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Filtering by Category: Anecdotes

Adventure is Out There

Bailey Kalesti

Friends,

I'm writing to tell you about what's going on with me. As many of you already know, Forma Pictures is going quiet. It still exists, but I will no longer be accepting work inquiries or pursuing side projects at this time.

Why?

Well, I accepted a different job. One that will take all of my focus and fortitude. I've accepted a job at Blizzard Entertainment. It's long been my dream to join their team and to learn and collaborate with the fine people there. I'm very happy.

So, there it is. I work at Blizzard. Anything I say or do going forward from here will in no way reflect Blizzard. These opinions on this blog are mine and mine alone. But it'll be quiet here for a time.

Best to you all,

Bailey

100

Bailey Kalesti

Yup. This is the 100th entry for this blog. I started it 2 years ago to shed light on my travels as an artist and business person. It's been a way for me to share and process what I've been making and thinking. A lot has happened these past 100 weeks!

Over the last couple months, however, I've had fewer ideas of what to talk about each week. My guess is because I'm also making weekly video tutorials and essays. So, now I'm only going to post on this blog when bigger things happen or when I have something I want to share. The blog has been great for me, regardless of how many people have read it, but I feel like it's had its moment. I want to focus on other things now.

So, in one final, self-indulgent post, I'm going to list some of the things I've talked about over these past two years. Thanks for reading, friends!

Your pal, Bailey

Pokemon GO

Bailey Kalesti

Unless you've been living in a submarine this past month, chances are that you've heard of Pokemon GO. In an effort to summarize my feelings about this culture changing game, I interviewed Lars Brubaker, futurist, CEO, inventor, and game developer. Have a listen to us talk about why Pokemon GO is changing our social landscape in a big way:

Bailey

2 Years Old

Bailey Kalesti

Well, Forma Pictures is 2! That's pretty wild, if you ask me. These past 2 years have been somethin' else, and I have absolutely no regrets about it.

Deciding to up and quit my well-paying job was definitely the best decision I ever made. The reason for this is that I was able to go and do things I really cared about. Stuff that I believe in. If you're debating a similar set of choices, I urge you to do the thing that will lead you to more joy. Do that which will lead to a great story, even if it ends in embarrassment. Sure, the road may be harder, but it's worth it. At least it has been for me.

This past year was a lot of fun. I worked on a few commercials, a game, launched a journalistic website, started a weekly series of narrated videos, and lots of other designs, edits, and articles. It's been busy.

I have no idea what this next year is going to be like, but I'm not really phased by so much uncertainty anymore. I'm used to it at this point. It's fun!

Anyhoo, I'll leave ya with the project I started this year that is nearest and dearest to my heart. I fuckin love working on it:

Bailey

VR: A New Dawn

Bailey Kalesti

This past week I had the great pleasure of trying out VR with the HTC Vive.

I was beside myself. It was so unbelievably cool that I didn't want to stop playing with it. My family and I each took turns trying it on (including my grandpa), and we all adored it. We were all giggling with pure delight for well over an hour. It really, truly was that incredible. Without a doubt, it was the coolest tech thing I've ever experienced.

My grandpa tried it out too. He liked it!

My grandpa tried it out too. He liked it!

Naturally, it got me thinking about the future of my career. I have no doubt that I'll be developing art for VR before long. It's just so obvious that that's where everything is heading. Sure, it isn't saying much now that it's part of our zeitgeist, but there was a time when it wasn't. I've been begging for VR for the last ten years, and I've wanted it in some fashion for my entire life. Well, it's finally happening!! Nothing makes me more excited than VR and augmented reality. Nothing.

-Bailey

New Horizons

Bailey Kalesti

You know, every now and then, a whole bunch of sweet things happen in sequence. It isn't often that I feel overwhelmed by one piece of great news after another, but that's exactly what happened this week.

The life of a freelance artist can be difficult. That's not to say that I don't experience a great deal of happiness, because I do. But when there are so many unknowns, things can get a bit tricky.

But this week was different. A few buds on the tree I've been growing have begun to blossom. The site I run, Behind the Cinematic, is beginning to take off. It's early days yet, but it's positively brimming with potential. I can feel it.

