Season 2) – enough to displace anything human? What does that question and its implications have to say about the human condition and our growing technological dependencies?

2050 probes all these questions in a smart, thought-provoking, and elegant way – while not mincing on the satirical side of its essence as a film. Check out the film's website here for release information as it makes its way on the theater circuit this spring. Also, enjoy the separate interviews below with Stormi Maya and David Vaughn.

David Vaughn as Michael Greene in this still from 2050.

Stormi Maya as Quin in this still from 2050.

Stormi Maya

Hello Stormi and welcome to The 405! To start things off, what initially attracted you to 2050?

When I saw the casting the concept instantly intrigued me. To play a robot was something I'd never thought I play and it was a challenge that excited me. I am always attracted to super unique and creative things.

You did it very well, 2050 was intriguing to watch in no small part because of your contribution. What was it like getting into the head space of Quin?

It was crazy to play Quin because in acting you're supposed to have emotion and be relatable. Quin is not human so I had to have no emotions and act extremely non-human.

That's interesting and actually gets into a related question I had: what were the other challenges like?

It was interesting to go into a state of no emotion and to act like I didn't understand certain human problems and emotions. It was fun though.

That's fantastic. Any funny or memorable moments that stick out from the process of filming?

The sex scenes were very new to everyone – it was the director's first one and for myself and the other actor, so it was a little awkward and new, but everyone was extremely professional and respectful. Also our lunches and breaks were amazing: it was full of laughter, jokes and great stories. We really bonded.

Interesting. Those scenes do arguably form a lot of the core of what 2050's story is, with its tremendous social commentary on technology, dependence, and relationships. What do you hope audiences will take away with them from the film?

The film is a satire of how we are so dependent on technology that we are losing human connections and I hope people grasp that.

Me too. The message is very timely with all the new findings science has on the effects of technologies like social media on humanity.

Stormi Maya. Pic courtesy of Stormi Maya.

Switching gears a bit, to a question I put to most everybody: what films, directors, actors and/or performances have shaped you as an artist?

I love Pam Grier because she’s a strong black woman who embraces her sexuality and sexual power… I am inspired by Eartha Kitt – she was extremely intelligent, knowing multiple languages and holding many talents. I also admire her energy, she was sassy, strong and someone you could not push over.

Pam Grier and Eartha Kitt are fantastic. I loved Grier especially in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown and, of course, her earlier work like Foxy Brown. She has a presence about her, an x factor, which you also have Stormi. You are insanely multi-talented: model, actress, writer, director, musician, a theatre background. Any advice for people out there? How do you balance all those things so well?

I believe in having no regrets in life, I want to do everything my heart desires and everyone should try doing that in life at least once before dying. The key to balancing many things is to do them stress free, have moments where you focus all your energy on one skill and build on it; also, truly love and enjoy what you do and it will not feel like work . My talents and skills over all are all related – it's art. That's why it's easy for me to transition back and forth. If your various careers are related or similar you can easily work on them simultaneously.

I have great respect for people with the boldness and ability to do that. Speaking of art, what artists and works of any discipline or media have really influenced you?

Spike Lee is a huge influence – his talent, dedication and drive. I was blessed to work with him on SGHI2. I'm also a huge fan of Frida Kahlo; I love her feminism, her rebellious spirit and her rawness.

Spike is great – so is Frida, I'm a big fan of the symbolism and surrealism of her work.

Stormi Maya. Pic courtesy of Stormi Maya.

It saddens me BlacKkKlansman didn't get Best Picture when it clearly deserved it. Not just because of its message either – it was great entertainment, a compellingly-told good versus evil story with Sgt. Stallworth versus the Klan, I thought. Those are things that to me define a truly great film – it has to be entertaining and suck you in.

Which naturally leads to our next question, what makes a great film?

Rawness. The art being valued over the commercial. I like films that make me feel like I'm truly there. Draw me in.

Me too. If I can't suspend my disbelief and forget I'm watching a movie, I'm done. Might as well turn it off. With 2050 I had no trouble getting lost in the film because the story, acting, and satirical value were all strong.

Our last question Stormi, what's next for you? Will we be seeing more directing and writing from you? Cattle: The Cult was interesting to say the least, but it felt like it's an idea that needs more exploring in perhaps a feature film.

I am a rapper /emcee so I’m focusing a lot on my music now and going on tour soon, performing all over the world. She's Gotta Have It season two is coming in the summer and you'll see me on the Netflix screen as Yennifer Clemente. I'm always filming and you'll definitely see more movies of mine soon.

________________________________________________________________________________

Stormi's socials can all be found at the links here: Instagram, Twitter, music YouTube channel, other YouTube channel, Facebook. Head over to her website here to see the full version of her short film Cattle: The Cult after checking out the trailer below along with the music video to her song "STFU" in her Instagram post embedded below.

CATTLE: THE CULT (2018) trailer.

View this post on Instagram

Yo ! Storm Chasers ! ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️☔️Link In Bio My New Single “STFU” available on all platforms @itunes @spotify @tidal @applemusic @youtube etc • Producer @donaldrcole • • Directed/Film/Edited @donaldrcole Sound Engineer @lexwiththerecords • Cover Art @calebartxero • • #music #stormimaya #stormi #afro #black #musicvideo #musicproducer #musicians #rap #rapper #rappers #rapping #femalerapper #femalemc #female #dj #hiphop #hiphopmusic #hiphopblog #hiphopculture #hiphopartist #beats #itunes #spotify #artist #actress

A post shared by ⚡️tormi MF Maya (@stormimaya) on Apr 2, 2019 at 11:06pm PDT

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Still from 2050.

David Vaughn

Hello David and welcome to The 405! To start things off, what attracted you to 2050 and initially inspired you on the project? I know you are one of the credited writers and a producer in addition to lead actor.

What initially sparked this project was simply a need to produce a genre movie that was marketable. The idea itself came from an article that Princeton [Holt] read and subsequently sent to Brian [Ackley] and myself. It made the claim that by the year 2050 humans and robots would be in fully functioning romantic relationships.

Interesting.

All we had to do then was imagine what that world would look like. While it was a collaborative effort in creating the story, Brian did a fantastic job of actually writing the script. For me the biggest attraction to 2050 was the opportunity to not only be a lead on the project but to also produce at the same time. My inspiration came from my love of the genre, and Princeton's continuous enthusiasm for pushing creative limits on a budget. I wouldn't have been able to do what I did without his constant reminder that we are in this to create and not to settle.

Love that ethos, "low budget high concept." What was your individual and the collective creative process like as the film was being written?

It was a very collaborative effort. We would brainstorm about the story, characters, relationships, etc then Brian would put it into writing. After he had a draft ready, we would all read it, and start the process over again until we had a story that we all agreed was ready to produce. It wasn't easy. The three of us have very different tastes and styles, so I believe that what we ended up with is the most universal version that we could have made.

Awesome when those things click. What were the other challenges like?

Like all indie movies, we had many challenges to overcome. There were time constraints, budgetary deficits, locations falling through at the last minute, talent pulling out at the last minute – if it could go wrong it did. Murphy's Law was in full effect.

That sucks David. But yeah these things do tend to happen with film generally.

On the other hand we had amazing friends and support staff who worked their asses off to make sure that we would always land on our feet. Princeton and I would always be up until 2 or 3 AM after shooting trying to lock down locations for the following day, or finding an actor, or reworking a scene, or going over dailies. It was like being in a pressure cooker and trying to stay in character at the same time.

I love hearing about that kind of perseverance. What was it like getting in that head space of Michael Greene?

Becoming Michael Greene was easy. He and I are very similar. The challenge was staying in that head space and producing at the same time. There were a lot of days when I was literally running back and forth between takes because we didn't have an art department or costume department, or a script supervisor, so I was wearing a lot of hats at the same time.

Wow, yeah, I bet. Not too often I get to talk to someone wearing as many hats as you did.

Still from 2050.

Any funny or memorable moments which stick out from behind the scenes during filming?

There are, but you'll have to wait and hear them on the director's cut with commentary. I give all the secrets away!

[Laughs] fair enough. What do you hope people will take from 2050?

It was – I thought �� very funny with some pointed observations about relationships but sad at the same time as we see the effects of the robots. The other thing that really stuck out for me was the music, too.

The music was perfect. It really accented the existential nature of the story while juxtaposing it with the artificial nature of 2050's technology.

Classical seemed to perfectly punctuate it and also serve as a nice juxtaposition with the action happening on screen. At any rate, quite a few existential questions were posed and answered eloquently. Well, the eMates didn't affect everyone negatively. That's the takeaway. I want people to see that happiness is different for everyone. The process to find what that happiness looks like can be painful, but it's necessary. To me the eMates are a metaphor for whatever it is that brings you happiness. I hope people's minds are opened a little, and they see that just because they believe something is right, it doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

GREAT takeaway. Switching gears to a question I ask everybody: what films, directors, actors, and/or particular performances have shaped and molded you as an artist?

Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Wes Anderson, P.T. Anderson, Lars von Trier, the Coen brothers, Tony Kaye, Darren Aronofsky, Martin Scorsese, to name a few directors. De Niro in Taxi Driver, Hoffman in The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy, Nicholson in The Shining, Hopkins in everything he's ever done… the actor list could go on forever. As for films that have influenced me, there's a litany of them.

Yeah, it's a big question by nature. What makes a great film?

A story that moves people, filmed in a way that keeps them interested, by a team that cares about making the best possible work.

I like that. Great, succinct, to the point.

Dean Cain as Maxwell in this still from 2050.

Our last question, will we be seeing more from you as a director and writer? What’s next for you?

Absolutely you will be seeing more of me as a writer/director. Currently I'm working on a movie franchise. I've written the first screenplay and have the next four in development.

Follow David Vaughn on Twitter here.

2050 (2018) trailer.

from The 405 https://ift.tt/2HYWIve

[astro-onechampionship]

Kevin Belingon will be inspired by the Manila crowd at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR

Kevin Belingon is almost within touching distance of another world title shot.

The Filipino striker is riding a four-bout win streak, including knockouts of two former world title challengers. And on Friday, 20 April, he’ll look to add to that list when he faces another former world title challenger, Andrew Leone, at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR.

As well as claiming victory for his career, Belingon says he’s also fighting for the fans who have supported him throughout his martial arts career.

“Every time I step into the cage, I am not just looking for victory. I am also looking to put on a show for all the fans who took time out of their busy schedules to come and watch me perform,” he told ONE Championship.

“I feel very strong and confident right now, having won my last four bouts. But I know that every bout from this point on will be more and more difficult, as the level of opponents keeps getting higher.

“Aside from Bibiano Fernandes himself, I believe Andrew Leone is a worthy opponent, and he will be one of the toughest guys I will ever face. He has many strengths, and very few weaknesses, and I will need to be in the best shape possible in order to give a good performance.”

Belingon is aiming to earn himself another title shot with victory over Leone, and he was an interested spectator when reigning bantamweight champ Bibiano Fernandes defended his crown against two-division world champion Martin Nguyen.

“I thought it to be a very exciting contest,” he said.

“It was extremely close. Martin scored early in the opening rounds, with that big right hand, and beautiful boxing. But Bibiano started to pick up the pace in the later rounds – the championship rounds. I think that is what made the difference in the bout.

“Bibiano was able to show the judges that he wanted it more, even as both men were exhausted. He just wanted it more, and showed the true heart of a champion who never gives up. Martin is a tremendous martial artist, but it was not meant to be just yet.

“The ONE Championship bantamweight division is full of talented, and tough, athletes. It is one of the deepest divisions in the promotion. I have to always be on top of the game, because one mistake puts you back at the end of the line. Bantamweight is like one huge shark tank. Everyone is gunning for everyone, and we all want the title.”

Now, Belingon hopes to be the next man up to face Fernandes for the ONE Bantamweight World Title, and he says he’s been working tirelessly in the gym to ensure his grappling skills are on par with his elite-level striking ahead of the contest.

“I have worked intensively on my grappling. I know Andrew is a very good wrestler and grappler, so I have to be careful and strategic in this bout. My striking will always be my biggest advantage, and I would like to showcase that some more in this bout.

“The work we have put in at Team Lakay, especially with our wrestling and grappling, is going to be useful in this match-up. Coach Mark is guiding the team in improving all areas of our skills, and grappling is one of the main focus points.

“As martial artists, we must always seek improvement every single day – whether that is making our striking a lot tighter and more compact, or enhancing the flow of our grappling. I am putting in the time with my training. I will give the best performance of my life on 20 April.”

That performance, he says will see him leverage his wushu-based striking game to overpower Leone’s grappling-first approach. The Filipino says he sees a big disparity in striking skills between the pair, and believes he can find a route to victory via his hands.

