A question to other professional artists
polycounter lvl 9
I was thinking tonight about my art, family and friends. Does anyone elses family ever see your art or understand what we do in video games? I am curious to know if others show their art to their parents, friends etc and what are their reactions? Do they just smile and say, oh that's nice because they dont fuly understand it? Or are they shocked and proud of what you do, in a sincere manner? I don't really know if my family and some friends understand what it is I do or what it takes to create something in our industry. I think people have a general idea but fully know what is involved. Any thoughts or opinions? Thanks...
Replies
Friends usually have a cleaver perspective from a standpoint of crit'. Only because i've been able to describe in a short manner about what it is that I do and given, some do work in the related fields but in other regions of the pipeline.
All that should really matter is that your family/friends are proud that you have a means of supporting yourself.
I agree.
Ya, there is a lot of work to do for games, but It's not like you can join a doctors online community and hack your way into the industry like you can with games...
dont expect boomers to understand anything about getting a job or skill-ups for work or anything, they have been holding onto all the "easy-to-do" jobs for the last 40 years, they have no idea whats going on.
All that changed the day i got a job,told him i was moving out and working outside the USA. Well not right off the bat,he wanted me to move out on my own but hated the fact it was outside the U.S. But i went ahead with it.
Fast foward to 3 years and his perspective has changed. Ive improved my life a ton and i work at what i studied to do . He still doesnt understand fully what i do but now he gets the fact that to make it in this field you have to put in alot of work.
Every now and then i like to remind them about how they would lecture me as a child that playing video games wouldget you no where.
I am a technical artist.
Awesome! Can I see your art?
Well I don't make art.
'Wait, you said you are an artist?'
Well no, I work with artists, I help them do their jobs. I... I code stuff.
'So you are a programmer?'
Not really, I don't work on the actual game itself usually.
'Huh?'
I make tools... for the artists.
'Like paintbrushes?
No, like automation stuff, and how their art gets into the game.
'Gee that's nice...'
my parents and family for the most part have been really supportive and I think a good number of them understand the process (for the most part), but there's always the odd relatives that shrug it off as it's a joke job or whatever.
They still don't really have a good grasp on what I do, but they don't object to it after being employed in the entertainment industry for almost 6 years... especially since I make more than their star child who went to university, has a bachelors and a masters in business admin... who after 4 years is still unemployed full time and living with them.
- Those over 40 that don't know, and think I'm involved in some kind of slacker job, possibly related to porn.
Family: Still making video games?
Me: Yep.
Family: And you still like it? Or when are you going to get a real job?
Me: Yep. Or I was thinking of becoming a lumberjack, I hear that has a real future in it...
Family: What is it you do again?
Me: I animate characters.
Family: What an awesome job I bet you have fun all day long?
Me: Yep. Hows the ham coming?
Mental Me: T minus 3hrs till I get to go home.
Family: We have about 5hrs left until its done, Grandma just put it in.
Mental Me: Damn...
Family: So tell me all about your job.
Me: Its pretty technical and kind of boring to explain.
Family: That's ok explain it
Me: Explains...
Family: =/
- Those who have actually played some kind of game in the last 5 years and understand.
Family: Still at HI?
Me: Yep.
Family: Animating?
Me: Yep.
Family: Plan on staying?
Me: Yep, pays awesome, benefits are great, jobs rewarding. But I do miss environment work.
Family: Yea I can see that.
Me: yep.
Family: So have you played bla bla bla...
If you're looking for rockstar status among family members, you'll have to stick to the traditional Dr, Lawyer, Dentist route, at least in my family.
I don't mind it, but it is funny how many people who don't actually work in this industry believe the commercials and think we sit on a couch all day "making" games with the controller in hand.
That stuck with me, because really, most people don't have a clue what it is you actually do. Hell, most gamers (or game journalists) don't have any idea what the actual technology and techniques are for creating games.
Just understand that most people aren't going to really 'get' your job. I'm content with my family is proud that I'm able to do what I enjoy for a living.
He still doesn't understand exactly what I do. No one in my family really does except for a few people that actually took time to watch and understand.
Hell my wifes grandma called me a lazy bastard cause I wasn't dressing up in a suit and tie and walking into Sony Hq when we lived in San Diego. She said that is what you do when you get a job. You go there and apply. I tried to explain and say that I already had a job and I was working from home and she called it a pretend job and it wasn't real and that I wouldn't get paid.
