Making the jump from regional tv to high(er)-end post

[mcdee]

I'm wondering if I can ask some advice from those here who have already blazed the trail? I'm currently working for a tv station editing low-budget regional commercials (you know, the shouty, noisy, over-supered ones). The ads aren't great by any means, but I work with an excellent team and enjoy the challenges unique to this sort of work (ie. making something worth $400 look $4000). However, my partner will be moving to a capital city within a year and I'd like to use the move to cross into more effects-laden editing or straight compositing.

So, aside from good timing, contacts, and some bluffing, what skills are vital to opening doors in these fields? And what apps? I know a little Combustion and some more After Effects and use Photoshop daily, but don't have handles on the steamier stuff (expressions for example). And whilst it's not what I want to do, will basic mastery of a 3D package help? What approaches open doors? Who is best to approach at the larger post houses? I'm rebuilding my showreel from the ground up so what sort of shots will impress? Are there any books that people can recommend to take those basic compositing skills further?

Sorry about all the questions, but I have a year to get my act together and want to make the most of the time. I really appreciate people taking the time to read the post, Cheers.

[rego]

It would be a ideal for you to continue as an offline editor and improve your skills at combustion by doing more work on it for clients and actually going through the hard process of changes and more changes,which will ultimately benifit you. Also getting into 3d softwares and at the same time while doing compositing is a bad idea, the industry wants specialists.

[eltopo]

Yeah, don't try to be ILM from one day to another. Focus on what you do best. Your software is capable of doing pro stuff so I wouldn't worry about that. I suggest that you polish your skills; maybe doing some extra-work for your clients in Combustion or After, they will be impressed and you will get extra experience.

About 3D, it is a steep learning curve so it will be a while until you get professional results. If you decide to go for it, I suggest a second level package such as Lightwave which can do pro stuff (although not as well as Maya) but it is not so expensive (around $1300 US dollars) compared to 3DSMAx $3500 and Maya's $7000.

Other 3d packages you might want to check out: Electricimage Universe and
Cinema 4D. They will serve you well

[burgerdog]

If you want to learn Maya, there is the completely free "Maya Personal Learning Edition" that you can DL off of alias's web site.

Like everyone else has said, do what you enjoy. The trick to getting good is mostly interest in what you are doing. I only learned expressions because I thought it would be fun. Now that I know them I use them all the time, but there wasn't a job that had called for it and had I not explored I would still be wasting a lot of time :p

I don't think that the industry is only looking for specialists. The fact that I know Flame, Maya, Combustion and After Effects (ya ya ya...) has been very valuable. But I do about 98% of my work on Flame. Most of the other knowledge is used to explain to kids fresh out of school how to do something in the package they specialize in...

But I work at a small place. I would imagine the bigger places look for more specialized people.

Getting good at any 2d app (Combustion, AE, Shake, etc) would be the biggest helper. Knowing AE helped me a lot when I learned Flame. Not because they are even remotely simmilar, but the thinking of how to accomplish a comp or shot tends to be alike.

As for getting a job out of it, I don't know. I have gotten all my work through friends, leads from friends and offering to work for minimum wage. A sweet demo reel and being easy to work with would be the two things I think would go the furthest. I say find a place or two you like and try to get in there. Maybe not as the position you want, but something that will allow you to move up.