Hey Allan! What a great video! I am an old student of your tutorials like 11 years ago, and you was my favorite, I am glad I found your youtube channel! Will dig deep into it! :) Thanks man!! Keep it up

Thanks man. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.

Amazing, thanks so much for this ! I'm not from a poor family, I've never been on a situation where I had nothing to eat or a place to live etc. but I had a very strong social anxiety that stopped my life for a few years and to overcome it I had to put a lot of effort (another few years) to change almost everything in my mind but now I'm very strong mentally, I know how brain works and that everything is possible. So in my opinion such negative situations can make people (people that manage to overcome it) much much stronger.

Thank you so much Allan! I need to listen to this everyday and get my career back.

Allan has been stepping up his game on putting out better and better content. Keep it up. 👍

Thank you so much for the video. I’m one of your examples in the video from Middle East who spend 10 years to finally land in Canada. Now here, my personal excuse is, I know I have to work harder but there is always some sort of distraction that I can’t ignore. But as you said, what ever it is, it’s coming from me not anyone else. Thanks again for such inspiring character and for you hard work to help others like me. Well done.

100% Inspiration for me as an Concept Artist... and the truth is I´m trying and failing a lot, but I found a great workflow that I think I can get a lot of attention but there is always the chance to lose so keep trying and learning constantly.

Allan you are the man, thanks a lot I literally followed 10 percent of what you are saying , 1 day effort put in and I lend my dream job aaaand on a dream project, thank you soooooo much

Great message Allan, very motivational but as we all know, hopefully for most of us it becomes a push rather than a spark for the next 10 minutes haha, getting back to work.

Thanks for the inspiration Alan! I wish there were more vocal members of the vfx community it really helps the young guys/girls.

Forever respect! Love you, Allan!

you're really helping me bro. Thank you!

Thanks a lot Allan. Great information as always...!

Thanks for all the videos and sharing your experience with us, in fact i'am an architect and i love so much VFX and all what you do, you make me want to work hard, explore and learn VFX

Thank you for this video. I'm working as freelancer in architectual vizualisation, but I want to do VFX. So I'm trying to grow my skills in it

WOW! I visited your channel for first time after my friend recommended me and I'm so grateful to him. Subscribed! Also, I'm from India where to my knowledge a lot of 3D and vfx work from different studios in US, UK, NZ, Australia and from everywhere else, gets outsourced-to, to finish up the bigger project. Could you please give an advice then-"How do I prepare myself as well as my showreel as the outsourcing has me confused as to what do the divisions of studios need from fresher artists?" Thank you in advance

Allan McKay is the real boss 🙌🙌 Thanks for all the advice. Really motivational 😎

Thanks buddy! Intresting video

thankyou Allan...i am all new to 3D art..and i am in the process of learning. this video is very helpful

Thanks Allan for this video. !!

Wise words...learned much and thank you!

Thanks Alan.This is very helpful video

lets dive in ....i loved that word when you said it because really i taked a dive into the deep...thanks again :)

dude this was so helpful man thank you

You and Ryan Kingslien are the only people who are talking about the psychological backbone of the 3d/vfx careers.

Thanks for doing this man. Thanks so much.

Thanks you for sharing! You’re awesome!

some pure gold points man. Some of these click instantly as these are mind sets I live by and helped me to build a software development business. Thank god (well not god but, tech) that we have an instant access in 2020 to top level skilled people on a global level that we can just sit and hear about their mind set in a click of a button. Also this video is another brick in the wall for my latest crossroad about building a brand around my work - Having a couple of fields Im passionate about: Game development, programming, drawing, animation and lately 3D - My social branding is a mess.. A lot of accounts on a lot of platforms.. Some you can tell its the same person some you can not (like this).. And your video is making me think that I should change all of them to my personal name and thats it and put everything of the above under those Anyways, your work is inspiring and amazing Thanks :)

Basically, be the kid who thinks adults are dumb for not doing the obvious since they are too cynical and wilfully blind. *Erin Yeager Vibes* - This makes me feel VERY powerful.

