More Stable Job Opportunities in 3D Art
polycounter lvl 7
Hi everyone,
So, I've been working in a job in Military Sim for the past few years. I initially went into the job and worked on my Game Props portfolio on the side, with the intention of eventually moving into the Game Industry. However, circumstances for me have changed and I am beginning to appreciate the stability my job in Military Sim has given me as opposed to what the Game Industry might. So, while I still love Game Art, I'm thinking of focusing on that more as a hobby, and positioning my career and portfolio towards areas which might offer more job opportunities and more stability. I wondered if anyone could give me any insight into what these areas are or might be in the future. I know Military Simulation falls under this category but I would like to investigate other options.
Oh and P.S. Im based in the UK.
Many, many thanks
So, I've been working in a job in Military Sim for the past few years. I initially went into the job and worked on my Game Props portfolio on the side, with the intention of eventually moving into the Game Industry. However, circumstances for me have changed and I am beginning to appreciate the stability my job in Military Sim has given me as opposed to what the Game Industry might. So, while I still love Game Art, I'm thinking of focusing on that more as a hobby, and positioning my career and portfolio towards areas which might offer more job opportunities and more stability. I wondered if anyone could give me any insight into what these areas are or might be in the future. I know Military Simulation falls under this category but I would like to investigate other options.
Oh and P.S. Im based in the UK.
Many, many thanks
Replies
And while it's true the game industry can be risky, I believe working for the 1st party developers (Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony) offers a bigger safety net than most 3rd party studios. Although SCE Liverpool and Lionhead show there's a still a chance of shutdown, but they were pretty long lived (20 years).
Ubisoft also stands as an exception. Despite being an AAA 3rd party publisher, they've actually continued to expand their studios worldwide, never once have they laid off anyone.
https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-has-over-9-000-employees-1563003254
I'd say as long as you're ready for the jump. Maybe it would be good to specialize in an area in 3D.
I was doing some cartoony props and an environment scene on the side while I was working on Military sims. When I got laid off from the job, I switched to more PBR realistic stuff. It eventually led me to where I am at Hardsuit Labs. I do some cartoony stuff, just for freelance, but most of my portfolio is gearing more towards realistic. These are just my two cents on what I did.
- Arch Viz (especially real-time arch viz)
- VR/AR
- Simulation (Like discussed earlier...milsim, manufacturing. Tesla routinely hires UE artists)
- Product Viz (Nike hires 3d artists quite frequently)
- 3D Printing/Manufacturing (Lowe's comes to mind with their Lowe's Innovation Group)
- Forensic animation/modeling
- Medical animation/modeling
There are lots of industries out there that need real-time artists. Just a quick search on any major career/job site and you'll see loads.