All you need to teach is a masters, no skill what so ever and be good at BS to pass through the interview process of the Higher Ed institutions.
What kind of crap schools have you been to where this is the case? I've been on a college faculty before and I've seen what goes into the hiring process - at a good design school, you need a hell of a lot more than a diploma and BS to get the job. The faculty and administrators look at portfolios, just like employers in the industry do.
The school I went to wasn't crap, the faculty didn't know much about Computer Art which posed problems for me and all students in my situation. A few of them just ruined the program with their professionalism. I did learn what to look out for when looking to enroll in schools. The main thing with me is if the professor teaching the game art classes doesn't know anything about the game industry, then I just keep looking for another school.
Vermilion which school have you been to where the art program was worth it? I think that's more useful to know. While it's true that schools like game studios look at portfolios, Game studios won't hire a game designer and expect him to a be a senior animator. To put this in context, how many Game Artists with industry experience have Masters,... Also why would a school decide to hire someone that doesn't know anything about Game design to teach the class. This is the kind of thing that happens in schools.
To get hired at a school you need a Masters, lots of exhibitions and seem to have good people skills. You don't have to have experience in the class you are expecting to teach however, In contrast, to get hired at a game company normally you need to have experience related to the job you are applying for and a portfolio that proves this area of expertise.
First, I'll just say again that going to school specifically for game art doesn't strike me as a good idea. I'm not surprised if the instruction there isn't great, because it's such a niche.
I went to the University of Cincinnati and got a design degree. Their industrial design program is usually ranked in the top five nationwide and probably the top fifty for overall creative arts. While in school, I made some Q2 PMPs for a class (later classes did Unreal characters) and I developed and published a Half-Life mod as my senior project. But I also learned about layout, typography, photography, the history of art, the history of cinema, interactivity and a bunch of non-game related skills that I'm better off for knowing.
I didn't go into the game industry, but that doesn't mean a traditional design or art program at a good school won't take you there. A guy who graduated a couple classes before me, Evan Carroll, went on to become a character artist for Blizzard right after school. He did a lot of the character art for Diablo II, which is as big time as any of us would hope for. Evan's actually back at Cincinnati now, where he's just finished up his master's degree in fine art and he's been teaching art classes (yep, even before he got his diploma - there's no substitute for crazy good skills.)
I don't mean to be pimping my school, it's got bad spots like anything else. What I want to get across is that a GOOD education in design or art can open lots of doors, including to the game industry, and still give you other choices. Trying to get a specific degree in character animation from a nearly unknown Game Art University... it's limiting you, not making you grow. Be an artist, not just a game artist or be a designer, not just a level designer. I know that path's not for everyone, but I've never met anyone who graduated from my program and regretted all the things they learned.
I am in a similar situation as you BlackulaDZ. I didn't have the cash to go to a premier animation school like Full Sail, or [insert big name school here], so I went to a small school in which the animation program was only a few years old. I had to make the best of my education and work hard. I stood out, top of my class and became president of the animation club. I also got to work with my instructors and dean to help improve the program.
My advice is stick with your animation degree and work long and hard on your portfolio and teaching yourself. The animation degree is designed to give you a mile wide knowledge, but only six feet deep. People aren't going to hold your hand on the job when you need to learn something. You need to be able to teach yourself and troubleshoot your own problems. Plus, creativity isn't something that can be taught either.
I must be doing this college thing wrong because i've just been working my ass off. I can't bring myself to say the people I see focusing on women, drugs, booze, or most often video games are on the road to success. If you want all those, go to Mexico, it's a hell of a lot cheaper and there's no homework.
If you want a job in the game industry, work your ass off, get better than most the people trying to make it, and don't be a dick, that simple. You can do this from home if you have the dedication and find the right tutorials. Gnomen videos are awesome. You can do it at school if you have less dedication but more money and time to spend. Though i must warn you that school will get you on the right track, but at points derail you and force you to do worthless BS. It's a trade off. I would highly reccomend a non degree program, a school with less general ed classes, and more 3d applications. You'll save time, money, and get right into what you want with less BS.