Next week I'll begin interviewing artists in the industry who work on game cinematics. The interviews will be made available for people to read on the site. And let me tell you...I am extremely excited to be doing this. After almost six months of planning, it's finally happening!

And...there was some more good news this week. All speculative stuff, but opportunities are exciting. The future is bright. It's good!

Bailey

Facing the Truth

Bailey Kalesti

I wanna talk about the concept "do what you love." At this point in time, everyone has heard this phrase. But relatively few people actually understand why it's so powerful. It has less to do with doing things that are enjoyable, and more to do with facing the truth of who you are.

Being honest, brutally honest about who you are is no easy task. It takes years. And it takes even longer for some. Doing what you love is not about doing something that you like doing, like eating or sleeping (although it could be related to them), it's about being true to who you are. What do I mean by this? Well, for me it was about recognizing what I was predisposed to being good at and also what I'm obsessed with.

For instance, I have a great love for the sciences. I think that molecular chemistry, astronomy, and the laws of thermodynamics are fucking awesome. When I was in college, I almost exclusively took classes in the hard sciences. I took a year of chemistry, as much astronomy as I could, and my favorite class was physics. It was so deliciously cool that I thought I should get a degree in astrophysics just for the hell of it. And who knew, maybe it would lead to something else.

But...

I couldn't run from who I was. My brain, for better or for worse, is intensely attracted to design, art and being creative in an emotional way. The idea of being a scientist is very cool to me, and I wanted to be one (in some small way), but I was passionate about art. And it was a passion that I did not choose.

Now, I could have ignored my predilection for design and animation. But I would not have been as happy. So, I gave in to art. As I often say, "I did not choose to be an artist." Seriously. If I had my way, I would be something else because being an artist is a fucking serious emotional roller-coaster. But for whatever genetic or environmental reasons, I am bound to art. And I love it. But we don't get to choose what we love.

So the lesson is to listen to yourself. Unhappy every Sunday night because you have to go to work in the morning? Well, listen to that. Feeling a sinking feeling when you're getting ready to create something? Listen to that. Every one is different, and the answers you seek will be nuanced. But there are answers. They are there all the time.

As one of my favorite people in the world says "Notice what you can't stop doing." The truth is that you already do the thing you love, even if you don't recognize it yet. It's there, in some small way. It might be hard to see, but it's there. And as my grandpa says, "We're always busy being ourselves." Yep. Truth.

Your bud,

Bailey

In Sickness And In Health

Bailey Kalesti

A bit quiet over here. Mostly because I've been under the weather. I suppose I was due for a good illness. Still, I've managed to work on some things, like the video project that's in development. Nevertheless, I've fallen behind on a few other side projects. And I've been lousy with email lately. Don't take your health for granted. Good health really is the best thing there is.

On the mend now. I hope!

Bailey

 

Turning Point

Bailey Kalesti

Cinematics will always hold a special place in my heart. They captured my imagination when I was younger, and I continue to love them to this day. However, there was one particular cinematic that inspired me more than any other...

One afternoon back in 2009, while I was deep in the internet on some tangent going from one article to the next, I came across a random video link. I had no idea what it was, but I clicked on it anyway. It began with the developer's logo emblazoning on the screen. It was familiar, but I didn't really know who they were. Then screen went dark. Lights flickered on and machinery began to come to life. It seemed spooky, so I shielded my eyes for a second in case it was a trailer for some horror movie. But slowly I came to understand that it was sci-fi, and the brooding music foretold that that something interesting was going to happen. Then, when the music thundered into the second phase, it had my full attention. I was positively glued to the screen. It was wonderful! I couldn't believe what I was watching. Who made this again? Finally, when it was all over, the title of the game faded into view. StarCraft II. I proceeded to watch the trailer over and over and over again. I was smitten.

Many of you may know exactly what this feels like. It was a clear and undeniable turning point in my career. I've experienced this only a handful of times in my life. The cinematic itself wasn't the best thing that's ever been made, but it was deeply appealing to me. I wanted to know everything about it. And, ultimately, my trajectory as an artist was influenced by this trailer. I'm dead serious about that.

