input needed, please?

[beastieangel01]

So, I hate posting serious threads, but here it is. And no, nothing dead serious but pretty major for me due to how dead set I've been on my major.

I've wanted to do the Game Art thing for a long while now. Since 8th grade. I always talked to industry people and found out it's a lot of hard work and you have to draw draw draw and get really good. I was down with that. However, some new information came about the industry that I had no idea about (for whatever reason).

Game artist have frequent overtime hours, and all nighters. A former industry person (and professor) told me that he knows people at several gaming companies that do art, and have sleeping bags near their desk because a lot of the times deadlines need to be met.

He also said that while being in game art, that is ALL you can do. For example, he used to surf and play guitar. He thought it'd be fine on top of the gaming art and such, but not such thing. ALL he ever did was the game art (he had to stop and just teach because he literally had brain surgery a year ago). The people that are there LOVE it to the point that it's basically their entire lives.

Now, I love to draw. I love playing video games. However, the first thought that came to mind was that I WANT a family one day. I want to be able to get come home at night and spend time with my kids, my husband, and be able to have a hobby. I love so many things in life, I want to do so many different things, and I want to be able to still be involved in art somehow.

I want to love my job, but not to the point that I work long hours and never see my family. And if this is definitely the case, move on to teaching art. And really, the thought of teaching art is really exciting to me and is something that I know I will enjoy.

I just don't know if I am being crazy because I feel the need to change my major, or if it is smart to consider things like the long hours in game art because a family in the future is important to me too.

[QueenAdrock]

Well...could game art be applied to something other than a game artist? Like, for history, you don't have to be a historian. You're more than qualified for government work and research, so those are options. Is there any sort of art that you could still do with your degree?

If so, then if you decide it's hard hours, or whatever else, you could find another job. And if all else fails, make sure that your hubby gets a good job so he can support the chillins once you start popping them out.

:(

I know what you mean though. A lot of the time for me it seems like if I don't have a degree in something specific like Accounting or Marketing, I'm too generalized. And that makes me question my major. But if you like doing it, and it's your passion, do what makes you happy. Are there other kinds of art that would be just as satisfying for you?

[HEIRESS]

freeze your embryos now, at their freshest, and have kiddies at 45

thats what im doing

[beastieangel01]

Thing is, I love it, but not enough to sacrifice me wanting to have a life outside of it. I want to spend time with loved ones, and a family and have time to spend with them MORE than I want to do game art.

This major is mega specific. It isn't the sort you can apply to lots of other things, just game art and the sects of it (all of which are the same amount of hours for the most part).

The only reason why I picked game art is because it fused two things I love. However, I love art about 20 times more than I love games. And I love games, so that tells you something, haha.

I don't know, yo.

freeze your embryos now, at their freshest, and have kiddies at 45

thats what im doing

haha :D

[Loppfessor]

Just start doing coke and you can have it all!

[QueenAdrock]

Maybe you could be a freelance artist! :-/

Um, either way, I say stick with the major if you love it. Do the job for a few years, and when you're ready to be a mother or whatever and hours still suck, find a new job as something pretty general, like a secretary or something. There are a lot of jobs out there that will hire you with your bachelor's because it shows you're trainable. So there's hope even for philosophy students! Haha, no just kidding. Not them.

Either way, you'll have a chance to do your dream job, and then have your family. Family won't come for at least another 5-8 years, right? I dunno, maybe that's just my timeline. But within that time period, you can do your job and do it well and stuff. And then when the kids are outta the house in 18 years, go back and do it again!

I say just go with the flow. If you love it, do it. All things will fall into place eventually, and you shouldn't have to be worrying about them now. Especially at freakin' 2:00 AM! Oh wait...it's like 11:00 for you, isn't it? Whatever. I'm going to sleep. It's tomorrow already and I'm tired.

[Loppfessor]

Maybe you could be a freelance artist! :-/




Also known as a waitress or bartender

[beastieangel01]

I was thinking something like teacher + freelance (at home)

I've been reading up like mad on it all, and it's the norm to work 50-60 hour weeks during crunch times, and sometimes even 80+ with no overtime paid since it's salary. And the crunch times happen often due to deadlines.

I really like game art, but I don't know if I love it enough to sacrafice all that time. I know overtime happens at any job, but I don't want to be absent from home as much as the industry demands. I don't think I am willing to do that....

[tracky]

you may find it varies from company to company re overtime etc

I do some game design and stuff as a hobby, contributing to some open source projects, making some mods and maps and stuff. I've considered going into it professionally, but my reservations about going into it are a bit different to yours. I don't like the idea of manufacturing games to a specification, which a lot of games are, like those based on movies etc. Also there aren't many (if any) game development companies in my city, and I happen to like this crappy little town. Thirdly, I'm just too lazy :p It's easy just to go day to day in the job i'm in.

