I have honestly never had any problems explaining what I do. People seem to know that there are videogames and films and that they are '3d' and made with computers. Between Pixar and the Playstation most people have a frame of reference to work off.
It usually goes vaguely like this:
Them: What do you do? Me: I'm a 3d modeller - I make 3d art for videogames and films. Mostly its modelling sets or the environment that the game takes place in, levels and the like. Them: Oh, must be tough getting into that these days... {some understanding, fall back on common knowledge - finding creative jobs is hard.}
or sometimes, Them: Oh, I know so-and-so who works on some film/game/tv...
Since my parents are from middle east and there, parents see either a doctor or an engineer in their children.
Dad: " So you plan on wasting your entire life in this."
mom: " Dont you realize that this doesnt get you anywhere?"
Others (Not related): " So what sort of games are you planning to work on? I hear its big money in it."
Others (Related): " .....*turns to someone else to discuss other topics like Mechanical Engineering.*"
"I do the backgrounds you see the characters running around in. I'm an environment artist."
And it stops there. Unless they ask more, I leave it at 'do'.
this is pretty much exactly what i say too. its funny how making games has actually helped me pick up girls from time to time, most of the time if you preface what you do with, "i have the coolest/nerdiest job in the world" 60% of the time......it works everytime.
I get called a graphic designer every now and then by neighbors and others when I tell them I'm an artist, kinda annoying because they're not related at all. Outside of my parents, sister and friends no one understands what I do.
It's probably a good idea to avoid the term game art, I say I do environment art for video games as a hobby. And if they are not sure what that entails, I say something like you know how older movies like Starwars were filmed using miniature models of spaceships and cities. Well now they do all that prop work with computers. For movies they have the luxury of only needed to generate footage for certain shots, for video games a player could be anywhere doing anything, so the content has to be created in a way for a computer to be able to generate a new image every 1/30th to 1/60th of a second.
I explain it as imagine sculpting in clay but now imagine doing that on a computer. I go a little further also with explain how my tablet allows me to control things.
"I make games. Animation specifically"
oooh thats so cool. thats really hard to get into! Good for you...... *turns and walks away*
But most of the time its like this
"I make video games"
COOOOOL
"ya. I do the animations"
have you worked on anything I would know?
"no....."
oh.... well thats still cool! good for you!
If they ask me more specifics, which is usually like, so do you make the people? I reply with something along the lines of "you know shrek? I make him move. Im given a 3dmodel that looks like this (queue me standing in a t-pose) and I make him move"
Person: Cool! I watched avatar in 3D the other day! Y'know.. with those glasses!
Me: Yeah.. uhm.. Not that 3D.. You know how there are, for example, creatures, aliens and such in movies that don't exist in reality?
Person: Yeah..?
Me:That 3D. I make these things move.
Person: You make them... move? I don't get it...
Me: *siiiigh* I work in marketing.
Person: Oh! Why didn't you say so!
True story. Three times now.
If they have at least a bit of a clue:
You know how in games you press a button to make your character jump? Yes? I make him jump. Often enough they get it. But also often they don't. :poly122:
Most of the time, I get this weird clueless look as if they had no idea there was a third dimension or that you could art with a computer. My mom finally sort of understands what I do, but she doesn't really differentiate between 3d art, animation, graphic design, or even programming. My dad thinks I do anything involving a computer. My grandmother calls it drawing (she even bought me a canvas because she wanted me to paint her something). The rest of my family can't wait until they see one of my cartoons on tv. -_-
the first rule of a 3d artist.
You don't talk about 3d art.
Yes!
If you work with something besides general jobs, don't expect anyone outside your industry understanding what you do.
I think more than often, if you have it as a hobby, you'd be regarded as a "nerd", which I could easily be pointed out to. But then I never care what people think of what I do, so never care to tell them .
"Oh so you rather sit inside infront of your computer instead of going out doors for hours?"
Won't matter what you do Not many people understand what I do as a structural engineer, so I usually sum it up as "I make sure that the bridge you drive over every morning doesn't collapse"
Them:
What do you do? Me:
I make characters for video games. Them:
So do you have to do a lot of programming? Me:
No, it's more like sculpting or making something out of papier-m
Saying you're a game artist is a great party trick, especially in the midwest. I just say I'm a 3D Artist, and that I work on video game environments. If people seem genuinely interested, I just say I sculpt and paint on the computer.
The usual response:
When they find out I've worked on puzzle and adventure games instead of what they play:
In general i just say "Oh nothing special" because most of the time they don't expect something uncommon.
Too many times i've seen people that still don't get what you do, even if you try hard to explain it!
Saying you're a game artist is a great party trick, especially in the midwest. I just say I'm a 3D Artist, and that I work on video game environments. If people seem genuinely interested, I just say I sculpt and paint on the computer.
The usual response:
When they find out I've worked on puzzle and adventure games instead of what they play:
I feel its wise to be tolerant of people who do not know what you do, because it's really not a big deal of tney don't get it.
I generally tell people I am a commercial artist anyway, don't really mention the specifics
haha, I remember my old polish flat mate when I started out asked me when I was going to get a real job haha.
And when I went to buy our rabbits, the breeders kids kept asking if I made mario. I thought about a long answer about what I do but instead went with 'sure, why not' haha
Dude I honestly hate whenever anyone compares the game industry to to that stupid movie.
So as a Game/Level Designer I try to explain to people that I am a "Digital Architect" that creates the layout and design of the game's levels. That usually works but sometimes people just assume that means I program everything.
