Calling all CG/VFX Artists !
Hello everyone I have a project where I have to write a paper about my
future career(3d modeling/animation,CGI,VFX), and part of this involves doing an interview with
someone in my profession and I thought I would be better to take on
the minds of this forum. If you would please answer whatever questions
you feel like answering just give me your name and what your position/specialty is so I can properly document where my info came from.
1. What is the minimum education required (If any) ?
2. Where would you recommend I learn ?
3. what specific skills or talents do you recommend to have for this ?
4. What ways do you see yourself suited for this career ?
5. What personality traits will benefit in this career ?
6. What are the starting wage's are seen here ? Where does they top out ?
7. What effects the salary range ?
8. Any cost involved in getting a continuous work-flow going ?
9. Will there be health benefits available in most studios ? What about freelancing ?
10. Is freelancing a viable way to support yourself ?
11. What other perks/benefits could I run into ?
12. What is the chance of employment in this field ?
13. What influences the availability of jobs ?
14. Describe what a typical day on the job is for you. (Morning,Mid-day,Afternoon,Evening)
15. What are your usual hours ?
16. Whats the best part of your day ?
17. Whats the most challenging part of your profession ?
future career(3d modeling/animation,CGI,VFX), and part of this involves doing an interview with
someone in my profession and I thought I would be better to take on
the minds of this forum. If you would please answer whatever questions
you feel like answering just give me your name and what your position/specialty is so I can properly document where my info came from.
1. What is the minimum education required (If any) ?
2. Where would you recommend I learn ?
3. what specific skills or talents do you recommend to have for this ?
4. What ways do you see yourself suited for this career ?
5. What personality traits will benefit in this career ?
6. What are the starting wage's are seen here ? Where does they top out ?
7. What effects the salary range ?
8. Any cost involved in getting a continuous work-flow going ?
9. Will there be health benefits available in most studios ? What about freelancing ?
10. Is freelancing a viable way to support yourself ?
11. What other perks/benefits could I run into ?
12. What is the chance of employment in this field ?
13. What influences the availability of jobs ?
14. Describe what a typical day on the job is for you. (Morning,Mid-day,Afternoon,Evening)
15. What are your usual hours ?
16. Whats the best part of your day ?
17. Whats the most challenging part of your profession ?
Replies
2. At home/where ever you are comfortable and can spend countless hours drawing/painting/sculpting/arting away like a madman
3. Countless, depending on your field, drawing, sculpting, modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, scripting to name a few of the common ones
4. Im awesome
5. Confident without being an asshole, love art and always wanting to learn more
6. Varies, countries to countries, job to job.. ?
7. Size of company, the quality of your work, the experience and how confident you are in negotiations
8.
9. Some studios have health benefits, some dont, as a freelancer i guess its up to yourself to get it
10. Yes
11. Bonuses, swag and free games, free gym and access to facilities like cinemas and swimming pools - and as an artist you get more girls
12. Depending on your skills, pretty good - but right now market is full of awesome unemployed artists due to economy
13. economy?
14. Work, lunch, work, interlaced with meetings and presentations
15. 8-10 till 5:30-7 officially, but sometimes drags over due to deadlines
16. All day, doing art
17. Meetings and talking to programmers trying to get cool features!
I don't mean to sound nasty, but for that to be your first post, without actually exploring the forums is a shame.
High School diploma.
2. Where would you recommend I learn ?
Depends on how well you learn on your own, your financial situation and now dedicated you are. I'm not really the best person to answer that, you are. Either way you'll be teaching yourself.
3. what specific skills or talents do you recommend to have for this ?
Traditional artistic talent for artistic jobs seems important.
4. What ways do you see yourself suited for this career ?
Slightly artistic, with a pile of technical and mother F-Ton of passion, overly observant mixed with dedication and discipline.
5. What personality traits will benefit in this career ?
See 4...
6. What are the starting wage's are seen here ? Where does they top out ?
Depends on the area and its cost of living. Living in Kansas you probably could get by on 30k a year. San Francisco 30k gets you a cardboard box under an overpass. When weighing the pros and cons of a job, it's pretty important to look up the cost of rent/housing in that area, figure out a budget and see if you can live off it and how comfortable it will be.
7. What effects the salary range ?
Depends on the company, your experience and your talent. The last two are demonstrated in your portfolio.
8. Any cost involved in getting a continuous work-flow going ?
Work flow? As in a steady stream of work? Or cost of doing business? Or work flow as in steps taken to create things?
9. Will there be health benefits available in most studios ? What about freelancing ?
Yes for full time permanent employees. Contract and freelance are normally on their own. Keep in mind turn over is pretty common, either you leave or the company goes under, there could be gaps in coverage.
10. Is freelancing a viable way to support yourself ?
If you live in Asia... It seems like most freelance work is flowing overseas.
11. What other perks/benefits could I run into ?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an enlarged ass and man teets, bad eye sight, an allergy to sunlight...
12. What is the chance of employment in this field ?
There have been some layoffs this year, so there are pros looking for work. Hopefully the industry has soaked them up. But it could be hard to break in.
13. What influences the availability of jobs ?
$$$ when a company has it they are more likely to create jobs instead of shed them...
14. Describe what a typical day on the job is for you. (Morning,Mid-day,Afternoon,Evening)
Morning: Work.
Mid Morning: Meetings and lunch.
Afternoon: Work and go home.
15. What are your usual hours ?
5am-3pm but it could easily be 10am-6pm. We have core hours from 10am-3pm.
Show up no later than 10, leave no earlier than 3pm.
Everyone is required to work 8hrs a day.
16. Whats the best part of your day ?
Not doing manual labor. Being inside, working on things I'm passionate about. My hobby is my job, its awesome I get paid to do something I love.
17. Whats the most challenging part of your profession ?
Staying current with technology and real time games. I work in animation for a company that does mostly pre-rendered work so keeping my head in real time is sometimes a bit of an adjustment.