Nicolas Wiscour-Conter is a talented 3D Designer based in Luxembourg. He recalls that he started creating models at a very young age. Wiscour-Conter said that he has a photographic memory. He could visit somewhere with his family and then go home and he would recreate the scene using whatever he could get his hands on - books, blocks, or other toys. As this developed, he would make sets and create stories. Eventually, he borrowed his parents’ camera to film the stories he created.

Around the age of 12, he started playing the game Minecraft and played it through high school. As his talents developed, many people pushed him to become an engineer. However, he didn’t enjoy the math and science classes required. After taking an animation class as an elective, he felt he had found his calling and pursued a university degree in animation.

He has seen that many animators focus on one specific side. Some just want to do 2D animations, others like characters. “I was always in that group of people that just wanted to do the techy side of animation,” said Wiscour-Conter “So, you know, the modeling, the texturing, the lighting, the camera moves, that sort of thing.”

It’s a lucrative and growing field. The industry of 3D animation is estimated to be worth around $20.93 billion in 2022 (Research and Markets). He credits his success in 3D animation to working both the left and right sides of his brain - the stats and creative sides. “I think people either have a very stats brain or a very creative brain. Usually, the two don’t tend to mix that often,” he said.

Wiscour-Conter works meticulously on his projects. Each step impacts the next, so he has a heightened sense of detail. Otherwise, he would have to go back and redo work. “Animation develops your critical thinking, and you can use that to see things a little bit differently.”

In the newest episode of “The Creators’ Manifesto,” Tyler Kern talked to MarketScale’s 3D Generalist, Shannon Gilley, about his work with the company and how he got into the field of 3D artistry.

At a young age, Gilley was fascinated with the work he saw in early films like “The Black Hole” and “Star Trek II.” When he got to college in the early ‘90s, there weren’t dedicated courses in school for it so he couldn’t major in it. He eventually discovered a man who headed night classes and decided to familiarize himself with the field by performing custodial tasks for the potential exposure.

“I was literally sweeping his floors just to try and be in a place where this sort of thing was happening so that I could try to learn because there weren't schools or classes for it,” Gilley said.

The experience paid off and Gilley earned an internship where he worked in commercials and gained valuable on-the-job experience for what would eventually become his full-time career. He has had a lengthy career in the field, having produced graphics for courtrooms, television shows, and was the lead modeler for Disney's 1998 animation show, “Rolie Polie Olie.”

“3D artistry, particularly 3D animation, has seen many changes through the years,” Gilley said. “Much of that change is due to technology.” He added that before advancements in computers, work had to be transferred to tapes and shipped out. Today, that can be completed via the internet.

However, while creating and sending 3D content is easier, there is a different quality expected because as “technology has grown, the appetite for sophisticated visuals has grown as well,” Gilley stated.

He specifically cited the evolution of 3D animation graphics from the ‘80s to now, which in turn has resulted in demands for better and more improved 3D work, something he also praised. Gilley noted companies like Pixar that took the helm of most of those demands, which helped shape 3D animation.

Additionally, the continued growth and interest in adult animation is another market that has bolstered the 3D art industry. Other factors that have pushed growth in the industry was, to no surprise, the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to most live-action studios shutting down, 3D animation was a resolve in that gap and Gilley projected more growth in that area.

Gilley’s recommendations to people interested in a career as a 3D artists can go to school, learn online, or do both. He added that there are many avenues into the field because by simply watching tutorial videos, skills can be easily developed. But he emphasized collaboration because “working with other people really helps you develop your creative eye,” said Gilley.

