Ascender Issue 1

Ascender a

ISSUE 1

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS

Top 5

Essential Gear

Tips for new Freelancers

Connecting

YourWork

space

Jefferton James Featured

Artist

‘Ballerina Flower’

Jefferton James Page 8

Ascender a

CONTENTS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS 4 The Life of a Freelancer

Getting started in the freelance world is all about knowing how to make friends and proving your worth.

6B ig Data, Small Budget

With the rise of Full HD graphics, Indy game designers are finding new ways to store their data on a budget.

8 Jefferton James Featured Artist

Working across album covers, poster art and music videos this issue’s featured artist offers up some sage advice for newcomers.

10 T op 5 freelancing essentials Put your best foot forward by picking up the right tools to get the job done as you embark on your new creative career.

12 C onnecting your world

A ins and outs of hooking up a home or small-office network and all the right gear you will need to connect to the cloud.

14 N AS For Creative Agencies Save time and money by using NAS devices to modernise your workflow.

WIN

FIRST PRIZE

· Synology DS213 Air · 2 x WD RED 3TB DRIVES · Creative Cloud App of your choice

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SEE PAGE 15 FOR DETAILS Ascender Magazine is published by GAP Marketing & Management Pty Ltd on behalf of WD. Managing Editor Dave Jansen. Project Director Renato Catalan Art Director Alexandra Cook.

If you have any feedback or enquiries please contact the Editor at feedback@ascendermag.com

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OF A THE LIFEOF A NCER FREELANCER LIFEOF A THE LIFEOF A ELANCER FREELANCER FEOF A THE LIFEOF A ANCER FREELANCER a guide to building a freelance business and navigating the waters of relationships and networking.

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orking freelance is high reward but can also be high risk as well. One of the greatest challenges is finding steady work as even the most talented artists can only continue to work if they have a reliable list of clients. Building relationships and navigating the complex ins and outs of your industry are invaluable skills but an unwavering faith in your work and your worth is also essential.

There are a number of dos and don’ts that a budding freelancer should consider when starting out. Firstly, take every chance to meet people already working in your field. Whatever your chosen discipline, there is most likely a community of like-minded individuals that you should try and get to know.

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Having confidence in your work is key but be open to new experiences

PHOTOS FROM 1234RF.COM

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Working in isolation tends to limit opportunity so the best way to solidify your client list is to attend functions, seminars, workshops and any other chance to get to know others - it is never a waste of your time.

From these relationships all manner of opportunities can spring, especially if your area of expertise tends to be a collaborative one. In many creative fields, projects can require a number of people to complete and those working on them usually ask friends and people they trust to help out. That’s where the time you’ve spent getting to know people comes in.

Once you have built up your

name in the industry, you will be asked to work on all kinds of projects which may well be unpaid.

It is common when starting out to get paid very little, if anything at all but this won’t be the case forever.

It may be necessary to limit what you charge for your services until you feel that demand for your work is sufficient and even then working for free is perfectly fine at first.

Creative industries tend to be quite competitive, so finding a balance between the volume of work you do and the amount you charge is crucial to ensure your clients stick with you. Raising your prices later on down the track is expected as clients understand that you need to put food on the table and don’t expect you to work for free long term.

Having confidence in your work is key but be open to new experiences and never be afraid to listen and learn from others as this is one of the best things about collaborative industries. To avoid stagnating, always take on challenges, even if they are outside your comfort zone, as it will improve your skills in the long run

and increase your appeal to new and existing clients.

Through networking and expanding your list of contacts, taking jobs for free when starting out and taking on challenges to improve your skills, you can build a thriving business as a freelancer.

The best advice anyone can give is to be patient, learn from others and listen to advice while

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Always take on challenges, even if they are ourside your comfort zone.

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also remaining true to your own instincts. In time, you will find yourself being offered more work than you will know what to do with.

Just as you were given work when starting out from the people you met along the way, you will find yourself doing the same.

That is the nature of freelance life.

Well, that and being able to work your own hours and sleep in as long as you want - both pretty good things.

Grow through networking

Collaborating is the best way to get your name out there and essential for building a stable business.

