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Forums Are Your Friend

Posted October 20th, 2010 / By John Kostrzewski in Resources, Websites

It’s easy to overlook. In this time of networking and being virtually connected with everyone in your field everywhere you go, it’s easy to forget that something that can trace its roots back to the Bulletin Board Systems of the seventies and eighties still contains value today. Well, it absolutely does.

With instant messages flying back and forth on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, reaching out to anyone and everyone who will lend their eyes, you would think these systems are all you need to find your answers and seek out help, however, if you look at the big picture, you come to realize your tweet is a tiny sparrow among a huge murder of crows. It can be hard to be heard. Despite your friending frenzy, you can’t be a friend to everyone, they may be too busy (or not awake) to answer your request or they just don’t care. So where do you turn to now? Try some forums.

I’m not reinventing the wheel here. Forums have been around since before I was born, and they’ll be around long after I’m gone, in some form. Today, there are thousands of forums online that contain a wealth of information–questions that have already been answered, tips and tutorials, etc.–and they have large communities that will guarantee you get an answer. They have been proven to stand the test of time, and they work. Here are a few to check out.

Screen shot 2010-10-20 at 4.03.41 AM

Creative Cow

One of the biggest players really is one of the best. Creative Cow is the go-to resource for tutorials and other services, and they just so happen to have a great set of forums on a ton of different software and hardware. One hundred fifty-six, to be exact, if you don’t count the Creative Cow related forums. Combine that with their amazing community and you have yourself a one stop shop for any questions that may arise when having a software or hardware related issue.

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MoGraph

If you’re a motion graphics designer and feel lost in the ocean that is Creative Cow, give Mograph.net a try. They have a simpler set of forums, but don’t let that fool you. They have a dedicated community that will answer your questions to the best of their ability (which is wide) and critique your work with a fair eye.

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VFX Talk

You’re a visual effects artist? There’s a forum for you. VFXTalk.com is for visual effects what Mograph.net is for motion graphics. A simple but diversified community will help you out at the drop of a hat and give you a fair critique when asked. They also have VFX Challenges that dare you to push yourself and your work to greater heights.

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CGSociety

CGSociety has been around since the beginning of time, and by reading through the massive amount of knowledge collected there, you would believe that statement. A cross between the first two forums mentioned and Creative Cow, but aimed mainly at 3d modelers, riggers and animators, this forum is a wealth of info from specific software and techniques to events to challenges.

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ConceptArt.org

If you create 2D digital art such as matte paintings, look no further than ConceptArt.org. This was one of the first forums I consistently visited when I got interested in digital art over 10 years ago and it still has all the verve and panache it had back then. Forums on specific software and hardware related to the field, plus areas for critiquing works-in-progress and finished work, and even daily challenges are only the tip of the iceberg while you are here.

There are a ton of forums on the internet that will help you in one way or another, the real trick is for you to buckle down and become part of the community. Once you do that, you will find you will truly have an inexhaustible amount of knowledge at your fingertips.

I know I didn’t list a lot of forums out there. What are some of your favorite forums to visit and why? Put a link in the comments and share!

John Kostrzewski is the Editor of Fuel Your Motionography and a freelance motion graphics and visual effects artist, videographer and writer living in Minnesota. He is awesome. Follow him on Twitter at and .

 

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6 Comments1 Reaction

    • John Kostrzewski
      21 Oct 10 at 12:50 pm

      Yes they definitely are! Thanks for adding the Adobe forums to the list, Todd!

      Reply
  2. Adelle
    20 Oct 10 at 11:47 pm

    I used to be in motion graphics and the television industry. We were on creativecow.net everyday! Adobe is cool too :)

    Reply
    • John Kostrzewski
      21 Oct 10 at 12:43 pm

      Thanks, Adelle! They definitely have a huge community and plenty of content on their forums (and everywhere else).

      Reply
  3. Eric
    21 Oct 10 at 10:40 am

    Thanks for the list. There’s a few on here I haven’t known before.

    Reply
  4. Atlanta Video Production
    22 Oct 10 at 5:32 pm

    Thank you for the list. Some good looking sites I’ve never heard of. I’ll be checking them out…NOW.

    Reply

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