Above all stay passionate about the craft or you'll never put the time in to rise to a level that might actually get you a job. And as always there's no guarantees in life so just go at it and hope for the best. At least you wont regret not giving it a shot.
it also depends maybe some people like me that doesn't have money to go to a Graphics Design school. i mean i don't even have the money to buy a Graph Card my machine was actually given to me piece by piece from a friend that has better stuff now but it would be easier to get a Designing Program and just look up tutorials then you will get there eventually it might not take you 3 days maybe even years but really work hard and get that portfolio done and 1 more thing have a blast
My 4 year media arts/animation degree helped me get the job I have today (graphic design-ish type of work), so even if you dont land in the industry right away...that degree still opens other doors that would have never opened in the first place without it. Where I'm at now is a great "fall back" type of job because it pays decently and I'm able to stay on my feet while I still pursue gaming. So I say no, getting a degree is never a waste of time but it can get pricey...just explore your options and be proactive.
degrees are a great chance to give you the time to put together a portfolio that could get you hired. the degree itself wont get you anywhere without the portfolio. and which one should take priority whilst you are at uni studying your degree? your portfolio.
I think that if you are fucking badass, you dont really need a degree. But then there is that thing where u kinda need to have one to show that you are a) a proffesional and b) have a drive!
For an hr person, im pretty sure the last 2 are very important, but i lean more towards the 1st. I didnt go to school, im doing alright!
Tho, sometimes i think it would be cool to have a degree, to teach maybe. Or for other reasons.
Remember that art related University degrees are all self taught, you don't go there and they pump you full of everything you need to know, your set projects and its up to you as an individual to analyse the problem, find a solution and work your ass of on something your passionate about. This concept of working is why so many people complain and fail art related university degrees. Your not buying training, your buying time to master your skills.
If you finish an art related degree and complain it got you no where, then its you who are to blame. Just think back at all those times you could and should have been working your ass off.
I thought I would express that opinion on Universities that commonly isn't.
Not sure what schools don't require experience to teach at, but that sounds pretty stupid to me. AT my school all teachers must have a minimum of 5 years industry experience. And we don't have teachers teaching what they don't know, for the most part. WE have animators teaching animation, environment artists teaching environments and character artists teaching characters. Of course the situation arises where a new course might contain lessons that a teacher never had the chance to actually do at work, This is mostly true when things change rapidly, for a long time low poly art was being downplayed, in favor of only next gen stuff, but now we are seeing so many games on the iphone that we started courses specifically to work with a local company creating low poly art for their games. so times arise when the teacher may not be able to answer a question for you, but this happens and then you spend the time to figure it out on your own, or wait for them to do it.
I think it a matter of getting the right degree. If you want an art degree get one, but dont be fooled by an education that will only teach tool's and not art. In the last 5 years a ton of schools have popped up to take advantage of the growing demand for 3D training. Do your research find a good school with a good reputation and look at the art their students create.
While my degree will be a BFA in game art, i learned so many other skills while at it. Ive done video and sound editing, web design, sculpture, welding, figure drawing, painting, journalism, etc etc etc the list goes on. And that diversity has paid off, i have managed to land a number of freelance jobs in 3D and non 3D art, and i could not have done so without the diverse skill set i have developed.
that said, a teacher may be able to show you how to use a software package, and the proper way to model, and also help you a ton with your projects, and most of all if they are good they will tell you when you suck and make sure you realize it so you can get better. But it is always up to the student to become proficient with the software, and to bridge the gap of being a great artist and a great technician.
The school is what you make of it, the resources are there you have to use them they wont come to you.
And thought i would mention that i have seen many job postings that said something like
"3 years experience, or equivalent degree in one of following fields (etc etc etc)".
so it depends on the company, and i feel that if you live in an area that has a lot of 3d artists with degree's then your are probably going to be better off with one.
id be interested to see some statistics about how many people in the industry have degrees and how many don't and have that compared to what year they started working in the industry. Like are most self trained artists people who have been in the industry a long time, or what. Because i imagine 10 years ago entry level positions did not require the same level of art skill that today's positions might.
by being self taught, u can use that to your advantage. it makes you seem smarter than the rest of the croud. you can even argue that you think differently than the other "non self taught people."
