Interview with Ricardas Marozas

It's really nice to see humble and pleasant people in this world but we believe that we have found one of a kind in Ricardas Marozas. We do like his work very much and his modesty is incredibly charming and quite rare in this world. We just hope that the deadline horror will not catch up with our man. Take a look some of his works and words of wisdom!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the 3D industry?

I'm turning 29 this summer and have been playing around with 3D software (when I got my hands on 3ds max 4) for about 12 years. I sold my first 3D model (Lamborghini Murcielago) 10 years ago. Got interested in 3D modeling and CGI in general back when the first trailer for "Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven" was released (E3 of the year 2000, I think). It showcased the living, interactive city and the open world gameplay, which planted the undying idea in my mind that I have to make a city of my own. Over time I came to realise that it's just too big of a feat for one man to accomplish, so I have been working on small projects most of the time. Since I don't like group projects or someone telling me what, how and when I should model, I try to avoid custom orders and just stick to 3D stock sites which allows me to work on my own terms.

What kind of research process do you have?

Whenever I decide to work on a specific object I usually go to Google image search to find out if there are plenty of reference photos I could use while modeling. The second thing I tend to do is to search for the same or similar items on 3D stock sites to figure out if I should even start working on the model. If the supply is already filled and I can't offer anything better of my own, I tend to skip the project; if the supply is low or of low quality, I move on to the modeling stage. In other words - figure out if you will be able to make a fairly accurate representation of the real thing, find out if you will be able to sell your finished work on the market, do the best job your current skill level allows.

How do you market your products? Can you share some tips & tricks?

I don't, other than occasionally posting links to my recent models on pumper.lt. I guess the best marketing is decent quality models, fair pricing, plenty of preview renders and patience. If you are new to 3D stock and get upset/want to quit when no one buys your first model in a month or two, you will never make it in this market. For example, I did not receive any sales for 9 months after my Lamborghini model was purchased for the first time and a lot of my models to date were never sold even once. In any case, I can't share any tricks because I don't know any myself, but I can give a few tips: do the best job you can at the moment, keep publishing new models even if you don't sell anything and stick around long enough for people to recognize you and your work (although I can't be sure that I have achieved this myself).

What do you enjoy most about working in 3D industry?

The freedom to do whatever you want as long as you don't mind erratic and mostly low income (in my case at least). Industry professionals working in big studios make a good living, but that's the thing - they are actually working, they have jobs with deadlines (the horror) and thus, a lot less freedom.

What’s the hardest thing being a professional 3D designer?

No idea. I don't consider myself to be neither a professional, nor a designer. To this day I'm just replicating the real world in 3D (as you can see from my model library) so I don't need to "design" stiff in most cases, and I don't have the reputation, skills, knowledge and the modeling speed to be considered a professional.

What software do you use?

I'm still using 3ds max 8 for modeling and open up 2011 version only when I need to render (not a fan of the new user interface). Other than that - Photoshop.

What are you working on next?

At the moment I'm working on a new trailer model and have several other projects in progress. Was considering to update some of my older models as well: improve geometry, add UV's, textures, improve materials and render bigger preview images.

lease finish the following sentences (being as honest as you can ☺)

My greatest inspiration is ... seeing CGI miles ahead of anything I am able to achieve.

I abandon some of my works because ... I find something better to model.

When I catch myself procrastinating, ... I stop working altogether.

I’m most productive when ... I think that the project I'm working on will be the first of its kind on the market and will sell well.

I take a break from my work when ... I finish a big project or several smaller ones.

Don't forget to visit the personal site of Ricardas: pumper.lt/