Careers in the Arts

  • A Visual Effects Animator - is the individual responsible for inserting special effects into films; effects that cannot be added during live action shooting. A great example is when the green screen is used during shots of actors in a studio, and an exciting background is added later. These professionals may even create entire characters through computer software programs and integrate them into the film, even allowing them to interact with live action characters. They work to increase the realism and excitement of television shows, films, commercials and other projects.

    Video Game Designer - Video game design refers to planning, designing, and creating video games. Video game designers will often work closely with other members of a team to create video games for computers and video game consoles. Designing video games is a very specialized and challenging career.

    Contrary to what some may believe, the majority of video games are not created overnight, or even in a few weeks. The majority of video games on the market today will usually take at least a couple of years to make.

    Although most video game designers are more artistic than anything, they will also usually need to know at least basic computer programming, since he will need to help program certain parts of a game. Once the initial copy of a game is created, a game designer might also help test it and work out any bugs or problems in it.

    Some video game designers may be more focused on certain aspects of video games than others. When creating a complex video game, for instance, one team of video game designers may be responsible for coming up with the story behind the game and the narration. Another team may focus on creating characters and animation, while other designers work together to create the settings and layout for the game.

    Since sound is an integral part of a video game as well, some game designers can specialize in this area. This can involve creating music, sound effects, or character voices in a video game.

    Computer Animator - Computer animation involves creating moving images with the help of computers. This type of animation is used in films, television shows, video games, and advertisements.

    To create an animated scene, computer animators generally start with one picture, known as a frame. The next picture is changed just slightly, so that it represents a fraction of a second later, as is the next picture, and so on. When the frames are flashed on a screen in rapid succession, they create the illusion of moving images. On average, an average computer animated movie shows about 25 frames per second. At this rate, a feature length 90 minute movie will use 135,000 different images.

    Most modern computer animation that you see today is 3-D computer animation. Unlike 2-D animation, which looks flat and cartoon-like, 3-D animation has more depth and it is a little more realistic. To create this type of animation, a computer animator must first create a virtual model using special modeling software.

    3D Animator - Sometimes referred to as 3-D CG I, 3-D animation is a type of animation that uses computer generated images to create animated scenes. Compared to 2-D animation, or traditional animation, 3D has much more depth, and it looks much more realistic.

    An animated scene starts with one picture, which is referred to a frame. The next frame is a picture that is slightly advanced a few milliseconds in time. After hundreds or thousands of these frames are flashed on a screen in rapid succession, they give the illusion of a moving picture. The majority of the animated feature movies and short animated skits today are created with 3-D animation, and this is a rapidly growing industry.

    Comic Book Artist - A comic book artist illustrates comic books by drawing characters and scenes. Some comic books may recreate vintage comic books, while others are responsible for creating new characters.

    Despite the availability of modern computer drawing software, many comic book artists still create their illustrations the old fashioned way. They may use a variety of different mediums, including pencils, pens, and paint.

    Along with drawing the characters and scenes for comic books, some comic book artists also write the stories for the comic books as well. A relatively active imagination is usually necessary for this step, since this generally involves constantly coming up with new and different story lines.

    Cartoon Artist - Cartooning is the process of drawing still cartoons, which are usually meant to be humorous. These cartoons are often featured in print publications, like magazines and newspapers, as well as online publications, like blogs and websites. Sometimes cartoons will consist of just one picture, while others will consist of several pictures. This type of cartoon is often referred to as a comic strip. A very long series of cartoons, on the other hand, is often referred to as a graphic novel.      Most cartoons are meant to convey a certain message or point out some type of irony. Depending on the intended audience, cartoons might either be very complex or they may be a little simpler. For instance, political cartoons may depend on dry humor and subtle irony, and they are usually meant to put a more serious political situation in a somewhat humorous light.

    Architect - Professionals who design buildings, known as architects, not only have to design buildings that look good, but they also have to make those buildings functional and practical. Architects should also keep the safety of the building’s occupants in mind when designing. Buildings should also be strong enough and stable enough to last several years.

