Industry Specific Education Requirements
polycounter lvl 10
I'm a MIL-SIM industry vet artist and I dabble in dem game arts, but something I've been doing recently is researching the 'other' industries in order to educate people and help them figure out which path to take. I'll list the industries here and my current perception of what it takes (education wise) to get your foot in the door. These are based on my knowledge/opinion and United States specific.
Please let me know what I'm ignorant on, and offer your advice. Portfolio strength: Strong, Moderate, Average, Below Average, Poor.
Military-Simulation: Required 2 or 4 year degree from University, Community College, or for profit school related to fine arts, computer animation, or similar degree. An average to moderate portfolio can get you in the door with experience. Moderate portfolio can get you in the door.
Arch Vis: 2 or 4 year degree from University or Community College. Strong portfolio demonstrating attention to specific details (measurements, real world lighting/textures.) An understanding of CAD data and related programs. Something like skills in material definition, etc.
Film: ?? I'm pretty ignorant on this.
Games: 2 or 4 year degree with a moderate portfolio, or no degree with an amazing portfolio. Experience helps a lot. Good networking + moderate portfolio can get you in the door. ??
Any thoughts/discussion would help out. I have 1st/2nd hand experience with MIL-SIM and Arch Vis, I've seen the process on those.
Anyone in other countries who would like to comment on what it would take for a US citizen to work where they are at would be great too.
Please let me know what I'm ignorant on, and offer your advice. Portfolio strength: Strong, Moderate, Average, Below Average, Poor.
Military-Simulation: Required 2 or 4 year degree from University, Community College, or for profit school related to fine arts, computer animation, or similar degree. An average to moderate portfolio can get you in the door with experience. Moderate portfolio can get you in the door.
Arch Vis: 2 or 4 year degree from University or Community College. Strong portfolio demonstrating attention to specific details (measurements, real world lighting/textures.) An understanding of CAD data and related programs. Something like skills in material definition, etc.
Film: ?? I'm pretty ignorant on this.
Games: 2 or 4 year degree with a moderate portfolio, or no degree with an amazing portfolio. Experience helps a lot. Good networking + moderate portfolio can get you in the door. ??
Any thoughts/discussion would help out. I have 1st/2nd hand experience with MIL-SIM and Arch Vis, I've seen the process on those.
Anyone in other countries who would like to comment on what it would take for a US citizen to work where they are at would be great too.
Replies
Fixed that for ya.
A degree and a moderate portfolio will lose out to an amazing portfolio every time. Barring any legal hurdles like requiring a degree for visa's or some such nonsense.
Experience does help, typically in getting past some HR filter. However experience can be demonstrated many ways and doesn't necessarily mean you need XX shipped titles under your belt. Again the work in the portfolio if displayed properly will tell you all you need know.
In house architect: If you are going to work in house for an architect, the degree matters first, then folio. It's just the old fuddy duddy way of architects thinking. Where I work, I was required to have a masters degree for my position at the architect firm. It's a dirty little secret that most large architecture firms like hiring folks with masters degrees as you are considered a learned professional and therefore are exempt from overtime. Expect to be LEED AP accredited by 6 months to a year. It looks better for the firm to have all green certified employees regardless of that they actually do.
Viz Studio: The degree still matters but it is now 2nd on the list, but the portfolio is going to take much more precedence. A bachelors degree is more than sufficient. You don't have to worry about all of the accreditation of the architecture firm.
simulators too are starved for talent, since most artists want to work on games that are fun rather than games that are educational.
Thats about sums up the order of importance.
Agreed. My first job was with a local mil-sim studio. However I was in a special situation because one of my teachers from school was the lead artist there and got me and some of my friends contract jobs because he knew our stuff. He and the senior artist there were waaaaay over qualified to work there, they had killer portfolios. They worked there because it was convenient for them for raising their families without having to move out of state to work at an actual game studio. And they couldn't really flex their muscles on a daily basis.
Back to the point, I was a recent grad when I was brought on to work there. I think with mil-sim studios a moderate portfolio will definitely get you a job but as dejawolf said they're starved for talent so they'd probably take what they can get.
Anyone have data on the medical or film side of things?
That's pretty inaccurate. Twitter followers is definitely more important than trophies.
Here we see resumes with "political orientation" on them. Strangely enough everyone is a communist...
digital art degrees are worthless if your looking to get a job in film. anyone who can sign there name on the contract can get into those schools and get a certificate. the school gets funding from the government that you will eventually have to pay back in taxes and loans. so for them there is no risk its free money.
if you want to get an art degree with any value go to a 4 year accredited university and get a BFA. they still pick students based on an entry portfolio. yes, you have to show some artwork to get into the school. this degree is also worthless for getting a job but you will at least have a liberal arts education and have taken some history classes, writing etc.
if all you want is a job then i would suggest taking a few art classes at a local art guild or art school. drawing, sculpting, painting etc. get some dvd training on a few key areas you want to do, there is a huge amount of this material now. and do research on the net.
for film we are more interested in photo realism and detail. correct proportion and anatomy. same thing for hard surface work. it has to look real. if you want to get a job in toon animation (pixar) then focus on a toon portfolio. it is 100% base on your portfolio and experience. the more technical the position the more experience is a factor.
from what i have gathered most universities issues a cigarette holder / beret upon completion of a BFA. you are only issued a monocle / top hat upon completion of an MFA. and for those special people who get there DFA you get a tin cup / cardboard sign and prime spot on the sidewalk to bum for change...
Having my degree helped me get my first job as my lead liked not only my work but that I had a degree as it showed I had passion for what I wanted to do and could follow through with school. It of course wasnt the end all factor but he told me that it did help in his decision.
if your talking about a general BA degree that gives you some other skills that you can apply to another profession if you fail to get a job then i can agree with you.
but if its one of these 2 year over priced digital art associates programs then it's not worth it unless you have been judged to have a high level of ability. the cost is huge. so if you fail to get a job then you are left with no other skills to work with and you have a huge amount of debt. it would only make sense of they had strict admissions criteria. and only the best artists got in like pratt etc. they do not and the success rate is very low for those schools. ie, most people that get in do not have the talent to get jobs to begin with.
Sorry, it wasnt just about passion for what I wanted to do, but also that I could hit and meet deadlines. Being able to follow through with a 4 year education is a big time commitment and a big hurdle that you have to really commit to if you want to see it to the end and come away with an actually BA.
A lot of people who have gotten degrees (people who hire) realize this and look highly on it. That isnt too say they dont look highly on people who self teach as that takes disciplined too, but self teaching comes with its own pros and cons as well.
But if by chance you're talking about the side debate that's going on in this thread, I could see where the info these folks are talking about has already been mentioned (many times.)