Sadly, some companies DO require you to have some school degree to get on their team. they make the rules.
But if ur portfolio is good enough... hell ya, you can get a job!
Some accurate advice from Christer Ericson, Director of Tools and Technology at Sony Computer Entertainment:
It's a meritocracy: I'll hire you based on what you know, I don't care how you obtained the knowledge or what school you did or didn't go do; the only thing that matters is that you have the chops.
He's talking about Programmers, but the same criteria applies to Artists. A good read, more like it in the wiki here.
I've noticed that mention of my school's name often produces a nod of appreciation, merely because it's a school well-known for its output. But it's only that, a nod. Doesn't account for much at all. My portfolio is still by far the biggest deciding factor, followed (distantly) by my experience.
Remember that art related University degrees are all self taught, you don't go there and they pump you full of everything you need to know, your set projects and its up to you as an individual to analyse the problem, find a solution and work your ass of on something your passionate about. This concept of working is why so many people complain and fail art related university degrees. Your not buying training, your buying time to master your skills.
If you finish an art related degree and complain it got you no where, then its you who are to blame. Just think back at all those times you could and should have been working your ass off.
I thought I would express that opinion on Universities that commonly isn't.
It all comes down to what you want to achieve with your career, i`m still of the opinion that if you want something and you go for it a 100% it will get you somewhere one way or the other because a good portfolio will not go unnoticed !
education is as previously stated a great way to work on your social skills.
I also learned what teamwork is like and how to handle deadlines in a team, because doing something for yourself or doing something and having others rely on its outcome is a completely different thing imo.
When you think of quitting decide for yourself, take all the costs that you already made and the amount of knowledge you got from it and then see if it`s worth the money.
I think of being an artist like a professional athlete. If you have amazing skills, no one gives a damn where you came from. A football player coming from a popular school like a USC or UF will definitely have added kudos, but at the end of the day if you're a good football player you will be wanted no matter where you came from. It's the same for an artist if you ask me.
I know people who quit in the middle of college to get into the gaming business as artist. I think a degree shows a good commitment to sticking to something fully through, but that degree doesn't mean squat if you don't have the skills. No one will even know what school you went too if your portfolio isn't good because they'll look at the portfolio first and decide from there if they care to know more about you thus checking out your resume/cover letter.
Up until I got hired earlier this month, I was thinking maybe I should of went to school. I never anticipated that the economy would blow up when I started to learn 3d art by myself so I thought I'd never need to consider working outside of my country, which a degree helps with.
One of the questions I got asked during my interview was why I chose to be self-taught instead of going to school. I feel that some people learn better in a school setting and some learn better by themselves.
In the end, I got hired because of my portfolio and not because of how I learned. So a question you may want to ask yourself is, will you come out with a better portfolio spending 2 years in school, or spending 2 years at home by yourself.
Some accurate advice from Christer Ericson, Director of Tools and Technology at Sony Computer Entertainment:
He's talking about Programmers, but the same criteria applies to Artists. A good read, more like it in the wiki here.
I've noticed that mention of my school's name often produces a nod of appreciation, merely because it's a school well-known for its output. But it's only that, a nod. Doesn't account for much at all. My portfolio is still by far the biggest deciding factor, followed (distantly) by my experience.
I'm not disagreeing with you or anything but why does it seem like I keep getting shutted down because of the no professional experience thing, or is that just a polite excuse? even if it isnt the case why bother with the person at all by contacting them after looking at their work then experience or lack of and walk away?
I don't have an answer really. Probably just incompetence on their part. They should have been able to see right away from your resume what your professional experience level is.
Your work looks to me like it's definitely good enough for an entry-level spot. Problem is, this is a very tough job market. Tons of applicants for each open position.