    Naval Architect - Naval architecture is the process of designing and building the watercraft that make water travel possible. Professionals that work in this field design and help build several different types of marine vessels and structures. For instance, they design watercraft that floats and travels across the top of the water, from small boats to ships. They also design submersibles, which travel under the water, and standing structures, like marine oil rigs. Special types of aircraft that are designed for water landings, are also designed and built with the help of naval architects.

    Landscape Architect - A landscape architect is the professional that is responsible for planning and designing outdoor spaces. Although some landscape architects may dabble in a little bit of everything, the majority of them usually specialize in designing a certain type of space. Some may only design backyards or patios for residents, while others may only deal with public spaces, like parks and town squares.

    Before the design process can begin, a landscape designer must first meet with his client. During these initial meetings, the architect should be able to get an idea of what the space will be used for as well as how it should look. The majority of clients will also usually have a budget in mind, and the architect should keep this in mind during the design process.

    Industrial Designer - Industrial designers work to improve the function, value and aesthetics of products like iPods, cars, guitars, and even telephones. The industrial designers aren’t usually tasked with coming up with the overall design or something complex like a car, but they may be in charge of impacting the technical aspects of the overall design by considering the usability and aesthetics of the design. They use training and the collection and analysis of requirements from clients and manufacturers to create models and drawings on how to make the product easier to use, better to use, and better to look at. Usually a manufacturer or client will hire a professional industrial designer to work on a specific product. The client starts with a set of requirements and specifications for the product and then asks the industrial designer to help think about everything from how will customers feel when they look at the product to what can be added or taken away from the product to make it more user friendly

     

    UI/UX Artist - Within game development, website development, app development and many other types of development, there are artists who work with the user interface (UI) as well as the user experience (UX), since both need to be top-notch. The user interface is the end-user side of the video game or other application; the platform the player or user works within. The user interface needs to work smoothly, efficiently, be visually attractive and easy to use. The user experience is all about what the player gets out of the application; their satisfaction, and the pleasure derived from utilizing a particular application.

    Transportation Designers are commercial and industrial designers who have specialized, and who create designs for vehicles and transportation related products. Many of these individuals specialize further, especially when working for a particular company or organization, and focus on small niche areas. This might include automotive concept design, public transportation, aircraft interiors or something else. These professionals must have a strong background in design, as well as significant knowledge of the computer software and computer-aided design programs used to create designs.

    Multimedia Designer - Multimedia is exactly what it sounds like – a combination of two or three different content forms to make a more compelling or exciting final product. Multimedia can include a combination of text, audio, images, animation, or video, and the process of combining these content forms is not easy. It takes legitimate skill and knowledge to craft a compelling multimedia product, which is where multimedia designers come in. Multimedia designers are artists charged with integrating multiple forms of media in such a way that the final product can be compelling and exciting. These designers combine a deep understanding of design and design principles with the technical savvy and expertise that is needed to use computer software, design programs, or video equipment to make fascinating works of art to be used in advertising, journalism, video games, entertainment and many more fields.

    Product Designer - A product designer is someone who designs the look of different types of products, from mobile devices to vehicles. Typically, these individuals receive a host of information about a new product, including its use, target market, and functionality, and they create mock-ups of what the actual product will look like. They also have to work with the ease of use for the product, so it’s not all about the aesthetics. Although many product designers work with a variety of different items, most will specialize in one particular item, especially if they work for a company that specializes in that item. Part of their job in working with the same item is to make improvements and increase the functionality and efficiency of the product.

    Web Developer - Web developers build websites, but that just scratches the surface of what they do. Whereas the website designer creates the overall look of the website, the developer has a deep understanding of authoring or scripting languages used to create websites. This allows them to convert the different components (from audio and graphic to video and text components) into compatible web formats that are accessible to the end user. In addition to the technical aspects of web development, these professionals must possess a great understanding of user needs in order to make sure those needs are met in the best way they can be.

