L. A. Sys Admin needed... 2003-12-05 - By J. J. Franzen
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Israel "Izzy" Long wrote:
> Just out of honest curiosity, what, and if possible, why would a Sys Admin
>need to know how to:
>
> - program Mel?
> - program using html/cgi or perl?
>
> Is this just a "wide-net" announcement to see how many disciplines will
>apply?
>
>
Actually, we need someone Mel proficient because we have a suite of
tools written in MEL they will be expected to support. And they will
need Perl & HTML/CGI experience because we've written our own render
queuing and network management software in Perl, and shot tracking
facilities using a web-based CGI interface to a PostgreSQL database...
> Or has Lacasabonita and many other houses out there decided that merging
>more than 3 jobs into one is good for the industry?
>
> I must say that I am in no way bashing anyone or any house, as I would FAR
>rather see my buddy whom is far LESS qualified than me get a particular job
>because he also knows how to use a floor buffer AND understands the
>intricacies of shader development, than have the shop farm-out cheaper, less
>quality employment overseas.
>
> BUT, when I see a job posting looking for a Web Developer, Network Sys
>Admin, 1st-3rd tier tech support, AND a hardware tech all rolled into one, I
>begin to laugh, AND worry at the same time!?
>
>
Well, please keep in mind that we are a one-horse show in that all we do
is produce South Park. Nothing else. So, we Sys Admins end up filling
many roles, including all those you just listed. Such is the nature of
the beast for a small, single-purpose house like ours...
> I am starting to see a trend again in job postings that seem to tell
>everyone that they really aren't sure what they really want or need, OR have
>no idea what they need to fix a particular problem.
>
>
I listed so many different skills because they are ALL skills I use on a
weekly basis. I need to find someone who is at the very least familiar
with these skills if they are going to work with me. I don't have time
to teach someone how to code in perl/MEL, how to navigate a IRIX/Linux
terminal, how to run a full or incremental tape backup, or help an
artist figure out why a shot won't render. These are skills they will
need to have in some degree to be considered.
> Don't get me wrong, I DO understand "wearing many hats" but when employers
>come to expect that many areas of expertise from a potential employee, they
>set themselves up for failure!?
>
>
I am not listing all those skills because I'm looking for an extra hand,
or someone fresh out of school. I need a seasoned pro. My partner in
crime, Sean Laverty (The man who built South Park from a systems point
of view), is leaving South Park for another production. I need someone
to take his place, at least until cloning is legalized. Also,
considering we are the ONLY CG animated TV show to regularly finish an
episode with less then 20 hours before it airs and have NEVER missed an
episode in 7 seasons, I'd say something is working just fine...
> That's not too far off AT ALL from the jobs available today,
> and I wanted to get your feelings on the state of this issue,
> as I need something to tell my students who don't know where to begin.
>
> Thanks for any tips/stories!
>
>
The way our show works is very unique and as such, the skill set needed
to keep the show running is also very unique. I certainly don't expect
everyone who applies to be experts in all the skills I've listed, but I
do need them to at least be familiar with them. I understand that
having too many requirements is going to make the search harder, but the
reality of the situation is, we are losing the man who primarily
designed and implemented our production pipeline. As such, the shoes he
leaves vacant are very large indeed. Not just anyone will be able to
fill them. Heck, it may be that no one can, but I wanted to make sure
that people who might be interested in the position know exactly what
they are getting into from the get go.
Why? Well, while working on the South Park feature, we had hired an
admin and he could not handle the reality of the job. He did nothing
but complain and constantly called in "sick". He bailed after a couple
months, really screwing us over. I cannot afford a repeat of that
situation. Especially if we're in the middle of production when it
happens since the 16 hour days are rough enough when there are two of us
running the show. I need to know I can count on whoever fills that
role. That may seem polyAnna (pun intended), but them's the breaks. If
you have any more questions, please feel free to write me off list.
Thank you.
J^2
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