Here's the video I was talking about. I'm sure most of you know it well, but go ahead and watch it. Such nostalgia! (this cinematic was made by Blizzard Entertainment)

Again, I had nothing to do with this video. But I post it here to emphasize my anecdote. To me, this is one of the best cinematic teasers out there. It's got atmosphere, killer music, great art, and piques one's curiosity (as any teaser worth its salt should).

Bailey

Tedium Is My Middle Name

Bailey Kalesti

With every project there comes a moment where I have an idea for something, but it's going to require a hefty number of mind-numbing hours of tedious work. In each video I've made, I'v managed to dream up a sequence where a large number of objects on the screen have to animate, and they have to be hand animated. I try to find a way to automate things (and I often do), but sometimes...sometimes I just bite the bullet and do the work to get the result I want.

I thought last week had some tedious moments, but this week was a record setter. The shot in question lasts only about 40 frames, but what I did was place over a thousand cartoon leaves by hand. Each leaf was placed in a logical growth position so that they all grew sequentially in a way that made sense (based on tree branch growth, which I had animated beforehand). Each start point had to be set, and each leaf had to fill up the space so as to not leave any gaps in the image. This is probably boring. You'll just have to watch it to understand.

But anyway, that's my big story this week. I spent 3 days clicking myself into a state of pure monotony. Aren't ya jealous!? ;)

A small portion of the scene (like a 1/10 of view). There are thousands of layers (including the controllers).

A small portion of the scene (like a 1/10 of view). There are thousands of layers (including the controllers).

Bailey

Forma Turns 1

Bailey Kalesti

Wow.

I can't believe it. Forma Pictures is officially 1 year old.  What was once a crazy dream is now entering a new year of existence.

When I started this thing last summer, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. All I knew was that I had to do it. It's hard to explain unless you've felt what I'm talking about. I just had to go for it.

One thing I can attest to is that I have no regrets. This past year was the happiest year of my life. I'm pretty darn grateful that I got the opportunity to live it. If I can manage to keep this crazy train going another year, I will almost feel greedy.

I've learned a lot this year too. Like, I'm surprised by how much I didn't know about running a business last year. Still, the greatest takeaway I've garnered is this: go for your dreams. I was terrified when I decided to do this, but it was worth enduring that fear. The joy outweighs whatever cons crop up from time to time.

And so I march on. :)

Bailey

No Original Ideas

Bailey Kalesti

This was an especially productive week for my original short film (Hunted), side projects, and even client work. In addition to all of that, I was thinking about my next edited short, and I had this idea that I thought was extra clever. After a few hours of work on it, I decided to see if someone else had tried something like this before, and sure enough someone already had. What's more, they had used the same music! My enthusiasm drained, and I paused the video. But then I decided to watch the rest of it, to see how good it was. Alas, the video was mediocre. Whoever had made it had taken the easy way out for most of the video, and hadn't spent the necessary time to develop a good edit.

So, I was left with a conundrum. Here was this cool idea, just exploding with potential. And while I was beaten to the punch by nearly 4 years, I felt deep in my heart that I could deliver something worth watching. If this unknown creator had made something excellent, I would have been forced to tip my hat in respect and move on to a different idea. But I can't. This idea is just teeming with potential glee, and no one has delivered on it yet.

After sleeping on it, I decided I'm going to make it anyway. This is a side project, so I won't feel too bad if it's not successful, or if people criticize me for repeating an idea.

Here's a teaser of what the "idea" has to do with (yes, I'm being somewhat secretive):

I'm planning a release in June or July, depending on my schedule. :)

Bailey

Good People

Bailey Kalesti

This special Tuesday edition of the blog will focus on a look back at my career so far. For whatever reason, I feel like sharing.

Way back in 2007, I started working as a game tester at an independent game company called Reflexive Entertainment. It was the same week that I started my freshman year of college. I was a teenager! 

reflexive.jpg

What an awesome place it was. It was a game studio! And one that I had known about for years. I was thrilled. But I remember having to earn the right to be in that office. Here was this inexperienced kid in an office full of brilliant, passionate, hard working, experienced, and self-motivated creatives. I had an inkling of it at the time, but it took me a few months to realize just how great that group of people really was. All I knew was that I really, really wanted to belong. I wanted to help create stuff, but that meant I would need to become an artist.