[Jasonik]

Think about architectural renderings, Pixar type animation, since the skill set of 3-D creation, texturing, rendering, and view choice are essentialy the same. I don't know if you have to take a computer drafting course, but it might be helpful if you wanted to go toward design with your 3-D art, since a virtual object can easily be prototyped. There is also interior design which is conceptually similar to game environment creation.

I think it's good that you are mindful of not pigeon-holing yourself too much. Don't worry, you don't have to do the same thing for the rest of your life if you don't want to. You could easliy get a graduate degree in any of the 'real' design fields even after years of game design, and your love of art/drawing will only be an asset.

My overall advice is to consider the proverb: "Be careful what you become good at, because they'll make you do it for the rest of your life", while understanding that if you are truly following your own heart, doing what you are good at, and taking pride in it, you'll be happy working long hours if you need to, especially if it's something you're passionate about, - and you own the company.

Good luck

[TonsOfFun]

I'd say go for the Game Art. If that doesn't work out, tell the gaffer, if he/she ain't helpful quit. But the chances are, the hours might of been exaggerated like so many things are in todays world. Human Rights laws exist in most countries. You can only work a man of 48 a week I think anyway (if you're in the EU and I'll assume something simular across the world?), I'm sure the rules are bent for those who want to work more - not forced to work more.

I've quit training for a job I could of been really good at cus I focused on probably what would be one bad thing. Which cost me £'s in wasted training and £'s that I didn't earn. But I think I'd rather do what I'm doing now. So, um, I dunno. I say go for game art still...

[ms.peachy]

I was in a similar situation in my first year at university. All my life, I'd always been involved in theater, and everyone (including me) just always assumed I'd study acting. And I ended up going to school on a nearly-full acting scholarship.

The problem was, I'd never really thought that much about it, and it wasn't until I was suddenly there studying with all of these other people who were REALLY committed to a life of potential rejection, broken dreams, and relentless table-waiting. I'd always just thought "OK, I'll be an actress" and everyone else around me was like "hey sure, why not?" and I really hadn't examined what life as a struggling actress would actually be like. And when I did stop and think about it, and saw how hard these other people were willing to strive for it, I thought "no actually, I'm not that keen on all that, thanks." But of course, my scholarship hinged on me staying with it. So I couldn't walk away all that easily.

Ultimately, after some thought, I realised that what I liked about acting was the process of understanding a character, learning about what motivated a person, how they would react in different situations, who they were in their own minds vs. how other characters view them, and so forth. So I had some frank discussions with my advisor and fortunately I was able to change my major to developmental psychology and secure funds for study, and that's what I stayed with for my undergrad.

I still love the theater, but I'm happy now to go as a patron rather than a participant. If I had stayed with it as a course of study, I don't think I would have been happy, and who knows, might have becomed soured on it altogether.

Your situation is your own, and I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do. To some extent, maybe it depends on how soon you want this family-life you forsee. If it's something you want to do whilst you are in your 20's, maybe you do need to think about something else. But if you want to wait until your 30's, you could potentially work like a dog through your 20's, build up some savings, a reputation and some contacts, then go freelance and work from home once you've started your family.

[beastieangel01]

Oh on the secratary note: I'd want to kill myself if I did that. Whatever I do MUST involve art, it must!

Animation and the entertainment industry in general for what I was planning to do ALL is a huge amount of work hours, games, films, everything. Iwas up for HOURS researching stuff for the industry, the career, etc. I've talked to a few industry folks now (a few more anyway) and they said it is long hours, constantly, and you have to LOVE it and want to do those extra times without compensation and without being able to go home.

It's not like I want a family ASAP, I want to wait a bit after college. And even without starting a family, I want to have a life, period, outside of work.

Someone in the industry said to me "I quit because to be in the industry means living to work, and I rather work to live."

Also, I rather not stay in school, finish within this major, and not be happy because the hours I have to work when I will be paying 66 grand or more to get the degree.

And this quarter, I have to drop my classes by MONDAY! Or else I can't get the money back from it. And this quarter is costing me about $5,502 in tuition alone.

Thanks everyone for the input. Ms.peachy, thank you especially for your input. I think it was definitely something I needed to hear/read.

[kll]

It seems though that if you get into a career, no matter what the industry is, (career and not just a "job"), you are going to put in long hours to work your way up the ladder. I'm sure there are many lawyers, graphic artists, doctors, ad execs, etc. who could put a sleeping bag at their desks and completely get absorbed. I worked 13 hours yesterday from 6:30am til 7:30pm. The night before I didn't get home until 11pm and my job is "supposed" to be 8-5. It's more of deciding if you are going to make a career rather than just get a job after college to pay the bills.

