An open letter to anyone introducing me at events, client calls, industry parties or the likes:
To whom it may concern,
Please do not ever again refer to us as “3D guys, THE 3D guy” or the particularly nauseating “3D Guru”. It’s dismissive, degrading, and just sounds fucking dumb. Those titles always seem to be delivered with a subliminal dismissive tone that insinuates that when these robots speak you probably wont understand a single word they say, so if your smart you’ll tune them out. It’s like your buddies are over and your Mom is making you include your noisy little brat brother. “Mom says, we have to include Bobby”. Well fuck that, we are designers/artists that just so happen to be able to work in one additional dimension. Besides, we aren’t anyone’s “guy’s” and some of us might not even be guys (although lets be honest, that is rare). Oh John, he’s our 3D guy, he’s a faceless, nameless vessel of indecipherable techno-garble, there is no way he could be creative. He doesn’t even look like a Jonas Brother.
Why is it that 3D artists/designers get the prefix of “3D”, yet 2D designers are simply, “designers”? Wouldn’t this insinuate that somehow the 3D designer is limited in some fashion? As if he is only capable of designing in 3D? Well most of you that read this blog know this to be the exact opposite. In fact, it is the simply named “designers” that are in fact limited to mainly two dimensions or the occasional 2.5D. Interesting huh? I believe there is an inevitable trend growing that will unite us all. More and more 2D artists/designers are picking up 3D and it is my hope that we will all shed the prefix of a dimension and become simply Aritsts/Designers.
So please drop those phrases from your vocab. Unless you plan on referring to everyone with the postfix of “guys”. Like here’s Stan our 2D guy, over there is Hank, he’s our Producer guy, and way back there is Russ our Janitor guy. We are not action figures.
Sincerely,
Artists/Designers who happen to be good at 3D
This entry was written by , posted on April 7, 2009 at 9:39 pm, filed under Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
Thank you.
Amen
I’m actually downgrading.
Since 2D designers get more love as artist than “3D guys”, I assume that when I complete my transition to 1D designer, I won’t even have to design anything anymore. Companies will just give me money and speaking engagements on the premise that just that tenuous association with me alone will garner them awards and accolades. I’m practicing holding shift as I draw lines right now, just in case . . .
nice post!
Love it. So well put.
Man, and there I went all these years considering it the highest honor to be labeled “the 3D guy”…
/Z
Smashley: spot on.
Zeth: they’re called producers.
you’ve vocalized what I’ve been thinking for a long time. Well said! 3D Guru….growl.
Wow. I just realized that a thread was started on mograph about this little rant of mine. I love watching people make assumptions, it’s kind of fun. Everyone over there should just relax and not take me so seriously. This rant was written as a sort of commentary on how the motion graphics industry is not sure what to do with designers who specialize in 3d (at all experience levels). I just see so many talented designers who do 3D and it always bugs me to hear them (or myself) being called 3D guys. So I thought a little tongue in cheek rant would help stir the pot. I guess I was right.
ehem….
Very interesting and fun article!and True!
Have to agree 3D guys, designers, graphic designers, artists, none really ever seem to cover all the aspects of a persons experience level or personal talents. And to add to the confusion these titles never seem to mean the same thing from one company to another. The assumptions made by an individual over a title in the first seconds reading a resume could be costly. Our industry is very young in the technology aspect but Art is one of the oldest professions. Seems like we could benefit from a standard to base upon.
Well instead of ranting ill go back to work and get paid. Thx for listening.
3-D guy is better than 3-D grunt
almost everyone doing 3d or motiongraphics started out as a mere designer , as far as I know. So why not title yourself from where you came and where you are at ?
Martin Lindelöf, designer > web designer > flash developer > blender3d artist
unite! awesome post, and I shall never call our 3d artist , “hey you guys!” anymore
…. and the guru suffix just sucks. it’s so fucking lame to hear at a meeting “yeah this is John Doe our flash guru” -___-* it sure sounds cool to say for sales reps but all the creatives goes , do’h.