Savannah College of Art and Design

[robinette]

Hi there guys I'm new to this site and I just finished my first year at SCAD. I was just curious as to if anyone in this community graduated or knows anyone that went to SCAD.

Next semester I'm taking intro to visual effects and intro to broadcast design because at the moment I'm caught up between the two of them. I am interested in broadcast design work consisting of After Effects based work, not the actually design ideas. Obviously I am also interested in Matte Painting and possibly am looking for a career using it. Any words of advice or comments?

Thanks guys!

Myles Robinette

[mordecaidesign]

There are two schools of thought when it comes to a career choice where both paths have similar skill sets.

1. You go the visual effects route. You start your career with matte painting and hopefully become good enough to get an internship and then a job, probably as a rotoscope artist/texture artist. Then you move your way up to matte painter.

2. You learn the ins and outs of AE and other motion graphics programs, get a job as a motion artist at a local boutique studio and learn matte painting as you go. You eventually leave that job and become a matte painter.

#2 is actually more difficult. Here's why (from personal experience): You work your way up in a boutique design studio and you become known as "the guy that solves all of our motion graphics problems", you love what you do and you're DAMN good at it. Eventually the day comes when you're getting paid what you're worth for someone who can do motion graphics, and a bit of awesome matte painting.

Now... are you going to take a paycut to become a Matte Painter? Will your boss even let you? Can you really afford to? By this time you may have a wife and even a kid...a house payment...a car payment...student loan payments.

College is the time to make decisions. Unfortunately most people think they can just glide through and not make any decisions, just like they did in high school. Now is the ABSOLUTE DEADLINE that you have to make a decision about what path you're going to take in your life. Here's some questions to ask yourself:

1. Have you always wanted to be a Matte painter? As a kid, did you watch the original trilogy, Willow and many other ILM films? Did the matte paintings get you more excited than the script? If so. Become a matte painter.

2. You enjoy solving technical problems. You love being able to fix little visual items and you have a good eye for details in movement. If so go the AE route.

You CAN do both... It's just as hard though and you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of your free time to do it.

Are you interested in matte painting? Or have you really always wanted to do it?