[beastieangel01]

yeah, I know that there will always be moments where overtime happens in any job.

this industry though, it's the norm, it's common, it's often.

I think more than anything, I want something to pay the bills but that I will love going to. Just not to the point that it consumes me.

[adam_f]

If you do decide to become a game artist, I'll be sure to check in on your mom on a daily basis, if need be.

If I were you though, I'd start looking at other fields. Your job isn't worth not having a social life or a family life or just a plain life. You deserve better than a sleeping bag beside your desk.

[kll]

Is it a requirement and you will get fired if you become a Game Artist and don't put in those kinds of hours? I was just curious because if you are good and let's say, one of the only females in the industry, maybe you could get around the terrible hours and still have a life? Just a thought.

[beastieangel01]

It's not a "requirement" but it's a very unstable business. Because working that much is the norm, if you don't work that much, most likely they will find others that are willing to. Overtime pay is something laughable, it doesn't exist. It's all salary. There are people who have been trying to change it but it's just an accepted thing (it's the entertainment business after all) and the people who are there love it to the point that they don't leave due to the excess hours.

Females don't get any special treatment. Even if you get higher up, it doesn't mean less hours. In fact, I think it's more hours the higher you go since you are in charge and have to oversee everything.

[instigator7022]

i dont know u but u seem like a good person and actually good art teachers are needed. A bad art teacher can ruin art for a person. like in my school i can't even apply for any drawing or painting classes because i know ill get this 100 year old hag who knows nothing and thinks we're 5 years old. one of her lessons was on how to use a ruler. C'mon! So now i take photography instead.

[zorra_chiflada]

i dont know u but u seem like a good person and actually good art teachers are needed. A bad art teacher can ruin art for a person. like in my school i can't even apply for any drawing or painting classes because i know ill get this 100 year old hag who knows nothing and thinks we're 5 years old. one of her lessons was on how to use a ruler. C'mon! So now i take photography instead.

yeah, but my high school art teacher convinced me to go to arts school and it was the biggest mistake of my life. :(

but i'm gonna be an art teacher anyway. i think it's the only thing i could do.

[instigator7022]

yeah, but my high school art teacher convinced me to go to arts school and it was the biggest mistake of my life. :(

but i'm gonna be an art teacher anyway. i think it's the only thing i could do.


well then that teacher was a bad one and thats why we need good ones! Be a good one!

[zorra_chiflada]

well then that teacher was a bad one and thats why we need good ones! Be a good one!

ok!

[Anne Lauren]

First of all, are you sure your gonna get a good job (meaning something that pays well) with an art degree? I mean, art may be your passion and you may have an idea in mind of what job you want to do after you graduate. However, once you get your degree and set out applying for all these great art jobs, you may find yourself getting discouraged and disappointed.

I'm just speaking from personal experience. I got my undergrad. in psychology. It was my passion and I knew that I would always enjoy working in that field. However, I soon found out that it was about as useless as anything. I was getting paid hardly anything. So, I got my masters and I'm still haveing to pay my do's and work my way up.

And, atleast for me, I found that haveing a job that pays well has become more and more important the older I get. You don't want to be miserable all the time at work doing something you hate just for the money. However, money helps.

[beastieangel01]

The biggest factor is: time. I rather get paid less and spend less time at work (i.e. 40 hours or so, vs the 60-80 hours a week). Time is money as they say, and I rather have a balanced life than one where I live at work.

Also, in California they have programs in the colleges specifically for people that want to become teachers. Although many places are cutting art classes, they are not completely gone.

I am going to move on to being a professor to (or want to anyhow). So that means my Masters, which I am more than okay with doing, it will improve my skills AND I can start teaching at community colleges as well. I feel like teaching is also satisfying another part of me, or will. I love art, and I also always wanted to be in a field where I can help others or be active in bettering life. Sure, an art teacher is an art teacher. But a GOOD art teacher that opens young minds or helps shape young artists in college... that can have impact.

Also, I think it's awful they are cutting art and music more in public schools. I want to fight to keep it.

Anyway, I had some shitty ass art teachers in high school. I too want to be a GOOD art teacher, not one that says "ok draw this now" and sits in the front of the room reading their newspaper the rest of the period.

basically put: the money doesn't matter to me to a point. Whatever pays the bills. And teaching jobs pay "enough" and I think it's a rewarding enough field that sure, it may be a pain not getting as much money, but that's not what it's about. Besides, I can take on freelance, and I always have in web design and art anyhow.

I want to be happy with what I am doing more than anything, while balancing life outside of work.

[skinnybutphat]

Families are overrated

[beastieangel01]

If only I thought that way, I wouldn't be thinking about changing my major :p

[armyofme]

Become a teacher.

Better yet, become a Professor. Professors live the life.

[beastieangel01]

That's the plan, yo.