New member intro and request for comment on site/content

[Philip]

Greetings everyone. I am a new member to this Forum. Based in Marin County, CA - formerly of Africa UK and Germany.

A collection of my matte work can be seen on a new almost finished (well, I hope!) site www.philipchudy.com/matte (http://www.philipchudy.com/matte)

I would appreciate hearing whether or not the site, the work and presentation are viable - i.e. would any prospective project manager have any motivation to employ my talents based on what they see.

Although I have a lot of technical/creative experience, I have no real handle on the matte painting/production sub-culture.

Appreciate any reaction / criticism esp. since the site is still subject to change/improvement.

Philip

Ps - the 'about' section is presently empty - I am presently dumbstruck.

[homer]

I think your Photography section is the best section in your site.
great job.

[Philip]

That is a shame in a way since photo buyers seem to think I should stop pretending to be a photographer and put my talents to proper use elsewhere.

Seriously, those photos are nice enough but are of no consequence whatsoever - If I pay to hang them on a gallery wall, I get compliments and that is as far as it goes. In the commercial photo world - I get a mixture of compliments for being sort of arty/jouirnalistic and pity - pity because, nice as they are, none are the types of image anyone ever needs to use. I dont care any more - the world of still images is more conservative than most care to admit - I do work for my own satisfaction.

I am interested to glean whether the predominance of autos in the matte site is a complete turn off for moving image types. I have worked in different areas and what turns on one group is often considered a joke elsewhere.

Philip

Ps - if you want to see more similar pretty photos try www.philipchudy.com (http://www.philipchudy.com)

[Fuzz]

I think your work is very impressive. Your mattes are convincing enough, i can't tell how much is 3D and how much is photoshop, so i guess thats good. Regardless i would stop worrying about being acceptable to everyone's taste and just understand that if you have skill, people will notice. Just create the kinda of images that interest you and your true abilities will always shine through. Regardless, it's better than forcing yourself to paint a bunch of commercial images you hate just because you believe it's what others want to see.

...Or i could be talking out my ass. Heh.

[Philip]

I agree with what you say about just doing what you are good to do - and in the main I think I have. But I don’t really fancy jumping out of the frying pan into the fire in terms of finding big new prejudices that cut right into the work I feel I do naturally.

To illustrate - in the print world I have produced what to my mind were fairly tame images - but they tended towards the kind of imagery that is common and wholly mainstream in movies and commercials. My assumption was that people would find it easy to stomach such work cause they see it on a daily basis and that they would be glad to pay me to make more. With the exception of a collection of stock images I produced with an artist in the nineties (which sold a bomb then but which was universally despised - and then the agent stole all the proceeds) - I found that it takes a decade or more before what people moving on screen is acceptable currency for print.

I think in a way people want to experience dreams and illusions on the screen and they tend to want static images to tell them the truth and not mislead them.

Well, that is not entirely true in practice ( see all the retouched advertising images) but that is the kind of pull you find in the minds of editors. The photographer is already a thief who steals bits of public reality and a crook for trying to sell it back. But when you do some good honest work and 'create' an image (a la matte painting) - then you are a fraudster ready to destroy the delicate balance between fantasy and the solid world of photo reality.

Given that it too me so long to discover some discord between my own motivation and the general needs of the photo market, it is possible that I am now exhibiting paranoid states - I hope so - there are a lot of good images to be had from a sick decaying mind – the movies seem to thrive on cobwebs and emboweled virgins – I could be right up front with something relevant for a change :D