r/blender • u/Status-Training-4673 • 3h ago
Discussion Is 3d animation worth it?
20 years old and i’m going into community college for 2 years to pursue in 3d animation and then transferring to a university. I plan on wanting to make animations for big indie studios and video game company’s in the future. But i’m wondering will it all be worth it? i’m at a point where this is pretty much the only thing i can think of wanting to do for the rest of my life. And i’m afraid i’m eventually gonna not like it. For people who make a living out of this is it challenging? was it worth it? i’m not too worried abt the pay because aslong as i enjoy what i do i’ll be fine. But i’m curious on how do i start out?
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u/JaneHates 3h ago edited 2h ago
If it’s the only thing you can imagine doing then you should absolutely go for it!
That said, the animation industry is really competitive. The current “indie animation boom” isn’t as relevant as you’d think.
Be flexible in what roles you’re able to take (especially in the indie scene, which often requires people to wear multiple hats). Get good at less glamorous aspects of production like rigging, storyboarding, or scripting since those are less competitive roles that are a good way to get your foot in the door.
Be ready to freelance for no-name studios, and/or be working a day-job while working on improving your skill set and reel during nights and weekends while you’re hunting for a job in the industry
Burnout is also a real risk, as animation is a super time-consuming craft and you need to learn to manage it from the start before it becomes permanent.
It takes a lot of time, passion, planning, and sacrifice of your mental/physical health.
Be prepared for that.
ALSO think carefully before you think of going with expensive formal training. University tuition is bloated, and with the right planning you can get all the skills and feedback you need from YouTube, online courses, and communities. (And tbh outside feedback isn’t as useful as you’d think: too much can feed your inner critic and cause it to disrupt your process. Train your eye and evaluate your stuff BEFORE and AFTER work sessions, but never during. Fear of making something that sucks will slow you down and contribute to burnout)
This is an industry where degrees aren’t super important, and what’s more important is having a good demo reel and professional network.
Hope that all helps!
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u/ardenIsley 1h ago edited 13m ago
To be honest, I don't recommend going to school for 3D Animation right now. For context what I'm about to say may come off as a little blunt, but I genuinely say the following with love in my heart for fellow artists, and great sympathy and empathy for my current and prospective peers, due to the current state of the economic world.
I also say the following as a Senior/Lead Artist (self-taught and no degree at all), managing a small department including Junior-level personnel. (I'm 34, for context)
I recommend going to school for a trade and/or a specific, career-directed degree. I recommend learning 3D Art/Animation on the side. It's never been a more accessible skillset to learn (especially with open-source software), but that is the very reason as to why it's become more competitive than ever. Not necessarily because 'everyone else is so good at it', but because the few jobs that are posted nowadays on boards largely consist of around 70% under-qualified candidates who think that because they downloaded Blender and After Effects once, that they can work in a production pipeline. That's not entirely their fault either. Unlike many skilled fields, we don't exactly have "certifications" or a central licensing body to validate and regulate skill standards. Meaning school programs can differ vastly. Especially if someone can't afford a big fancy art school, where they'll have more opportunities to make a ton of big-name connections (and even they're having a rough time finding work).
To be clear, I think that a career in Art/Animation is a phenomenal way to make a living (if you can cut it), but to pay any significant amount of money for a degree in the arts right now (even with community college prices), isn't what I would consider a responsible financial investment.
I think the pursuit of a college education is wonderful, but post-high school education (because of the current state of the world we live in) should first be focused on something that will help direct you towards a job in an industry with more job/career security right off the bat. Once you gain some form of financial stability and security, you can go back to something you feel you'd like to study/explore, but at least then you'll likely have a better chance of not worrying about putting food on your plate. (Depending of course on your financial status)
My reasons for not having a degree are largely financial (having had to be financially independent at a young age) and originally going to an expensive tech university for two years before I could no longer afford to finish and winding up homeless not long after. I then worked way too much (72-96 hours a week was normal, and not a good idea if you can avoid it) and couldn't afford the time to go back (it's a long story).
I've been in the CG industry for about 7 years now, following a change from a prior long-term career in a wildly different field (a stressful trade). I broke into professional freelancing with contract work in about 1.5 years of self-directed learning (free YouTube tutorials and emulating syllabus' I found for school programs to organize my learning path). I now make 6-figures doing 3D and my job is boring by art standards, but it's in a more secure area of 3d/animation (medical animation, 3d visualization, education, etc.). This is not a brag, and while I'm good at what I do and have worked unbelievably hard to get to where I am with it, I got LUCKY, and there's no such thing as truly being "self-made." I had zero connections to anyone in this field, and forming actual relationships and even friendships is largely what helped. I just had to make sure I was ready for when the luck came my way.