If you're getting a response, that's unusually good. Most places just plain don't respond.
this is a really good discussion. Also I'm going to finish my associates in animation (one semester left after this one) then clean up my portfolio and attempt to apply to jobs. I'm really not enthusiastic about attending more school after I finish this degree. (and it's expensive) I'm self motivated enough to work my ass off on personal projects so I kind of feel like school would only slow me down at this point with the extra fluff.
if you parents make you go back to school for whatever reason they have it in your head, go for marketing or HR or project management or something along those lines. THOSE degrees will be something to fall back on because not only do they give you a chance to still work in the game industry, but you can work in a variety of industries. It will keep your options open. Just, if you do that, make sure you keep working on your demo reel any chance you get.
as for finishing your degree right now. That's a smart move. When it comes to schooling for animation/game art, its always going to be opinion based of whether or not its a good idea. The people that are angry about going to school are usually the ones that didnt go the extra length and learn more than what the school is teaching them.
Schooling is meant to teach you the basic tools and keep you going by use of deadlines. Thats all they can really do. They cant teach you everything in the 2-4 years you are there. If you only do what the school asks you to do, you`re just screwing yourself over. You have to put in the effort, and do the self taught thing as well. If you know you arent being taught all the right things, go online and teach it to yourself. You`re not doing yourself any favours by sitting there complaining about it. fix it. do something constructive about it.
Yes, right now, most companies dont care if you have schooling or not, but more and more are starting to. So, right now you can get away with not having any schooling if you have a great portfolio. Personally, i find schooling a way to keep me on track. Its taught me the fundementals of what i need to learn while forcing me to keep at it. And with some online tutorials, ive been pushing myself to be better.
So really, when it comes to schooling for game art/animation, it really depends on your ability to push yourself. Your determination. Your will power. If you can stay motivated to be selftaught, all the power to you. But not everyone can.
I'm friends with black and actually go to the same school. Let me tell you, the teachers here are fkn monkeys. they don't motivate you, they don't inspire or any of that good stuff. they never worked in the industry ever. so thats why we feel like (at this school) we are wasting our money and time but god damm sooo frustrating and annoying. we basically learned what they know. yea.................
I think everyone wanting to get into this industry goes through the same question. After talking with a lot of industry friends, and from research, I've found it's exactly as you would think.
Your work speaks louder than words.
Companies want people that can do the job and work well with the team.
If you take two artists, one who is more talented, and one who is less, but has a degree, every time the more talented artist will get the job.
What a degree does IMO is show to X developer that you come "pre-programmed" with a certain set of knowledge. They know you know how to do certain things. Degree's often also give you opportunities to work with other talented students, and you learn a lot of the tools needed for the industry.
So I think degree's can be a great thing, but in the end it's what you do with the knowledge, not how you got that knowledge.
You can look at me for example, now by no means would I say I am an industry veteran, but I have had some success in the short time I've been around.
I was in school for 4 years, studying to be an Audiologist. It was a guaranteed 6 figure job. I got to a point tho where I realized my heart was not in it. I wanted to do something with my life that I enjoy.
I took a chance, a huge chance, dropped out of college, 1 year shy of finishing my BA, and took up 3D, knowing that I always wanted to work in the industry.
I already had massive student loans, so I didn't have the capital to go to a fancy art school, so I utilized something I think very unique to our community, the massive amount of resources and access.
I started to treat 3d like my job, learning on my own the basics of anatomy and art, and also the tech stuff like using 3ds Max, XSI, Maya, Zbrush, UV Mapping, etc..
I worked every single day, sometimes through the night because It's something I want.
I worked diligently to build industry contacts and learn from the many talented artists we are talking with everyday on boards like these. These people have a ton of knowledge they are willing to share.
Now, It's been 1 year and 2 months since I started. Since I picked up a pen tablet (Bamboo! :poly124:) and started learning the basics.
Now I'm not quite where I wanna be, but I am now working for Liquid Development, on several AAA titles that are going to look great on my resume, Along with the invaluable experience I'm gaining.
I don't have a degree, what I do have, and what I think you really need, is the will to do what it takes to do what you want in your life.