    Video Game Creative Director - Defining the role of a video game design creative director can be difficult because the exact duties of this profession can differ from one agency to the next. Like many creative professions, there is no specific set of guidelines that are followed across the board. However, all video game design creative directors generally have one broad purpose: to make sure a video game project looks fantastic in all aspects. In order to achieve this, most creative directors will manage and work with the video game designers, illustrators, motion graphic artists, 2D/3D animators and other professionals involved in the project.

    Print Designer - A print designer is very closely related to a graphic designer, though print designers work to ensure that the print on a page is attractive and ready to print. Using technical and typographical skills, print designers ready items for print using a variety of techniques from determining font types, sizes, and colors to arranging line and letter spacing, adding graphics, and designing entire page layouts. A strong background in graphic design helps print designers determine what looks most appealing to the end user of the project.

    In addition to a strong graphic design background, print designers may benefit from having experience with marketing, since many of their projects will be utilized for that purpose.

    A Game Level Designer -  is a type of game designer that works to create various levels and steps that progress through a game. These professionals often work with level editors, which are tools created by the game programmer, which assist level designers with creation of the level so that they don’t have to modify the actual game code. The game level designer must work to ensure that each level created is consistent with the other levels so the game has a uniform look and feel. Game level designers often work with other video game specialists who create visual and structural elements of a game.

    Motion Graphics Designer - Motion graphics designers create the moving words, logos, numbers and text on the screen during a film, television show, commercial or other media project. The credits of a movie, the phone number on an infomercial, the logo of a business during a commercial – these are all examples of motion graphics. These professionals have a strong background in graphic design and typically work as a graphic designer for some period of time before specializing in motion graphics. Knowledge of the wide range of software and computer-based design tools is needed in order to do this job successfully and to keep abreast of technological advancements in this industry.

    A 3D Modeler  is a type of multimedia artist or animator who creates three-dimensional models or visuals of items using a variety of different computer software programs and tools. This complex process is typically used to create 3D models for television, the motion picture industry, the video game industry, websites and advertising. However, these professionals may also create 3D models for scientists, architects, engineers and more. These professionals are very tech-savvy and must be very familiar with the variety of computer software programs used to build models, background scenery and other elements required for projects.

     

    Medical Illustrator - medical illustration is a cross between medicine and art. This type of illustration involves drawing detailed images of certain aspects of medicine or biology. The drawings produced by medical illustrators are meant to create a visual representation of certain aspects of medicine or biology, particularly hard to photograph aspects. For example, these illustrations can be used to depict individual blood cells in a vein, or they can be used to create an image that distinguished the individual muscles in a muscle group.

    Medical illustrations are commonly used as teaching aids in medical textbooks, or as visual aids in medical journals. These illustrations might also accompany text in pamphlets or on posters, which can help a layperson better understand a complicated medical situation. Lawyers and forensics experts will also sometimes choose to use medical illustrations to help a judge or jury better grasp a certain situation, such as a gunshot wound.

    Graphic Designer - Simply put, a graphic designer is a professional that works in the graphic design industry. For those of you who are looking for a more detailed answer, graphic designers work with images as well as text in order to design and create visually appealing elements, including brochures,logos, advertisements, and websites. In order to create these items, graphic designers will often work with a variety of different types of images, including photographs, paintings, and digital media. Photo and image editing software is often used to manipulate images and create the designs.

    Not only do these artists need to make their creations look great, they also usually need to make their creations speak in a way. Most clients hire graphic designers to create something that sends a message. Sometimes this message is loud and clear, but other times it is meant to be subliminal.

    Website Designer - Website design is the act of designing and creating websites, and it is quickly becoming a modern art form. The design of a website can often be the deciding factor of whether or not visitors leave or stay.

    During the early 1990’s, after the introduction of the World Wide Web, there were literally just a handful of websites online. The number of websites grew at an exponential rate during the end of the 20th century, and today there are hundreds of millions of websites. Millions of new websites are added each month, and the majority of these websites are created by website designers.

    Interior Designer - The main purpose of interior design is to create a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing interior space. An interior designer is a type of designer that helps plan and decorate interior spaces in either commercial or residential spaces. As with many other professions, an interior designer will often specialize in a certain area of interior design.

