Why every CG Artist should know Python

1. Better Jobs.
2. Better Pay
3. It’s easy to learn. Easier than the CG tools you already know.

When I ask new students what they think the primary responsibility is of a commercial artist, I get answers like “To make great pictures”, “to do my best”, “to follow instructions”. These answers are definitely in the ballpark, however none of them is the primary responsibility.

The answer is:  “Be Cost Effective”

Like any other employee in any other industry, commercial artists should spend a significant amount of time becoming more cost-effective.  More efficient, if you prefer.  This means crew members who are faster at their job, whatever the task may be.  When an artist is using “cost-effective thinking” to drive their decisions, things tend to go much faster.

It means knowing what needs to be done on a particular task, and more importantly, what needs NOT to be done.  It means knowing there are multiple ways of approaching a given problem, but usually one BEST and most COST EFFECTIVE way for a given situation.

This is critically important, especially in today’s industry where deadlines are getting squeezed and budgets are getting lower while expectations continue to rise.  The old, slow way of working will either put you out of work sooner or later, or will mean you end up doing cheaper, lower quality work for less pay while others around you advance to better positions.

There are many great ways to improve your cost-effectiveness.  Many of these you already know.  

-Learn and use HotKeys.  

-Always work coarse to fine.  

-Iterate quickly and show in dailies frequently.  

-Deliver or communicate.  

-Don’t sit on problems until they’re emergencies.  

-Treat your supervisor like a team member.  

These and so many more techniques can dramatically improve your output and that of your team.

Many artists and TDs shy away from the idea of writing any code or script, expecting that this will be done by the pipeline department.  They may be worried that they need mad math skills or an engineering background.  The truth is that Python is easier to learn than Houdini or Maya or probably any other DCC you are using.  And it can automate some of your tasks, generating a radical speed improvement.  Furthermore, if you can whip up tools to speed your own workflow, it means you can whip up tools to speed your team’s workflow, multiplying the effect of your speedup and this will almost certainly attract the interest and attention of your supervisors.

If your goal is to move up the ladder to better assignments and to higher pay, it is almost ridiculous not to learn to wield such a simple tool.

CG Masters has spent a year building an at-your-own pace python course especially for animation and VFX people like you, including real-world examples of how to use Python in Nuke and Houdini, so you can get started writing your own scripts.  This course can be taken one of  two ways.  You can get the course with one-on-one mentorship, via remote video sessions, or you can forego the mentorship and learn on your own, instead using forums and colleagues to help out when you get stuck.

This course could change your career trajectory.  You should do it.  Python is easy.