So, basically what I'm saying is, if you want to, and are able to get a degree, it would be a great experience, and cannot hurt you. If you cannot, or don't want to, it won't hurt you, as long as in both cases you realize you only get out of something what you put into it.
Work your ass off, never stop learning, you'll get what you want.
Having a degree, is usually better than not having a degree.
If you are wanting to "fall back" on a degree, you need to make sure that it is a degree that you can actually "fall back" on. Most art degrees don't do very well as a career cushion. When you are an artist, you are only as good as your portfolio. Technical degrees are much better to fall back on. If you have a computer science degree, then you will be able to find work.
Yes, Not getting a degree will hurt you. You won't be able to get a work visa.
I've lost a couple job opportunities because of not having a degree. Thankfully I am about a month away from completing classes and a few months past that for completing my practicum.
I've lost a couple job opportunities because of not having a degree. Thankfully I am about a month away from completing classes and a few months past that for completing my practicum.
wait soo, if you don't have a degree you cant have a work visa? is the visa for to work in other countries?
Replies
What kind of crap schools have you been to where this is the case? I've been on a college faculty before and I've seen what goes into the hiring process - at a good design school, you need a hell of a lot more than a diploma and BS to get the job. The faculty and administrators look at portfolios, just like employers in the industry do.
Vermilion which school have you been to where the art program was worth it? I think that's more useful to know. While it's true that schools like game studios look at portfolios, Game studios won't hire a game designer and expect him to a be a senior animator. To put this in context, how many Game Artists with industry experience have Masters,... Also why would a school decide to hire someone that doesn't know anything about Game design to teach the class. This is the kind of thing that happens in schools.
To get hired at a school you need a Masters, lots of exhibitions and seem to have good people skills. You don't have to have experience in the class you are expecting to teach however, In contrast, to get hired at a game company normally you need to have experience related to the job you are applying for and a portfolio that proves this area of expertise.
I went to the University of Cincinnati and got a design degree. Their industrial design program is usually ranked in the top five nationwide and probably the top fifty for overall creative arts. While in school, I made some Q2 PMPs for a class (later classes did Unreal characters) and I developed and published a Half-Life mod as my senior project. But I also learned about layout, typography, photography, the history of art, the history of cinema, interactivity and a bunch of non-game related skills that I'm better off for knowing.
I didn't go into the game industry, but that doesn't mean a traditional design or art program at a good school won't take you there. A guy who graduated a couple classes before me, Evan Carroll, went on to become a character artist for Blizzard right after school. He did a lot of the character art for Diablo II, which is as big time as any of us would hope for. Evan's actually back at Cincinnati now, where he's just finished up his master's degree in fine art and he's been teaching art classes (yep, even before he got his diploma - there's no substitute for crazy good skills.)
I don't mean to be pimping my school, it's got bad spots like anything else. What I want to get across is that a GOOD education in design or art can open lots of doors, including to the game industry, and still give you other choices. Trying to get a specific degree in character animation from a nearly unknown Game Art University... it's limiting you, not making you grow. Be an artist, not just a game artist or be a designer, not just a level designer. I know that path's not for everyone, but I've never met anyone who graduated from my program and regretted all the things they learned.
(sorry for the length, I must be lonely tonight
My advice is stick with your animation degree and work long and hard on your portfolio and teaching yourself. The animation degree is designed to give you a mile wide knowledge, but only six feet deep. People aren't going to hold your hand on the job when you need to learn something. You need to be able to teach yourself and troubleshoot your own problems. Plus, creativity isn't something that can be taught either.
If you want a job in the game industry, work your ass off, get better than most the people trying to make it, and don't be a dick, that simple. You can do this from home if you have the dedication and find the right tutorials. Gnomen videos are awesome. You can do it at school if you have less dedication but more money and time to spend. Though i must warn you that school will get you on the right track, but at points derail you and force you to do worthless BS. It's a trade off. I would highly reccomend a non degree program, a school with less general ed classes, and more 3d applications. You'll save time, money, and get right into what you want with less BS.