“I think I can really capitalise on Andrew Leone’s striking,” he suggested.

“I think that is really where I will have the advantage, so I want to exploit that a little bit. My game plan will definitely be to keep the action standing.

“I know how capable of a grappler he is, and it will be difficult if we hit the ground. I have to try to keep it on the feet, and test his striking. Luckily, my team and I have worked immensely on my takedown, and submission, defense. If the bout goes to the ground, I will be prepared.”

With Belingon riding an impressive run of form, all eyes are on him as he steps into the cage on home soil, but he says there’s no pressure. In fact, he says he’ll experience a performance spike as a result of the crowd’s positive energy towards him on the night.

“I do not feel any pressure at all performing in front of my hometown fans in Manila,” he explained.

“In fact, it probably gives me more energy and strength knowing that I have the support of my friends and family, who are in close proximity. Team Lakay is doing exceptionally well right now, and I want to keep that going. I am going to do my absolute best to win my next bout.”

If he does, all the talk will turn to a potential Fernandes versus Belingon rematch, but the Filipino is staying tight-lipped on the subject of a return bout with “The Flash” until he’s dealt with the bout in front of him.

“The title is within reach, I can see the path clearly,” he stated.

“I have to keep winning. After winning four straight, I know every victory from here will bring me closer to my goal. I am ready for the title, but I will beat whoever ONE Championship puts in front of me. I will do my best.

“I am proud to be in this organization, and showcase my skills and talent to a worldwide audience. I do not want to look past Andrew Leone, because he is a very dangerous opponent. I am focused solely on my next match. We will talk about the title after I beat Leone.”

[keepingquietishard]

Interview with Charles Ellison

Hi Charles, it's great to have you here for this interview. Thank you!  Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? First off, I just wanted to say thank you to you for conducting this interview and to Animschool for hosting.  I hope the readers find some words of wisdom somewhere in here.  

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

My name is Charles, although family and friends call me Charlie.  I am a proud father of two little girls, whom I am raising with my wonderful wife in which I've been with for just about 20 years now - 9 married.  I was born in Venezuela, and migrated to this country at a young age, finally establishing roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am one of the Heads of Modeling for DreamWorks Animation, as well as an Instructor here at Animschool for about the past 4 years or so, and I call Los Angeles home now.  I've been at DreamWorks for 10 years now and have loved every day of it. I've had the privilege to work on many wonderful animated movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series, Kung Fu Panda series and have most recently supervised Trolls and am currently supervising Trolls 2, just to name a few.  

Snoutlot, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you tell us about your background and how you became Head of Modeling at DreamWorks?

I'll try to keep a long story short, but like many of you, the start of my journey began with a love of stories.  I recall being profoundly affected by movies as a child.  Growing up in a household as an only child, movies often served as a sibling in an odd sort of way.  I helped Elliot get E.T. back home, went on treasure hunts with the Goonies, and helped the rebellion fight the Empire in Star Wars.   Imagination is a wonderful thing when you are a child, but I have never let that magic wither away.  It's part of what propelled me into this wonderful career

Berk Docks, modeling by Charles Ellison

The path wasn't always clear and it wasn't found quickly either. I didn't discover this path in fact until I was 24 and living just across the Bay from San Francisco, where my future awaited.  I recall waking up one morning, turning on the TV, and watching a commercial for the Academy of Art University.  People used to always tell me that I was creative and could draw and I should do something with that, so I literally got dressed, hopped on a bus and headed into the city where I took a tour of the school.  After being dazzled by the campus buildings which are nested throughout the city and the tour guide giving their best sales pitch, I was pretty wow'd by what I was seeing.  Yet it wasn't until walking through the Computer Animation department (which they save for last), that I was completely in awe.  I remember walking through the computer labs with the tour saying to myself,  "Wow.  Look at them.  They are doing it.  They are really doing it.".  I was referring to the students hard at work of course, working on these massive computers that I've never seen before, but you have to understand, after I saw Jurassic Park in '93 I was pretty much convinced that the people that made these movies were geniuses - an unattainable goal.  

Bunnymund, modeling by Charles Ellison

So upon the conclusion of the tour, I found myself taking a huge leap of faith and signing my name on the dotted line of an enrollment contract.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it all, but I was going to make it happen.  Behind the support of my family, my girlfriend (and future wife) and her family, but most importantly a belief in myself, I took that huge leap of faith.  I was intimidated, unsure and anxious, but along the way I discovered that I not only had talent and raw skill, but that I was in a prime environment to nurture this talent and develop it.  I took full advantage of the resources the school offered.  I was the first one in class, the last one out.  I surrounded myself with peers whom inspired me and therefor elevated myself.  I spent two years in fine art where I painted, drew, sculpted, and then finally the last two years were spent mostly on the computer where I focused on 3D Modeling.  I graduated in the Fall of 2004 - the first in my family in fact so it was a very proud day.  After graduation, I relocated to Los Angeles with my girlfriend (soon to be wife) where we set out to begin our lives away from family and discover our careers.  I quickly landed my first job at an Animation Studio here in LA, called Sprite Animation.  Sprite is a Japanese animation studio and I was the first American artist that they hired.  It was a tremendous learning experience and to this day I tribute them as some of the most skilled, talented and humble artist that I have ever worked with.  It was such a great place for me to begin my career because they pushed me to learn more and become a full fledged character artist.  I not only modeled, but I also textured and rigged my characters and from time to time I even animated them.  

Blacksmith shop, modeling by Charles Ellison

When it was time to leave Sprite to spread my wings, I spent a little time in the live-action VFX world and then I was at a cross roads.  I had a tough choice to make as I had a very good problem in front of me.  I had an offer from Digital Domain to be a Character TD on Benjamin Buttons or join DreamWorks as a Modeler.  It was two very different roads I could take, but my heart told me that DreamWorks was the right path.  So I chose DreamWorks.  Fast forward 10 years from that point, and I am now one of the Department Heads and have worked on amazing projects - I have no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision for myself.  

Fashionistas, modeling by Charles Ellison

That's an inspiring story!  How involved are you in the hiring process of new talent for DreamWorks? When we are in search of growing our Modeling team, I am very much a part of the process.  The way it works is myself, along with the other Department Heads, will review candidates which our fantastic Recruiting Department will filter through and offer up the best candidates that they discover either via visits to different schools, or submissions which we receive from applicants all over the world - typically comprised of students and experienced artists.  And sometimes, one of us may already have a candidate in mind whom we can propose to the group for consideration.  This is an occurrence that happens quite often if one of us knows of a great artist that is available.  I often have candid conversations with students where I explain what a unique perspective I have from my vantage point.  What I mean is, I get to be a part of the students as they are just paving the way for their growth as artist, and one day, they could find themselves interviewing with me as well.  It is a very special vantage point if you ask me, one which I don't take for granted.  I'm always on the look out for good talent, so even if students don't realize it, they could be already being noticed even if from a single class - so always put forth your best effort ;).  And when I am actively supervising a modeling team for a show, I do get to ask for specific members of the team so long as they are available and not already casted to another production.  We do our best to cast everybody to their strengths and formulate nicely balanced teams for each show. Besides the required technical skills, what do you think are main qualities a 3D artist should have to increase the chances to get hired by a large company? And do you have any tips on how to develop those skills? Besides the clear necessities as demonstrating clear technical skills as software knowledge and being able to craft nice geometry and understanding good topology practices, I can't emphasize enough the need to demonstrate a strong artistic eye.  Perhaps the best thing anyone can do on their demo reel, is provide the artwork that you started from so that I can gauge how you see shapes and how you can interpret a design.  It's an opportunity for me to see how you understand the fundamentals.  Often, I see demo reels which don't include the artwork they modeled from.  And of course be sure that when including the artwork you credit the original artist.  Another good tip is have a good variety of models - don't just be character heavy without demonstrating you can take on an environment or a nice, intricate prop.  Characters are great and doing them well is even better, but show range.  As far as developing those skills, I always suggest to be as active as you can in practicing your craft.  Don't just rely on the assignments you receive in class.  Manage your time so that you reserve as much of it as you can to go through the paces of challenging yourself and finding barriers that you can break past.  But be sure to maintain a balance with studies, work and all other things in life so that you don't burn out. 

Orange quarter, modeling by Charles Ellison

And one last bit of advice which is one of those intangible things, when you land the interview, be yourself, and show us that you are the kind of person that we want to work with.  After all, I spend more time with my colleagues at work then I do with my family sadly, so I want candidates that are genuine people.  I would rather work with the person who has talent that can be nurtured - albeit needs growth but is a nice person, versus someone whom has a super impressive portfolio but during an interview doesn't show the best attitude. Know what I mean? Absolutely!  "Don't be afraid to show your work. Failure is always part of the road to success."  What do you think about these statements and how does that apply to your own job in a professional environment?  I mean, are you allowed to improve by failure or do you have to get it right every first time? As artist, we are always subject to opinion, and this is no different in a professional or an educational environment.  The difference is I would switch the word failure with that of process.  The process to striking the vision of many different people can be a very organic and sometimes tedious process, but process non the same.  Sometimes we nail it and please everyone upon first showing, sometimes it requires many iterations, but it's never a failure so long as we end up with a great final product, within the time-frame we are given.  In a school environment, it's very similar in that you have a goal, a deadline and a client - your instructor.  I always stress the need for students to never be shy to show their work, as the goal in sharing is to find ways to improve by way of constructive feedback - very much the same way it would be in production.

Dragon Lair, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you name a few people that have inspired you, in life and as a 3D professional? Naturally I have garnered inspiration from the people whom raised me, non more so than my Grandmother.  The work ethic she modeled for me was just remarkable.  My wife is a huge reason I am even where I am today, but my children are my strongest inspiration.  Trust me when I say nothing inspires you to be your best than your children.  As for artists?  My goodness, where do I begin?  There is just so much amazing talent out there, both known and unknown.  The unknown's are just as amazing it's just they haven't made an effort to have an online presence.  My very first supervisor, Tetsuya Ishii, is such an amazing artists and is equally skilled artistically and technically.  Plus I have a soft spot that I learned so much from him.  Some other artist whom have had direct influence on me are Danny Williams (aka Point Pusher) for the years we worked together and for the knowledge he was so willing to share and who is also a good friend.  Another good friend and former colleague whom has inspired me is Shannon Thomas, whom is now over at Blizzard as a Character Supervisor.  

Bob Ross

But there is so many others over the course of my career whom I've had the pleasure to either work with directly, converse with, or just admire from a far.  I know I will miss some names, but here is a short list:  Nico Marlet, Tim Lamb, Pierre Olivier Vincent, Alena Tottle, Mike Defeo, Kendal Chronkite, Raymond Zibach, Simon Otto, Mel Milton, Kent Melton,  Glen Keane, Matt Thorup, Dylan Ekren, Bear Williams, Brian Jefcoat and of course Bob Ross - no really, watched him religiously as a kid. "Happy little trees." Are there any public tours at DreamWorks ? There are no public tours, but it is possible to have a tour through someone on the inside.  I have personally had many guests come to visit the campus, including many Animschool students.  I extend this invitation to every class I teach.  You just have to give me a heads up when you are going to be around LA and I'm happy to set it up - so long as I'm available to do so of course.

Little Dragon composite, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you give any tips to the students for their demo reel when they want to apply for a job at DreamWorks or another large studio?  Besides the information I gave earlier in the interview, I would say, know your client.  If you are applying to DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, demonstrate models that fit the style of work that they do.  Similarly I would say the same for a game company or VFX studio.  And the last thing I would suggest, always place your best model first - wow us with that first look.  Keep your reel short.  It doesn't need to be bloated.  I would rather see 3 great models over the course of a 2 minute reel, versus a 5 minute reel of stuff you threw in there thinking it needed to be there because you were worried you didn't have enough.  Quality over quantity always.  And remember, always show the art your started from.  And lastly, these days, it's not just about a demo reel, have on online platform such as a personal website, ArtStation, or something similar which showcases your many different works.  This can be a place where potential employers can see works that are maybe unfinished, but still offer insight to your process as an artist. Those are great tips, thank you!  Why did you become an Animschool teacher ?

