Sam Klock

Hey #ThisIsAnimation. I'm Sam and I'm an Effects Animator at @DisneyAnimation. I've gotten to do a crazy amount of silly effects since the first Wreck It Ralph! I've also worked in live action and commercials.

many people ask us what qualifies as AI Slop so we have put together this handy flow chart to help people understand. hopefully this will clear up much confusion!

hell if we know

I waited until today to share this because I wanted to be sure I was communicating from a place of clarity. Intrepid Studios has shut down in a way that I did not expect. What I can share is what I experienced. On January 28, toward the end of the workday, I was informed that we would be laying off 100 developers. I was devastated - these are hardworking people who were going to lose their jobs. Still, I believed it was something we could face together and find a path forward from. On January 29, I shared this information confidentially with my Game Services team. I told them that changes were coming, that I did not yet know who would be affected, and that I wished I had more certainty to offer. I could not live with myself if I did not give them advance notice - these are people who deserve to be treated like human beings. By the end of that day, I received confirmation of which people on my team would be impacted. On January 30, I spoke individually with each of my team members to let them know whether they were affected, so they could begin planning and preparing. Those who were staying began working on ways to move forward. Even those who knew they would be leaving offered their support - showing the grace, professionalism, and strength that defined our Game Services team. On January 31, we were all informed via a confusing email that we would be laid off, along with a WARN notice. It is still shocking. The entire studio gathered to try to understand what had happened and what it meant for our future. In the end, none of us are receiving our final paychecks, the 60 days notice and pay outlined under the WARN Act, PTO payouts, or other compensation owed. What matters most to me now are the people - both the players and developers. To the players: the entire development team was working extremely hard, pulling long hours, and wishes with all our hearts that we could give you Ashes of Creation. There are no words that fully express how sorry we are that this journey ended this way. You should pursue a refund, you deserve it. To my colleagues: this team is truly a family. The culture we built together is something I have never experienced anywhere else. In the midst of heartbreak and uncertainty, we have come together to review resumes, help with portfolios, share job leads, and support one another emotionally. That says everything about who we are as people. For hiring managers and recruiters: we will be hosting a job fair for former Intrepid Studios employees. These are extraordinary professionals who would be amazing assets to any team. If you are interested in participating, we would be deeply grateful if you would fill out the participation form, so that we can coordinate with you. forms.gle/eUeeKffGizBrMB… I wish I had better news. I wish our story had ended differently. Margaret

jesus christ this economy is dictated by morons

Good.

please keep expressing your opposition to GenAI. it does work 🥰

another concept artist here wanting to say that any designer worth their salt would agree when i say that 50% of creating GREAT designs is the quality of reference gathered and the personal visual library of the artist actually doing the work using ai generated images in your reference boards to "get an idea" actively hamstrings your ability to explore and iterate actual new, interesting designs because it creates a preconceived end goal in your head and allows no room for deviation and happy accidents to happen the greatest concept artists ive ever met are people who expose themselves to new things and are truly curious about the world. they spend DAYS collecting high quality, accurate reference and have images of everything you could ever think of under the sun in their personal libraries- fabrics and stitching from so many different cultures, cool rocks, weird plants, interesting architecture, landscapes, art from every time period etc. do not fall for the "generate ideas" excuse, you are hired as a concept artist first for your great ideas and design sense, not because you can paint the prettiest picture. the last thing many of us want- gamers and artists alike- is for the medium we all love so much to become only derivative slop with the same repackaged visuals and experiences.

@paulhildebrandt @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN @thejaredbush you gotta get Paul next time for a pic!

@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN Sorry I missed you when you were here.

With the director, Jared Bush.

"Half of 3D artists" sample size less than 4k. K so your sample size is not representative.

@Oddernod Sleepn.

How are those animators doing? 😴🥱🛏️

@thomasmarcoscom Your daily reminder this meme is kinda silly and Houdini Apprentice is 100% free and the full FX version.

Your daily reminder that Blender is a free tool 😜 #b3d

Last week, over 130 Production Workers, TD's, Artists, & Editors at DreamWorks delivered a petition for a fair contract! Share this video & tag @DreamWorks to show support & stand in solidarity with Production Workers as they return to the Negotiating table today! #ProdStrong!✊

Please repost and show your support so these workers can get a fair deal!

@io_sammt Ready for something that's been renderable since the 80s?

Is the world ready for Metaballs?

I’ve been out of work in the animation industry for two years now (1/5)

Anyone telling you to "do the math" or "worth it for the price considering all you get" is a shill for the corpos. Absolutely screw this noise. GTA 6 execs chose to dump a ludicrous load of cash into the game. It's not on the player to recoup their poor money management skills.

@CaseyExplosion Such a great film. Watched that VHS on repeat so much

Kids today don't know about Robot Jox Stuart Gordon did a giant robo movie with minatures in the desert and a shoestring budget

I kept changing my mind which Jimmy Carter cartoon i should go with. Here's all three.