Use Wubi to learn Linux

As a huge proponent of learning new widely used technologies, I have been telling students who work with Internet technologies to learn Linux because 99% of all new web servers coming online are on Linux servers. Workplaces, especially small companies, often use linux file servers to avoid the huge licensing costs associated with Server 2007.

Now there is an easy way for beginners to install Linux on a second hard drive and play with the Ubuntu version of the Linux Hardy Heron kernel. If these terms sound like a foreign language to you, then this post is something you need. Wubi is a simple linux installer program that you can run straight from Windows. It will set up linux on the hard drive of your choice, make a boot loader and generally configure some of the more geeky settings. There are many different versions of linux and Ubuntu is one of the most popular. Check out the Ubuntu installation guide at seo.gadget and begin to learn!

Contracts for Freelancers

At some time in your career you may choose to freelance. Knowing how to write a solid contract and plan for unforeseen changes/contingencies makes a huge difference in profit margins. Often it will be the difference between losing and making money on a project. Digital web magazine offers a few reasons why you should never do a project without a contract and practices that are always useful in legal negotiations.

That said the following resources are useful starting points for writing contracts that help ensure both parties conclude the project with positive results. First visit:
writing web design contracts for the non-legal. There's a rough sample that requires customization on this site too. Second creative latitude provides many great resources for the startup design company. This is the site that you must visit to visualize the many steps necessary in client and work flow management. Finally "Bulletproof Web Design Contracts" contains expert advice regarding changes/contingencies that you should consider before you begin to fine tune the contract.

If contract terms and language still make you crazy, visit this glossary to get familiar with legal phrases/terms. Though a contract is not an absolute guarantee that your projects will be profitable and hassle-free, it can provide a good foundation so that everyone involved knows what to expect as the project progresses.

Happy freelancing!

The Pipeline? Yes, the Pipeline.

Pipeline.

For those unfamiliar to the term, I'll describe it this way:
Every asset, chunk of code, or change request that is generated to make a movie or series or commercial can be looked at as data. The 'pipeline' describes all the pathways this data can and will flow until it is eventually mixed to become the final deliverable(s).

Why the term 'pipeline'? Because pipes break... A LOT. They have many twists and turns. They divide and merge. When things go down the pipe, they're usually going where you want them to and when they come back up - you tend to get stuck cleaning up a mess. I can think of no term more appropriate.

You can look at a pipeline in it's basic form as 'development', 'previzualization', 'production' and 'post-production'. From there, it all breaks down into smaller and smaller steps and how they interact. Knowing your production at this level helps to insure that more time is spent on the art - the entertaining, than fixing your tools/workflows.

Here are a few links to give you a little insight into the world of building, using and maintaining a media production pipeline...

Dreamworks CG Pipeline
http://akeigher.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/dreamworks-cg-pipeline/

Interview with Olivier Ozoux
Associate Digital Supervisor on Happy Feet - Animal Logic
http://www.xsibase.com/articles.php?detail=125

Interview with Brett Feeney
Digital Supervisor on Happy Feet - Animal Logic
http://www.xsibase.com/articles.php?detail=126

Meet the Artist: Kenn MacDonald
Animation Supervisor on Beowulf - Sony Pictures Imageworks
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=165&t=566843


I HIGHLY recommend that all students training up to be professional CG artists get a hold of all parts of The Art of Rigging. These training resources do an excellent job of helping the reader to understand the depth of thinking that goes into CG production. You can take a look at it here... http://www.cgtoolkit.com.

Feeeeeature Creeeeep

http://sixrevisions.com/project-management/eight-tips-on-how-to-manage-feature-creep/

Save yourself a lot of pain in your professional life and learn from the above article.

In my experience (combined with a lot of reading/discussing other artists' own trials and tribulations), learning those lessons the hard way means uncomfortable stretches of unemployment or total abandonment of the industry to avoid dealing with clients.

Hope this prevents some disasters (or at the very lest gives you a cushion to fall on)!

Quick Web Designs for Mortals

If you need a web site that you can tweak and reverse engineer then the Open Source Design project is for you. Non-web designers often need to post projects sites quickly and the open source design project provides clean basic web sites that you can download, tweak and upload in a matter of hours. For graphic/web designers and photographers the sites may not fully meet your needs but for those who need quick design, the sites are ideal starting points.

If you download and use one of these sites, please provide feedback below.
take care,
phree

Logo Design - Top 50 Tutorials

For graphic designers working on projects that require logo design, the following tutorials may provide insights and inspiration: http://www.elogodesign.com/logo-design-tutorials/.

The site contains various pointers and tips for thinking about design concerns and is highly recommended for those having a creative block.

Use it to get a jump start on projects.

Get out of debt - Part 1

If you're in debt and stressed, Leo Babauta's blog Zen Habits provides wonderful advice for digging your way out. Be sure to read both posts linked here. The first discusses strategies for becoming debt-free; the second covers techniques he used to pursue his dream of turning his blog into his full-time job.


Though his path is not foolproof or tailored to every situation, it does offer insights for those who would work to live versus live to work.


As always your comments and insights are appreciated.

peace,
phree

Online Porttfolios - The essentials

If you are getting ready to graduate and want to think about the basics for an online portfolio that can generate freelance work, then you must read Build a Killer Online Portfolio. The most valuable segment of this article contains information about content organization and the navigation structure of your site to achieve various objectives.

Enjoy!

Learn everything with MIT's Opencourseware

Ever wish you'd taken a class that wasn't offered or convenient during your college career? Well MIT has the ultimate answer in that it publishes over 600 courses offered at its posh Boston campus. Want a course in programming or algorithms, check out the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department or the Science and Technology courses. For the record, MIT publishes the syllabus, assignments, exercises, etc., but you would still have to buy the books required to learn the material. Since it is all accessed free, you won't receive credit, but it's all about the knowledge anyway. So get out there and have fun!

Learn C++ & Java from the Master

My programming gurus led me to this source a few years back and I heartily recommend the following resource for anyone who wants to learn C++ or Java. Bruce Eckel's "Thinking in ..." series is by far the best resource I've found for someone who wants to learn to think like a programmer.

Check out his site @ http://mindview.net where he gives free PDFs of Thinking In C++ & Thinking in Java