alternative careers?
so what alternative careers have you ever considered apart from computer graphics. I am seriously considering ending my involvement after 27? odd years but nothing springs to mind.
i still enjoy making stuff, but without anyone being interested , what's the point?
Too many CG artists around these days i feel and I don't really enjoy the modern workflows like substance etc
I did consider private detective as a new career, which may sound weird, but I did used to be in the Military police and was briefly a police cadet in the Met Police back in the late 80's - did not really enjoy that
I think nosing through various evidence based/research stuff would suit me personally, but the money is not 'that' great
not really sure what else there is to get involved in at my aged ( nearly 55)
I think what brought this on was recent dealings with HMRC, led me to think why I am still torturing myself :)
ideas so far
Invgestigative or security based
travel and Tourism - maybe airport driver/ security etc - again everage money
office based( I used to work in an office ) money can be shit, have to wear a suit
retraining as a plumber ( money is pretty good and I have installed bathrooms/toilets myself previously)
Done a few house refurbs too.
hangman in some totalitarian state :)
my brother and dad were both painter and decorators, but I never fancied that, too messy
And no i don't want to teach :)
mike
Replies
Oh, sorry to hear that, hope things turn out for the best.
Anyway my 2 cents:
Ever thought about or indeed previous experience working for yourself? i.e. small/micro business, freelancing, selling art work...etc because it Just seems to me that you're not that enthused about those listed alternatives, apart from a potential grindy 'bill paying' gig.
So I'd suggest possibly looking into security - investigative work...perhaps?!
Security especially, from experience can be a mind bending toil but the money where I live was pretty good although long hours and away from home alot which nowadays I guess probably more suited too single people.
cheers sacboi, yea not really sure tbh, its case of paying the bills and CG/game etc is just not cutting it
Tough thing to gove up on it when I spent so many years doing it, but it seems you can earn more away from the iindustry
and hav e a lot less stress/hassle
I will just have to dwell on it some more :)
Wouldn't go to pluming at your age, it's heavy work that you can do now but maybe in 5 years will start to be too much, sorry that you are in this situation, hope it get better
You are very skilled in sculpting, have you thought about maybe selling stuff for 3dprinting on places like turbosquid? you would avoid painter and all the other boring stuff like uv's.
Yeah Plumbing is a bit hard on the knees TBH, but the money is really good in the UK
I have refurbed several houses on my own, was a real pain though
That blue bath weighed 16 stones and I had to drag it down the stairs on my own, but later found out it was just best to smash it up with a hammer and take it down in pieces :)
i installed the new bathroom and retiled the whole thing
International assassin?
Why not become a producer? Sensible adults with a sensitivity to work done by the people they're organising tend to do quite well there.
No idea whether there's formal entry qualifications but I suspect not - doubly so cos you're a grownup
So are you a producer then? , seeing as you are sooo mature and sensitivity is your middle name :)
i suspect not
It was a serious suggestion - you know your stuff. If you're sick of doing it why not help other people do it?
And no, I'm not a producer, I just tell them what to do.
I think it's the sort of job you need a certtain kind of personality for and I am all about the art tbh.
i have no objection to mentoring anyone, I did a lot of probem solving/produced lots of base meshes when i worked full time in games and was happy to be a a team player
I did see a producer job advertised though a few years back, £800 per day which is damn good money( might have been VFX though, can 't remember)
Anyway at my age it's tough to even get replies, no matter how good my standard gets
Choosing a new career is hard af. Most jobs sound unappealing, either regarding the actual work, or the pay. My partner just spent 5 years trying to figure out what career she wanted to go for. Your ideas so far (PI, plumber, tourism) are pretty varied...
What about recruitment for the games industry? You must have loads of contacts.
i believe this career is momentum based. those that keep at it are better rewarded. tech advances so quickly, a lot will move out ahead of you if you let it. you've been around a long time and have solid fundamentals, that's worth something. don't give up on yourself. embrace the new and stay on board, you won't regret it.
Ashervisalis - for me it was always about the art side of it really, started off as an airbrush artist, back in around 1991, so it was really illustration first
I can't really envisage working as a recruiter. Suppose at some point it will go back to being my hobby as i head towards retirement
funny though it took me 5 years to get in to the games industry and was told I was told old at 27 :)
killnpc - I will keep on trying but practically its tough now as contracts are not as frequent, but some years it's really good( like last year)
Maybe if I learn Substance more thoroughly, that might help, it's not as though i am bored with it, always find something new to do, spent the
last year or so doing environment stuff and just finisihed a contract where I was doing environments and characters + lighhting ( blender to Unity)
quite enjoyed it but need more consistent work., so it feels likre a proper career again, not a part time gig
Maybe try education? UK has colleges that teach game art etc these kind of schools are always looking for lecturers.
And no i don't want to teach :)
Looks like Ruz is way ahead of you, haha
LOL, yeah :)