cheap labour

[BobaJob]

Lets not get started on the Agents!
We are all responsible for their evil!
I have personally worked direct and suffered the "Late payment issues".
Never again!
Cash flow is what keeps the roof over our heads and whilst I HATE Agents and consider them parasites, they have to deal with what we don't want to.
Having said that there was a time when some agents employed only the people that they knew and trusted to do a great job and carry the flag high. All of those companies were built on the quality of people they supplied.
Not now, those days are gone, the people who ran those have moved on and been replaced by people who wouldn't know a good modeler if he/she fell on them! A good modeler in their opinion is based on how much they "suck up" or if they will work cheaper than someone else.
Any other opinions?

Bob

[BobaFett]

You tell it like it is Mr Job. Agents are a necessary evil I am thinking. An association of modelers would never work because we are all backstabbing moneygrabbers who care little for each other. We have always relied on a bigger more powerful backstabbing moneygrabber to guide us in our endeavors. Better the devil you know eh?

[Dark lord sauron]

As i am the the all seeing eye, the problem is the clicks in the studios, the jag(the evil fortress)impossible to penetrate for the mere mortal modellers and the beloved dunton(the the evil ford empire) again impossible to break unless your are a southern or a fordy. Break down the walls of these middle earth empires and let all modellers sail the sea of greed.

[Ben Kenobi]

Conract agents. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

[bumbo baggins]

You can always tell a "Fordy" but you cant tell them much.

These bastions of secret squirrell clubs are some of the worst culprits out there for keeping rates down. Only hiring the "in" crowd which then prevents the six month move which used to encourage new and better modelling.

An association is a great idea and all the difficulties could be bypassed, no sorry, just woke up, modellers only look after themselves and then moan afterwards when the opportunity has gone.

Lets just close down this web site and crawl back under our little clay rocks, all this talk but never any action.

[BobAJob]

Some of those Ford boys(and I dont mean just the ones that were trained there), are very guilty.... Working O/T for free, as an example!

I will say, IMHO some grew up and spread nothing but good in the business.

And another thing......
In my book, you get tons of points for modeling ability, but being "the best in the world" is next to useless if it brings a lack of ability to team play.
Give me a guy who enjoy's his job, mixes in and doesn't backstab or worse, decry other people work to enhance his own position. We all have good and bad days, we need a straightener every now and again.
Who wants to work with someone who is a legend in his own mind?

A while back someone said "stength in depth was the key" I agree with that wholeheartedly.

While I am on a rant, I want to mention something else that is important.....
I have seen lots of Modelers out there being dumb and encouraging locals and /or mates out on the circuit.
You want to know why there is a lack of jobs out there lads ? Try looking back... some of you.... and remembering shooting off you mouth about what you do. I hope some of you cringe inside and remember that those sometimes poorly trained and equipped locals are entrenched somewhere keeping experienced guys out of work and the rates down !
I wish you guys are the ones sitting at home waiting for a call, but thats not normally the case!
Shame on you, you dumb asses.
Thanks for reading!

[bob the builder]

Couldnt agree more bobajob.

Keep on ranting

Oh and by the way, it was in the paper this week that tattooists are forming an association/union to improve their industries image and standards.

I wonder if they are all nuts or weather its a good idea?

[BobAJob]

Yeah, well they are probably smarter that some of the people working in our trade, and that speaks volumes.
I bet Tatooists keep their trade tricks and secrets to themselves!
Even they are smart enough to see that "Giving the game away" will dilute the business and put them out of work.
Imagine going to a Lawyer for advice and while he is giving you what you need, he tells you where to get all the info that you are paying him for, and cheaper than he charges!!!!!!!!
How dumb.
Thats why there will never be an Clay Modelers "Club".
Take a good look at some of the people who are driving our industry, it will tell you everything you want to know
I guess because we get our hands dirty, that means that we are viewed and act incapable of administration.

[alias warrior]

Ralf asks first and foremost on this posting is alias the future~?
The way you lot are carrying on- YES!!!!!!
You clay scratchers could not organise a piss up in a brewery.
In studios across this planet your losing respect, and the way you people behave it is deserved.
Moan all you want about agents, its not them thats the problem.

[Spartacus]

From the ashes of the great Clay Wars, One man will rise. The Alias Warrior ! At last a true champion. Armed only with cordless mouse and flat panel LCD, The hero of the modern car industry will replace the claymonkey and designer too.

Well done mate. I love you. I want to have your little robot babies.

[Alias Warrior]

Oh Yes

You unbelievers in the force of Alias be scared!
For now the time of the second coming is upon you!

You clay Monkeys have spoiled the golden earth and JUDGEMENT is on you.

Your demise has been foretold and the Alias warriors will rise up and usurp your dominance.

There is nothing you can do!!!!!!!!!!!!

[claydiator]

Alias warrior, spartacus fear the claydiator as many companies belived that alias was the light to the new world, but you have tried and failed. GM belived in your mouse but they soon realised there error and returned to the way of the slick. Ford again tried and soon realised there foolish ideals and again the almighty spline returned.
Without the spline of truth you guys are usless.

Stick to animation like shrek as this is the only option left now for you weak alias nerds.


Long live the slick, we will win the war


THE CLAYDIATOR

[Hellrond]

Modellers from distant lands, patternmakers of old. You have been summoned to this forum to answer the threat of Alias. Contract-modelling stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each jobber is bound to this fate--this one doom. Bring forth the Spline Frodo

[Gandalf the brown gold]

Never a truer word spoken in jest.

Obviously the alias muppets think we are a dying breed, but it would seem, so do some of us.

Maybe it is time to unite or see our trade slowly disappear. Because the people in charge at the top dont beleive we can deliver the goods anymore.

Why else would they ever consider using Alias in the first place, let alone persevere with it for all this time.
G.M. and Ford are maybe taking a step back but ask yourself WHY? Do you really beleive they suddenly have realised that they cannot live without us?

Its time for a new generation of modelling to evolve or the big boys at the top WILL replace Clay Modelling!!

[Nien Nunb]

As an X patternmaker, clay modeller and now icem, alias modeller I can see both sides of the debate.
The thing is there is room for both skills in the design process; they are just at different positions.
Depending on the company and size of budget it all rest on how they want to play it. I usually see alias enhancing the review and early sketch stage then into scale and full-size clay. (In regards to the alias/clay argument)

We only seem to get ill feeling when times are bad.
Hey I know "out of work"clay modellers and digital modellers.