RE: FLASH: You don't know Jack...(OT)

[Kostas Metaxas]

Dear Flashers...



I also forgot to state the obvious:


"How can someone be an expert in this industry when it changes every

week...one minute you are expert in Claris Home Page, then you have to be

an expert in JAVA Bananas...then Directo 1 thru to 20, Flash 1 thru to

1,000...."


So how are you supposed to be a "Master"...of WHAT! I don't know ANYONE who

is a master of computers...


And then it happens. You become a "Master", but nobody uses that programm

anymore.


Kostas (or is that Jac)







Dear Christopher,


I think that a lot of folks forget that the reality of being exceptional at

anything really requires an exceptional person.


I've looked at a lot of work that has been posted on this 'group', and to

be bluntly honest, it looks like computer stuff for computer experts.


It misses the vital ingredient of art. And if we go back to GABOCORP as an

example, it makes sense why his work is quite special. He is an artist who

uses the computer as his palette and brush.


My experience with Director and Flash and computers is that it is rare to

find someone who is an artist first, programmer second.


What I prefer to do on projects I work on is use a graphic artist to create

the look and feel and partner this with an exceptional programmer with some

artistic flair.


Now don't get me wrong, I realize all this stuff is very new and it will

take a while before people are totally natural with it...I'm still on my

learning curve myself.


To explain what the real problem with FLASH/DIRECTOR, the WWW, electronic

this and that is...quite frankly, it has scared the shit out of the bright

sparks in "creative land" who had just got the hang of photography and 2

dimensional graphics, and in general are 40 something and don't want to be

intimidated by all this new stuff.


I was discussing this with the head of Cartier recently (Cartier is a US2

Billion dollar company) and they have no interest in all this new stuff.

They really believe that it is irrelevant for luxury brands and is the

wrong market for them.


>From my research, that couldn't be further from the truth.


It is just that there are a lot of scared people out there who are in

control [with 6 digit incomes] and don't want to admit that they don't know

shit about all this new stuff.


That is the real problem.


And it will only be when we have more "Gabo" types knocking out works of

electronic art that have a point that we will see major changes to the

perceptions of what "we" do.


So what this all means, is that it is OK to be a "jack" ...


rgds


Kostas

exero.com  


 At 01:33 AM 2/20/99 -0600, you wrote:

>Everyone:

>

>

>I think many things come into play here, and in the end i don't think there

>can be a definitive answer- especially in such a young industry.

>

>Firstly, its a balance of risks either way you plan on going-

>"jack-of-all-trades" vs. "master-of-one."  If youre the Jack, you better

>make sure you have the knowledge to be a master of any one of those trades

>if necessary.  If your're the "master" you better make sure you've chosen

>your trade wisely, because if it fails or becomes less in demand, youre 100%

>S.O.L.

>

>Personally, I am a director at a very young (1.5 years) company.  Though we

>are pretty big as far as revenue goes, we're still considered to be in



>"startup" mode as far as im concerned.  When I look to hire, i'll take the

>"jack-of-all-trades" over the "master-of-one."  Because things are changing

>so damn much, one platform is a standard one day and ancient the next.  I

>wouldn't ever hire someone who was a "master" of Flash.  Or even Director,

>Photoshop, etc. unless they were also capable of handling all the various

>other aspects of multimedia at a level pretty much equal to their skill

>level at that one area they "master."

>

>Maybe if we were a corporation of 1,000 people it would be different.

>Hiring and laying-off wouldn't be as big of a deal.  As a freelancer I would

>suggest you do what it takes to be a master in as many areas as possible-

>for obvious reasons.  But if one area is getting you alot of business- then

>it probably makes sense to spend most of youre energy learning more and more

>of that trade.

>

>I would consider my own experience in the industry as an example of success

>directly related to being a "jack of all trades."  Whenever there is a major

>project that we didn't have an expert for, I would work my butt off to

>master whatever was needed and finish the project.  It's worked for me-

>can't argue with that.  In the end, there are successful

>"jacks-of-all-trades" as well as "masters-of-one."

>

>You're foolish to think one is always going to be more successful that the

>other.

>

>I'd love to hear the opinions of people who hire within this industry to see

>if they agree/disagree with my observations.  I haven't really surveyed

>those sorts of people yet- and I think its an excellent subject.

>

>Christopher J Falvey

>the basement industry

>www.basementindustry.org

>

>

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>

From: ownershocker [dot] com [ownershocker [dot] com]On">mailto:ownershocker [dot] com]On Behalf Of Al

>Rosetti

>Sent: Thursday, February 18, 1999 10:12 PM

>

To: flashershocker [dot] com

>Subject: Re: FLASH: You don't know Jack...(OT)

>

>

>Hey Aqmil,

>

>Well, I suppose you can find a job faster if you can do just about

>EVERYTHING.... BUT....  Guys who know and do everything don't make near as

>much money.  It's true in virtually every aspect of business.  Specialists

>make more money and when the economy goes down they usually have work.  It's

>true with medicine, the law, construction, etc.  I can't think of one job

>where specialists don't get paid more.  Just the other day I was watching

>CNN and they showed this architect who ONLY designed restaraunts.  Was he

>starving?  NOooooooo...  in fact he wouldn't begin any project where he

>didn't make at least a quarter million bucks.  People were flying him all

>around the world to design restaraunts.

>

>As for what businesses ask for....

>They want you to be 20 years old, work for $20,000 a year, and have 20 years

>experience.  You might have to go the extra mile to get your foot in the

>door.

>

>Once you've got a job knowing seems to become less important to your

>employer IMHO.  Wherever I've worked I've always been the hardest working

>guy around.  How much did I make?  Almost the same as everyone else.  I

>never got a decent raise working harder than everyone else.  I did however

>get a substantial raise every time I quit.  What am I talking about? <g>

>I've done this 3 or 4 times over my working career.   Here is how you get

>more money in the real world... in my experience.

>

>Make a demand for money that's just SLIGHTLY higher than what you think they

>will pay

>They'll give you the runaround, give you a small raise or give you nothing

>So you quit

>They're SHOCKED!

>3 hours to maybe a week later they are on the phone giving in to most if not

>all of your demands.

>

>I hate the fact that the world works this way, but.... it just does.  If you

>want more money don't work harder or learn more.  Do that because you love

>what you're doing.  If you want more money, walk out, hehehe.  Now, I can't

>comment on how things work in ASIA.  As far as the Western world goes I

>think this is your best bet if you're a good employee.  It hasn't failed me

>so far... and now that I work for myself I won't need that bit of wisdom

>anymore.  Put this to use if you've got status at your work and the courage

>to risk your job, hehe.

>

>Sincerely,

>

>Al Rosetti

>http://www.websitepartners.com

>

>

>

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