Non-videogame "concept" art jobs

#1

Hey guys,

So… I’m 24 w/ a science degree and I had this idea to switch into concept art. I am not sure about my current level but I’d say I am “intermediate”. I am currently on the summer break of my job (I work in a public school) so I am dedicating my time to studying, drawing, and learning.

I was planning on moving back to Los Angeles to attend the Concept Design academy next summer in their “Entertainment Design” suggested schedule. But to be honest, after reading about how bad the environment is working in games in terms of work/life balance, etc, as well as the general competitiveness, I have cold feet.

I am not sure if the 3+ years of extremely hard work to bring myself up to the level necessary would be worth it for me personally. For a low-paying unstable job with extremely long hours, with fierce competition.

So, given this, I am wondering if there are any other fields that need the same skills required in concept art/entertainment design that aren’t in the video game/movie industry, where the working conditions are better and there are more jobs generally.

Thank you very much for your advice,

Fueras

#2

It kinda sounds like you heard some horror stories about the game industry and got the impression that’s representative of the industry as a whole. The stories you hear of eighty hour weeks for months and months on end aren’t untrue, but they’re not super common. More likely, you’re looking at pretty typical fourty to fifty hours a week for most of the year, then a month or two of sixty to eighty hour a week crunch. It can still be tough on families, but it’s not like you can’t have any life outside of the studio. I wouldn’t call the pay poor either, though of course that’s relative (you can find the stats for U.S. game artist salaries pretty easily).

It is very competitive though (and doubly so for concept jobs), and not the most stable.

As for more stable fields that require similar skills, I don’t think you’ll find an exact match. Industrial design, maybe, but that’s much more about usability than making pretty pictures.