SIGGRAPH is looking for your expert opinion!

[leigh]

-Is a Career in Computer Graphics Possible?


I don't mean to be obnoxious, but what on earth kind of debate topic is that? :curious:

[jake_$teed]

I don't mean to be obnoxious, but what on earth kind of debate topic is that? :curious:

I think actually reading the panel description would have answered that snarky question....


Is a Career in Computer Graphics Possible?
Traditionally, a career spans a lifetime, but most jobs in computer graphics have a very short half-life. Is our work environment becoming as ephemeral as our work? Can companies demand all of our time and expect to get it? Is permanent crunch time the future, or was "EA Spouse" a visionary?

What can all of us (companies, employers, researchers, developers, artists, students) do to make sure that sane and stable jobs exist for us in computer graphics, and that we're qualified to do them? Or is that impossible? Should we just learn to live with serious stress and eventual burnout?

http://www.siggraph.org/s2006/main.php?f=cfp&p=panels&s=topics

[leigh]

I think actually reading the panel description would have answered that snarky question....


Is a Career in Computer Graphics Possible?
Traditionally, a career spans a lifetime, but most jobs in computer graphics have a very short half-life. Is our work environment becoming as ephemeral as our work? Can companies demand all of our time and expect to get it? Is permanent crunch time the future, or was "EA Spouse" a visionary?

What can all of us (companies, employers, researchers, developers, artists, students) do to make sure that sane and stable jobs exist for us in computer graphics, and that we're qualified to do them? Or is that impossible? Should we just learn to live with serious stress and eventual burnout?

http://www.siggraph.org/s2006/main.php?f=cfp&p=panels&s=topics

Oh that's weird, that link didn't work for me in the original post, but that one in yours does. I didn't see the descriptions before.

[jeremybirn]

Traditionally, a career spans a lifetime
Where did this info come from? Did this tradition happen in the United States? What kinds of careers fell into this category?

most jobs in computer graphics have a very short half-life.
Jobs are shorter than a career by definition, mentioning CG in part of the statement doesn't do much for me.

But the "half-life" analogy: how long do you mean? Are you saying that people live and work for less time than radioactive materials? If I'm mis-understanding you, please clarify.

-Is a Career in Computer Graphics Possible?
-The Future of SIGGRAPH
To be fair, you could ask "Does SIGGRAPH have a future?" instead of having topics that pre-suppose SIGGRAPH has a future, whether or not there are any computer graphics professionals to attend.

-jeremy

[jake_$teed]

For the love of god, is everybody here crazy? Those aren't my statements. I thought it was pretty obvious that the text was a copy/paste off the Siggraph website about what the panel discussion topic (notice the title and neat formatting, with the link to the same exact text underneath (which I did since nobody was bothering to click the link anyway). Those aren't my statements, but I'm glad you are so ready to go to task on them. Join the friggin' panel if you're so passionate and ready to debate. But not with me, because I really don't care too much, I was just trying to answer the question "I don't mean to be obnoxious, but what on earth kind of debate topic is that?" with the obvious answer that was on the siggraph website.

But just for the hell of it, no, most people trying to get into this industry will never have careers.

blah.

[eek]

Wooo there horsy! steddy now!

-Video Games: Content and Responsibility

Hmm.. well i do work in games, and am kinda in charge of stuff. Hmm ill have a think, i dont think i have enough experience to be on a sigraph panel! - heck ive never been there!

eek

[Cronholio]

Where did this info come from? Did this tradition happen in the United States? What kinds of careers fell into this category?

The most common statistic I've heard regarding careers is that the average American will have 4 of them in their lifetime; the premise for this panel is a bit flawed. So, yeah I think it's dubious to say that it's traditional for careers to last a lifetime. I've been working in CG for almost 12 years now, and even though I love what I do, I have a hard time imagining I'm going to be working like this 12 years from now. I may be doing something creative or something technical, but I sincerely doubt I'll be grinding away on games or film. Seems like most people I've asked who've been working for 7 years or more in film or games are of the same opinion.

This is going to sound horrible but sometimes I look at games or movies, even things I've worked on and think "People devoted 2 years of their life to that piece of crap, what a complete waste of time." I mean, everyone hopes to work on something truly creative and ultimately great but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. I know one guy, who's been working in games for well over a decade. The first seven years he worked in games, every single title he worked on got cancelled before it was completed. He worked at 4 different companies during that period and everyone of them went under while he was there. Imagine that, 7 years in a career, probably working 55 hours a week on average, with no job security and absolutely nothing to show for it. I really can't think of another career where you go for that length of time and produce absoloutely nothing. The sad truth is a lot of people in this field have lived the same experience and some people in this feild are living it right now.

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