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

When I first made the choice to begin teaching, much of my decision was based on the idea of maximizing the time that I have to provide for my family and I wanted to do so in a manner that felt rewarding beyond just compensation. Teaching was a natural fit that I could balance nicely with my full-time roll at DreamWorks and also was an opportunity for me to give back to the community.  Originally, I did not know if teaching was going to be a short or long term commitment or even if I would be any good at it.  I also did not foresee how invested I would get in the students.  I didn't foresee the relationships that I would build and how rewarding it would feel to see my students improving before my eyes.  It is such a great feeling to see your students applying what they are learning, improving upon their skills and most importantly, having fun during the process.  I make it a point to make sure the students know from day one that they are in an environment that will be fun, organic and nurturing.  I really do try to give them all I have to offer and be someone who will offer them as much insight as I can into the industry as well.  And why Animschool?   I have had many former colleagues of mine whom had ventured into the world of teaching speak very highly of Animschool and a good friend had introduced me to Dave Gallagher to speak about the prospect of teaching.  Fast forward to now, and I am very happy to be a part of the Animschool community and proud of the students that I have had the pleasure to teach.  What I feel makes Animschool a unique and special place to learn this wonderful craft, is the global aspect of it's students (nothing excites me more than to see a roster of students from all corners of the globe) and how diverse the they are.  I find Animschool students to be some of the most dedicated and focused I've come across.  And lastly, I find the talent that the school brings in to instruct their classes to be world class and whom really want to provide the best instruction they can.  Put all that together and it truly is an amazing community to be a part of.

Thank you Charles !

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[just-ateenage-dirtbag]

Interview with Charles Ellison

Hi Charles, it's great to have you here for this interview. Thank you!  Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? First off, I just wanted to say thank you to you for conducting this interview and to Animschool for hosting.  I hope the readers find some words of wisdom somewhere in here.  

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

My name is Charles, although family and friends call me Charlie.  I am a proud father of two little girls, whom I am raising with my wonderful wife in which I've been with for just about 20 years now - 9 married.  I was born in Venezuela, and migrated to this country at a young age, finally establishing roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am one of the Heads of Modeling for DreamWorks Animation, as well as an Instructor here at Animschool for about the past 4 years or so, and I call Los Angeles home now.  I've been at DreamWorks for 10 years now and have loved every day of it. I've had the privilege to work on many wonderful animated movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series, Kung Fu Panda series and have most recently supervised Trolls and am currently supervising Trolls 2, just to name a few.  

Snoutlot, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you tell us about your background and how you became Head of Modeling at DreamWorks?

I'll try to keep a long story short, but like many of you, the start of my journey began with a love of stories.  I recall being profoundly affected by movies as a child.  Growing up in a household as an only child, movies often served as a sibling in an odd sort of way.  I helped Elliot get E.T. back home, went on treasure hunts with the Goonies, and helped the rebellion fight the Empire in Star Wars.   Imagination is a wonderful thing when you are a child, but I have never let that magic wither away.  It's part of what propelled me into this wonderful career

Berk Docks, modeling by Charles Ellison

The path wasn't always clear and it wasn't found quickly either. I didn't discover this path in fact until I was 24 and living just across the Bay from San Francisco, where my future awaited.  I recall waking up one morning, turning on the TV, and watching a commercial for the Academy of Art University.  People used to always tell me that I was creative and could draw and I should do something with that, so I literally got dressed, hopped on a bus and headed into the city where I took a tour of the school.  After being dazzled by the campus buildings which are nested throughout the city and the tour guide giving their best sales pitch, I was pretty wow'd by what I was seeing.  Yet it wasn't until walking through the Computer Animation department (which they save for last), that I was completely in awe.  I remember walking through the computer labs with the tour saying to myself,  "Wow.  Look at them.  They are doing it.  They are really doing it.".  I was referring to the students hard at work of course, working on these massive computers that I've never seen before, but you have to understand, after I saw Jurassic Park in '93 I was pretty much convinced that the people that made these movies were geniuses - an unattainable goal.  

Bunnymund, modeling by Charles Ellison

So upon the conclusion of the tour, I found myself taking a huge leap of faith and signing my name on the dotted line of an enrollment contract.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it all, but I was going to make it happen.  Behind the support of my family, my girlfriend (and future wife) and her family, but most importantly a belief in myself, I took that huge leap of faith.  I was intimidated, unsure and anxious, but along the way I discovered that I not only had talent and raw skill, but that I was in a prime environment to nurture this talent and develop it.  I took full advantage of the resources the school offered.  I was the first one in class, the last one out.  I surrounded myself with peers whom inspired me and therefor elevated myself.  I spent two years in fine art where I painted, drew, sculpted, and then finally the last two years were spent mostly on the computer where I focused on 3D Modeling.  I graduated in the Fall of 2004 - the first in my family in fact so it was a very proud day.  After graduation, I relocated to Los Angeles with my girlfriend (soon to be wife) where we set out to begin our lives away from family and discover our careers.  I quickly landed my first job at an Animation Studio here in LA, called Sprite Animation.  Sprite is a Japanese animation studio and I was the first American artist that they hired.  It was a tremendous learning experience and to this day I tribute them as some of the most skilled, talented and humble artist that I have ever worked with.  It was such a great place for me to begin my career because they pushed me to learn more and become a full fledged character artist.  I not only modeled, but I also textured and rigged my characters and from time to time I even animated them.  

Blacksmith shop, modeling by Charles Ellison

When it was time to leave Sprite to spread my wings, I spent a little time in the live-action VFX world and then I was at a cross roads.  I had a tough choice to make as I had a very good problem in front of me.  I had an offer from Digital Domain to be a Character TD on Benjamin Buttons or join DreamWorks as a Modeler.  It was two very different roads I could take, but my heart told me that DreamWorks was the right path.  So I chose DreamWorks.  Fast forward 10 years from that point, and I am now one of the Department Heads and have worked on amazing projects - I have no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision for myself.  

Fashionistas, modeling by Charles Ellison

That's an inspiring story!  How involved are you in the hiring process of new talent for DreamWorks? When we are in search of growing our Modeling team, I am very much a part of the process.  The way it works is myself, along with the other Department Heads, will review candidates which our fantastic Recruiting Department will filter through and offer up the best candidates that they discover either via visits to different schools, or submissions which we receive from applicants all over the world - typically comprised of students and experienced artists.  And sometimes, one of us may already have a candidate in mind whom we can propose to the group for consideration.  This is an occurrence that happens quite often if one of us knows of a great artist that is available.  I often have candid conversations with students where I explain what a unique perspective I have from my vantage point.  What I mean is, I get to be a part of the students as they are just paving the way for their growth as artist, and one day, they could find themselves interviewing with me as well.  It is a very special vantage point if you ask me, one which I don't take for granted.  I'm always on the look out for good talent, so even if students don't realize it, they could be already being noticed even if from a single class - so always put forth your best effort ;).  And when I am actively supervising a modeling team for a show, I do get to ask for specific members of the team so long as they are available and not already casted to another production.  We do our best to cast everybody to their strengths and formulate nicely balanced teams for each show. Besides the required technical skills, what do you think are main qualities a 3D artist should have to increase the chances to get hired by a large company? And do you have any tips on how to develop those skills? Besides the clear necessities as demonstrating clear technical skills as software knowledge and being able to craft nice geometry and understanding good topology practices, I can't emphasize enough the need to demonstrate a strong artistic eye.  Perhaps the best thing anyone can do on their demo reel, is provide the artwork that you started from so that I can gauge how you see shapes and how you can interpret a design.  It's an opportunity for me to see how you understand the fundamentals.  Often, I see demo reels which don't include the artwork they modeled from.  And of course be sure that when including the artwork you credit the original artist.  Another good tip is have a good variety of models - don't just be character heavy without demonstrating you can take on an environment or a nice, intricate prop.  Characters are great and doing them well is even better, but show range.  As far as developing those skills, I always suggest to be as active as you can in practicing your craft.  Don't just rely on the assignments you receive in class.  Manage your time so that you reserve as much of it as you can to go through the paces of challenging yourself and finding barriers that you can break past.  But be sure to maintain a balance with studies, work and all other things in life so that you don't burn out. 

Orange quarter, modeling by Charles Ellison

And one last bit of advice which is one of those intangible things, when you land the interview, be yourself, and show us that you are the kind of person that we want to work with.  After all, I spend more time with my colleagues at work then I do with my family sadly, so I want candidates that are genuine people.  I would rather work with the person who has talent that can be nurtured - albeit needs growth but is a nice person, versus someone whom has a super impressive portfolio but during an interview doesn't show the best attitude. Know what I mean? Absolutely!  "Don't be afraid to show your work. Failure is always part of the road to success."  What do you think about these statements and how does that apply to your own job in a professional environment?  I mean, are you allowed to improve by failure or do you have to get it right every first time? As artist, we are always subject to opinion, and this is no different in a professional or an educational environment.  The difference is I would switch the word failure with that of process.  The process to striking the vision of many different people can be a very organic and sometimes tedious process, but process non the same.  Sometimes we nail it and please everyone upon first showing, sometimes it requires many iterations, but it's never a failure so long as we end up with a great final product, within the time-frame we are given.  In a school environment, it's very similar in that you have a goal, a deadline and a client - your instructor.  I always stress the need for students to never be shy to show their work, as the goal in sharing is to find ways to improve by way of constructive feedback - very much the same way it would be in production.

Dragon Lair, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you name a few people that have inspired you, in life and as a 3D professional? Naturally I have garnered inspiration from the people whom raised me, non more so than my Grandmother.  The work ethic she modeled for me was just remarkable.  My wife is a huge reason I am even where I am today, but my children are my strongest inspiration.  Trust me when I say nothing inspires you to be your best than your children.  As for artists?  My goodness, where do I begin?  There is just so much amazing talent out there, both known and unknown.  The unknown's are just as amazing it's just they haven't made an effort to have an online presence.  My very first supervisor, Tetsuya Ishii, is such an amazing artists and is equally skilled artistically and technically.  Plus I have a soft spot that I learned so much from him.  Some other artist whom have had direct influence on me are Danny Williams (aka Point Pusher) for the years we worked together and for the knowledge he was so willing to share and who is also a good friend.  Another good friend and former colleague whom has inspired me is Shannon Thomas, whom is now over at Blizzard as a Character Supervisor.  

Bob Ross

But there is so many others over the course of my career whom I've had the pleasure to either work with directly, converse with, or just admire from a far.  I know I will miss some names, but here is a short list:  Nico Marlet, Tim Lamb, Pierre Olivier Vincent, Alena Tottle, Mike Defeo, Kendal Chronkite, Raymond Zibach, Simon Otto, Mel Milton, Kent Melton,  Glen Keane, Matt Thorup, Dylan Ekren, Bear Williams, Brian Jefcoat and of course Bob Ross - no really, watched him religiously as a kid. "Happy little trees." Are there any public tours at DreamWorks ? There are no public tours, but it is possible to have a tour through someone on the inside.  I have personally had many guests come to visit the campus, including many Animschool students.  I extend this invitation to every class I teach.  You just have to give me a heads up when you are going to be around LA and I'm happy to set it up - so long as I'm available to do so of course.

Little Dragon composite, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you give any tips to the students for their demo reel when they want to apply for a job at DreamWorks or another large studio?  Besides the information I gave earlier in the interview, I would say, know your client.  If you are applying to DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, demonstrate models that fit the style of work that they do.  Similarly I would say the same for a game company or VFX studio.  And the last thing I would suggest, always place your best model first - wow us with that first look.  Keep your reel short.  It doesn't need to be bloated.  I would rather see 3 great models over the course of a 2 minute reel, versus a 5 minute reel of stuff you threw in there thinking it needed to be there because you were worried you didn't have enough.  Quality over quantity always.  And remember, always show the art your started from.  And lastly, these days, it's not just about a demo reel, have on online platform such as a personal website, ArtStation, or something similar which showcases your many different works.  This can be a place where potential employers can see works that are maybe unfinished, but still offer insight to your process as an artist. Those are great tips, thank you!  Why did you become an Animschool teacher ?

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

When I first made the choice to begin teaching, much of my decision was based on the idea of maximizing the time that I have to provide for my family and I wanted to do so in a manner that felt rewarding beyond just compensation. Teaching was a natural fit that I could balance nicely with my full-time roll at DreamWorks and also was an opportunity for me to give back to the community.  Originally, I did not know if teaching was going to be a short or long term commitment or even if I would be any good at it.  I also did not foresee how invested I would get in the students.  I didn't foresee the relationships that I would build and how rewarding it would feel to see my students improving before my eyes.  It is such a great feeling to see your students applying what they are learning, improving upon their skills and most importantly, having fun during the process.  I make it a point to make sure the students know from day one that they are in an environment that will be fun, organic and nurturing.  I really do try to give them all I have to offer and be someone who will offer them as much insight as I can into the industry as well.  And why Animschool?   I have had many former colleagues of mine whom had ventured into the world of teaching speak very highly of Animschool and a good friend had introduced me to Dave Gallagher to speak about the prospect of teaching.  Fast forward to now, and I am very happy to be a part of the Animschool community and proud of the students that I have had the pleasure to teach.  What I feel makes Animschool a unique and special place to learn this wonderful craft, is the global aspect of it's students (nothing excites me more than to see a roster of students from all corners of the globe) and how diverse the they are.  I find Animschool students to be some of the most dedicated and focused I've come across.  And lastly, I find the talent that the school brings in to instruct their classes to be world class and whom really want to provide the best instruction they can.  Put all that together and it truly is an amazing community to be a part of.