Above all stay passionate about the craft or you'll never put the time in to rise to a level that might actually get you a job. And as always there's no guarantees in life so just go at it and hope for the best. At least you wont regret not giving it a shot.
For an hr person, im pretty sure the last 2 are very important, but i lean more towards the 1st. I didnt go to school, im doing alright!
Tho, sometimes i think it would be cool to have a degree, to teach maybe. Or for other reasons.
If you finish an art related degree and complain it got you no where, then its you who are to blame. Just think back at all those times you could and should have been working your ass off.
I thought I would express that opinion on Universities that commonly isn't.
I think it a matter of getting the right degree. If you want an art degree get one, but dont be fooled by an education that will only teach tool's and not art. In the last 5 years a ton of schools have popped up to take advantage of the growing demand for 3D training. Do your research find a good school with a good reputation and look at the art their students create.
While my degree will be a BFA in game art, i learned so many other skills while at it. Ive done video and sound editing, web design, sculpture, welding, figure drawing, painting, journalism, etc etc etc the list goes on. And that diversity has paid off, i have managed to land a number of freelance jobs in 3D and non 3D art, and i could not have done so without the diverse skill set i have developed.
that said, a teacher may be able to show you how to use a software package, and the proper way to model, and also help you a ton with your projects, and most of all if they are good they will tell you when you suck and make sure you realize it so you can get better. But it is always up to the student to become proficient with the software, and to bridge the gap of being a great artist and a great technician.
The school is what you make of it, the resources are there you have to use them they wont come to you.
And thought i would mention that i have seen many job postings that said something like
"3 years experience, or equivalent degree in one of following fields (etc etc etc)".
so it depends on the company, and i feel that if you live in an area that has a lot of 3d artists with degree's then your are probably going to be better off with one.
id be interested to see some statistics about how many people in the industry have degrees and how many don't and have that compared to what year they started working in the industry. Like are most self trained artists people who have been in the industry a long time, or what. Because i imagine 10 years ago entry level positions did not require the same level of art skill that today's positions might.
Sadly, some companies DO require you to have some school degree to get on their team. they make the rules.
But if ur portfolio is good enough... hell ya, you can get a job!
best of luck!
Some accurate advice from Christer Ericson, Director of Tools and Technology at Sony Computer Entertainment: He's talking about Programmers, but the same criteria applies to Artists. A good read, more like it in the wiki here.
I've noticed that mention of my school's name often produces a nod of appreciation, merely because it's a school well-known for its output. But it's only that, a nod. Doesn't account for much at all. My portfolio is still by far the biggest deciding factor, followed (distantly) by my experience.
qft
education is as previously stated a great way to work on your social skills.
I also learned what teamwork is like and how to handle deadlines in a team, because doing something for yourself or doing something and having others rely on its outcome is a completely different thing imo.
When you think of quitting decide for yourself, take all the costs that you already made and the amount of knowledge you got from it and then see if it`s worth the money.
I know people who quit in the middle of college to get into the gaming business as artist. I think a degree shows a good commitment to sticking to something fully through, but that degree doesn't mean squat if you don't have the skills. No one will even know what school you went too if your portfolio isn't good because they'll look at the portfolio first and decide from there if they care to know more about you thus checking out your resume/cover letter.
One of the questions I got asked during my interview was why I chose to be self-taught instead of going to school. I feel that some people learn better in a school setting and some learn better by themselves.
In the end, I got hired because of my portfolio and not because of how I learned. So a question you may want to ask yourself is, will you come out with a better portfolio spending 2 years in school, or spending 2 years at home by yourself.
I'm not disagreeing with you or anything but why does it seem like I keep getting shutted down because of the no professional experience thing, or is that just a polite excuse? even if it isnt the case why bother with the person at all by contacting them after looking at their work then experience or lack of and walk away?
Your work looks to me like it's definitely good enough for an entry-level spot. Problem is, this is a very tough job market. Tons of applicants for each open position.