I have to explain to everyone in my family every time I see them during the holidays what I do. My uncle who is generally an idiot always tells me that I should make call of duty. "It can't be that hard to make, they make another one every year!"
I have to explain to everyone in my family every time I see them during the holidays what I do.
- D. Carmine
Yes, thank you, this gets really aggravating after a while, especially being asked about how the animation is going even though I don't do animation at all - sometimes its easier just to go along with it
It's just because most people can't imagine for what you can use a computer, other than their daily routines like facebook, email, playing games & watching movies.
I've tried it once to explain it to a good friend of mine, who is an architect. After round about one hour i gave up and said, It's like what you do but without the hassle of thinking about structural integrity.
Usually I show them on my phone the kind of stuff I do. Sometimes I load the UDK city cidatel demo on it, and I tell them that Id like to be on that level of polish and work and its what I am self training to do. If they are interested I show them personal stuff I have done.
Replies
It usually goes vaguely like this:
Them: What do you do?
Me: I'm a 3d modeller - I make 3d art for videogames and films. Mostly its modelling sets or the environment that the game takes place in, levels and the like.
Them: Oh, must be tough getting into that these days... {some understanding, fall back on common knowledge - finding creative jobs is hard.}
or sometimes,
Them: Oh, I know so-and-so who works on some film/game/tv...
"So, in Pixar films, do they draw all those hairs in for every frame?"
That's the best one I've ever gotten.
Dad: " So you plan on wasting your entire life in this."
mom: " Dont you realize that this doesnt get you anywhere?"
Others (Not related): " So what sort of games are you planning to work on? I hear its big money in it."
Others (Related): " .....*turns to someone else to discuss other topics like Mechanical Engineering.*"
this is pretty much exactly what i say too. its funny how making games has actually helped me pick up girls from time to time, most of the time if you preface what you do with, "i have the coolest/nerdiest job in the world" 60% of the time......it works everytime.
I did notice though, that the mad laughter in the end, kinda turns girls off. Nobody loves a mad scientist...
Seriously, I usually just say "You know the areas you run around in and things you pick up? I create those."
You don't talk about 3d art.
"oh, you can get paid doing that?"
This guy was some macho man with roided out arms.
Most get it though my parents think I do movies like Avatar so I just go along with it haha
"I make games. Animation specifically"
oooh thats so cool. thats really hard to get into! Good for you...... *turns and walks away*
But most of the time its like this
"I make video games"
COOOOOL
"ya. I do the animations"
have you worked on anything I would know?
"no....."
oh.... well thats still cool! good for you!
If they ask me more specifics, which is usually like, so do you make the people? I reply with something along the lines of "you know shrek? I make him move. Im given a 3dmodel that looks like this (queue me standing in a t-pose) and I make him move"
Person: What do you do?
Me: I am a 3D animator.
Person: Cool! I watched avatar in 3D the other day! Y'know.. with those glasses!
Me: Yeah.. uhm.. Not that 3D.. You know how there are, for example, creatures, aliens and such in movies that don't exist in reality?
Person: Yeah..?
Me: That 3D. I make these things move.
Person: You make them... move? I don't get it...
Me: *siiiigh* I work in marketing.
Person: Oh! Why didn't you say so!
True story. Three times now.
If they have at least a bit of a clue:
You know how in games you press a button to make your character jump? Yes? I make him jump. Often enough they get it. But also often they don't. :poly122:
Yes!
If you work with something besides general jobs, don't expect anyone outside your industry understanding what you do.
I think more than often, if you have it as a hobby, you'd be regarded as a "nerd", which I could easily be pointed out to. But then I never care what people think of what I do, so never care to tell them
"Oh so you rather sit inside infront of your computer instead of going out doors for hours?"
Won't matter what you do
"oooooh"
What do you do?
Me:
I make characters for video games.
Them:
So do you have to do a lot of programming?
Me:
No, it's more like sculpting or making something out of papier-m
The usual response:
When they find out I've worked on puzzle and adventure games instead of what they play:
And sometimes this:
Too many times i've seen people that still don't get what you do, even if you try hard to explain it!
Nail on the head right there!
I generally tell people I am a commercial artist anyway, don't really mention the specifics
"Oh. Nothing academic then."
-__
* Rolls eyes while wondering what the Klingon translation is for "I hope the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits" *
And when I went to buy our rabbits, the breeders kids kept asking if I made mario. I thought about a long answer about what I do but instead went with 'sure, why not' haha
Dude I honestly hate whenever anyone compares the game industry to to that stupid movie.
So as a Game/Level Designer I try to explain to people that I am a "Digital Architect" that creates the layout and design of the game's levels. That usually works but sometimes people just assume that means I program everything.
I have to explain to everyone in my family every time I see them during the holidays what I do. My uncle who is generally an idiot always tells me that I should make call of duty. "It can't be that hard to make, they make another one every year!"
- D. Carmine
Yes, thank you, this gets really aggravating after a while, especially being asked about how the animation is going even though I don't do animation at all - sometimes its easier just to go along with it
Family: "Hows the animation going?"
Me: ".......
.......yep, its going great thanks" :thumbup:
Ah! so you work in retail?
^ YES! I find that particularly frustrating. I guess there not really many game companies here in NZ though so I guess its understandable....
I've tried it once to explain it to a good friend of mine, who is an architect. After round about one hour i gave up and said, It's like what you do but without the hassle of thinking about structural integrity.