Career move. IT to er, special effects!

Jonny69 · 02-10-2008, 20:47

Having spent 8+ months moaning about my job I finally did something about it and handed my notice in. I finished late in August and got sending out CVs but didn't get anything back that led to a job. Tuesday I decided I'd started wasting too much time on the net looking at porn etc so sent a mail to the special effects company I used to work for. Minutes later the phone rang and I started back there today and I've got work booked up until Christmas.

I'm on an exhibition at the O2 Dome, there's an upstairs area to the Tutankhamun exhibition which is getting a new bit added on. Basically I've got 3 weeks to come up with some large mechanical exhibits with giant reflective screens that lift up out of boxes and project fullsize images of figures on the screen. I got there this morning and the brief was completely open, all they knew was the size of the screen and the height so I have roughly designed the thing today with all the mechanism, motors and spring assistance, ordered a LOT of steel which turns up tomorrow when I get cracking and start making it! Bit nervous since I haven't actually put a pencil to paper properly for some years and I am doing this one single handedly start to finish. In at the deep end eh?

After that I am doing an interactive exhibition which is along the lines of the kids' exhibition I designed at the RAF Hendon museum. I don't know much more than that yet because it's not finalised what they want but it's going to be a corker with a bit of luck.

I'll probably (hopefully

) get roped into a few shoots as well so I'll see if I can get some photos and let you know what's going on!

An odd career change though, commute is a bitch, pay is reasonable, but I think it's worth it!

Blighter · 02-10-2008, 20:51

Wow, great news mate, I remember you telling me about you wanting to move to FX back when I was an OcUK regular

Glad to hear you finally did something about it

Jonny69 · 02-10-2008, 20:55

I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed to be honest and my brain is in overdrive trying to get back up to speed on things

Del Lardo · 02-10-2008, 21:11

A move away from IT is definitely a good thing IMO and it sounds like you are doing interesting things that you enjoy.

Congrats!

penski · 02-10-2008, 21:27

Viva la anti-IT revolucione!

*n

Gnat · 02-10-2008, 23:21

Yay for moving from stuff you dont really like

I just quit my uni course at the end of the year to change to th one i really wanted to do in the first place

Pumpkinstew · 03-10-2008, 15:29

And when will we see you on Scrapheap Challenge?

Seriously, congratulations on the career change. Hope it goes well.

Will · 03-10-2008, 16:12

I'm still on cloud 9 from having moved away from IT. Best decision I've ever made.

Great news though Jon! Look forward to hearing your news

mejinks · 03-10-2008, 16:28

Nice on J. I hope it goes really well for you.

Jonny69 · 14-10-2008, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumpkinstew

And when will we see you on Scrapheap Challenge?

Might not be too long because Richard Curtis pops in quite a lot

Got briefed up on the next project which is running alongside the pepper's ghosts units at 02. Got 27 interactive kids exhibits to design and build for at the Newcastle natural history museum (Hancock place) so all you toonies can go visit and point and laugh at the ones that don't work

02-10-2008, 20:47	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Career move. IT to er, special effects! Having spent 8+ months moaning about my job I finally did something about it and handed my notice in. I finished late in August and got sending out CVs but didn't get anything back that led to a job. Tuesday I decided I'd started wasting too much time on the net looking at porn etc so sent a mail to the special effects company I used to work for. Minutes later the phone rang and I started back there today and I've got work booked up until Christmas. I'm on an exhibition at the O2 Dome, there's an upstairs area to the Tutankhamun exhibition which is getting a new bit added on. Basically I've got 3 weeks to come up with some large mechanical exhibits with giant reflective screens that lift up out of boxes and project fullsize images of figures on the screen. I got there this morning and the brief was completely open, all they knew was the size of the screen and the height so I have roughly designed the thing today with all the mechanism, motors and spring assistance, ordered a LOT of steel which turns up tomorrow when I get cracking and start making it! Bit nervous since I haven't actually put a pencil to paper properly for some years and I am doing this one single handedly start to finish. In at the deep end eh? After that I am doing an interactive exhibition which is along the lines of the kids' exhibition I designed at the RAF Hendon museum. I don't know much more than that yet because it's not finalised what they want but it's going to be a corker with a bit of luck. I'll probably (hopefully ) get roped into a few shoots as well so I'll see if I can get some photos and let you know what's going on! An odd career change though, commute is a bitch, pay is reasonable, but I think it's worth it! __________________

02-10-2008, 20:51	#2
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	Wow, great news mate, I remember you telling me about you wanting to move to FX back when I was an OcUK regular Glad to hear you finally did something about it __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

02-10-2008, 20:55	#3
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed to be honest and my brain is in overdrive trying to get back up to speed on things __________________

02-10-2008, 21:27	#5
penski Columbian Coffee Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 73	Viva la anti-IT revolucione! *n __________________ Every night I shut my eyes, so I don't have to see the light, shining so bright...I'll dream about a cloudy sky, a cloudy sky. And every night I shut my eyes, but now I've got them open wide. You've fallen into my hands, and now you're burning me. You're burning me.

02-10-2008, 23:21	#6
Gnat BZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Manchester Posts: 500	Yay for moving from stuff you dont really like I just quit my uni course at the end of the year to change to th one i really wanted to do in the first place __________________ words are more treacherous and powerful than we think

02-10-2008, 21:11	#4
Del Lardo Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cambridge Posts: 2,539	A move away from IT is definitely a good thing IMO and it sounds like you are doing interesting things that you enjoy. Congrats!

03-10-2008, 15:29	#7
Pumpkinstew Absinthe Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Mostly Oxford, Sometimes Bristol Posts: 1,156	And when will we see you on Scrapheap Challenge? Seriously, congratulations on the career change. Hope it goes well. __________________ Get old, or die tryin' PSTEWREVIEWS - Chunks of Meaty Reviews, Mixed with Your Five a Day of News, Comment and Opinion, Floating in a Broth of Suspect Grammar and Seasoned Liberally with Mixed Metaphor. Tasty.

03-10-2008, 16:12	#8
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	I'm still on cloud 9 from having moved away from IT. Best decision I've ever made. Great news though Jon! Look forward to hearing your news __________________ *No No!*