Choose a role, not a software
Last week have spent for a research for further career. 3D or not 3D. Maybe 4D... yeah! 4D vs Blender? A New dilemma.
Was in doubts in choosing between Cinema 4D and Blender for further learning. Many answers were in a style that's no matter which software you use, just create what you want to create. 3D packages are just tools. You have to learn basics before you choose something advanced like Maya, Houdini, Nuke. Something like "you can do some simulation, but it will be looking like **** without proper lighting, compositing....".
I agree, it's needed to learn more than more just a software, but what's especially important is to experiment and receive good results in a shortest time. When you can control the process it awards your forward movement in learning. But what's supporting even more is the benefits of acquiring good salaries and good projects.
When you working on advanced projects, there are more advanced people in your team, or more advanced clients, which already understanding the process a little and don't asking dumb questions like "why so long", "when will you start animation".
Everything moves faster. And when you have a good salary, you can get even more by learning from paid professionals, courses.
Later I found interesting data sheets with salaries of VFX professionals and supervisors.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-IN5Rm7dYAFd6mCvJhViUq3AFOi3-R6EAKfJGkPp5Ho/edit#gid=1454837644
Amongst the role, years of experience, and salaries. There's also a column with best advice, which can be a valuable source for reevaluating own vision about this industry.
You can play with columns and put the salary, years, advice, role columns together (or whatever you wish) and see the picture wider.
I've found that Motion Design roles are barely hitting $100k /year salaries, and wasn't unable to see the exact reason for this. Various years of experience, similar salaries, so I guess all depends on too many things, which is hard to assess correctly just from the excel sheet. Maybe it all depends on personal stories of each artist.
Top Roles
I decided to check all $100k+ roles on how they are similar to motion design.
- Simulation/FX: FX Artist
- Supervision: VFX Supervisor (Studio/Overall)
- Supervision: CG Supervisor
- Production: Production Manager
- Supervision: Creative Director
- 3D Generalist
- Technical: Research and Development
- Animation: Previz Artist
- Compositing: Compositor
- Animation: 3D Animation
- Lighting: Technical Director
- Lighting: Look Dev Artist
- Lighting: Lighting Artist
- Finishing: Flame Artist (Smoke, Flint etc)
- VFX Generalist
- Production: Executive Producer
- Modelling/Layout: Modeller
- Simulation/FX: FX Technical Director
- Production: Coordinator
- Animation: Rigging
- Production: Runner
- Art: Art Director
- Technical: Programmer
- Technical: Associate Technical Director
- Finishing: Colourist Art: Concept Artist
And here's the result
Simulation/FX: FX Artist - 50%
Motion design skills can be beneficial, but FX requires a deep understanding of simulations and physics.
Supervision: VFX Supervisor (Studio/Overall) - 30%
Significant experience in project management and a comprehensive understanding of all VFX aspects are needed.
Supervision: CG Supervisor - 40%
Requires good knowledge of 3D technologies and processes, along with leadership skills.
Production: Production Manager - 60%
Strong organizational skills and project management experience from motion design can be transferred.
Supervision: Creative Director - 50%
Creative experience in motion design is useful, but managerial and strategic skills are required.
3D Generalist - 40%
Requires skills in 3D modeling, texturing, rendering, which are typically outside the motion designer’s skill set.
Technical: Research and Development - 20%
Requires a strong technical background and programming skills, which are not common in motion design.
Animation: Previz Artist - 50%
Motion design provides a good foundation, but skills in 3D animation and camera work are necessary.
Compositing: Compositor - 70%
Many skills in motion design are highly relevant to compositing.
Animation: 3D Animation - 50%
Requires 3D animation skills that may be new to a motion designer.
Lighting: Technical Director - 30%
Needs technical skills in lighting and rendering, which are not typical in motion design.
Lighting: Look Dev Artist - 40%
Requires good understanding of textures, materials, and lighting.
Lighting: Lighting Artist - 40%
Requires expertise in lighting and rendering.
Finishing: Flame Artist (Smoke, Flint, etc.) - 60%
Experience in post-production and motion design is beneficial.
VFX Generalist - 50%
Requires a broad range of skills in all aspects of VFX.
Production: Executive Producer - 30%
Requires extensive experience in managing large-scale projects.
Modelling/Layout: Modeller - 40%
Requires skills in 3D modeling, which may be new to a motion designer.
Simulation/FX: FX Technical Director - 30%
High technical and programming skills are required.
Production: Coordinator - 60%
Strong organizational and communication skills are needed.
Animation: Rigging - 30%
Specific technical skills are required, typically not part of motion design.
Production: Runner - 70%
Entry-level position, easy to transition into.
Art: Art Director - 50%
Creative experience in motion design is useful, but leadership skills are required.
Technical: Programmer - 20%
Requires strong programming skills.
Technical: Associate Technical Director - 30%
Requires deep technical knowledge.
Finishing: Colourist - 50%
Experience in color correction can be beneficial.
Art: Concept Artist - 30%
Requires specific artistic skills.
For me it was quite interesting to see that rigging, modeling and 3d generalist roles are having very low percentage of similarity with motion design. Because it's very frequently mentioning in motion design courses, lessons.
Top 12 choices are:
- Compositing: Compositor - 70%
- Production: Runner - 70%
- Production: Coordinator - 60%
- Flame Artist (Smoke, Flint, etc.) - 60%
- Production: Production Manager - 60%
- Simulation/FX: FX Artist - 50%
- Supervision: Creative Director - 50%
- Animation: Previz Artist - 50%
- Animation: 3D Animation - 50%
- VFX Generalist - 50%
- Art: Art Director - 50%
- Finishing: Colourist - 50%
Hopefully It will be easier to choose something from this list, if there's will be ever wish to try something new.
Almost halve of these are roles of some kind of management. Simply the higher responsibility, the more it's paid. Certainly it's needed experience, portfolio, education, personal characteristics, ability to work in team, sometimes connections, luck, whatever to get these roles. But when you see the path more clearly, it's much easier to move towards the goal.
Learning 3d packages are just part of what you'll be doing in reality. Each role requires specific set of professional skills. And it's hard to switch the company when something changes. Relearning takes significant time. Better when it's done in parallel with your current activity, but at least it's better to know what you can do, when you don't know at all what to do.
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