The Animation Obsessive article pinpoints, with well-sourced data, my own concerns about the animation, VFX and motion design jobs markets. I attended OFFF 2023 and found no hint of the already-parlous situation that many of my peers and my ex-students were facing. We are already at the point where institutional support for the animation industry has evaporated- from production houses to distributors to education, there is nothing being done to address the elephant in the room. As a 3D tutor myself, there has always been inherent guilt about taking students’ money without being able to affirm their ability to work as professional artists, but it is now unlikely in the extreme that any but the top 5% of artists in any stage of their career enjoy stable employment. I tell myself that I am training my students to be good artists whatever the world outside is doing, but I really wish we had a program to find opportunities for them.
Extremely interesting point. This falls into a category in my mind of "Don't promise what you cannot control."
As a tutor, you have zero control over the job market. So the promise to your mentees is that you will train them to become better artists and let the chips fall where they may.
So don't feel guilt. Your job as a mentor is to guide them through the trials and tribulations of the career path. Not to promise them job security.
The Animation Obsessive article pinpoints, with well-sourced data, my own concerns about the animation, VFX and motion design jobs markets. I attended OFFF 2023 and found no hint of the already-parlous situation that many of my peers and my ex-students were facing. We are already at the point where institutional support for the animation industry has evaporated- from production houses to distributors to education, there is nothing being done to address the elephant in the room. As a 3D tutor myself, there has always been inherent guilt about taking students’ money without being able to affirm their ability to work as professional artists, but it is now unlikely in the extreme that any but the top 5% of artists in any stage of their career enjoy stable employment. I tell myself that I am training my students to be good artists whatever the world outside is doing, but I really wish we had a program to find opportunities for them.
Extremely interesting point. This falls into a category in my mind of "Don't promise what you cannot control."
As a tutor, you have zero control over the job market. So the promise to your mentees is that you will train them to become better artists and let the chips fall where they may.
So don't feel guilt. Your job as a mentor is to guide them through the trials and tribulations of the career path. Not to promise them job security.