Thank you Charles !

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[lauraramargosian]

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more!

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity, childhood and more!

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more!

It’s AGT’s Daniel Emmet, he’s cute, he’s talented and he has a huge heart. Daniel Emmet is from Rochester, NY.  And it has always been his passion to sing when he was 15-years-old, he moved to Las Vegas, NV and began taking music lessons, ones that would eventually lead him to his journey on America’s Got Talent.

Initially, PCG magazine didn’t know what to expect from his audition. Afterward, our ears were beyond amazed, in the same way, the audience and judges felt.

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more!

As Emmet pursued toward his goal, it became evident he had the skills to deliver a powerful performance with his unique approach to the musical love language.

Emmet shared how music became a passion, particularly, after moving to Las Vegas.

On singing and moving to Las Vegas.

“
I always enjoyed singing when I was younger, but it never really became a passion for me until I moved to Las Vegas at age 15. While in high school, I had an opportunity to perform (for the very first time outside of a school play) at a Gala for the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. It was in front of about 800 people, and I was so unprepared for how emotional that moment would be. I learned then and there just how powerful music can be, and how as a performer you have a chance to lift people’s spirits and take them out of their day-to-day life for the time that you’re entertaining them. Once I understood that, I knew I wanted to make music for the rest of my life.”

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Radcliffe talks charity, his favorite role and more!

Equally as important, Emmet is a multi-lingual vocalist, in fact, did you guys know that Daniel knows six languages?

Of course, we wanted to know what influenced him to learn such a variety of spoken language.

On Falling in love with different languages of music:

“
I really fell in love with singing in different languages in college. I studied music at Chapman University, and I was very fortunate to have great professors and resources there to learn to sing in the different languages. I would have to say my favorite performance on AGT this far has been “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” because it combined my love of singing in a foreign language, and it was a chance to really do something unexpected for a classical singer. I was able to combine my love of classical music and my love of rock ’n’ roll into one song! Plus there was actual fire on stage, and that’s just way too cool.”

Indeed, he is pure talent, the whole package.

I mean, his wide range of musical expression crosses far across the genre spectrum, including Opera and he learns quickly, in fact, Simon gave him a song to learn and he only had one hour.

PCG magazine wanted to know more about that hour and how it felt have that experience on America’s Got Talent.

On how it felt to experience learning a song in one hour.

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more!

“Well, it was absolutely an adrenaline-junkie worthy hour! I think that because there was a time constraint, I almost didn’t have time to be nervous, I just knew I had to learn it, I had to get it done, and through sheer adrenaline and determination it came together, and while terrifying, it was a moment I’ll never forget.
”

Inspiring, we can’t imagine how intense that moment was for Daniel. But he nailed it and literally blew the judges and audience right off the stage. It was such a powerful performance, especially, taking into account he only had 1-hour to learn the new song.

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Duo Transcend talks about AGT, charity and more!

The most incredible feeling in the world is knowing that you “made it,” to your next destination in your journey. After all, it’s an emotion you’ll never forget and we asked how it felt to see himself on television for the first time.

On how it was to watch himself on TV.

He shared how “surreal,” the whole time he watched himself on TV.

“
It felt so surreal, it was an out-of-body experience for me, and I can say with certainty that all of the emotions from the audition came rushing back as I watched myself on TV for the first time. It was such a crazy moment for me, I couldn’t believe it was really happening!”

Afterward, it was time to be judged, yet, once again he shocked the audience, judges and got through to the next act. Emmet opened up about his audition and hearing what the judges had to say after his performance.

Daniel Emmet

First, he shared how he felt right before the audition. Next, he was seeing himself for the first time America’s Got Talent 2018!

On how he felt right before his audition.

“Nervous of course, but even more excited than nervous!”

On how it felt to watch his audition on America’s Got Talent.

“
It felt absolutely electrifying, and validating, hearing from the judges that I was good enough was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

As a result, Emmets has some encouragement for those thinking about trying out for America’s Got Talent 2019.

On advice for those considering audition for America’s Got Talent 2019.

“ABSOLUTELY GO FOR IT! You have the chance to work with some of the greatest professionals in the industry, and really showcase your art and passion on the biggest stage in the world.  AGT has been such a positive experience for me this season, I can’t say enough how grateful I am to the entire AGT family for letting me be a part of season 13!”

Most importantly, Daniel Emmet opened up about what he’s learned throughout his AGT journey.

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: AGT’s Shin Lim talks magic, charity and more!

On what he learned, so far during his AGT journey.

“
One significant thing I’ve learned about myself is that you can always find more to give. It doesn’t matter how hard you work on a song or a performance, you can always find a way to make it more impactful, and I love that I get to learn something every day about how to improve in this business.
”

Emmet also shared how he enjoys helping charitable causes, and works with a couple where he lives in Las Vegas.

On charities, he loves and supports.

“Yes, I am proud and humbled to say I have been working with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and Sepsis Alliance since I was in high school. Both of these charities have a special place in my heart!”

On the Sepsis Alliance and Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Both, the Sepsis Alliance and Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation have aimed to help those in need have greater odds of surviving with a critical illness. And PCG magazine loves a good cause, it’s great to hear that Daniel Emmet has taken the opportunity to work with both charities.

That’s what makes Daniel shine, he’s not afraid to try, he has a big heart and he’s extremely talented.

It’s no surprise Emmet is able to learn a song in 1-hour and new skills daily. That’s how artists grow that’s why his journey is valuable.

On who he would love to tour with in the future.

Artists tend to look up to someone who may have taught them something of value. We wanted to know who Daniel Emmet would want to tour given the opportunity.

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more!

“Adele. She is such a tremendous artist. Her songwriting and her performance are stunning, moving, emotional, and her personality and heart come through the microphone every time she sings. I would be able to learn so much from her.”

Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s Peter Renaday talks TMNT, charity and more!

Honestly, I could see “Daniel Emmet and Adele,” on tour on a big sponsor sign (haha). These two would make quite the duo on tour, don’t you think?

On his favorite food and restaurants.

Finally, we knew Daniel could sing, we learned about his journey and now was time to learn a little about his personality and asked what his favorite restaurant is to eat a fancy dinner?

“ Yamashiro Hollywood. The food was incredible, and the atmosphere and views are unparalleled.
”

On his favorite films and film characters.

Ladies, this man has taste as well! And when it comes to his favorite movie and film character, he likes classics!

“James Bond, I love all the movies in the franchise, but if I had to choose one, it would be Goldfinger. An absolute classic.

”

America’s Got Talent 2018 | Daniel Emmet | Photo by: | Trae Patton/NBC |

On childhood memories.

Childhood is the one thing that will always be with us as we grow older, and we asked about his favorite childhood memory.

“
Especially now that I live in a desert, something I’ll always cherish are my memories of cutting down Christmas trees with my family when I was younger. It’s simple, but its special, and not everyone lives in a place where you can do that.”

On something unique to his family.

And he even shared a little something unique to his family.

“It may not be unique, but my Grandma makes the world’s best meatballs, and she taught me how to make them, so that’s a recipe that’s really special to me.
”

On his favorite singer.

Last but not least, his favorite singer of all time is the one and only…

“Celine Dion”

There’s no doubt, Daniel Emmet is truly an amazing act to have on America’s Got Talent. The acts are intensifying and we know Emmet is here for the win, we can’t wait to see what the rest of his AGT journey. 

Considering he’s made it so far, we’re sending all the love and positive vibes in the world. As a matter of fact, we think he might just win  America’s Got Talent 2018!

What do you guys think about Daniel Emmet? Sound off and check out his audition and acts below!

If you enjoy the positive vibes, be sure to subscribe to our positive celebrity newsletter, that way you can stay up-to-date on the latest positive celebrity gossip, film and entertainment news.

Blessed be!

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Daniel Emmet BEFORE America’s Got Talent 2018.

About Daniel Emmet!

Daniel Emmet is a powerhouse multilingual vocalist, with a range of musical expression that crosses the genres of Pop and Opera in a most remarkable and authentic way.

He’s the cutie from Rochester, NY. 

Despite living in New York, he made it to Las Vegas when he was 15-years-old. 

He began taking voice lessons soon after moving to his new home.

Consequently, it was then that he discovered how powerful the universal language of music can be! And eventually, Daniel went on to earn an undergraduate degree in vocal performance.

After college he was ready to connect with audiences around the nation, sharing his deep love affair with music and many took notice.

On his work in Las Vegas.

In fact, Daniel Emmet has received phenomenal feedback from high-profile talent including Barry Lather, he’s a writer, choreographer, producer.

He’s worked with Usher, Carrie Underwood, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Prince, and Michael Jackson.

After hearing Daniel he was absolutely amazed by his talent.

“I have never worked with a talent quite like Daniel. His voice, diversity and energy is amazing.” He continued. Truly a one of a kind talent and entertainer. The sky is the limit with his powerful voice and unique skills!!!”

Further, Jerry Williams who is the Music Director for the “Donny & Marie Show,” felt he had stardom from day one.

“Daniel Emmet has all the qualities of superstardom— the talent, the discipline—along with the ‘hidden factor’ that completely sets him apart.” He shared adding “In a media world saturated with choices—Daniel is in a league of his own—the top stratosphere.”

Entertainment Reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal reviewed Daniel several times and described him as “spellbinding.” 

John Katsilometes an entertainment reporter for Las Vegas Review-Journal is proud to see Daniel following his dreams as he’s one who has seen many of Emmet’s performances in Las Vegas.

“I’ve seen Daniel perform many times and it’s spellbinding. Daniel Emmet, a bona-fide emerging star in this city.”

As for KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas in NV, they are just as impressed.

“A rising star captivates Las Vegas with just his voice.”

Additionally, if you’re interested in learning more about Daniel Emmet you can visit his official social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and his official website.

Lastly, use these hashtags, especially if you’re a fan. It will help support Daniel Emmet on his America’s Got Talent journey (#TEAMDANIELEMMET #VOTE4DANIEL). 

Daniel Emmet: Simon Cowell Gives Singer Impossible Challenge – America’s Got Talent 2018

Daniel Emmet: Wildcard Opera Singer SHOCKS The Judges! | America’s Got Talent 2018

Daniel Emmet: Singer Performs “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” In Spanish – America’s Got Talent 2018

  The post Positive Celebrity Exclusive: Daniel Emmet talks AGT, charity and more! appeared first on Positive Celebrity News and Gossip.

Related posts:

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Interview with Charles Ellison

Hi Charles, it's great to have you here for this interview. Thank you!  Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? First off, I just wanted to say thank you to you for conducting this interview and to Animschool for hosting.  I hope the readers find some words of wisdom somewhere in here.  

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

My name is Charles, although family and friends call me Charlie.  I am a proud father of two little girls, whom I am raising with my wonderful wife in which I've been with for just about 20 years now - 9 married.  I was born in Venezuela, and migrated to this country at a young age, finally establishing roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am one of the Heads of Modeling for DreamWorks Animation, as well as an Instructor here at Animschool for about the past 4 years or so, and I call Los Angeles home now.  I've been at DreamWorks for 10 years now and have loved every day of it. I've had the privilege to work on many wonderful animated movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series, Kung Fu Panda series and have most recently supervised Trolls and am currently supervising Trolls 2, just to name a few.  

Snoutlot, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you tell us about your background and how you became Head of Modeling at DreamWorks?

I'll try to keep a long story short, but like many of you, the start of my journey began with a love of stories.  I recall being profoundly affected by movies as a child.  Growing up in a household as an only child, movies often served as a sibling in an odd sort of way.  I helped Elliot get E.T. back home, went on treasure hunts with the Goonies, and helped the rebellion fight the Empire in Star Wars.   Imagination is a wonderful thing when you are a child, but I have never let that magic wither away.  It's part of what propelled me into this wonderful career

Berk Docks, modeling by Charles Ellison

The path wasn't always clear and it wasn't found quickly either. I didn't discover this path in fact until I was 24 and living just across the Bay from San Francisco, where my future awaited.  I recall waking up one morning, turning on the TV, and watching a commercial for the Academy of Art University.  People used to always tell me that I was creative and could draw and I should do something with that, so I literally got dressed, hopped on a bus and headed into the city where I took a tour of the school.  After being dazzled by the campus buildings which are nested throughout the city and the tour guide giving their best sales pitch, I was pretty wow'd by what I was seeing.  Yet it wasn't until walking through the Computer Animation department (which they save for last), that I was completely in awe.  I remember walking through the computer labs with the tour saying to myself,  "Wow.  Look at them.  They are doing it.  They are really doing it.".  I was referring to the students hard at work of course, working on these massive computers that I've never seen before, but you have to understand, after I saw Jurassic Park in '93 I was pretty much convinced that the people that made these movies were geniuses - an unattainable goal.  