She was pretty hateful about it to be honest. It ended up making my wife actually despise her quite a bit and create tension because she just didn't want to listen to anyone else and try to understand.
Oh well.
HAHA that's pretty awesome. ah man. i feel ya.
The rest of my family thinks 3D = clay, regardless of how often I correct them.
I do get alot of this: "Oh wow, you work for EA, do you work on Madden!?" like working on Madden would be the best job ever, I'd be bored to tears!
edit: I remember making an Oddworld-esque clay figurine as a young lad, showing it to my stepdad; he said it was cool, that I should do claymation; I mentioned wanting to work on games when I grow up, and he laughed. He for some reason thought I was implying my clay model had to do with "playing on the computer."
one thing that I've found hardest to explain is crunch time. super blue collar parents don't understand why it isn't always paid out as overtime and think you're getting jizzed on by the company... well, maybe not those words. it might just have to do with (at least my parents) never finding as much enjoyment in their own jobs as I think I have and that it's a blast unless heavy burnout kicks in... then I agree on the whole overtime thing or a nice amount of comp days.
There are people that are genuinely interested in what I do when I tell them and will generally ask a lot of questions to understand more. Most will just smile politely (you know that polite smile that means, that's not a real job) and talk about how they're working their dead end job at some retail outlet or fast food restaurant and how much their hate it. Then its usually my turn to smile politely.
My dad also challenges people to try and draw better than me, even if they're 7.
-caseyjones
This is so true. Feels like you read my mind.
My dad tells all of my friends that I'm a computer programmer. He is absolutely embarassed about my job. He truly believes that being a 3D artist is the lowest form of employment on the planet (He's Korean, and feels that what I do belongs in a sweatshop next to WoW gold farming, and sewing knockoff wallets).
What's more strange, is that all of my parent's FRIENDS know what I do, and understand what I do for a living and think its fantastic. They often correct my parents on what I do (NO.. your son is an artist, MY son has a game he worked on!).
He still has hopes that one day I'll finally WAKE UP and go back to school to become an engineer like him.
I have an aunt that, upon hearing I'd be working in games, insisted(insisted!) that I talk to my younger cousin about what kind of games he likes. (Obviously assuming I don't play games myself. Cause you know, girls don't really play games.)
I tried to explain to her that the type of game he likes isn't the kind that I like or want to work on. (Lots of sports and dumb fighting games and such... gag) She ignored what I was saying and insisted (once again) that I talk to my cousin because HE PLAYS GAMES so I need to KNOW WHAT HE LIKES IN GAMES, so that when I make games (that's right, cause I'd be the head game designer) his immense knowledge of the coolest games out there will really help me out.
Her husband tried to convince my immediate family that I have a family 'in' to the industry cause an uncle of mine worked with a guy that sells arcade systems. Right.
But otherwise, most people are pretty excited and happy for me
But really, that's how most skilled professionals are, right? Even if you tell someone you're a doctor they won't really understand what your technical abilities are...
but either way, I'm still working on the basics here and I'm pretty sure the rest of my extended family thinks I'm going to be a starving artist =\
eh, whatever, they can think what they want. I'll know the truth =]
My mom doesn't understand why I can't have the computer do everything for me either, despite me explaining many many times now.
Personlly, I have only been working on game art for 2 years, but what bugs me the most is that most people who ask questions about game art don't even try to listen when you are explaining it. They give the blank stares everyone keeps mentioning.
For example, my brother actually listens to me and has been able to follow along when I explain the whole process. But he's literally the only person who has ever taken any real interest. Therefore, I know that if he can understand my explanations then others can too. The real issue is they simply don't give a crap.
Or possibly the worst thing is when my girl friend treats looking at my art like its a chore. Like I should thank her for spending 90 seconds of looking at something that took me weeks of work. I can't understand why other people wouldn't be as excited about game art as me, but I guess its something that you have to deal with regardless. However, it's certainly worth putting up with to have a job you truly love; that's for sure.
My grandfather couldn't care less and my grandmother actually lifts a mouse up when I said go up with your cursor.
My brother secretly thinks its awesome but he doesn't tell me, I'm a nerd according to him but he fails his exams because he plays TF2 nonstop
I have some family that play games themselves so they understand what I want to do and what I do.