Welcome to our interview series where we showcase stories aimed at inspiring young minds. In this post, we have the pleasure of speaking with Charles Agbo, former intern at OrangeVFX Studios, where he shares his journey to success, valuable tips, and advice for those looking to break into the 3D field. Get ready to be inspired and motivated as we delve into 3D Character Acting.
Please introduce yourself to us. What university you graduated from, and what did you study?
Good Afternoon, everyone, I’m Charles Chukwuemeka Agbo from Enugu state. A graduate of Electrical Electronics Engineering from the Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Umudike
How did you discover Orange VFX studios? Why did you choose to learn 3D character acting
I was looking for an edge to go into IT. I wanted the kind of work life where I would wake up and turn on my laptop and start working, not something that required going miles to the office. I just wanted something that enabled me to work at the convenience of my home. Being artistic, I Figured I’d do well in design so I spoke with my younger brother who at the time was already in the tech space as a c# programmer, and he suggested I learn BLENDER. I had to start going to a co-working space in Festac where he used and that’s where I met Chidimma who introduced me to Orange VFX. We went together to Mr. Richard’s office for the first time.
Mr. Richard explained OrangeVfx’s 3D animation courses to me. I thought about it and didn’t see any harm in trying so I started with Jumpstart, then Character Modeling, and finally Character Acting.
Do you have intentions to learn anything else related to 3D?
In this life, learning is a continuous process, and I have plans for furthering. After training, I interned with Orange for a while, and the experience was good. I realized there is a whole lot in the world of 3D. I discovered Motion Graphics, VFX, cloth simulation, fluid simulation, PBR texturing and so much more. All these come together to tell the perfect story and the fact that I could tell my story in 3D was really fascinating.
Before your training, did you set any personal goals? Also, what were your training expectations?
Remember I mentioned that my drive was to learn a skill that would enable me to work and earn in the comfort of my home? As for personal goals, I didn’t have any. I had no prior knowledge of 3D. When you go into a world you don’t know about, you don’t really know what to expect. I kept an open mind, ready to learn and use what I learned.
How did the training impact your career?
Before I came to Orange VFX, I had a little idea of 3D from the blender lessons I took on YouTube; coming to Orange VFX exposed me to a lot. I wanted to make designs that would wow people, so being in Orange helped me achieve that; now, I can make digital Art that intrigues people. Orange impacted my career because I wasn’t just introduced to digital arts but also taught how to handle it.
What challenges did you face while learning, and how did you overcome them?
Charles: Learning is fun, but sometimes it can be too much. One of my significant challenges was getting to a point where I asked myself, “am I on the right track?” You know, when you just keep learning and haven’t made a penny from it, it makes you second-guess yourself. Another issue I had was when I felt like I was learning too much, especially if you aren’t applying all the knowledge yet. You might begin to feel like you forget some things you’ve learned. When I feel like that, I take a step back to cool off.
Orange VFX provides mentorship for trainees, and you also interned with the studio. What impact did this have on your growth?
Charles: During my internship, I realized I could learn much in 3D. I started engaging in these areas, and it didn’t take long before I became bewildered. Mr Richard helped me overcome that confusion, every time I spoke to him, he reminded me of the importance of focus. Getting results from one thing before moving to another is essential. You won’t forget the one you have learned. The idea is to grow by improving yourself.
Also, I am a perfectionist; I like to get 100 percent perfection and accuracy on a project before moving to another. Mr Richard taught me that was wrong; He said and I quote “when you are learning, you need to give yourself time and space to absorb. As you continuously work on different projects with the same skill you begin to gain mastery of it”. That was very helpful.
Apart from the mentorship provided by Mr. Richard, were there other people who impacted your learning and work?
Orange Team helped me grow. I realized that everyone was a major in their skill. Being in that circle felt like being in a family; it helped because when I’m learning and got stuck,
I could easily walk up to someone who is really good at it and seek help. It made learning faster because I could spend days trying to figure it out myself, but with the help of others on the team, the knowledge was fast, and the impact was huge.
You are currently freelancing and earning in dollars. How has that been for you? Can you share an estimate of how much you make monthly from Upwork?
It has been a great experience I must say. Waking and working from the comfort of my home, choosing my most preferred time to work which is usually night by the way, and earning in a foreign currency that’s way stronger than my country’s currency, not forgetting having Clients from anywhere in the world. It has been great so far.
An estimate of what I earn monthly? Some months I don’t earn, and some months I earn what can last for three months. My freelancing journey kicked off properly in July 2022, and from then till now, I have earned about $10,000. Now I am holding out a bit on jobs, so I can make time to learn more.
What are your future plans, and how do you plan to navigate your way to that destination?
Before I started my classes, Mr. Richard asked me, “why do you want to become an animator?” At that point, I didn’t really know what I wanted and always never answered the question. At the time I was really broke and all I could think of was how to Chanel my skill to make money from it. Mr Richard always went further to say “the essence is to be able to tell your story to the world someday which didn’t make sense to me at the time. One of the things I discovered in OrangeVfx is how big of a deal and lucrative digital content is and I intend to explore it even more. My plan is to tell my story as well as other stories and make a profit in the long run.
How do I plan on getting there?
Creating animation content is more about a team effort than it is about individual skill, so when I say I want to tell stories, I do not plan to do it all alone. I would like to build a team to take on bigger projects, just like we did in Orange. Sometimes last year, there were projects I didn’t bid for on Upwork because they were big and required a standard team, so I would like to build a team capable of taking on bigger projects.
There are thousands of young people like you who want to veer into this career path; what advice will you like to share with them?
My advice is this, “you don’t really need to know what you want, it is a free world; just keep an open mind. Whatever you are doing, do it diligently and with all your heart. It will pay off, maybe not instantly, but it will pay off eventually. You might not know the destination when you start a journey, but just keep going. Learning is not easy, but the benefits are always sweet when you start reaping them.
This has been an inspiring interview session with great things to take note of. More success stories will be posted on the blog. If you will like to be notified when they are posted, feel free to subscribe to the blog and follow us on all social media platforms.