Skip to main content

Jobs In Digital Media




Author: Bill Fischer, professor of Digital Media, Kendall College of Art and Design
of Ferris State University.


Image: Kendall Digital Media student Steve Heneveld: still-frame from a short film.


 Jobs In Digital Media 

New artists and designers must balance the breadth and depth of their skills. Small studios value the creatives that can wear two, three or more hats well, where large studios can afford to have specialists with a deep tool box in a single area. Most studios that lie geographically between the East and West coasts fall into the small to mid-size category and are not usually focused in entertainment arts. If a young creative wants to work in the entertainment industry, moving to the one of the coasts should be on their to-do lists. Although there are some artists and designers serving that industry on a freelance basis from outside of those centers. Also, advertising, education, training and information media is become more entertainment-based. "Game-ification" of everything is all the rage right now. Recently, Kendall students worked with Brown Bear Studios to create a series of iPad games for the Steelcase Corporation that trains shipping dock workers in effective packaging and loading of furniture into trucks.


  Take-Aways: 
  • Young creatives that wish to work in most studios between the East and West coast (including Michigan) should have a diverse skill set.
  • Those wishing to work as specialists in the entertainment arts should consider freelancing or moving to NY or LA to pursue their careers.
  • The entertainment arts are being integrated into places where it was not previously prevalent; Advertising, education, training and informational media.




 DIGITAL MEDIA JOBS 


  Color key:  
Imaging    3d Modeling/Animation    Interactive Design     2D Animation
Video and Motion Graphics      Sound Design


  3D Entertainment Arts  
(game, animation, film, app)

concept artist
storyboard artist
matte painter
modeler(character, environment)
lighting, surfacing, effects
layout (setting up scenes)
character animator
editor
director
Interface graphic designer
sound designer

  2D Entertainment Arts  
(game, animation, film, app)

concept artist
storyboard artist
character/prop designer
background designer
layout (setting up scenes)
Interface graphic designer
color/effects artist
character animator
producer
editor
director
sound designer


  Imaging:  
(editorial, retail, comic, info-graphic)
digital painting style illustrator
digital graphic style illustrator
art director
3d modeler
interface graphic designer
character animator
motion graphics animator

  Video and Motion Graphics  
(tv, web, film, corporate)

storyboard artist
3d modeler/animator
videographer
editor
Motion Graphics Animator
effects artist
producer
director
character animator
sound designer

  Interactive Media  
(web, mobile, pads)
info-graphics illustrator
iconographic illustrator
user experience designer
interface graphic designer
interface (front end) programmer
user experience tester
director
3d modeler/animator
motion graphics animator
sound designer


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Media Arts Colleges in Michigan

Author: Bill Fischer professor of Digital Media, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University.  Digital Media Arts Colleges in Michigan  In this post I'm going to focus on 4 year, bachelor degree granting, programs.   This is the sweet spot for those wishing to pursue a career in the Digital Media Arts. In the current job market, most employers will list this as a minimum degree requirement. A Masters degree will not necessarily move a candidates resume above any others, unless it is a teaching position. Once a candidate has made it through an initial round of resume checking, the portfolio becomes the focus. And, I'll have more on that in another post.  Take Aways:  When looking for a 4 year Digital Media Arts program, keep in mind the following: • "Cost of education" includes all expenses including fees and housing. This is a better measure than looking at tuition alone. Every college is required to provide you with a "co
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding the Hiring Process

Author: Bill Fischer professor of Digital Media, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. Image: Student of Kendall's Digital Media program: Jacob Gladfelter  Understanding the hiring process   Understanding the hiring process can inform everything that you do. Because everything that you do ultimately leads to a resume and portfolio which becomes integral to... the hiring process. The events outlined here are derived from my personal experience with the hiring process at Kendall, as a small business owner and as a department head in a large corporation. My many interviews with other industry people that are in hiring positions have confirmed that my experiences are not unique.   The Rounds:   Round 1 It's not unusual for an office assistant to look at each application and remove any candidates that have not followed the submission requirements exactly. That reduces the pile a bit and weeds out people that can't follow instructions. S
Post a Comment
Read more

Media Industry Overview

Author: Bill Fischer professor of Digital Media, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. Image: Kendall Digital Media student: Jericho Castillo (screen capture from an interactive info-graphic) Epicsite.org  Media Industry Overview   Understanding how the creative process works in typical media production companies and agencies is critical to understanding where you fit with the skill-sets you have developed. There are two diagrams below, one each for advertising and entertainment. As you can see, the process is nearly identical, but there are some important differences in the terminology and players.  Entertainment   Game, animation and film studios usually invent their own projects, on the speculation that they will be able to sell enough 'copies' to to make a profit. For this reason Studio executives and producers are influenced by users (audience). Producers not only develop projects but also met
Post a Comment
Read more