Thanks so much Allan! very helpful

Well I'm not wealthy, but clients find me, I have never contacted a potential client. I'm doing a very niche field, calling myself a cartographic illustrator. I create maps for game publishers. I primarily create maps for tabletop roleplaying game publishers, but I also create maps for video game strategy guides, and have become my own publisher, where I create the art for author/game designers, then do page layout, cover design, be the art director and publish RPG supplements. I hope to expand to other non-gaming niches, but am fairly successful in what I do.

Honestly, I can't imagine why some one would dislike this video. It's exactly what I needed to hear and take action. Thanks Allan

Waww.... you're a motivator man. I m from a third world country. I just purchased a new laptop to learn 3d last month. Now everyday I can I go in a bar or restaurant to work for 3 hours. There is insecurity therefore I can't stay for long time. I dreamed to enter the 3D world for 3 years now. The best tutorials are in english therefore I improved my skills in that language. I had no laptop, I saved money and bought one. Because of insecurity you can't be peaceminded in the streets and state authorities don't provide electricity on a regular basis (haha). So I was...giving up and thinking about learning something more "accessible" to me. This video is like a revelation for me. I know what I got to do now. Thank you very much man. And thanks to the youtube algorithm too(haha). I just discover your channel. I m gonna like and subscribe right away. Keep going.

I'm not gonna say anything am just glad that I saw this. best advice. nothing is a joke everything needs working hard.

Also moving from Architectural field, but I keep my job as I make good money, I have 18 years of experience in Architectural viz, and I don't want to lose that, so I keep working and I keep looking for some freelance VFX jobs out there...

I think it's my new beginning After Lot's of struggle as I was away from 3d for few months, and doing another job

Thanks Allan. Now I’m a 3D student and also a law student. I Hope can work as a political manager or be in the business of make great pieces for ONG and social organization which I think is a forgetful topic in the art business. My question is how can I get that kind of clients? How can I build a portafolio or company to do it?

thanks man very interesting and quite inspiring.

Amazing video, it is very valuable.

Very Motivating video :) I am in my last year of college m studying Multimedia Animation, and started freelancing Last year on different online websites :)

Your advice is apply to every jobs and occupation

thank you for sharing master..

Thank you man!

Thanks buddy! Yeah, it's a tough nut to take but yeah.. you're right for sure! I'm just starting my 'second' career and it's in 3d and motion mechanics (as an engineer) and just started my YT channel but I've been dabbling in MAX/AE/Etc since 1998 so It's about time to get ramped up and take some advice from an expert .. DMAX motion sim

when ever I drag a with fumefx parameters I remember you my pal..

yes, we are in 2019 now, marketing and personal branding is 90% of success! i know a lot of good artists who are stuck on shit jobs making $20/h while others not so skilled and not talented are working as managers and sups making over 100k a year. why? because you must learn how to sell yourself.

Alan.....you are Guru....thank you very much

Great video

Well said. :)

alan mckay == great content

Thank you for this video. I'm currently trying to become a freelancer but my skills aren't there yet.

Imagine FIFO 3D work... that would be awesome! Doubt it's feasible but if you ever have a bunch of people who want the work/experience and you as studio can't afford top talent... tis a win win!

Hello Allan, loving your content. Any advice for 3d environmental artists looking to put a portfolio together geared towards motion design?

Thanks for the important information Allan. Right now I'm working as a generalist for the past half a year and I'm planning on staying in the same studio for at least 2 years to further advance my skills and experience ( I have learnt a lot of things and really enjoying my stay ), but after that I'm plannig on getting a mentorship at ThinkTank in Canada and to stay there, the thing is the industry is really relying on houdini while 3ds max is dying a little by little, fortunatly in my country houdini isn't popular but if I want to further my carrer in Vfx at Canada I have no choice but to learn houdini, and I want to ask. Will 3ds max really won't be needed in the near future ? If I want to work on bigger projects at a bigger studios do I have to learn houdini ? It actually bothers me cause every 3d software has its own advantages and disadvantages but to think that houdini took such a massive influence at the industry, makes me wonder if there is any reason to even continue learning on using 3ds max.

