We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ethan Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ethan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Learning CG can be very time consuming and daunting. Just like any skill it requires a tremendous amount of self discipline and passion in order to get good. I have five years of experience in 3D and still don’t feel like I know enough. The best life skill you could ever have is learning how to learn. I’ve spent countless hours on youtube and sacrificed a lot of my high school and early college years dedicating myself to my discipline. I took a unique route and didn’t start out in 3D, I started as a photographer, videographer, then dabbled in 2d motion graphics to eventually 3d animation. I’m grateful for my creative journey because it enabled me to have skills you wouldn’t learn straight away as a 3d artist. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that learning requires patience and it’s a lifelong endeavor.
Ethan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into the industry from my dad, growing up I was able to tag along with him on a few productions. It inspired me to create my own stories and started to learn filmmaking. Before graduating high school I became certified as a Video Design Specialist from Adobe getting ACA certifications in Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Premiere Pro. I started learning 3D late in high school in 2018, then pursuing my education at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in 2020. I’ve now graduated and started my career in animation and visual effects. At my roots I’m a storyteller first and artist second. I’m a CG Generalist in the film industry which means I have a good understanding of every discipline in the pipeline. I’m most proud of my skills in modeling, sculpting, lighting, composition, and above all – storytelling. Although my main discipline is 3D, I’m exceptionally skilled in photography and video production. A lot of my time is spent learning and working on a game called Spark:The Magic of Storytelling, which is an improv storytelling game.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I find that the process of creating is very rewarding for me. In 3D you are in control of everything, you have to think about the story you are trying to convey and tell it through the model, textures, environment, lighting, animation, fx, cinematography etc. I have a deep love for learning and enjoy studying what I create. I also find that telling stories that resonate with people is extremely rewarding. There’s a saying that “stories that are personal are universal”, which profoundly changed the way I looked at storytelling.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I eventually would love to direct my own animated and live action films. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, growing up watching movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Alien, and many others. The stories I consumed as a kid dramatically changed the way I saw the world and kept my curiosity about life, which feeds creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ethantjones.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethan.jones/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-jones-126931163/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ethantjones