Hello
Earlier I posted on this forum, asking about work hours for animators. From the responses I received, it sounds like most animators work for many more than 40 hours per week. So therefore I have been researching lately on careers that are similar to animating that are less demanding while still producing good money. I have always liked to draw and create and come up with stories. I would like to work somewhere like Disney or Pixar that works with creating movies. Does anyone know if there are careers like this or are similar to this? What kind of schooling would you need to get to pursue this kind of career? What does a visual development artist do?
Thanks, I may have made this a little long, but this is very important to me. Thanks again
If it's interesting work, and you don't have family issues to worry about, are the hours a really huge concern? Personally if I was a beta tester at the Jelly Belly factory I'd put in for overtime at every available opportunity.
Become an accountant, but then at tax season and during audits you'll be putting in overtime anyway.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Bigfoot, you really need to evaluate two things:
1. What do you really love to do - something you would do whether you got paid for it or not?
2. What sacrifices are you willing to make to turn your love into a career?
If those two are incompatible (animation yes, occasional overtime no), then you need to pick another career. This type of work is something to undertake only if you absolutely LOVE it, because otherwise it's tedious, time-consuming, and frustrating. I
What makes you think that story artists and visual dev people don't put in long hours too? They do, you know. Basically, any career in the creative arts field will demand long hours and has the potential of paying poorly. This is the U.S., after all, and we don't value the arts too much here, unless you've already made it, then we'll speculate endlessly about who you're dating or how long your marriage will last.
Finally, you need to determine whether what you love to do is something someone else is willing to pay you to do. Get critique and advice from someone you aren't related to :), and heed it. People who love to draw and create etc. are a dime a dozen, but the ones who are really good at it are worth their weight in gold. And the type of jobs you're asking about are few and far between, and intensely coveted. Doesn't mean you can't get one, but you deserve to know the odds going in.
Good luck!
My father's a truck driver and he works longer hours than I'll ever know as an animator. If you want to work 9 to 5, go work in retail in a store that's open 9 to 5 (and even then you'll work longer stocking and closing up). Any other profession will have long hours - especially anywhere in the entertainment industry.
You want 9-5 hours, a lot of money, less demanding, and a creative position at two of the most prestigious animation studios in the world?
I think I saw some classes for that at Fantasyland U.
The only people I know of at Disney who work 9-5 are at the Vista Credit Union and some of the corporate staff, although one of my good friends in corporate actually works 7 to 7.
Company website
My Animation Blogspot Site
I strongly second that! Although, you might find better hours as a caricaturist at a theme park, but then again, that definitely won't pay enough to feed a family.
Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com
I disagree. If you set up shop along the boardwalk, you could set it up so that your profit would be around 5 dollars after materials expense. That's a corn dog right there! I've never seen a family who couldn't survive on corndogs and corndog-juice (created when you squeeze a corndog, of course =)