6 replies to this topic

[shaha9]

Hi everyone I am proud to say Pixel2life has inspired me to get heavily involved in Art, and to this day I still come here for insights from articles and artwork. I like the community here, but haven’t posted much on this forum, I j just browse.

Today I have one of those puzzling life questions I need the community to please help me out with. I am very confused with my future career, for I have stumbled from cooking to as far as acting. But I have reached a medium and that is art. I love art and love creating it, but it is a vast area and I hope you guys can point me in the right direction or at least tell me where you think I might be headed.

I really love to write and even though I am foremost a constant gamer, I don’t want to sit around and play video games forever after college. This is a sample of how I write (below) and when I do write, I do so for 5 or 10 pages worth of scribbled ideas then type them up. I even write stuff as I drive, almost getting in accidents along the way. I just visualize things so vividly in my mind. I range from Fantasy and Sci Fi to comedy themes.

Sample Writing

Now aside from writing, I really like films, but not just motion pictures. I love animation like the high quality ones from Japan and even as far as CG cut scenes like Diablo 2. Than I really like those really deep thrillers such as; Alien, The 6th sense, and Matrix to name a few. And of course great comedy, like the show Reno 911 (Just throwing it out there because of there movie coming out). The only thing I don’t think I like about film is all the grunt work, it’s not for me. Holding a boom mich in the actors face for 5 takes isn’t the meaning of my life. I want to create colorful films, but the people in charge usually have the money or the technical know how to do it and they don't share projects often. It is a really competitive field to get your voice heard in film. I have worked on film sets as an aide (Grip, P.A.) and just recently a full feature Indie, as Art director. So far I really like where it’s going, but than I fall into my next category.

I love working on websites, I have sold a few professionally and my portfolio even got me a job for a company in need of my services. I love creating graphics from scratch and figuring out how to organize a 9 page site into the clients theme. One thing I am slacking is code. I really love the coding, but I fall short with only knowing html and a little bit of others languages. I can follow a pro coder in aiding them, but can only create a site visually I can't actually set it up perfectly the way they want it in heavy coding. And when I found out that most web designers know code and design, I kind of fall short, but I still love design. If it came to creating a glowing orb with someone’s face in it than no problem, sign me up, I will figure something out you will like.

Art 1
Art 2
Wepage 1
Wepage 2

Now comes my final discretion,

I have been a gamer since God knows how long, but I love to do more than play. I critique every game I play and always try to figure out ways it could be better, I create essays worth of improvements and analysis worth of a game. Than I let the developers and community for the game read it and than step aside and move on to another. When the publisher writes back with a thanks and no thanks for the advice, than I go a step further and write my own video game plots even as far as how much spell damage this should effect another character. I get very picky about games as well, I can write really good game reviews and it drives me crazy how some games even get a chance in the industry, but anyways.

And I get to this point; I am in my second year of college close to finishing my GE and still worrying about my initial focus. I love art, as simple as that. I would like to direct and work with a team to put words into reality. Although my technical knowledge usually falls short, but I can understand it, just can’t follow through as a good techie if my life depended on it.

From all this (And I know I wrote a lot but I had to be clear), what could a gamer who thinks he’s a writer, who thinks he’s a web designer, who thinks he’s a film maker, become?

Am I on the right path or am I focusing on too many things. I try to stay on one, but I appreciate all these forms of art “Hand-in-hand.” I would initially say Art director, but that really falls into a different line than where I think I am going.

- Peace

[N4Z.]

Hmm Im guessing you're between 15 - 18

Between this area of a teenagers life.. they begin to think about what they really want.. and then they get to this point and think YES! I WILL DO THIS! In your case.. Art. Now.. Art is an un natural skill.. you dont need to be an artist to draw or design.. Everyone can do art.. if you have hands you're an artist.. Anyway.. what im getting at is.. you have got to this point where you love Art.. my love for being an Army Lutenant was mine from when i was 14 - 16..

But believe me.. it changes.. But anyway, careers are very tricky to figure out.. try your school/college or your local teens counsellor (Mine is Connexions)

I hope i made sense

[l3lueMage]

I have figured out the job for you!

You like video games
you like writing
and you like art

Become a Video Game graphics design, or a video game story writer/concept art

[shaha9]

Synitex-

I stated I was in college, so most likely 18+ would be my range (And it's 19).

Thanks for your advice, but still it seemed to only wrap up what I concluded myself.

I am already trying careers out and getting skill, my conflict is that I love all these areas and not just one.

Your suggestion made it sound like I just hit puberty and was awaiting to start thinking about my future in high school.

Was kind of funny, I guess I wrote too much or it's to complicated to understand.

l3lueMage, thank you so much, quick and too the point. Like I said I wanted a point in a direction and you did it, I really appreciate it. As well as any comments, you just made it sound so simple /hug l3lueMage.

I am getting to my future goal, I just want to make sure I choose the right one.

Edited by shaha9, 04 August 2006 - 06:08 PM.

[shaha9]

It's looking like what I had feared - Game designer. I had chosen this career as my first conscious goal when I was kid and than ventured into more realistic ideas like Synitex says happens when you’re a teen.

I guess it is all highly competitive no matter what I do especially if it's your passion.

So for people that read this topic would you agree on Game design being fit for me from all this? And where do I go from here

Edited by shaha9, 04 August 2006 - 06:30 PM.

[l3lueMage]

I would go into a graphics degree or 3d design. Now if you dont want to do 3d design and prefer just drawing, then go into an art program and just do concept art for the video games later. And also because these are such general things, 3d design, graphics design, art. You dont have to go into video game Design later if you change your mind, you can do something art related. 3d design you could do technical 3d stuff, or help with commercials by making the object they are advertising in 3d, I know theres good money in that. And for art, well theres plenty of stuff besides video game concept art you can do with art. ANd Graphics design...Lots there also.

So I suggest going to school doing one of those 3 and choosing a job after since you will have choices. And since you like writing, you can do double major and get a degree in writing also.

[shaha9]

Well I would love to do concept art it sounds fun, but I love art I am not an artist. I can't draw a dragon ball z character from scratch or a couch with two seats the way someone wants it. I can do technical stuff on photoshop like I demonstrated, but everything else is pen and paper. That's why I left the Graphic design field for film, because I was learning it and I could do it. I just didn't like doing grunt work, I wanted the basics, but I mainly want to make ideas come to life.

I am thinking some kind of art/writing degree for sure now though, I will at least explore it.

But as for as coding and programming go - I am pretty sure it's not my thing.
Working as a film crew member - It's really cool because its the film business, but not what I want to do for a living.

Writing and creating ideas for film, games, and shorts - sounds more like my area and than working with people to make it come to life via a medium would just blow my mind.

Again I appreciate all comments.