How to find a job in CG industry for a newcomer?
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Hello friends,
I've been learning past few months 3d modeling and texturing software as Substance Painter / Designer and Maya / Blender. I still have a lot to learn and all my projects are from tutorials and not even worth to show to someone.
But soon I will have to find a job, and I thought that is there a way to find a job in CG industry? I would work for little or no money.
I like creating things in the software, and I thought why not get a job in CG industry? I just don't know how to start...
If i don't find job in CG industry, then I must go on low-paid, unskilled job, which nobody wants work.
I could be useful. Help please.
I've been learning past few months 3d modeling and texturing software as Substance Painter / Designer and Maya / Blender. I still have a lot to learn and all my projects are from tutorials and not even worth to show to someone.
But soon I will have to find a job, and I thought that is there a way to find a job in CG industry? I would work for little or no money.
I like creating things in the software, and I thought why not get a job in CG industry? I just don't know how to start...
If i don't find job in CG industry, then I must go on low-paid, unskilled job, which nobody wants work.
I could be useful. Help please.
Replies
I've been through this. I had to work all the worst minimum wage jobs last year just so I could save up enough money to keep my computer alive to make 3D art (it's still screwing up and might just die any day now).
I'm doing this because there is no instant ticket into the industry. You can only make a portfolio and then apply around online or go to job fairs in person. It sucks but like you said, if you don't do this it's unskilled labor for the rest of your life. I did it and hate it but that's why I'm working so hard now on my portfolio so the thought of going back to a factory goes away forever.
It seems kinda weird that you say you'll have to go on a shit low pay job if you find nothing in the CG industry, but at the same time say that you'll work for no money. If money and responsibilities isn't what's pushing you to find something, then what is it ?
I wonder for how long you would accept the situation of working in the industry for nothing while all of your coworkers are getting paid until eventually you start realizing you're in one "shit low paid unskilled job" you were trying to avoid.
All the sugarcoated talk about that marvelous dream job in the industry that we're so lucky to be part of is cool for a moment, I think it's better to put things back into the real world from time to time.
Making a living out of a passion is great and stuff but in the end all you're doing is get up every morning, commute to go sit on a chair for 10 hours a day and stare at a computer screen executing stuff to make other people rich. Then you go back home, make a choice between eating properly, clean up your apartment, having enough sleep and social life, or sit again on your own chair for the rest of the evening to keep up with the industry and make a better portfolio to advance in your career. That choice may be more or less evident depending on the studio you're at. Repeat that every day. Maybe throw some random variables in there like having a shitty salary, an asshole boss, bad management, unpaid overtime, or uninteresting work.
Wow, what a great life !
At least you can tell yourself everyday "Well it could be worse, I could be working in a factory right now, so lucky to be here, i guess i feel happy lol"
Fortunately I know you will very quickly change your mind once you find your first gig and you'll take your career a bit more seriously.
Know your value, if you can do the job, then you deserve the money that goes with it.
At the same time, if you can't do it yet, well you don't deserve the money and the job itself either.
The only relevant answer to your question I can give you is just to be patient and keep working on your craft. And what I mean by this salty post is that working in another field isn't the end of the world and it might even temporarily give you more money and free time than being an intern or junior environment artist, much more money in fact if you really intended on working in the CG industry for free. By the way even if you happened to find something in the CG industry, at your level it wouldn't even be a "skilled job", you would probably make the most boring tasks of environment art that the team doesn't want to do.
Chill out, be patient, make a plan for the future, fill out all financial responsibilities if necessary, and keep working steadily on your portfolio in the meantime. You'll get a job.
I am not a specialist in any area, and I can't decide yet where to start. Just learning by the way.
I would work for no money because my parents would support me while I learn.
One way around this would be to start a game art education to convince them that you're doing something useful and this is a whole other debate. But you'd be eligible for an internship that way.
Or joining a modding team or an amateur project with people around the world, stuff like that. You could bring this up in an interview.
I think there has to be something right for you in the whole spectrum of 3D jobs, you'd have to try a bit of everything and see what you like the most. Personally I knew I definitely felt like ZBrush was right for me when I tried it for the first time and it clicked with my natural attraction towards characters more than landscapes. Do you have a slight idea ? Or maybe do you feel like something already resonates more with you than the rest when looking at dope artworks on Artstation ?
There's nothing wrong with changing your specialization on the way, your focus right now should be to master all the basics like modeling, UVs, textures, importing stuff in Unity or Unreal, putting some lights, rendering, making materials etc.
So that you become able to make anything you'd like and not feel limited by any technical constraint. Basically, never have those thoughts again :
"I'd like to make something with a lot of cables ! Oh... But I don't know how to handle curves in my 3D software..."
"I'd like to make a car with dirty windows or plants or a head with hair ! But I don't know how to make alpha planes..."
"I'd like to make a destroyed pillar or a character ! But I don't know ZBrush..."
You get the idea. Master the basics, get a grasp of all necessary softwares (try to stick to a single main 3D package for a while though*) and you'll have so much choice that you'll know what you really prefer.
*About 3D packages : a mistake I've seen is people who can't stop trying every bit of existing software and believe they're gaining valuable technical knowledge by doing that. Actually they end up sucking in every software. It's a better idea to either go Max or Maya first as they are industry standards and once you damn well know one of them, MAYBE start thinking about picking up the other one you didn't choose between these 2, and after you know both well MAYBE start thinking about all the modo/blender/houdini/cinema4D etc.
Everytime you begin using a 3D package it will feel like knitting with boxing gloves. Don't worry, this feeling goes away quickly.
Starting out is always the hardest part for any of us, however what I can recommend is get a portfolio up with some finished pieces. This could be done via Artstation or a personal site and just have it linked in your signature on here. This way other artist start seeing your work, this is a "small" community and people will remember. Secondly network on here/ network other places, sometimes knowing the right person will get you at least looked at. Honestly though at the end of the day there is no "quick way" get a job in CG. I would recommended making sure you have a strong understanding of the fundamentals and then work from there. You can't build a motor without knowing how to use the wrench correctly. Also if you have parents that are willing to support you while you learn that amazing don't waste that. Work as hard as you can right now while you don't have to worry about money and real world issues.
Good Luck
It sounds like your parents would be okay supporting you while you learn the ropes for your career - I would cherish this and lean on your parents while you still can. There will come a time when you wish you could have more hours in the day just to learn and not have to work a job. Since you have that kind of freedom now and no real sense of direction on where you want to go in the industry just breathe and dip your toes in a couple things.
If you can afford it (or if your parents can help you out) try getting a subscription to Gnomon or something similar that will show you a lot of various aspects of CG industries - design, texturing, modeling, lighting, concept art, FX, etc. Perhaps you'll fall in love with the pipeline for one of these branches - then focus. Find portfolios and artists who are really good at X and keep working everyday to reach their standard bar. Get a day job to pay the bills if you have to. There is no reason for you to rush.
Also a small note to keep pushing you to work everyday even when times seem bleak and you're not sure if you're going to get a job or if you're good enough: I'm dealing with that now since I'm in between jobs and what I tell myself is that if I wasn't able to get a job yesterday then I have to do something today that'll make me more employable tomorrow. That means keep working.
The strangest part is that a lot of juniors here actually think that kind of work is good for them, like the inevitable carrot on a stick.
The closest you're going to find is something vaguely adjacent, like getting a QA testing job.