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a t a d g bi small

t e g bud Pop+Solo

how indy game developers learned to maximise storage without breaking tHe bank

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ame developers work in an environment that has allowed for creativity like never before. The barriers to entry for smaller independant studios are now lower with tools and middleware such as ‘Unity’ making it easier than ever to develop for consoles and platforms like Steam, iOS and

Android allowing the opportunity to self-publish games. However, these smaller studios are running into challenges when it comes to storing their essential data which can be taxing on their limited technology budget.

As consoles and mobile devices have become ever more powerful, the size of the files needed to create a single game require more

Build chains, defeat bosses and keep the timer alive. [iOS, DSi, Wii]

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The size of files needed to create a single game require more storage space

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storage space. High-resolution graphics and high-fidelity sound are essential to coming up with a competitive game in the crowded

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market but means requiring more storage space or coming up with an innovative workflow.

Australian game developer, Nnooo, has experienced this rapid increase in demand on its infrastructure. The team started out developing games on the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles; both relatively underpowered as they both output in standard definition. The low-resolution image files, were therefore not that large. As the company moved to 3DS and Playstation Vita, the file sizes increased dramatically and the company is currently in the middle of building its first PlayStation 4 game, which requires even larger files still. Simulteanously developing for 3DS, PS Vita and PS4, the team had to come up with ways of dealing with the increase in file and data sizes on a small budget.

“We’re quite a small company, so the types of games that we’re making probably won’t take up hundreds of gigabytes of installation files on people’s machines,” Nnooo founder and creative director, Nic Watt, said. “That said, the increased resolution of the graphics for our latest games are taking up to or even over a hundred megabytes

Escape Vektor

Trapped in an enemy CPU, hack to survive and escape. [Vita, 3DS, Wii]

Nic Watt

and the team for some of the textures and the model files, and that’s a big increase over the sorts of files that we were dealing with and are dealing with on the 3DS.” Many small businesses are turning to Cloud services for cost effective storage but for large files, such as those that animators and game designers work with, this is not an option. “When you’re dealing with everything over the

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Hot-swapping external drives handle the day to day backups

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Formed in 2006 by former EA games designer, Nic Watt, Nnooo aims to create great, fun games and apps for everyone.

Internet, when it comes to really big files, you can’t necessarily get instant access to things,” Watt said.

Despite these challenges, the team at Nnooo have found a way to effectively manage their storage requirements while maintaining security by using off-the-shelf technology. Using a Mac Mini as a server, the team archives completed projects off the individual desktops to free up space, while using a system that involves hot-swapping external hard drives handle backups dayfor current projects. While a great solution for now, the team are still looking for other options for later.

“Our server is quite old so later this year or early next year we’re going to need to upgrade it,” Watt said. “In the future I would like to investigate how much it would cost to get a blade or something to do a more robust storage solution, but for now high-grade external drives are getting the job done for us.”

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Jefferton James poster design, album art and music video creator

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEFFERTON JAMES

rom the back alleys of Sydney’s Inner West to the snow capped peaks of Colorado USA, Jefferton James has made a name for himself as a graphic artist and music video director having worked with some of the most well known names in the Australian music scene. Starting out making gig posters and album art, his unique style and visual aesthetic was quickly sought after, soon giving him the opportunity to translate his designs to film.

Jefferton emerged on the music video scene with his clip for the Boy & Bear hit, ‘Rabbit Song’ which propelled him into a whirlwind of clips, including two more for the band with ‘Blood to Gold’ and the iconic ‘Feeding Line’. Since then, he has worked with an impressive array of artists designing remarkable posters, album art and videos.

While studying at Enmore Design Centre, he cemented his love for poster art and album design, finding it a perfect fit for his style as he felt “it was the last place left for over the top surrealism and a few years ago there wasn’t much of that genre in fine art apart from what was happening in that space.”

“It was the album cover for Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ that first made me think ‘that’s what I wanna do’ as Stanley Donwood’s work for that band is incredible.” he said.

He attracted his first client after

seeing a band play at a gig, creating a poster for them and coming back the next day to see if they would want to use it. The band loved it, which then led to more work and eventually to Boy & Bear.