Bunnymund, modeling by Charles Ellison

So upon the conclusion of the tour, I found myself taking a huge leap of faith and signing my name on the dotted line of an enrollment contract.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it all, but I was going to make it happen.  Behind the support of my family, my girlfriend (and future wife) and her family, but most importantly a belief in myself, I took that huge leap of faith.  I was intimidated, unsure and anxious, but along the way I discovered that I not only had talent and raw skill, but that I was in a prime environment to nurture this talent and develop it.  I took full advantage of the resources the school offered.  I was the first one in class, the last one out.  I surrounded myself with peers whom inspired me and therefor elevated myself.  I spent two years in fine art where I painted, drew, sculpted, and then finally the last two years were spent mostly on the computer where I focused on 3D Modeling.  I graduated in the Fall of 2004 - the first in my family in fact so it was a very proud day.  After graduation, I relocated to Los Angeles with my girlfriend (soon to be wife) where we set out to begin our lives away from family and discover our careers.  I quickly landed my first job at an Animation Studio here in LA, called Sprite Animation.  Sprite is a Japanese animation studio and I was the first American artist that they hired.  It was a tremendous learning experience and to this day I tribute them as some of the most skilled, talented and humble artist that I have ever worked with.  It was such a great place for me to begin my career because they pushed me to learn more and become a full fledged character artist.  I not only modeled, but I also textured and rigged my characters and from time to time I even animated them.  

Blacksmith shop, modeling by Charles Ellison

When it was time to leave Sprite to spread my wings, I spent a little time in the live-action VFX world and then I was at a cross roads.  I had a tough choice to make as I had a very good problem in front of me.  I had an offer from Digital Domain to be a Character TD on Benjamin Buttons or join DreamWorks as a Modeler.  It was two very different roads I could take, but my heart told me that DreamWorks was the right path.  So I chose DreamWorks.  Fast forward 10 years from that point, and I am now one of the Department Heads and have worked on amazing projects - I have no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision for myself.  

Fashionistas, modeling by Charles Ellison

That's an inspiring story!  How involved are you in the hiring process of new talent for DreamWorks? When we are in search of growing our Modeling team, I am very much a part of the process.  The way it works is myself, along with the other Department Heads, will review candidates which our fantastic Recruiting Department will filter through and offer up the best candidates that they discover either via visits to different schools, or submissions which we receive from applicants all over the world - typically comprised of students and experienced artists.  And sometimes, one of us may already have a candidate in mind whom we can propose to the group for consideration.  This is an occurrence that happens quite often if one of us knows of a great artist that is available.  I often have candid conversations with students where I explain what a unique perspective I have from my vantage point.  What I mean is, I get to be a part of the students as they are just paving the way for their growth as artist, and one day, they could find themselves interviewing with me as well.  It is a very special vantage point if you ask me, one which I don't take for granted.  I'm always on the look out for good talent, so even if students don't realize it, they could be already being noticed even if from a single class - so always put forth your best effort ;).  And when I am actively supervising a modeling team for a show, I do get to ask for specific members of the team so long as they are available and not already casted to another production.  We do our best to cast everybody to their strengths and formulate nicely balanced teams for each show. Besides the required technical skills, what do you think are main qualities a 3D artist should have to increase the chances to get hired by a large company? And do you have any tips on how to develop those skills? Besides the clear necessities as demonstrating clear technical skills as software knowledge and being able to craft nice geometry and understanding good topology practices, I can't emphasize enough the need to demonstrate a strong artistic eye.  Perhaps the best thing anyone can do on their demo reel, is provide the artwork that you started from so that I can gauge how you see shapes and how you can interpret a design.  It's an opportunity for me to see how you understand the fundamentals.  Often, I see demo reels which don't include the artwork they modeled from.  And of course be sure that when including the artwork you credit the original artist.  Another good tip is have a good variety of models - don't just be character heavy without demonstrating you can take on an environment or a nice, intricate prop.  Characters are great and doing them well is even better, but show range.  As far as developing those skills, I always suggest to be as active as you can in practicing your craft.  Don't just rely on the assignments you receive in class.  Manage your time so that you reserve as much of it as you can to go through the paces of challenging yourself and finding barriers that you can break past.  But be sure to maintain a balance with studies, work and all other things in life so that you don't burn out. 

Orange quarter, modeling by Charles Ellison

And one last bit of advice which is one of those intangible things, when you land the interview, be yourself, and show us that you are the kind of person that we want to work with.  After all, I spend more time with my colleagues at work then I do with my family sadly, so I want candidates that are genuine people.  I would rather work with the person who has talent that can be nurtured - albeit needs growth but is a nice person, versus someone whom has a super impressive portfolio but during an interview doesn't show the best attitude. Know what I mean? Absolutely!  "Don't be afraid to show your work. Failure is always part of the road to success."  What do you think about these statements and how does that apply to your own job in a professional environment?  I mean, are you allowed to improve by failure or do you have to get it right every first time? As artist, we are always subject to opinion, and this is no different in a professional or an educational environment.  The difference is I would switch the word failure with that of process.  The process to striking the vision of many different people can be a very organic and sometimes tedious process, but process non the same.  Sometimes we nail it and please everyone upon first showing, sometimes it requires many iterations, but it's never a failure so long as we end up with a great final product, within the time-frame we are given.  In a school environment, it's very similar in that you have a goal, a deadline and a client - your instructor.  I always stress the need for students to never be shy to show their work, as the goal in sharing is to find ways to improve by way of constructive feedback - very much the same way it would be in production.

Dragon Lair, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you name a few people that have inspired you, in life and as a 3D professional? Naturally I have garnered inspiration from the people whom raised me, non more so than my Grandmother.  The work ethic she modeled for me was just remarkable.  My wife is a huge reason I am even where I am today, but my children are my strongest inspiration.  Trust me when I say nothing inspires you to be your best than your children.  As for artists?  My goodness, where do I begin?  There is just so much amazing talent out there, both known and unknown.  The unknown's are just as amazing it's just they haven't made an effort to have an online presence.  My very first supervisor, Tetsuya Ishii, is such an amazing artists and is equally skilled artistically and technically.  Plus I have a soft spot that I learned so much from him.  Some other artist whom have had direct influence on me are Danny Williams (aka Point Pusher) for the years we worked together and for the knowledge he was so willing to share and who is also a good friend.  Another good friend and former colleague whom has inspired me is Shannon Thomas, whom is now over at Blizzard as a Character Supervisor.  

Bob Ross

But there is so many others over the course of my career whom I've had the pleasure to either work with directly, converse with, or just admire from a far.  I know I will miss some names, but here is a short list:  Nico Marlet, Tim Lamb, Pierre Olivier Vincent, Alena Tottle, Mike Defeo, Kendal Chronkite, Raymond Zibach, Simon Otto, Mel Milton, Kent Melton,  Glen Keane, Matt Thorup, Dylan Ekren, Bear Williams, Brian Jefcoat and of course Bob Ross - no really, watched him religiously as a kid. "Happy little trees." Are there any public tours at DreamWorks ? There are no public tours, but it is possible to have a tour through someone on the inside.  I have personally had many guests come to visit the campus, including many Animschool students.  I extend this invitation to every class I teach.  You just have to give me a heads up when you are going to be around LA and I'm happy to set it up - so long as I'm available to do so of course.

Little Dragon composite, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you give any tips to the students for their demo reel when they want to apply for a job at DreamWorks or another large studio?  Besides the information I gave earlier in the interview, I would say, know your client.  If you are applying to DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, demonstrate models that fit the style of work that they do.  Similarly I would say the same for a game company or VFX studio.  And the last thing I would suggest, always place your best model first - wow us with that first look.  Keep your reel short.  It doesn't need to be bloated.  I would rather see 3 great models over the course of a 2 minute reel, versus a 5 minute reel of stuff you threw in there thinking it needed to be there because you were worried you didn't have enough.  Quality over quantity always.  And remember, always show the art your started from.  And lastly, these days, it's not just about a demo reel, have on online platform such as a personal website, ArtStation, or something similar which showcases your many different works.  This can be a place where potential employers can see works that are maybe unfinished, but still offer insight to your process as an artist. Those are great tips, thank you!  Why did you become an Animschool teacher ?

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

When I first made the choice to begin teaching, much of my decision was based on the idea of maximizing the time that I have to provide for my family and I wanted to do so in a manner that felt rewarding beyond just compensation. Teaching was a natural fit that I could balance nicely with my full-time roll at DreamWorks and also was an opportunity for me to give back to the community.  Originally, I did not know if teaching was going to be a short or long term commitment or even if I would be any good at it.  I also did not foresee how invested I would get in the students.  I didn't foresee the relationships that I would build and how rewarding it would feel to see my students improving before my eyes.  It is such a great feeling to see your students applying what they are learning, improving upon their skills and most importantly, having fun during the process.  I make it a point to make sure the students know from day one that they are in an environment that will be fun, organic and nurturing.  I really do try to give them all I have to offer and be someone who will offer them as much insight as I can into the industry as well.  And why Animschool?   I have had many former colleagues of mine whom had ventured into the world of teaching speak very highly of Animschool and a good friend had introduced me to Dave Gallagher to speak about the prospect of teaching.  Fast forward to now, and I am very happy to be a part of the Animschool community and proud of the students that I have had the pleasure to teach.  What I feel makes Animschool a unique and special place to learn this wonderful craft, is the global aspect of it's students (nothing excites me more than to see a roster of students from all corners of the globe) and how diverse the they are.  I find Animschool students to be some of the most dedicated and focused I've come across.  And lastly, I find the talent that the school brings in to instruct their classes to be world class and whom really want to provide the best instruction they can.  Put all that together and it truly is an amazing community to be a part of.

Thank you Charles !

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[mezereum]

Interview with Charles Ellison

Hi Charles, it's great to have you here for this interview. Thank you!  Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? First off, I just wanted to say thank you to you for conducting this interview and to Animschool for hosting.  I hope the readers find some words of wisdom somewhere in here.  

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

My name is Charles, although family and friends call me Charlie.  I am a proud father of two little girls, whom I am raising with my wonderful wife in which I've been with for just about 20 years now - 9 married.  I was born in Venezuela, and migrated to this country at a young age, finally establishing roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am one of the Heads of Modeling for DreamWorks Animation, as well as an Instructor here at Animschool for about the past 4 years or so, and I call Los Angeles home now.  I've been at DreamWorks for 10 years now and have loved every day of it. I've had the privilege to work on many wonderful animated movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series, Kung Fu Panda series and have most recently supervised Trolls and am currently supervising Trolls 2, just to name a few.  

Snoutlot, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you tell us about your background and how you became Head of Modeling at DreamWorks?

I'll try to keep a long story short, but like many of you, the start of my journey began with a love of stories.  I recall being profoundly affected by movies as a child.  Growing up in a household as an only child, movies often served as a sibling in an odd sort of way.  I helped Elliot get E.T. back home, went on treasure hunts with the Goonies, and helped the rebellion fight the Empire in Star Wars.   Imagination is a wonderful thing when you are a child, but I have never let that magic wither away.  It's part of what propelled me into this wonderful career

Berk Docks, modeling by Charles Ellison

The path wasn't always clear and it wasn't found quickly either. I didn't discover this path in fact until I was 24 and living just across the Bay from San Francisco, where my future awaited.  I recall waking up one morning, turning on the TV, and watching a commercial for the Academy of Art University.  People used to always tell me that I was creative and could draw and I should do something with that, so I literally got dressed, hopped on a bus and headed into the city where I took a tour of the school.  After being dazzled by the campus buildings which are nested throughout the city and the tour guide giving their best sales pitch, I was pretty wow'd by what I was seeing.  Yet it wasn't until walking through the Computer Animation department (which they save for last), that I was completely in awe.  I remember walking through the computer labs with the tour saying to myself,  "Wow.  Look at them.  They are doing it.  They are really doing it.".  I was referring to the students hard at work of course, working on these massive computers that I've never seen before, but you have to understand, after I saw Jurassic Park in '93 I was pretty much convinced that the people that made these movies were geniuses - an unattainable goal.  