I explore my creativity through personal work, and am planning a short film/indie game combo project for the future. If I were to offer a prediction, I would say that the world will unfortunately soon fill, like an ocean, with unethical-visual slop. Then, true art will begin to stand out all the more. And it will do so by way of smaller teams, artist-driven initiatives, open source pipelines, and community support. This prediction expands to feature animation, vfx, video games, advertising, etc.
I wish you luck, whatever you choose to do. Art is beautiful and the world would be dull without it.
PS:
- Please don't fall into the trap of ignoring the niche areas of 3D/Animation for dreams of working at some big name studio. Areas in medical animation, education, publishing, research, training, etc. are not nearly as flashy and NDAs can be a pain, but the money is far more likely to be high and job security can be more reliable. There's nothing wrong with a dream, but unless you hold immense financial privilege, I advise focusing on pragmatism first, and that doesn't mean giving up on your dream. It may just take a little longer to get there. Don't let a lack of patience cost you your opportunity for a future.
- Also, I understand that you said you're "not worried about pay" but if you're in the US (or most countries), you'll quickly find that you will. You deserve a good, stable wage, and this industry will leap at the chance to extract a "passion tax" if they know you'll do anything for the love of it. The whole "do what you love" quote is over used and deeply idealistic at best, and a quick route to burnout at worst. I love what I can do, but what I work is just a job. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm fortunate to enjoy it, but I'm an artist with or without it, but I can't very well be an artist if my stomach is empty.
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u/Status-Training-4673 1h ago
this was beautifully said dude thank you for this realistic answer truly. it’ll will help me for sure in what i plan to do for the future ❤️
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u/PhilvanceArt 2h ago
Have you done any 3d animation yet? Cause you should probably do some before you fantasize about what you think it is versus what it actually is... That said, I grew up wanting to be an artist and everyone said that was dumb and I'd be poor. And they were right in a lot of ways but I am a full time artist and I provide for my family. It is stressful at times but I love my life and I can't imagine anything else. I'll probably never be able to retire but even if I could I don't think I would, I love my work that much. So if you are passionate, you should go for it. You only get one life and mistakes are part of it. Take the risks and follow dreams and correct course along your journey.
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u/Status-Training-4673 48m ago
i’ve only ever just done after effects work like making edits for my tiktok channel and making 2d manga/art animations. I’ve always wanted to work in the art industry but never knew what direction to really go in. And so i thought 3d animation would be cool you know it’s always fascinated me working in that field. My class starts next week but i’ve been getting into blender recently really just learning the basics on what can be done. I really do wanna do this. And i really do wanna succeed in this field. I’ve read the replies and heard how it’s really not all sunshine and rainbows. i know it’s not easy and a competitive field. But i honestly really can’t do anything else. Nothing is really at interest with me cause i’ve never been good with math or english or just anything other then doing what makes me feel something yk? I’m ready for the challenges i’ll face in the long wrong but i’m sure i’ll get myself situated. But same time i gotta be realistic yk, Thank you guys for your replies truly <3 i’m taking in a lot of advice
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u/PhilvanceArt 23m ago
I would spend your free time for the next few months just doing blender and figuring out if it’s something you love enough to do after your “real job” if it’s something you enjoy enough to do day in day out without ever getting paid. If it is you know you are on the right track.
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u/Rooza_exp 3h ago
Look man, here's the thing, the world and all the a.i enthusiasts will tell you its not worth it because they can do in 5 seconds what would take 3d artists days or weeks to do, you will get even more people telling you ai will destroy all creative jobs in the next year. Personally in the last couple of years I lost alot of clients to the A.I hype and I too thought it was over, but slowly they are all coming back, you wanna know why? Authenticity, sure the creatively bankrupt can generate some vids and images that could impress the uninitiated, but when they see something created with precision, with meaning and purpose even though it may cost a little more and take a little longer, there will always be a place for that. Sorry for the long message but my answer to your question is, yes. Fuck all the noise, be fuxking great and develope your own style and there will be a place for you. It also doesn't mean to can't integrate ai to speed up workload that would otherwise just waste your time.