Creating poster and album art for the band, he was later asked if he had an interest in making a video clip for them. Oddly enough, long before he had ever thought about becoming a designer, he had pursued a career in film so videos were definitely in his wheelhouse.

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Surprise people with diversity in your work as it is the best form of selfpromotion

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“I had a hand full of ideas I had been storing away for a rainy day and when I got the call, I kinda just unleashed them all in one fowl swoop.” he said, “Since that video, I have had a fairly steady stream of video work. I’m pretty lucky that Boy & Bear took a chance on the “poster

Boy and Bear

Rabbit Song, 2o1o

Shot in Sydney, this surreal bike chase buffalo hunt was a fan favourite.

guy” to direct their video.”

The work with Boy & Bear opened many doors for him, Jefferton explained, but he knew that for his career to be long-lasting he had to make sure he wasn’t type cast. By taking jobs that people didn’t expect him to tackle, he showed he can work across many genres. His best advice for designers is to “surprise people with diversity in your work as it is the best form of self-promotion” He also told us that the biggest challenge for a new designer is knowing your own worth. He advised “don’t ask for a king’s ransom but don’t do everything for free either. Once you get your name out there, charge a fair and competitive rate and the work will flow.”

“Stay true to what you love and believe in your own tastes. Not everyone is going to enjoy your work and everyone has a very high opinion about their own tastes. The best tip I can give is to stick to your guns and create what you love.

The world already has too many copycats. It doesn’t need any more.”

Jefferton James can be contacted via his manager Guy Morrow at guyrmorrow@gmail.com and can be found under Jefferton James Designs on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Blogger.

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5

the top

freelancing essentials

Everything you need to get started in your creative career

E

very artist, no matter their skill, is only as good as the tools they use. Without paint, Leonardo Da Vinci could not have created the Mona Lisa and without that perfect slab of stone Michaelango could not have carved Statue of David. With the right tools, you can start your freelance career with your best foot forward. We have put together a list of the basics you should look into when building your new business to help it thrive.

pc/notebook

Naturally, the first port of call will be to pick up a computer to do your work on and to run the ins and outs of your business. Your first instinct, especially in the creative field, may be to pick up a MacBook or iMac and if you have the funds available, they are definitely the industry standard.

However, if you have limited funds, consider a Windows based PC instead. It will cost less for the same processing power and the majority of the programs you will need come on Windows as well.

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software

storage

workspace

website

Depending on your field of expertise, the exact software you will need will vary but no matter what you use for your work, make sure you purchase it legally. These days, something like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator isn’t anywhere near as expensive as it used to be. Using the Creative Cloud option, you can pick up a single licence for as little as $19.99 per month. When starting out, you pay as you go to save cash.

You should look into finding a place to work that will inspire you to get those creative juices flowing. If you plan to work from home, try and set aside a separate area, away from distractions and get yourself a comfortable chair.

The other option would be to hire a desk in a communal creative space. There are plenty of options including permanent desks at a monthly cost and hot desks for short term lease. Find out more at www.theloop.com.au

Your work will need to be stored and securely backed up. Losing something crucial the day before delivering to the client is a nightmare you can easily avoid simply by investing in smart data storage solutions. The most basic ways are to use an internal drive to back up manually or use back up software and an external drive to safeguard your files. The best option would be Network Attached Storage as it is easily upgradable.

Promoting yourself is the best way to build your client list. At first, the work will come in slowly but as you get your name out there and people notice your work, you will need a place to show off what you can do and give potential clients a way to get in contact with you. If you don’t know much about building a website there are online tools available that make the process easy.

Check out wix or weebly for a cheap site builder that will suit your needs and style.

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IMAGE FROM 123RF.COM

CONNECTING YOUR

WORLD

A closer look at the crucial points you need to know about setting up a successful home or small-office network.

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he rise of reliable high-speed internet has enabled creative professionals to seamlessly operate from small offices or the home. As never before, even the smallest business or freelancer can larger scale. With a bit of know-how and an initial investment in the right gear, you can create a reliable and versatile IT infrastructure as a strong foundation for your business.

First and foremost, it’s important to start with the right local area network (LAN) gear that suits the wired and wireless devices you are using day-to-day.