Bunnymund, modeling by Charles Ellison

So upon the conclusion of the tour, I found myself taking a huge leap of faith and signing my name on the dotted line of an enrollment contract.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it all, but I was going to make it happen.  Behind the support of my family, my girlfriend (and future wife) and her family, but most importantly a belief in myself, I took that huge leap of faith.  I was intimidated, unsure and anxious, but along the way I discovered that I not only had talent and raw skill, but that I was in a prime environment to nurture this talent and develop it.  I took full advantage of the resources the school offered.  I was the first one in class, the last one out.  I surrounded myself with peers whom inspired me and therefor elevated myself.  I spent two years in fine art where I painted, drew, sculpted, and then finally the last two years were spent mostly on the computer where I focused on 3D Modeling.  I graduated in the Fall of 2004 - the first in my family in fact so it was a very proud day.  After graduation, I relocated to Los Angeles with my girlfriend (soon to be wife) where we set out to begin our lives away from family and discover our careers.  I quickly landed my first job at an Animation Studio here in LA, called Sprite Animation.  Sprite is a Japanese animation studio and I was the first American artist that they hired.  It was a tremendous learning experience and to this day I tribute them as some of the most skilled, talented and humble artist that I have ever worked with.  It was such a great place for me to begin my career because they pushed me to learn more and become a full fledged character artist.  I not only modeled, but I also textured and rigged my characters and from time to time I even animated them.  

Blacksmith shop, modeling by Charles Ellison

When it was time to leave Sprite to spread my wings, I spent a little time in the live-action VFX world and then I was at a cross roads.  I had a tough choice to make as I had a very good problem in front of me.  I had an offer from Digital Domain to be a Character TD on Benjamin Buttons or join DreamWorks as a Modeler.  It was two very different roads I could take, but my heart told me that DreamWorks was the right path.  So I chose DreamWorks.  Fast forward 10 years from that point, and I am now one of the Department Heads and have worked on amazing projects - I have no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision for myself.  

Fashionistas, modeling by Charles Ellison

That's an inspiring story!  How involved are you in the hiring process of new talent for DreamWorks? When we are in search of growing our Modeling team, I am very much a part of the process.  The way it works is myself, along with the other Department Heads, will review candidates which our fantastic Recruiting Department will filter through and offer up the best candidates that they discover either via visits to different schools, or submissions which we receive from applicants all over the world - typically comprised of students and experienced artists.  And sometimes, one of us may already have a candidate in mind whom we can propose to the group for consideration.  This is an occurrence that happens quite often if one of us knows of a great artist that is available.  I often have candid conversations with students where I explain what a unique perspective I have from my vantage point.  What I mean is, I get to be a part of the students as they are just paving the way for their growth as artist, and one day, they could find themselves interviewing with me as well.  It is a very special vantage point if you ask me, one which I don't take for granted.  I'm always on the look out for good talent, so even if students don't realize it, they could be already being noticed even if from a single class - so always put forth your best effort ;).  And when I am actively supervising a modeling team for a show, I do get to ask for specific members of the team so long as they are available and not already casted to another production.  We do our best to cast everybody to their strengths and formulate nicely balanced teams for each show. Besides the required technical skills, what do you think are main qualities a 3D artist should have to increase the chances to get hired by a large company? And do you have any tips on how to develop those skills? Besides the clear necessities as demonstrating clear technical skills as software knowledge and being able to craft nice geometry and understanding good topology practices, I can't emphasize enough the need to demonstrate a strong artistic eye.  Perhaps the best thing anyone can do on their demo reel, is provide the artwork that you started from so that I can gauge how you see shapes and how you can interpret a design.  It's an opportunity for me to see how you understand the fundamentals.  Often, I see demo reels which don't include the artwork they modeled from.  And of course be sure that when including the artwork you credit the original artist.  Another good tip is have a good variety of models - don't just be character heavy without demonstrating you can take on an environment or a nice, intricate prop.  Characters are great and doing them well is even better, but show range.  As far as developing those skills, I always suggest to be as active as you can in practicing your craft.  Don't just rely on the assignments you receive in class.  Manage your time so that you reserve as much of it as you can to go through the paces of challenging yourself and finding barriers that you can break past.  But be sure to maintain a balance with studies, work and all other things in life so that you don't burn out. 

Orange quarter, modeling by Charles Ellison

And one last bit of advice which is one of those intangible things, when you land the interview, be yourself, and show us that you are the kind of person that we want to work with.  After all, I spend more time with my colleagues at work then I do with my family sadly, so I want candidates that are genuine people.  I would rather work with the person who has talent that can be nurtured - albeit needs growth but is a nice person, versus someone whom has a super impressive portfolio but during an interview doesn't show the best attitude. Know what I mean? Absolutely!  "Don't be afraid to show your work. Failure is always part of the road to success."  What do you think about these statements and how does that apply to your own job in a professional environment?  I mean, are you allowed to improve by failure or do you have to get it right every first time? As artist, we are always subject to opinion, and this is no different in a professional or an educational environment.  The difference is I would switch the word failure with that of process.  The process to striking the vision of many different people can be a very organic and sometimes tedious process, but process non the same.  Sometimes we nail it and please everyone upon first showing, sometimes it requires many iterations, but it's never a failure so long as we end up with a great final product, within the time-frame we are given.  In a school environment, it's very similar in that you have a goal, a deadline and a client - your instructor.  I always stress the need for students to never be shy to show their work, as the goal in sharing is to find ways to improve by way of constructive feedback - very much the same way it would be in production.

Dragon Lair, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you name a few people that have inspired you, in life and as a 3D professional? Naturally I have garnered inspiration from the people whom raised me, non more so than my Grandmother.  The work ethic she modeled for me was just remarkable.  My wife is a huge reason I am even where I am today, but my children are my strongest inspiration.  Trust me when I say nothing inspires you to be your best than your children.  As for artists?  My goodness, where do I begin?  There is just so much amazing talent out there, both known and unknown.  The unknown's are just as amazing it's just they haven't made an effort to have an online presence.  My very first supervisor, Tetsuya Ishii, is such an amazing artists and is equally skilled artistically and technically.  Plus I have a soft spot that I learned so much from him.  Some other artist whom have had direct influence on me are Danny Williams (aka Point Pusher) for the years we worked together and for the knowledge he was so willing to share and who is also a good friend.  Another good friend and former colleague whom has inspired me is Shannon Thomas, whom is now over at Blizzard as a Character Supervisor.  

Bob Ross

But there is so many others over the course of my career whom I've had the pleasure to either work with directly, converse with, or just admire from a far.  I know I will miss some names, but here is a short list:  Nico Marlet, Tim Lamb, Pierre Olivier Vincent, Alena Tottle, Mike Defeo, Kendal Chronkite, Raymond Zibach, Simon Otto, Mel Milton, Kent Melton,  Glen Keane, Matt Thorup, Dylan Ekren, Bear Williams, Brian Jefcoat and of course Bob Ross - no really, watched him religiously as a kid. "Happy little trees." Are there any public tours at DreamWorks ? There are no public tours, but it is possible to have a tour through someone on the inside.  I have personally had many guests come to visit the campus, including many Animschool students.  I extend this invitation to every class I teach.  You just have to give me a heads up when you are going to be around LA and I'm happy to set it up - so long as I'm available to do so of course.

Little Dragon composite, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you give any tips to the students for their demo reel when they want to apply for a job at DreamWorks or another large studio?  Besides the information I gave earlier in the interview, I would say, know your client.  If you are applying to DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, demonstrate models that fit the style of work that they do.  Similarly I would say the same for a game company or VFX studio.  And the last thing I would suggest, always place your best model first - wow us with that first look.  Keep your reel short.  It doesn't need to be bloated.  I would rather see 3 great models over the course of a 2 minute reel, versus a 5 minute reel of stuff you threw in there thinking it needed to be there because you were worried you didn't have enough.  Quality over quantity always.  And remember, always show the art your started from.  And lastly, these days, it's not just about a demo reel, have on online platform such as a personal website, ArtStation, or something similar which showcases your many different works.  This can be a place where potential employers can see works that are maybe unfinished, but still offer insight to your process as an artist. Those are great tips, thank you!  Why did you become an Animschool teacher ?

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

When I first made the choice to begin teaching, much of my decision was based on the idea of maximizing the time that I have to provide for my family and I wanted to do so in a manner that felt rewarding beyond just compensation. Teaching was a natural fit that I could balance nicely with my full-time roll at DreamWorks and also was an opportunity for me to give back to the community.  Originally, I did not know if teaching was going to be a short or long term commitment or even if I would be any good at it.  I also did not foresee how invested I would get in the students.  I didn't foresee the relationships that I would build and how rewarding it would feel to see my students improving before my eyes.  It is such a great feeling to see your students applying what they are learning, improving upon their skills and most importantly, having fun during the process.  I make it a point to make sure the students know from day one that they are in an environment that will be fun, organic and nurturing.  I really do try to give them all I have to offer and be someone who will offer them as much insight as I can into the industry as well.  And why Animschool?   I have had many former colleagues of mine whom had ventured into the world of teaching speak very highly of Animschool and a good friend had introduced me to Dave Gallagher to speak about the prospect of teaching.  Fast forward to now, and I am very happy to be a part of the Animschool community and proud of the students that I have had the pleasure to teach.  What I feel makes Animschool a unique and special place to learn this wonderful craft, is the global aspect of it's students (nothing excites me more than to see a roster of students from all corners of the globe) and how diverse the they are.  I find Animschool students to be some of the most dedicated and focused I've come across.  And lastly, I find the talent that the school brings in to instruct their classes to be world class and whom really want to provide the best instruction they can.  Put all that together and it truly is an amazing community to be a part of.

Thank you Charles !

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[so-awkwardd]

Interview with Charles Ellison

Hi Charles, it's great to have you here for this interview. Thank you!  Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? First off, I just wanted to say thank you to you for conducting this interview and to Animschool for hosting.  I hope the readers find some words of wisdom somewhere in here.  

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

My name is Charles, although family and friends call me Charlie.  I am a proud father of two little girls, whom I am raising with my wonderful wife in which I've been with for just about 20 years now - 9 married.  I was born in Venezuela, and migrated to this country at a young age, finally establishing roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am one of the Heads of Modeling for DreamWorks Animation, as well as an Instructor here at Animschool for about the past 4 years or so, and I call Los Angeles home now.  I've been at DreamWorks for 10 years now and have loved every day of it. I've had the privilege to work on many wonderful animated movies, including the How to Train Your Dragon series, Kung Fu Panda series and have most recently supervised Trolls and am currently supervising Trolls 2, just to name a few.  

Snoutlot, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you tell us about your background and how you became Head of Modeling at DreamWorks?

I'll try to keep a long story short, but like many of you, the start of my journey began with a love of stories.  I recall being profoundly affected by movies as a child.  Growing up in a household as an only child, movies often served as a sibling in an odd sort of way.  I helped Elliot get E.T. back home, went on treasure hunts with the Goonies, and helped the rebellion fight the Empire in Star Wars.   Imagination is a wonderful thing when you are a child, but I have never let that magic wither away.  It's part of what propelled me into this wonderful career

Berk Docks, modeling by Charles Ellison

The path wasn't always clear and it wasn't found quickly either. I didn't discover this path in fact until I was 24 and living just across the Bay from San Francisco, where my future awaited.  I recall waking up one morning, turning on the TV, and watching a commercial for the Academy of Art University.  People used to always tell me that I was creative and could draw and I should do something with that, so I literally got dressed, hopped on a bus and headed into the city where I took a tour of the school.  After being dazzled by the campus buildings which are nested throughout the city and the tour guide giving their best sales pitch, I was pretty wow'd by what I was seeing.  Yet it wasn't until walking through the Computer Animation department (which they save for last), that I was completely in awe.  I remember walking through the computer labs with the tour saying to myself,  "Wow.  Look at them.  They are doing it.  They are really doing it.".  I was referring to the students hard at work of course, working on these massive computers that I've never seen before, but you have to understand, after I saw Jurassic Park in '93 I was pretty much convinced that the people that made these movies were geniuses - an unattainable goal.  

Bunnymund, modeling by Charles Ellison

So upon the conclusion of the tour, I found myself taking a huge leap of faith and signing my name on the dotted line of an enrollment contract.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it all, but I was going to make it happen.  Behind the support of my family, my girlfriend (and future wife) and her family, but most importantly a belief in myself, I took that huge leap of faith.  I was intimidated, unsure and anxious, but along the way I discovered that I not only had talent and raw skill, but that I was in a prime environment to nurture this talent and develop it.  I took full advantage of the resources the school offered.  I was the first one in class, the last one out.  I surrounded myself with peers whom inspired me and therefor elevated myself.  I spent two years in fine art where I painted, drew, sculpted, and then finally the last two years were spent mostly on the computer where I focused on 3D Modeling.  I graduated in the Fall of 2004 - the first in my family in fact so it was a very proud day.  After graduation, I relocated to Los Angeles with my girlfriend (soon to be wife) where we set out to begin our lives away from family and discover our careers.  I quickly landed my first job at an Animation Studio here in LA, called Sprite Animation.  Sprite is a Japanese animation studio and I was the first American artist that they hired.  It was a tremendous learning experience and to this day I tribute them as some of the most skilled, talented and humble artist that I have ever worked with.  It was such a great place for me to begin my career because they pushed me to learn more and become a full fledged character artist.  I not only modeled, but I also textured and rigged my characters and from time to time I even animated them.  

