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VFX work vs. generic IT-drone work

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VFX work vs. generic IT-drone work

(I posted this in the VFXWorld General Discussions forum, but I thought people in this forum would be able to chip in as well...)

I'm a software engineer from Canada, working mostly in real-time 3d, computer vision, vision-guided robotics and general software development, but I'm looking to transition into the visual effects world. To that end I've undertaken a massive self-education effort of about a year-and-a-half spanning Renderman, Maya, global illumination algorithms and 3d reconstruction techniques. So having gorged on maths and api documentation, I figure it's time to do some serious career research.

What this is all leading up to, is I would like to know:

What it is like to work in software in the VFX industry? Hours, stress-level, company culture, coworker camaraderie, all that stuff.

What can someone with my skill set (8 years hardcore software development experience, plus a ton of real-time 3d) reasonably expect to earn at a good effect house?

For what it is worth, I am fiercely ambitious, and really mean to do excellent work. The money question arises since I am up for a Senior Software R&D position at a Detroit company that pays a crapload, but my heart isn't really in it. But taking a lower paying job in VFX may be a hard sell to my fiancee.

My only current resource for getting the inside scoop on the industry is a fellow who was lead animator on several high profile Hollywood films. He is currently teaching animation at a local college, and he seems something of a refugee from the industry. I hesitate to pry, but I think it was a case of burnout. Naturally I'm hoping for more encouraging reports from the field ;-)

So any replies would be enormously appreciated. Brutal honesty is encouraged.

Thanks to all.