Student interviews

Jimmy Levinsky

Quote from Jimmy: "At TRUEMAX academy I've been taught by some of the greatest artists in the 3D industry."

Latest news, Interview 17 March 2009:

The following interview was made March 2009 by Charlotte Fjordvald Bertelsen:
Status now: Lead Character Modeler, Copenhagen Bombay
Nationality: Danish
Age: 27
Education: 3D Digital Artist (2006)
Website: http://www.jimmylev.com

1. How long have you worked at Copenhagen Bombay?

Actually I will begin working at Copenhagen Bombay in a week’s time, but I have worked with them before so I’m familiar with their set-up. Right now I’m sort of between jobs. I was recently working at A. Film on some characters for a pilot and I also created some props for an animation film called “Olsen banden på de bonede gulve” (The Olsen Gang Gets Polished), which is expected to be released in autumn 2009.

2. What is your job title and area of expertise?

I’ll be doing character modeling at Copenhagen Bombay, so my job title will probably be Lead Character Modeler. I have a contract that will last approximately 6 months. And this will be the fourth time I’ll be working for Copenhagen Bombay. Before this I helped create a pilot for their upcoming 3D computer animated feature film “Den kæmpestore bjørn” (The Great Bear), as well as a number of smaller projects.

3. What does your typical work day look like?

Modeling, especially character modeling, is what I do most of. That’s my primary area of interest. Sometimes I also work with texturing. A typical day spent doing character modeling looks something like this:
If I’m making a new character, I begin with a character design. I start by setting up a scene using model sheets. Then I do a rough model. When I’ve got the proportions the way I want them – and they’ve been approved – I go into more detail. This takes about one full day, depending on how complicated the model is. I create models based on drawings in dialogue with a producer, Lead Character Modeler and rigger.

4. Describe your career in the 3D industry since you completed your education at TRUEMAX academy.

I began as a Trainee at Radar Film, got hired, and I ended up working there for about 2 years. While there I worked on commercials and Radar Film’s first 3D computer animated feature film, “Discoormene” (Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms); first on the pilot for the film, and later the film itself. Then I worked for A. Film, Copenhagen Bombay, Ghost and Mark Film. At Mark Film, which is located in Viborg, I worked on making commercials for Bang&Olufsen. I found it interesting to work somewhere other than Copenhagen and to meet new people and get new contacts. My career in the 3D industry is so far contract-based, and my impression is that this is the norm.
I am relatively specialized within character modeling. It seems that I’ve become known in the business for my ability to deliver quality modeling – at least they seem to call me when they need a freelancer. And that’s pretty cool.

5. Which projects have you worked on?

As I mentioned, I’ve worked on feature films and commercials in particular. My feature film projects have all been 100% computer animated, ranging from “Discoormene” (Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms) at Radar Film and the pilot for “Den kæmpestore bjørn” (The Great Bear) at Copenhagen Bombay, for which I modeled the bear himself and the boy. In terms of commercials, I’ve worked on projects for LEGO, Albani, Bang&Olufsen and Aquafresh. And I have also created 3D models for a children’s program for the Danish national television network, DR.

6. Describe your career in the 3D industry in terms of working hours and salary.

I began working without pay at Radar Film while I was still a student, and after that I received a small salary every month. Since then I’ve increased my earnings slowly but steadily. The pay in this industry isn’t that huge, so don’t think that this is the road to riches. Working hours are fine with me; of course there have been times when I’ve had to stay late, but I think people are aware of not working too much overtime so it hasn’t been too much to handle or anything.

7. What did you find useful about your education at TRUEMAX academy? And what would you have liked to learn more about?

Learning about all aspects of the industry was great. During our education, the instructors placed a lot of importance on providing us with solid information about the 3D industry. And it was a good thing that we were encouraged to move beyond our specialized field to work in other areas within 3D production, because that gave us a thorough and useful foundation for supervising the production process in a professional setting. And then there’s the networking aspect: It was good to build contacts with students, instructors, and people from the industry. That’s a big plus when it comes to finding a job.
If I could have afforded it, I would have taken 6 months or a year to learn drawing, color rendering, shapes and proportions. It would have been good to gain a more solid foundation in classic drawing and modeling techniques when you’re going to be working with modeling and texturing.

8. What are your career goals in the 3D industry?

My dream is to have creative responsibility on a major feature film project. It would be great to have the chance to create main characters for Pixar or another big-budget studio, because then you get to really spend time working on the small details. But from what I hear you don’t get senior responsibility until you’ve had 7 years of experience! I’ve also kept an eye on Tippett Studio, who create visual effects and 3D animations for a wide range of films and commercials including “The Golden Compass”, “Charlotte’s Web” and “Hellboy”. I really want to send them a show reel soon. But I need some similar studio experience that ties in with what they do. I also really want to work abroad, preferably in the USA, Canada or New Zealand. And somewhere off in the future, I want to leave freelancing behind and start my own small company.

9. Who are your greatest sources of inspiration in the 3D industry?

Nobody in particular, because there are so many talented artists on sites like zbrushcentral.com and cgtalk.com, and they are doing some very different and extraordinary work. They’re probably my primary sources of inspiration.

10. What advice would you give people considering a career in the 3D industry?

To the new students I’d say: be prepared to work really hard. Come to classes, learn everything you can, and take some drawing courses!
Don’t expect to get rich, because there can often be gaps between jobs, and the pay itself isn’t particularly lucrative. But if you can accept that, then it’s pretty COOL that your hobby is your job!