Through sheer tenaciousness, I began to transition myself into working on art. Testing was my foot in the door, but art was my passion. I remember walking into offices and asking if they needed help with any art. I would do anything. It was a struggle, and I had to really push myself to learn fast. I knew practically nothing, but I was determined.

Over time, I started to make art exclusively. But some people wondered what I was doing. Who does this kid think he is? Isn't he a game tester? They were right that I sucked horribly (so, so bad), but somehow I managed to prove myself. Well, that was my memory of it. Maybe it was my desperation, or my willingness to learn, or my passion. Whatever it was, it took a lot of effort to begin to feel comfortable in the company of my betters. But it would be years before I felt like I wasn't the worst piece of shit artist who ever lived. Of course, I'm still just a student of art, and I always will be. One of my good friends that I met at Reflexive often says "Ancora Imparo," which is a quote from Michelangelo. It means "I am still learning." And that's exactly how I feel too.

Looking back in this moment, I am filled with a tremendous fondness for so many of the good people I worked with during all those years. I'm still friends with most of them to this day. I've known many of them for almost 8 years at this point! And that's really what I'm writing about. Friendship. Forgive me if it sounds hokey, but my career has only been as good as it's been because of the people I've known. I often say that "I'm just barely smart enough to surround myself with smart people." I was fortunate to stumble onto a great bunch of people at the start of my career. And for that, I will always be grateful.

I'm sure they had no idea at the time, but I did learn an insane amount from them. Probably more than even I can remember. Because in all honesty, I was shaped by them. I could sense that their philosophies were rare even in the industry, but I had zero experience to compare them to. Desperate for knowledge, I garnered every truth I could from those guys. I remember hanging on to every word from the artists and programmers around me. I wanted to know what they knew. I wanted to be good, by god! I wasn't going to school for art, so I had to learn on the job and during all my free time. And for better or for worse, I'm still a self-taught artist.

The Buy Out

Reflexive was purchased by a big company about a year after I started working there. But the effects of that company's culture took years to establish a strong presence. In simpler terms, it mostly felt like an independent game company to me, but that was because I was removed from the bureaucratic stuff for a while. I did eventually feel the negative things, which ultimately led to me to move on. But the purpose of this is not to vent the frustration I had with that corporation. But still, it happened.

As the years passed, my skills improved, but so did the challenges. I learned about creative collaboration, and worked to contribute to the group in important ways. I learned about being ruthless with yourself, how to develop smart working habits, and how to be a better communicator. I was in training, and there was much to learn. Ultimately I just wanted to be invaluable. Simply understanding the technicalities of being an artist was not enough, I wanted to know how to be an effective member of a team. I also wanted to help make the workplace a fun place to be. We were, after all, living our lives together. I read a lot on the subject of business as I began to distill my philosophies on work, being effective, and of course happiness.

The spirit of Reflexive lingered on for an astounding amount of time. And even after many of the original members had long since left, there was still a pervading sense of camaraderie among those that stayed and many of those that came in the later years. The reason I stayed for as long as I did had to do with the people. I just loved them.

Time to Go

Alas, as the years stacked upon me, I knew that it was time for me to move on. And although I enjoyed working with such great people, I could no longer stomach the practices and direction of the corporation. I was unhappy. Of course what had happened was that my heart just needed something else, which was no one's fault but my own. Besides, great, unknown adventures were calling my name. It was time.

For a long time I thought about leaving to go work at a different company. But the notion finally dawned on me that going to another company would not satisfy my heart. What I needed to do was something else entirely. I needed to try going out on my own. This prospect simultaneously terrified and delighted me. So, after 4 months of careful preparation, I established Forma Pictures and began life as a freelance artist.

A company to call my own. Many of its founding principles are based off of what I learned at Reflexive.

A company to call my own. Many of its founding principles are based off of what I learned at Reflexive.

So, what is the point of all of this? I think the message that I feel deep down is that I'm grateful for the amazing people that I've known so far. And I want to thank them for all they did for me. A teeny tiny part of me feels battle-bruised from the trials of business, but most of me feels true joy. And that's the honest truth. I'm happier than I've ever been. And I recognize that I've had luck in the company I've kept. I hope to work with many of them again in the future because that would make me happy. The day is young, my friends. Let's make it a great one!

Your friend, co-worker, and all-around bud,

Bailey