Hello! My name is Viktor Damjanoski, and I can say that M3DS Academy fulfilled my dream.
I enrolled in the M3DS Academy in 2019, and it feels like it was just a few months ago, yet today my portfolio includes the biggest companies like Marvel Studios, HBO, Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV.
My story began at the Game Design How To? event, where we learned how games function and are made. Because my group had ambitious goals, we worked for 13 hours straight to create our first 3D environment.
Some of the participants were already grouped together, but the majority, including me, joined individually and formed new teams. I was excited about everything we learned in those 4 hours, and we were able to implement that knowledge right away, even though it was the first time we had met as a team.
I didn't expect that we would be able to create anything, but as the hours passed, I realized why we were a good team even though we didn't know each other. It was because we all shared the same passion, played the same games, and watched the same movies. That gave us the motivation to finish the task at hand.
After that event, I was inspired to enrol in the M3DS Academy for Digital Arts, even though I was scared it would last for 12 months. But based on my experience at the event, I felt confident that I was on the right path. In fact, I switched from studying economics to multimedia in order to better pursue my passion.
At the academy, we learned how to create characters, environments for games and movies, and animation, and after 12 months of learning, I had the chance to create my first portfolio.
The most important thing I learned is that to have a profession, you need specialization, which a formal diploma doesn't always provide. For what I want to do, I need to focus solely on my portfolio. The richer your portfolio is, the more opportunities you have to work on bigger projects.
Previously, I had no desire to work in animation, but as time passed, I realized that I was a talented animator and was given the opportunity to animate actors! I animated some of those super-extreme movements in movies.
In every profession, there are ups and downs. Sometimes you will work on something you like, and sometimes you will work on something you don't like, but one crucial thing is that motivation and passion should be on the same level. Like me, my colleagues are also inspired by movies and games. Personally, I was most inspired by the game "The Witcher" and the series.
Although I work as an animator, I also want to create models for games and apply textures to them. One important thing we learned in M3DS is that you will always have to upgrade yourself no matter what you do and how hard it is. Don't stop finding yourself, don't stop exploring new things.
I have worked and am currently working on the most popular movies and the best series in the world, animating the characters minute by minute, second by second, and frame by frame.
It is a huge satisfaction to see your name at the end of the movie when it is finished. I have fulfilled my goals!
Although I currently work in the film industry, one day, I would like to work in the gaming industry, but I can do that because of the knowledge I have gained and my ability to adapt.
If I switch to making games, my knowledge as an animator will remain, and I will have the opportunity to implement it.
My next step in achieving my new goal is to upgrade myself and, of course, prepare my new portfolio for the gaming industry.
My advice for future generations at M3DS:
Believe in yourself, and you will succeed!
Passion is your fuel for motivation.
No matter how long the path is, take the first step.
The portfolio is the most important thing; dedicate every minute to it.
And of course, if you have the chance to work with big companies, respect the contracts, and don't give spoilers to your friends.