Maxim Samun'

1. Tell us about yourself. Why did you choose 3D graphics.

Greetings! I'm Maxim Samun, a 28-year-old residing in the vibrant city of Dnipro, Ukraine. My enthralling journey with 3D graphics commenced at the age of 19, a pivotal point when I was concluding my studies at a railway technical school. Fueled by a desire to steer away from the railway industry, I ventured into interior design courses.

To be candid, interior design wasn't my passion; instead, it was the programs encompassed within the curriculum that beckoned me. Among these, the spotlight shone on 3DsMax. In the initial lessons, a realization dawned upon me – this was my calling. Subsequently, I dedicated the past seven years to the realm of visualization, with the last five being a captivating journey as a freelancer.

2. How was the learning.

The courses unfolded over a span of 10 months, encompassing a diverse curriculum that delved into programs such as Photoshop, CorelDRAW, AutoCAD, and the cornerstone of my journey, 3DsMax, which received dedicated attention for three months. During this immersive period, our focus was on dissecting modifiers and unraveling their intricate settings. The aftermath of this training left me with what seemed like a dismal result, yet it laid the groundwork for what was to come. Subsequently, my pursuit of knowledge continued independently, fueled by online resources.

3.Choosing the Freelance Odyssey

Opting for freelancing over studio work was a decision influenced by multiple factors:

• Limited lucrative opportunities within my city, Dnipro, for office-based employment.
• A craving for more autonomy and less employer oversight. However, the allure of freedom revealed its nuanced challenges when working from home.

4. How you are looking for clients? What are you focusing on?

Initiating the quest for clients involved leveraging my initial projects to approach design studios in major cities like Kiev and Moscow. After reaching out to around 50-60 studios, the breakthrough arrived with my first set of clients. As my portfolio evolved with compelling 3D visualizations, studios began reaching out to me with job opportunities. Notably, impactful projects found their way to me through the Behance platform.

Currently, an active client search is facilitated through Linkedin, a platform that opens avenues to connect with managers from various companies.

5. Do you know foreign languages? Do freelancers need them today?

While my proficiency in foreign languages isn't at the level I aspire to, I navigate client communication using translation tools. Undoubtedly, possessing a good command of English can significantly streamline freelance work.

6. Tell us an interesting case from work.

The realm of a 3D artist is inherently captivating for me, transcending beyond mere work into the realm of a cherished hobby. Each facet of the creative process holds its own allure, making it challenging to pinpoint a singular interesting case

7. What projects do you like to do the most?

My affinity lies in crafting interiors, specifically engaging in projects for diverse furniture and lighting manufacturers. The challenge of seamlessly presenting their products within a sophisticated interior is one I relish. These projects offer a profound understanding of the task at hand, translating into minimal revisions. Moreover, they boast a significant artistic component and a limited number of angles, allowing ample time for the meticulous exploration of materials and lighting nuances.

8. Where are you looking for inspiration for your work?

Inspiration is an elusive muse, often striking spontaneously during moments of movie-watching, travel, or relaxation. Subsequently, the search for references commences, with key platforms being Pinterest, Behance, Render, Vwartclub, and 3ddd.ru, despite its navigational challenges. Instagram also stands out as a wellspring of inspiration, unveiling new talents, studios, and projects through its dynamic tape. Subscribing to top accounts and exploring hashtags like #archviz and #render serves as a continuous source of creative influx.

9. Do you continue to improve your skills? Level up? How? Lessons, conferences.

Yes, constantly. Of course, these are not as big steps as before, but every new project, especially not a commercial one, makes you find something new, or modify the old one. In the beginning, I used the site perevodvsem.ru very often. I just bought a ready-made translation, or participated in joint purchases of video lessons on the topic of 3D. The first time I worked in 3D, I took small modeling courses, took private lessons, even when I worked in the office, then when switching from Vray to Corona. If you want to do your job better, earn more, then you just need to study articles, watch lessons and sit on forums.

I attend conferences, only online, but there is more interest and motivation to work.

10. What is a freelancer in Ukraine? Advantages and disadvantages.

Plus: taxation and the relative cheapness of life, although the latter is already eroded, and when you get to Europe, you understand what you pay for.

It's hard for me to say about the downsides of freelance in Ukraine, I think they are common to all countries.

11. Have you had any suggestions to leave to work abroad? If so, why stayed.

Yes they do. Now it’s not so often, but just a year or two ago, there were many offers from various studios throughout Europe. While I am not considering them seriously, since I myself have not yet decided whether I am ready to work in a European studio and on this basis move to permanent residence or to develop my brand, which, as a result, will allow me to move wherever I want.

In any case, I’m thinking about this, I just want to create optimal conditions for myself to move.

12. How do you prefer to spend free time from work? Sport, travel.

I can’t say that this is not work, but for more than a year now I have been teaching at Freedes School. These are elementary courses for people with zero knowledge, who can diversify the routine of a visualizer on freelance.

Allocate a couple of weekends per week. I try to relax, spend time with friends. I like basketball, trips out of town, kayaks and bicycles in the summer, snowboarding in the winter.

13. What are you striving for in your work. What peaks, results?

When I started, I wanted to do something cool in archiving. The goal was to get an avard on render.ru and 3ddd.ru. After I got them, the goal has changed and now it is a studio that will allow me to get a little more free time and the opportunity to work on interesting projects.

14. Wishes, advices and parting words to the audience.

Friend, if you are confident in the choice and this business brings you pleasure, do not waste time in vain. Devote your time to achieving the goal, the plan is very simple - Find an object that has not yet been modeled, material that has not yet been created, lighting, or weather conditions that have not yet been set up. And try to recreate it in 3D. If you do not know how to do this, refer to the lessons, articles, write on the forums. Thus, you will increase your knowledge, and replenish the portfolio with new work.

Instagram author page: instagram.com/samun_max/
Authors portfolio: behance.net/samunmax