Blacksmith shop, modeling by Charles Ellison

When it was time to leave Sprite to spread my wings, I spent a little time in the live-action VFX world and then I was at a cross roads.  I had a tough choice to make as I had a very good problem in front of me.  I had an offer from Digital Domain to be a Character TD on Benjamin Buttons or join DreamWorks as a Modeler.  It was two very different roads I could take, but my heart told me that DreamWorks was the right path.  So I chose DreamWorks.  Fast forward 10 years from that point, and I am now one of the Department Heads and have worked on amazing projects - I have no doubt in my mind that I made the best decision for myself.  

Fashionistas, modeling by Charles Ellison

That's an inspiring story!  How involved are you in the hiring process of new talent for DreamWorks? When we are in search of growing our Modeling team, I am very much a part of the process.  The way it works is myself, along with the other Department Heads, will review candidates which our fantastic Recruiting Department will filter through and offer up the best candidates that they discover either via visits to different schools, or submissions which we receive from applicants all over the world - typically comprised of students and experienced artists.  And sometimes, one of us may already have a candidate in mind whom we can propose to the group for consideration.  This is an occurrence that happens quite often if one of us knows of a great artist that is available.  I often have candid conversations with students where I explain what a unique perspective I have from my vantage point.  What I mean is, I get to be a part of the students as they are just paving the way for their growth as artist, and one day, they could find themselves interviewing with me as well.  It is a very special vantage point if you ask me, one which I don't take for granted.  I'm always on the look out for good talent, so even if students don't realize it, they could be already being noticed even if from a single class - so always put forth your best effort ;).  And when I am actively supervising a modeling team for a show, I do get to ask for specific members of the team so long as they are available and not already casted to another production.  We do our best to cast everybody to their strengths and formulate nicely balanced teams for each show. Besides the required technical skills, what do you think are main qualities a 3D artist should have to increase the chances to get hired by a large company? And do you have any tips on how to develop those skills? Besides the clear necessities as demonstrating clear technical skills as software knowledge and being able to craft nice geometry and understanding good topology practices, I can't emphasize enough the need to demonstrate a strong artistic eye.  Perhaps the best thing anyone can do on their demo reel, is provide the artwork that you started from so that I can gauge how you see shapes and how you can interpret a design.  It's an opportunity for me to see how you understand the fundamentals.  Often, I see demo reels which don't include the artwork they modeled from.  And of course be sure that when including the artwork you credit the original artist.  Another good tip is have a good variety of models - don't just be character heavy without demonstrating you can take on an environment or a nice, intricate prop.  Characters are great and doing them well is even better, but show range.  As far as developing those skills, I always suggest to be as active as you can in practicing your craft.  Don't just rely on the assignments you receive in class.  Manage your time so that you reserve as much of it as you can to go through the paces of challenging yourself and finding barriers that you can break past.  But be sure to maintain a balance with studies, work and all other things in life so that you don't burn out. 

Orange quarter, modeling by Charles Ellison

And one last bit of advice which is one of those intangible things, when you land the interview, be yourself, and show us that you are the kind of person that we want to work with.  After all, I spend more time with my colleagues at work then I do with my family sadly, so I want candidates that are genuine people.  I would rather work with the person who has talent that can be nurtured - albeit needs growth but is a nice person, versus someone whom has a super impressive portfolio but during an interview doesn't show the best attitude. Know what I mean? Absolutely!  "Don't be afraid to show your work. Failure is always part of the road to success."  What do you think about these statements and how does that apply to your own job in a professional environment?  I mean, are you allowed to improve by failure or do you have to get it right every first time? As artist, we are always subject to opinion, and this is no different in a professional or an educational environment.  The difference is I would switch the word failure with that of process.  The process to striking the vision of many different people can be a very organic and sometimes tedious process, but process non the same.  Sometimes we nail it and please everyone upon first showing, sometimes it requires many iterations, but it's never a failure so long as we end up with a great final product, within the time-frame we are given.  In a school environment, it's very similar in that you have a goal, a deadline and a client - your instructor.  I always stress the need for students to never be shy to show their work, as the goal in sharing is to find ways to improve by way of constructive feedback - very much the same way it would be in production.

Dragon Lair, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you name a few people that have inspired you, in life and as a 3D professional? Naturally I have garnered inspiration from the people whom raised me, non more so than my Grandmother.  The work ethic she modeled for me was just remarkable.  My wife is a huge reason I am even where I am today, but my children are my strongest inspiration.  Trust me when I say nothing inspires you to be your best than your children.  As for artists?  My goodness, where do I begin?  There is just so much amazing talent out there, both known and unknown.  The unknown's are just as amazing it's just they haven't made an effort to have an online presence.  My very first supervisor, Tetsuya Ishii, is such an amazing artists and is equally skilled artistically and technically.  Plus I have a soft spot that I learned so much from him.  Some other artist whom have had direct influence on me are Danny Williams (aka Point Pusher) for the years we worked together and for the knowledge he was so willing to share and who is also a good friend.  Another good friend and former colleague whom has inspired me is Shannon Thomas, whom is now over at Blizzard as a Character Supervisor.  

Bob Ross

But there is so many others over the course of my career whom I've had the pleasure to either work with directly, converse with, or just admire from a far.  I know I will miss some names, but here is a short list:  Nico Marlet, Tim Lamb, Pierre Olivier Vincent, Alena Tottle, Mike Defeo, Kendal Chronkite, Raymond Zibach, Simon Otto, Mel Milton, Kent Melton,  Glen Keane, Matt Thorup, Dylan Ekren, Bear Williams, Brian Jefcoat and of course Bob Ross - no really, watched him religiously as a kid. "Happy little trees." Are there any public tours at DreamWorks ? There are no public tours, but it is possible to have a tour through someone on the inside.  I have personally had many guests come to visit the campus, including many Animschool students.  I extend this invitation to every class I teach.  You just have to give me a heads up when you are going to be around LA and I'm happy to set it up - so long as I'm available to do so of course.

Little Dragon composite, modeling by Charles Ellison

Can you give any tips to the students for their demo reel when they want to apply for a job at DreamWorks or another large studio?  Besides the information I gave earlier in the interview, I would say, know your client.  If you are applying to DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, demonstrate models that fit the style of work that they do.  Similarly I would say the same for a game company or VFX studio.  And the last thing I would suggest, always place your best model first - wow us with that first look.  Keep your reel short.  It doesn't need to be bloated.  I would rather see 3 great models over the course of a 2 minute reel, versus a 5 minute reel of stuff you threw in there thinking it needed to be there because you were worried you didn't have enough.  Quality over quantity always.  And remember, always show the art your started from.  And lastly, these days, it's not just about a demo reel, have on online platform such as a personal website, ArtStation, or something similar which showcases your many different works.  This can be a place where potential employers can see works that are maybe unfinished, but still offer insight to your process as an artist. Those are great tips, thank you!  Why did you become an Animschool teacher ?

Charles Ellison, Head of Modeling at DreamWorks

When I first made the choice to begin teaching, much of my decision was based on the idea of maximizing the time that I have to provide for my family and I wanted to do so in a manner that felt rewarding beyond just compensation. Teaching was a natural fit that I could balance nicely with my full-time roll at DreamWorks and also was an opportunity for me to give back to the community.  Originally, I did not know if teaching was going to be a short or long term commitment or even if I would be any good at it.  I also did not foresee how invested I would get in the students.  I didn't foresee the relationships that I would build and how rewarding it would feel to see my students improving before my eyes.  It is such a great feeling to see your students applying what they are learning, improving upon their skills and most importantly, having fun during the process.  I make it a point to make sure the students know from day one that they are in an environment that will be fun, organic and nurturing.  I really do try to give them all I have to offer and be someone who will offer them as much insight as I can into the industry as well.  And why Animschool?   I have had many former colleagues of mine whom had ventured into the world of teaching speak very highly of Animschool and a good friend had introduced me to Dave Gallagher to speak about the prospect of teaching.  Fast forward to now, and I am very happy to be a part of the Animschool community and proud of the students that I have had the pleasure to teach.  What I feel makes Animschool a unique and special place to learn this wonderful craft, is the global aspect of it's students (nothing excites me more than to see a roster of students from all corners of the globe) and how diverse the they are.  I find Animschool students to be some of the most dedicated and focused I've come across.  And lastly, I find the talent that the school brings in to instruct their classes to be world class and whom really want to provide the best instruction they can.  Put all that together and it truly is an amazing community to be a part of.

Thank you Charles !

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[cillosophy-blog1]

The way to get your ex girlfriend back

Queries on finding back with ex girlfriends are the Most common ones I get. They usually have a few characteristic traits: The dude wants to get back collectively and his ex doesn’t want to/is ambivalent There's reference to a distinct incident that caused the breakup The guy is searching for a remedy that may be utilised now: send a text, apologize, stand your ground and wait for her to contact, etc. Breakups can tear you apart should you let them. So I desire to share my answer. I hope it lights a fire under your butt and assists you get back on top rated on the globe. Initially off . . .

Get truthful about WHY you broke up

Many times guys will point to one blow up conversation that ended issues. They got within a huge fight. They stated some stupid issues. If only they had selected their words differently, they’d nevertheless be collectively with this girl. I've some news. In the event you consider you and your girlfriend broke up due to one particular conversation, this really is going to hurt. But you must hear it. She didn’t leave because of that A single Issue you did. It wasn’t that one particular argument. That stupid text. Those mis-chosen words . . . It is tempting to offload the burden of losing the girl to a single, out-of-character interaction. The answer is really a cosmetic repair. Send a text. Apologize profusely. Stay the same and she’ll see it was all just a fluke. It wasn’t a fluke. Do not lie to your self. Girls don't break up with superb boyfriends because of an argument or perhaps a handful of mis-chosen words. Take duty. She left as a result of who that you are. She doesn’t wish to get back for the reason that you aren't remarkable sufficient to compel her to stay. This is not an issue that gets solved with a text message. You can not adjust the core of the becoming inside a single gesture. So quit together with the Hail Mary attempts. You are not coming back this late in the game using a single desperate maneuver. Commence functioning on larger difficulties. Like the gulf involving the man you are and the man you wish to turn out to be. Like your self esteem and self self-assurance. You may have some work to do on your self if you'd like to possess healthier, lasting relationships with awesome women. You might want to construct self-esteem. You should develop social skills. You need to construct connection expertise. And in the event you can give a very good, challenging appear at yourself and admit that, that you are a fucking hero.

Get actual: why do you would like to obtain back with her?

What exactly is really driving you to need to get back with her? Is it for the reason that she may be the most unique girl within the whole world, your one particular true soul mate? For the reason that out of your three.5 billion ladies in the world, she is definitely the most awesome, stunning, perfectly matched girl for you? Or is it since you secretly fear you do not have what it requires to obtain someone else you actually like? If you’re being honest, it’s almost certainly your fear. Contemplate this: unless you’re meeting and dating other cool girls in the course of this period of singleness, your need to date your ex comes from scarcity. It is a single issue to want a girl back for the reason that you might have picked her above a whole host of other people. Far more popular: dudes obsess over their exes and transform them into angels due to the fact they can not get other great girls. It’s all just a defense mechanism: pretend the one girl you understand liked you is really a goddess in place of risking rejection by acquiring back out in to the dating pool. It protects your ego, it coincides with rom-com plotlines, and it is total bullshit. Do not shield your ego. Admit it when you’re living inside a world of scarcity.

