[Vinnie J]

I'm thinking about majoring in Digital Media but I don't know how high the demand is for those jobs.. I don't know exactly what I'd wanna do, but I'm thinking CG animation. Anything's a possibility though. Anyways, I figure I'll need at least $60,000 a year to live here in the bay area so I was wondering if that's realistic once I have a lot of experience. Help me out!

[ReSistanZ]

Why doesn't anyone reply to this?

[Visionary]

Here is the deal. I'll try to apply about as much knowledge as I know on this topic.

What people say about how much digi artist make a year is usually fluffed. The most obscene amount I've heard of is 300,000. The most and that could be a lie. We are talking elite people that work in a general art field make 60-120,000 IF that. I was told this by a guy that works at ILM.

Small named video game companys can be less than that. 35-60,000.

Its increadibly broad and its gotten out that digital art has become more of a demand.

Although 60,000 is a great number, I dont see too many talented people get away with makeing that much money within 5-10 years even.

But I could be wrong on all this.

Hope it helps.

-Visionary

[Vinnie J]

Hmm.. no other responses..

Well I'll have a really broad background too. I'll supposedly learn cgi, perl, java, Photoshop, Flash, 3D modelling, and a buncha other stuff if I major in this. So maybe that'll help??

[quaternius]

There's a huge spread here in the Bay Area, depending on your skills and the specific companies. This is a pretty broad question - but yeah, I'm sure you can make 60k within 5 years in the right area of work with the right company. My friends in the game companies here are generally agreed that game company salaries are 25-30% lower than a comparable job in the rest of the computer-related industry around here - but that's a big generalization. But you do have to compensate for that general difference if Gaming is where you want to go.

There's plenty of people starting out at 23k too and only getting to 40k after 5 years. In the Bay Area there's a lot of directions you can go. There's EFX shops other than ILM and other CG/movie companies than PIXAR - then there's advertising companies, Multi-media companies that make educational CDs, etc. etc. etc. - depends on what you're looking for. Doesn't Computer Graphics Magazine have a yearly list of Game and EFX Companies?

Have you done any "searches" in the Forum archives yet? This subject comes up regularly, there's lots of stuff in the archives -- maybe that's why there's not a big response here.

I'd also start with the "Graphic Artists Guild Handbook and Ethical Guidelines". Jobs, prices, salaries are well surveyed.

I also think it would be better to find something you love to do first, then try to get as expert at it as possible - companies will always hire talent. The thing you really don't want to do is get to 35 and realize you're doing what you're doing 'cause you knew it would be good money but you actually hate it. blah blah blah
Okay, sorry, no more preachin' -I'm stating the obvious...

Good luck in your search tho'...

Q

[philjaeger]

i just got out of college a year ago and started at $25 an hour working on an online comic. i was told that when i reached an internediate level i would get $50 an hour....not sure what that means. Terryl Whitlatch, who did the character design for Star Wars I...sorry some of the character design, not all....well she got $25 an hour. Now she gets $50 an hour working for the same company i do, except she isn't used full time; neither am i.
Friends of mine have gone to work up at Lucas Arts and Lucas Learning...none of them with strong technical backgrounds. They're doing concepts, backgrounds, textures...and from what i know at least one of them started at $15 an hour....then he went up to $19 an hour pretty soon, but he's an exceptional artist.
The guys over at pixar get 50,000 - 60,000 a year.
Personally, i moved out of the bay area so i wouldn't have to afford it, but then again i don't really want to work as a staff employee.
if you have great work i think working freelance would be an option.

...well off to dinner. my gal is calling.

Phil

[TJFrame]

Whitlatch did creature design on StarWars, Ian McCaig did most of the character design

-TJ

[philjaeger]

Thanks for clearing that up TJ...creature design it is. Seems only right that she would do the creature design on star wars considering that she had an incredible animal portfolio when she was in college....thats according to one of my former profs.

Phil

[Vinnie J]

Thanks phil.. I couldn't have gotten a better answer. Now if I could just a get a couple more like that!

It sounds like there's lots of opportunities, I just want to make sure I won't be unemployed after I graduate. But I'm not that great of an artist right now. I've been seriously learning my way around Photoshop for only like 4 months now, but I've played with it for a couple years. But it sounds like I can be successful if I commit myself to it.

[kerosene]

Just want to poin tout that I photoshop is not the answer. This is obvious I guess but too many people think that talent is equal to knowing some tools. Nowing your craft and programs is important but that is not called talent.



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heikki anttila
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http://www.projectkerosene.com

[philjaeger]

vinnieJ, if you feel like your art skills aren't quite your strength, then possibly focus on technical learning - 3d (maya and 3dsm)and web design software.....as always i would encouragement you to take classes related to learning good traditional design....and take some figure drawing classes, including anatomy.

Personally, i didn't learn much about computers in school. i did that mostly on my own. i studied drawing/painting/illustration @ CCAC for 4 1/2 years, but the amount of work i did didn't change whether i was in school or not. summertime was just as busy.

phil