A Videographer and Strategist from Brighton, Colorado, Dallin Nead was interested in media from the ripe age of six, when he first started making videos and taking photos. This episode of The Creators’ Manifesto with host John Potts dissects Nead’s background in videography and reflects on his career journey in the industry. "I've worked a lot in broadcast, where I've been behind large broadcast productions, international broadcasts around music events to TED Talk-style keynotes, the list goes on..." said Nead. In his role with a global company, Nead worked with different people from all over the world, which helped open his mind to one realization. "Not everyone is so ready to be on camera, to be involved with media, but everyone has a voice and a place to exist in a media channel and to share their unique perspective," he said. Media is prevalent in almost everything we do today, and everyone consumes it across the board.

But media consumption was not always in the format we see it in today. Nead said he grew up with the evolution of the internet, which helps him frame his current ideas. He said, "I started to see the major shift, honestly, when red cinema cameras entered the game back in like 2008." With the shift in movie development, everyday access to media tools also progressed, most notably with the development of the smartphone. Nead said this development made him realize, "The way that we consume and produce media is going to change forever." Now that everyone can create and produce media, it is essential to "cut through the noise" and approach media consumption and development with more attention and strategy.

For Nead, "It is about building community." The generic "Superbowl commercial" era is ending, with more and more people demanding customized advertisements to fit their individual needs. Nead recognized that this time in media, it's crucial to lean into and build a target audience.

Dallas-based Photographer/Videographer Jordan Fussell checked in with James Prebil on the Creator’s Manifesto to share his experiences with the MarketScale community. Fussell’s participation in many MarketScale video shoots benefits a wide range of clients and projects. Fussell is an OG, one of the original content creators at MarketScale, and Prebil was excited to get the chance to shine the spotlight on such a critical component of the team.

Fussell’s career dreams began in video games, where he wanted to become a video game designer. Next, it was theater. A media class offered in high school changed Fussell’s focus to videography. While only a freshman, Fussell’s persistence and talent won over the class’s teacher, who allowed him to take a course reserved for upper-level students. It was all video from that point.

Fussell is a multi-faceted talent at MarketScale; he not only shoots video footage but also edits projects for MarketScale. “There is a benefit to having both access to doing the videography and the editing,” Fussell said. “Having the ability on set to visualize how I want something to be and how I’m going to edit it later is great. Instead of shooting as much as possible and then picking out this clip, and this clip, and this clip; I could cut it down to one or two shots and say I want this shot to look exactly like this, that way, when I take it into editing it’s good to go.”

It's one thing to possess the skills to photograph and edit a client shoot; it's another to do it with a stopwatch. Deadlines are tighter than ever, and Fussell's ability to execute flawless work under the most conservative schedules is an art form. Fussell said it all comes down to finding the balance between delivering something on time and giving clients a product that is better than they could have imagined. For Fussell, either-or won’t suffice; let's do both.

Host James Prebil got a chance to chat with photographer, videographer, and video editor David Spector. Having helped out with MarketScale projects, Prebil wanted to highlight Spector’s work and ask about what made him want to get into photography and videography fulltime.

Taylor Ringold is a New York native and long-time Yankees fan. He played baseball throughout his childhood and has been in broadcasting for ten years. Ringold started on a sports radio show in college and landed impressive internships with the Minnesota Twins and the New York Giants. During his internships, he was able to act as a broadcast assistant, interviewing MLB players for an entire baseball season. While working with the Giants, he gained experience on both sides of radio and TV production. After college Ringold started working with WFAN, while continuing to produce his own content on the side.

In a new episode of the podcast “Creators’ Manifesto,” host James Prebil talked with Los Angeles-based videographer Chris Murray, about his journey to becoming a filmmaker, and how his military background influenced that. Murray has worked on projects for streaming platforms like Netflix, to stations like NBC. Having served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years, Murray found himself interested in film during his deployment in the Horn of Africa. In his younger years, he already had a love for filming. Before pursuing a career in film, Murray said he would pick up a camera for fun despite not knowing it could turn into a lucrative job.

Join host James Prebil for the first installment of The Creator’s Manifesto, the official podcast of the MarketScale Creator Community. To kick things off, Prebil brought along one of MarketScale’s podcasting all-stars, Tyler Kern.