Desktop computers, for instance, may require a wired Ethernet connection, while notebooks, tablets and smartphones tend to operate wirelessly.

Where possible, it is best to use wired connections as these are faster and more stable. The most basic wired connection is directly from the modem to your PC but it doesn’t provide many options for adding other devices. If your modem has a number of ports on the back (usually four), it is called a router and can accept multiple wired device connections. These

Powerline

Use your power points to create a home network

are best used to connect to your most important business gear, such as desktop work computers, network-attached storage (NAS) external drives and server devices.

If your modem doesn’t have these ports, you can purchase a separate router and connect it to enable this functionality. Deferring to a wired connection as often as possible also allows a single-router network to better manage wireless and wired connections.

As your business grows and you need to add more network-capable gear, you will most likely need access to additional ports. For this, it’s worth considering purchasing a network switch which specialises in

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It is best to use wired connections as these are faster and more stable

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handling wired local connections.

Connecting a switch to your router will free it up to better handle internet connectivity and wireless connections, resulting in a faster network and greater reliability.

If your small business or home office operates over a large area, it’s worth considering laying Ethernet cable to the different spaces of your office network. For a more straightforward option, powerline adapters can convert power points into Ethernet ports but the speeds aren’t as fast. If you prefer wireless, you can configure multiple routers

ADSL Modem

The backbone of your network, it’s the one thing you don’t want to skimp on.

to create a single network with increased wireless reach, or use wireless extenders.

For Internet connectivity, the two current standard home office broadband connections are ADSL 2+ or cable. Cable is better suited to businesses that need access to high-speed simultaneous upload and download capabilities, while ADSL2+ is a versatile and affordable connection that’s a practical choice for everyday business connectivity. It’s also worth reading the fine print of any broadband contract, as uploaded data may count towards your monthly data allowance. If practical, consider a broadband connection with an unlimited data plan for the ultimate convenience.

With the right gear and proper infrastructure you can rest assured that your business can seamlessly operate in a local, global and international capacity.

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NAS for

CREATIVE AGENCIES

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or small boutique agencies, comprised of a handful of graphic designers and coders, it is common to use an older standalone computer, attached to a network, purely for storage of source images and Photoshop files. It does the trick as it puts old hardware back to work and gives everyone on the network access to centrally stored but it isn’t ideal.

Issues can arise in smaller offices where physical space is limited as finding a place for the PC can become problematic. Not only that, but it also draws a lot of power and generates more heat than other options.

WD Red Built for 24/7 use, the WD Red is ideal for 1-5 bay NAS.

an economic way to modernise your workflow

This is where Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices come into play. NAS devices are small, self-managed boxes connected to your network that allow you to access shared drives with minimal hassle. Just drop in multiple hard drives, open your browser to the NAS device’s configuration options and with a few clicks you’ll have a network drive available to all the computers on the network.

Under the hood, NAS devices are small, custom, low power computers built specifically with file storage and sharing in mind.

They don’t make much noise, are pretty small and use minimal energy with low heat output.

The drives can also be set up within the NAS box so that all your data is copied to more than one drive in case one of the drives fail. This is called ‘RAID-1’, and is relatively simple to set up. It isn’t a substitute for regular backups, but it is great for extra piece of mind.

NAS is perfect for smaller agencies as it is a low cost solution with plenty of options for

when the business grows. NAS boxes can have multiple drive spaces allowing you to simply add more drives as the business grows. In addition to giving all the designers in an agency central access to the same files, some even allow you to track iterations of a file so you can go back to an earlier version.

They can also act as a mini-

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NAS devices are small custom low power computers for file storage

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server to handle emails, printer sharing and can be set up to remotely access files over the Internet.

A NAS device can seriously simplify the cost and lifespan of your IT infrastructure while fundamentally changing the way you think about storage.With one simple step it will modernise your workflow and set up your business for future growth.

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF

Ascender

IN ISSUE TWO of Ascender, we will be taking an inside look at all things film. That will include production and cameras, post-production including editing and compositing and the challenges of keeping raw footage safe. We will also be talking with a time lapse filmmaker to discover his secrets on capturing luscious imagery and the gear he uses in the field.

Issue Two will be available early August.

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