Great video, thanks! And four years later I stopped looking for a a secret hack and started to do the work :) ha-ha Hands up for those who not quitting, it will pay off!!!

thanks allan for the great knowledge you shared with everyone. im from india and i found fx remote work is less compared to other dept gets more remote works. as fx dept need high end sys and cache data, its a time taking simulation works. can you guide me from where i can get more fx work as remote. thanks is advance...loved your video..great job allan

Loved it

I actually disagree with you, I work more then 14 years. The reality is 99.5% of you all will never make 6 figures. And most 3d artists I worked with in EU make less then 15$-30$ so far what I heard even from supervisors and some studio CEOs only hand full of artist ever reach that status. Many Europeans must go to Canada, China to actually make some money which is all temporary. My highest job pay was 80k and right now while search for a job they keep asking if I want to work for less we can guarantee you 100% to get the job. They are lowering the prices every year and it's damaging this toxic industry, you cannot ask for higher only if you are a super star like Allan McKay. (highest respect for Allan) The reality is you will burn out very fast, and with low payment you will start to look for other jobs. Allan Is someone I respect and admire, and learned so much from past, bought his dvds, it actually helped me to land some movie jobs after learning Fumefx. But as everyone knows this is a job you won't be doing for very long. Earn some money and study something more safer. This industry is not safe, you will be more without jobs then with a job. Now all fumefx 3ds max guys loosing jobs as Houdini came as a death stroke nobody cares anymore about being a 3ds max, Maya artist everyone, cares about How much Houdini you can although most visual effects in 2018 that came from Houdini bandwagon looked very badly done. What I'm curious is how do you battle now this Houdini bandwagon that everyone jumped on. Last 2 years I don't remember a day at least that someone asked me if I knew Houdini? I know you been a huge 3ds max influence 10 years ago.

Thank you Master

Software Dev/Automation guy took a passion to side things for Indie small projects, and jsut VFX willing to admit I could net 30k/year side stuff on 14-16 hours a week repairing what people can't fix via unity/unreal/blender/Maya products. This is roughly $36/hour 3 years later with 1 year of 3dfx home grown knowled. Also, Turning down bad work is the hardest decision here. My Big jobs came from jobs not worth doing and many refuse to admit that's even a thing.

awesome vid man. As someone who is 100% self taught, I think with the right tactics you can easily make a decent income as an artist. focusing on mastering a skillset is so important, and building an audience while you are doing that will really help you too. I get a TON of job offers each month simply based off the fact I put out youtube content and people in studios randomly come across it. Plus if you have a side hustle you can suppliment your income pretty well. Lets say you make 80k a year at a studio gig, make some tutorials or asset packs, and you could probably pretty easily make another 20k in semi-passive income. making 100k a year doing what you enjoy is not bad at all. I will take that over 200k stuck in some financial or law job I would be miserable at. happiness over currency, especially once you get past 50k a year.

Thnx for.sharing

Be in it to win it

I am your new a student. I use maya, after effects. Will be able to find lessons about maya? 🙏

These is my last year in bachelor of fine arts and I got a job offer..... But I was prapering further to do my masters in fine arts so now I am in a great dilemma. Please tell what would be best for me?

Thank you for great content. I live in a third world country and after watching this video my doubts and fears became less suppressive.

If I could subscribe twice I would, could you please touch on how to approach a client with an idea?

Is it possible to get a job offer from oversees without bachelor degree or any degree? Does studios hire this way:?

Hello sir,im from INDIA and I want to ask you...How hard to get placement in MCU ? is that good to go for this.... I read somewhere, if you want to get a job in marvel so, first you have to work with Disney company. I know Marvel is a part of Disney. So, is that true ? And what I have to do if i want to work in Marvel movies.

Hi sir , I wanna ask which topics in mathematics or physics should I study to be a FX artist / TD and which coding language should I learn? By the way thanks for the video.