If you're getting a response, that's unusually good. Most places just plain don't respond.
as for finishing your degree right now. That's a smart move. When it comes to schooling for animation/game art, its always going to be opinion based of whether or not its a good idea. The people that are angry about going to school are usually the ones that didnt go the extra length and learn more than what the school is teaching them.
Schooling is meant to teach you the basic tools and keep you going by use of deadlines. Thats all they can really do. They cant teach you everything in the 2-4 years you are there. If you only do what the school asks you to do, you`re just screwing yourself over. You have to put in the effort, and do the self taught thing as well. If you know you arent being taught all the right things, go online and teach it to yourself. You`re not doing yourself any favours by sitting there complaining about it. fix it. do something constructive about it.
Yes, right now, most companies dont care if you have schooling or not, but more and more are starting to. So, right now you can get away with not having any schooling if you have a great portfolio. Personally, i find schooling a way to keep me on track. Its taught me the fundementals of what i need to learn while forcing me to keep at it. And with some online tutorials, ive been pushing myself to be better.
So really, when it comes to schooling for game art/animation, it really depends on your ability to push yourself. Your determination. Your will power. If you can stay motivated to be selftaught, all the power to you. But not everyone can.
I think everyone wanting to get into this industry goes through the same question. After talking with a lot of industry friends, and from research, I've found it's exactly as you would think.
Your work speaks louder than words.
Companies want people that can do the job and work well with the team.
If you take two artists, one who is more talented, and one who is less, but has a degree, every time the more talented artist will get the job.
What a degree does IMO is show to X developer that you come "pre-programmed" with a certain set of knowledge. They know you know how to do certain things. Degree's often also give you opportunities to work with other talented students, and you learn a lot of the tools needed for the industry.
So I think degree's can be a great thing, but in the end it's what you do with the knowledge, not how you got that knowledge.
You can look at me for example, now by no means would I say I am an industry veteran, but I have had some success in the short time I've been around.
I was in school for 4 years, studying to be an Audiologist. It was a guaranteed 6 figure job. I got to a point tho where I realized my heart was not in it. I wanted to do something with my life that I enjoy.
I took a chance, a huge chance, dropped out of college, 1 year shy of finishing my BA, and took up 3D, knowing that I always wanted to work in the industry.
I already had massive student loans, so I didn't have the capital to go to a fancy art school, so I utilized something I think very unique to our community, the massive amount of resources and access.
I started to treat 3d like my job, learning on my own the basics of anatomy and art, and also the tech stuff like using 3ds Max, XSI, Maya, Zbrush, UV Mapping, etc..
I worked every single day, sometimes through the night because It's something I want.
I worked diligently to build industry contacts and learn from the many talented artists we are talking with everyday on boards like these. These people have a ton of knowledge they are willing to share.
Now, It's been 1 year and 2 months since I started. Since I picked up a pen tablet (Bamboo! :poly124:) and started learning the basics.
Now I'm not quite where I wanna be, but I am now working for Liquid Development, on several AAA titles that are going to look great on my resume, Along with the invaluable experience I'm gaining.
I don't have a degree, what I do have, and what I think you really need, is the will to do what it takes to do what you want in your life.
So, basically what I'm saying is, if you want to, and are able to get a degree, it would be a great experience, and cannot hurt you. If you cannot, or don't want to, it won't hurt you, as long as in both cases you realize you only get out of something what you put into it.
Work your ass off, never stop learning, you'll get what you want.
I did not think of this because I am in Canada, and I want to work locally, but yes, to get a VISA, you would need a degree, good point.
If you are wanting to "fall back" on a degree, you need to make sure that it is a degree that you can actually "fall back" on. Most art degrees don't do very well as a career cushion. When you are an artist, you are only as good as your portfolio. Technical degrees are much better to fall back on. If you have a computer science degree, then you will be able to find work.
I've lost a couple job opportunities because of not having a degree. Thankfully I am about a month away from completing classes and a few months past that for completing my practicum.
wait soo, if you don't have a degree you cant have a work visa? is the visa for to work in other countries?