Do the work

So you have gotten sincere about your motivations and your feelings. You realize what’s driving them. That requires tremendous courage. Bravo. Now it’s time to place in some tough work. Very first, get available and commence getting social once more. There isn't any reason to wait. Force your self to start conversations with girls in bars or around the street. This can assist you within a quantity of strategies: It can make self-confidence and self-esteem due to the fact you are taking control of one's dating life It's going to give you new reference experiences of girls/girlfriends so you don’t get caught up on one particular You might wind up meeting somebody you like even more than your ex Practice awesomeness. What does that imply precisely? Basically, anything it takes to turn out to be an improved human getting and man. Build self-esteem with 6 Pillars of Self Esteem. Discover to acquire awesome with people today with Tips on how to Win Buddies. And also the number a single issue? Construct courage, confidence, along with a philosophy of abundance by specifically functioning on your capabilities at attracting women outside of your social circle. Yes, strangers. The truth is, the worry that we don’t have handle more than our appreciate lives will be the greatest source of insecurity for many men. I wrote The Anti-Pickup Line to chronicle how I overcame that and to teach other guys to accomplish exactly the same. Study it. Also, I create about this in the book, however it is worth calling out what inspired it . . . Get definitely excellent at sex. Girls have a tendency to not stroll away in the very best sex of their lives. I’m not wanting to insult your skills, but trust me - there is certainly area for improvement. Improving here will give you a superpower. You will find lots of resources along with the one that changed my life essentially the most is known as Sex God Approach (it’s difficult to discover as of late, otherwise I’d link out). A good way to strengthen the abilities of sex should be to learn a Como fazer pompoarismo

  Then go back towards the drawing board and ask, “How can I come to be a extra astounding man generally?“ This could imply dedicating yourself towards the gym, signing up for a martial art, enrolling in an improv comedy class, playing a musical instrument at an open mic night. It could imply finishing the 21 day no complaint challenge or even quitting your job and beginning a enterprise you really like. Additionally to honing your social expertise, I suggest performing at the least a single point in all these regions Well being (diet plan, health club, martial arts, meditation) Profession (move jobs, ask to get a promotion, quit) Inner Game (no complaint challenge, improv classes, read six Pillars of Self-Esteem) Talent acquisition (sing, play the guitar, understand PHP, what ever you like) Certainly one of the most devastating factors about a breakup is the fact that you really feel unloved. Worse, unworthy of love. Most dudes will then go seeking the approval of other people today. They’ll beg their ex to really like them once more. It doesn’t perform like that. If you need really like and also you would like to be worthy of like go do issues that can make you proud. Turn into an individual who you'd like. Come to be a person who you do really like (that begins currently, with a commitment to become your very best self).

But I want MY ex girlfriend back! Why is all this tips so general?

Asking tips on how to get YOUR ex girlfriend back can be a broken query. I’m sorry, but it’s true. It is like when people ask what exercising to accomplish to get defined abs. Not gonna take place with 20% physique fat. Crunch all you desire. Similarly, you can not cherry pick a single girl to create fall in enjoy with you (even if it can be your ex). You may only turn out to be a more awesome guy. Then a lot more persons will like you. That is the hardest factor to get a large amount of guys to accept.: There isn't any Way to just go get your ex back. Flowers, romantic gestures, promises things will likely be superior . . . these might extend the connection by a couple of weeks. However it was already on life assistance and you’re just treating symptoms. Resist the urge to romanticize this a single girl as if she had been your salvation. Get for the root cause. You. Only when you have grow to be a guy that is definitely eye-catching to A great deal of Individuals will you and your ex seriously stand a opportunity of getting back together. And by then, you’ll have built such an incredible life for oneself which you could possibly not even would like to

[maryjmyers2]

A Day in the Life of a Social Media Manager: How to Spend Time on Social Media in 2017

One of the questions I get asked most as the social media manager here at Buffer is:

How do you break up your day in order to get the most out of social media?

Up until recently, I hadn't really thought about it much. A little bit of content creation, curation, audience engagement, emails, outreach, and some Buffer scheduling.

I kept wondering, is there really a social media manager formula for success? How are other social media professionals spending their time during the day? Do we share the same tasks?

In search of an answer, I tracked every hour of my day for an entire week and scoured the web for top tips and resources from other social media marketers.

Here's what I found out about the best ways to make the most out of your time as social media manager.

Inside a social media manager's schedule

Being a social media manager can mean a seriously busy day of work. To prove just how packed it can be, Curalate put together an inside look at Mario Moreno's daily schedule. Mario is the Global Social Media Manager for one of the world's largest retailers:

Can you relate to a schedule like Mario's? Perhaps you do more. Or perhaps you perform different tasks on a daily basis. That's the beauty of being in this industry!

Here's a quick look at my day and how I spend each third:

Morning:

7-7:30am: Breakfast & coffee

7:30-8:30am: Email & voicemail

8:30-9am: Check-in on all social media platforms

9-9:30am: Measure social results and add to spreadsheets

9:30-10am: Respond and engage with community

10-10:30am: Schedule new content to Buffer

10:30-10:45am: Break & more coffee (much needed!)

10:45-11am: Read and learn

11am-12pm: Content creation (podcast, writing)

Afternoon:

12-12:30pm: Lunch

12:30-1pm: Emails and voicemails

1-1:30pm: Respond and engage with community

1:30-2:00pm: Curate content

2-2:30pm: Read and learn

2:30-2:45: Break

2:45-3pm: Schedule content to Buffer

3-4:30pm: Content creation (video, graphics)

4:30-5pm: Emails and voicemails

5-5:30pm: Check Buffer queue

Evening:

5:30-6:45pm: Gym

6:45-8pm: Dinner with my wife

8-9pm: Learn (programming, video making, etc.)

9-10pm: Relax and watch TV

10-10:30pm: Read

10:30pm: Sleep and repeat!

Themost important and productive times for me throughout the day are when I have the opportunity to create content, engage with the community, and learn.

The social media industry is one where there is a sharp learning curve to becoming an expert (and even then there's still learning to do). That's why Dennis Yu, CTO at BlitzMetrics, spends at least 3 hours learning every single day like so many other professionals.

I intentionally build learning, creating, and engaging time into my day so that I can increase the effectiveness of Buffer's social media over time. Focusing on one single task (instead of multi-tasking) has helped me to make the most of the hours spent learning, creating, and engaging.

Ready for another view on the social media manager job description?

Here's an interesting infographic from Meltwaterthat shows all of the tasks that a social media manager might perform in a given day. That's a lot!

The role of social media manager has evolved so quickly and dramatically over the course of the last 17 or so years. What was once a fairly straight-forward job of posting content and responding to the community has morphed into one that requires of a variety of soft and technical skills.

Social media managers are starting to look more T-Shaped than ever before.

On any given day, a social media manager might be responsible for setting the strategy for an upcoming product launch, creating a video, analyzing data across platforms, designing viral GIFs, coordinating messaging with PR & Communications, runnings paid advertisements and lots more.

It's no wonder these jobs are in such high-demand!

Making the most of your time as a social media manager

What do you do when you have to juggle all of the tasks above?

Perhaps the biggest challenge for social media managers is figuring out which activities to prioritize that will have the biggest impact on their brand or organization.

Daily and weekly to-do lists are handy as well as understanding what has moved the needle in the past on social media.

But I'd love to share two different ways of thinking about prioritization and making the most of your time that has helped me tremendously in my time as social media manager.

Coca-Cola's 70/20/10 Content

Coca-Cola has, for a long time, been a leader in the content marketing and social media space. Their 70/20/10 Ruleis a huge inspiration for us on the Buffer marketing team. It's mainly intended for budgeting and content development purposes but can assist in the social media process as well.

70/20/10 Rule in action

Now: 70%

This is the bread and butter of your marketing activities. For social media managers, this might mean activities like creating videos, engaging with your community, and curating content. In other words, low-risk activities that make a moderate-to-high impact on a day-to-day basis.

New: 20%

The 20 percent category is saved for iteration and innovation (new) on things that worked in the 70 percent bucket. For social media managers, this might mean an improvement on the overall quality of videos (or a different type of video completely). It might also mean the launch of a Facebook Group or private Slack community. In the 20 percent category, returns on investment aren't necessarily immediate.

Next: 10%

This is your high-risk, high-reward content. The ability to strategically identify and experiment in up-and-coming channels or mediums is an important skill for social media managers to develop and usually comes over time with experience. For example, you might launch a new Snapchat advertising campaign or install Facebook Messenger chatbots on your web assets. 10 percent bucket activities are meant to pay off big dividends down the line.

Determining ICE Score

Another one my favorite ways to prioritize social media activities is to think of each in terms of ICE. ICE, developed by Sean Ellis, CEO at GrowthHackers.com, stands for Impact, Confidence, and Ease.

Start with a list of all of the things that you would like to do or accomplish on social media within a given time frame.

Once you have a complete list, assign each task a score between 1-10 (1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest). After you've assigned each task a set of three scores (I, C, & E), take the average of all three and that is the total ICE Score. The higher the score the greater the potential.

GrowthHackers has an easy-to-use ICE Calculator that you can try for fun today.

Here's a quick example of ICE in action. Let's say that these were some of my weekly social media activities:

Curate content (I=6, C=7, E=6)

Create marketing videos (I=10, C=8, E=2)

Write new blog post (I=7, C=7, E=4)

Engage with community (I=7, C=7, E=7)

Based on the total ICE scores, I might prioritize these activities in this order:

Engage with community (Total ICE Score = 7.0)

Create marketing videos (Total ICE Score =6.7)

Curate content (Total ICE Score =6.3)

Write new blog post (Total ICE Score =6.0)

The great thing about the ICE method is that it can be applied to a variety of industries, goals, and situations.

Now let's quickly take a look at the 10 high-impact tasks of a social media manager job and what they each entail. This list is adapted from my own experiences at Buffer as well as conversations with lots of marketers around the world.

10 high-impact tasks of a social media manager job

1. Strategizing

There are so many goals we could potentially focus on as social media managers like brand awareness, engagement, traffic, and signups, to name a few. There's also the challenge of figuring out how to make sure your social media goals are aligned with your overall company goals. That's where a having a solid social media strategy comes into play.

2. Engaging

Along with creating and curating content, cultivating a happy and engaged audience is a high-impact task for any brand. This helps to create a community of loyal followers who will eventually help to spread the word of your product or service on social media.

3. Creating

At the heart of every social media manager role is the art content creation. Content is the life blood of your social networks and what keeps your audience reading, engaging, and interacting with your brand. It's important to learn how to create all sorts of content from videos to GIFs to infographics and more.

4. Curating

Depending on the various types of content you share on social, curating can have a huge impact on your overall social media results. Discovering and sifting through content from others involves having a deep well of sources to read-as well as the time to read it all and determine the best fit for your brand.

5. Scheduling

Planning ahead and scheduling content is another high-impact task that makes a world of difference for your brand. We've often found that our posts perform best early in the morning, in the evenings, and on weekends - so choosing a social media management platform that allows you to post even when you're not online can make your life a whole lot easier and improve your results.

6. Listening

I'm always amazed over the awesome things that I find when I have my ear to the ground searching and listening for conversations around Buffer and similar terms. There are so many opportunities for marketers and brands to proactively seek out and build relationships with potential customers in your community. But choosing the right listening tool is crucial for finding relevant terms and conversations in your industry.

7.Measuring

Once your posts are scheduled and sent out to social media it's time to analyze their performance. How many clicks did they receive? How many likes, comments, and shares? How did it impact the bottom line? Then, taking a step further, how can you use those stats to help make informed decisions in the future. That's where great social media managers thrive!

8. Helping

The use of social media as a customer service toolhas skyrocketedover the last few years. Customers are no longer relying only on 1-800 numbers for answers to their questions they're turning to social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Whether folks are reaching out to you with a question, comment, concern, or complaint, it's a social media manager's job to figure out the best plan of action to help that person.

9. Learning

Becoming a student of the trade and learning as much as you possibly can has both a short and long-term impact on your brand or company. Like I quickly mentioned before, there's a steep learning curve to becoming a great social media manager and building the skills it takes to succeed all stars with learning.

10. Experimenting

We love experimentation here at Buffer. In our experience, the more we experiment the more we learn about what works and what doesn't on social media. We've tried all sorts of things from five Facebook Live sessions in one day to creating a Tumblr account to starting a podcast. Experimenting ties directly into all 10 high-impact tasks of a social media manager.

A social media manager checklist

A big takeaway from all of this is that there are so many different day-to-day schedules of a social media manager. The same holds true for day-to-day tasks!

That's why I'd love to leave you all with a giant social media checklist for each individual network. Hopefully, this will help to shed some light on what other marketers are doing daily and inspire you to create your next big social media hit.

Finally

What does it look like to be a successful social media manager?

I really do believe it's one of the best jobs out there. What's better than engaging with awesome people on social media and creating content that people love?

The big challenge is that full-time social media managers take on a huge number of tasks every single day, and the time involved can grow exponentially along with the scale of the strategy. That's why it's important to constantly work on prioritizing tasks by using the methods and strategies above.

How much time do you spend with social media management?

I'd love to hear what your days look like. Please do share in the comments!

Kevan originally published a version of this post in 2014, this version has been fully updated for 2017.