Living in Brazil (developing country) do you have any tips on how to get foreign clients? Great video btw

high school dropout, no money no internet live in a shared house FROM AUSTRALIA :,0 (Greetings from Melbourne! Thank you so much for sharing this content XD

So, it is 2020 now. What if you've been in the game since 2006, and you've learned how to sell yourself? That you've been playing that social media game all along, and worked 8-12 hours a day for years and years to finally get to a point where you achieved the look you've been working toward? That you know your brand, and other artists say "you're on point, just keep going"? Yet you've been eating shit now for 14 years? I have tried everything except hiring a promoter. I'm hitting personal learning goals all the time. Social media has been like shouting at a wall for years, nobody sees shit. So what do you do? I do personal caricatures for people, I found my niche. But it is going nowhere beyond a few people each year paying for caricatures. What choice do I have? Selling out? Just because you take something seriously and hustle for a decade or more and have a roadmap, that doesn't mean you're going to make it a career. It won't put a roof over your head. If the industry doesn't see any value in you, no matter what you bring to their table, you're gonna eat shit. I dropped myself into this journey prepared. I had my first business at 18. I'm 48 years old. I knew things that most artists don't know. When the platforms you use to sell yourself, hide the posts you put up, there's a real issue that extends beyond yourself. You need people on the inside. You need those with clout to help promote you. There is no way around that. The only thing I haven't tried, is pretty much the last-ditch choice. Paying a firm to market what I have. I have 3-D asset stores. I have done consignment gigs selling 2-D assets. I got into the print business and tried setting up shop at shows, copied the setups of those who were doing well. I have thousands of dollars worth of prints now sitting in my closet because I can't sell them. I've been banned from a few socials, and have resorted to some Gmail kung-fu to open a new account over on Pinterest. I could go on and on. Point is, working hard and being innovative is not the magic secret. You have to be worth something to those who have the money, in the first place. Sure, I could have taken a different path, and be in game dev right now doing crap in Unreal. But that's not what I want to do. I had a vision, and very few people were able to see it, or wanted to see it. So it's just not going to happen for me. What you say here, is no different from what all the self help books I read 30 years ago said. At this point I could make more money selling videos on how to be successful, than what I am doing right now. But hey, nobody's gonna read this anyway....... if anyone even sees it.

Hi sir I'm senior Matchmove artist Tell me how to find job in abroad country & How to build carrier in fx (houdini ).. Please reply

even websites like upwork are not accepting new freelancers from third world countries :(

as long as artists support other art then we should be okay (:

you worked so hard to make a good looking video frame and coloring but the audio was not that good

how to build a personal brand

i'm trying to get a decent job as a 3d modeler around 8 years. Any advice? I`m feeling frustrated

Nowadays working in a professional studio you wont become rich at all aswell as that you have to stand out from the rest oversaturation of employees wanting to be the best. Working for yourself and being self taught all online is what truly matters and will net you more income (freelance, contract) but be prepared to work your ass off. Thats why many studios try to outsource their projects nowadays. I'd advise skipping the "getting into a triple A studio" part but if you want to go that route then do it but be realistic but personally for me not interested in the studio thing. I havent worked in a studio but from what iv read, researched, seen, the state of the economy and the competition, (office politics is a thing too) its definitely not easy.

It’s funny but I experience the opposite. I see people trying and hustling but just can’t get the jobs. I see issues with this industry and the lack of effort is apparent but I see that as the minority. There are far more issues with this industry than people not trying. It’s not excuses, it’s a fact that this industry is harder than it should be.

Hey, how far could i go starting now with 14 years?

Yes there is a crap ton of money in ART. Just look at Disney's stock. (even during the Pandemic). And yeah it might seem like a terrible example at first glance because you are looking at an international Mega corporation. Here's the key though: MOST artists are TERRIBLE at business, not only terrible, but it's not even in their radar, and while admit that you don't get into art to get rich, even just making a decent living is hard enough, but it's because artists are easily taken advantage of.

Please give lessons for Indian standard films..

I've made 30$ on a CGtrader that I can't take, and I lost about month to get the other 170$ without any positive results - a good experience to do not start the life

The competition and the misuse of passion of artist in the gaming industry.

I came here for a number not advice

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Sorry but these general crap I ve heard thousand time -_-

get hands dirty in the beginning. as well as be ready to eat sh*t in the beginning. you nalied it in the end. ciao.

He saying the same stuff a 100 times

why you give a completely irrelevant title...such an...