    Some designers, for instance will work closely with architects during the initial planning stages of a building. These designers will help architect create a comfortable and functional living space. For instance, they may assist with floor plans and window placement.

    Other interior designers prefer to work only on already completed buildings. These types of designers typically decorate and upgrade interior rooms. Some interior designers specialize in certain rooms, like bathrooms and kitchens, while others may specialize in a certain type of design, like feng shui design or eco-friendly design.

    An Automobile Designer - Automobile design is the process of designing the appearance and functionality of automobiles, including cars, trucks, vans, buses, and even motorcycles.

    The interior and exterior of every vehicle on the market today was designed by automobile designers. These designers are usually responsible for the color scheme of an automobile, along with the way the vehicle is shaped. Besides making a vehicle attractive, designers are also partly responsible for designing the shape of the car as well.

    Accessory Designer - To complete the perfect outfit, many people will often rely on the addition of accessories. These can include items such as jewelry, belts, shoes, scarves, hats, and handbags. Accessories not only help complete and ensemble, but they can also add a splash of color, personality, and style to the wearer.

    In the fashion industry, accessory design refers to the act of designing and creating these accessories. Some designers will stick with classic timeless designs, such as black leather handbags, while others may create wilder, trendier accessories.

    Jewelry Designer - Every piece of jewelry starts out as a simple idea, then a simple design. Jewelry designs can be drawn on paper using pencils or pens, or they can be created with special computer software.

    Jewelry is a type of accessory that humans have used to adorn their bodies for centuries. The first jewelry was most likely crafted from readily available raw materials, like bone and wood. With the discovery of precious metals, like gold and silver, ancient individuals began to create beautiful and ornate pieces of jewelry.

    Tattoo Artist - A tattoo artist is a professional that applies tattoos. These individuals will typically create tattoos based on what each individual client wants. Some tattoo artists might also perform other forms of body modification, such as piercings or brandings.

    Museum Exhibit Designer - A museum exhibit designer is responsible for the overall design and planning of museum exhibits. These professionals can work in all types of museums and galleries, from large history museums to intimate art galleries. In general, a museum exhibit designer will often have a number of different duties and responsibilities.

    The size of a museum, however, will often be a factor in what a museum exhibit designer’s responsibilities are. For instance, museum exhibit designers in small museums will often wear many hats; they might also be the museum curators, archivists, member service associates, and even the janitors. Exhibition designers in larger museums, however, are often just responsible for the actual planning and design of the exhibits.

    Logo Designer - Obviously a logo designer creates logos. In order to do this, he must first have an excellent grasp of the style and purpose of the brand he is creating a logo for. For example, clients will provide as much information about their company, including what they do and what they’d like their logo to communicate.

    Shoe Designer - Shoe designers develop several different types of footwear. Many shoe designers will specialize in designing certain types of footwear, such as boots, athletic shoes, dress shoes, or sandals. A few shoe designers may also design footwear specifically for women, men, or children.

     

    Layout Artists are the professionals that are responsible for creating the eye-pleasing layouts found in books, magazines, and dozens of other products. Posters, brochures, advertisements, CD cases, and flyers are some of the other items that a layout artist might help design. Some layout artists may even specialize in product package design, creating attractive and sometimes informational packages for products. Layout artists may also work on websites, making them attractive and easy to navigate.Essentially, a layout artist helps create the perfect blend of text, images, and space. The majority of layout artists typically specialize in designing the layout of specific items, like magazines or books. Some layout artists, however, may work on several different types of products.

    Urban Designer - Urban design can be described as a mix of city planning, landscape design, and architecture. It involves planning and designing nearly every aspect of a city. Some of the things that urban designers incorporate into their plans may include buildings, streets, landscaping, public transportation systems, and public parks.

    Part of an urban designer’s job is to make the cities and towns he’s working on look and feel aesthetically pleasing. This can be done by adding or updating public parks and paying special attention to things like landscaping details and street furniture. Street furniture refers to the various items on streets that are placed there for the comfort and convenience of pedestrians. Some examples of street furniture might include benches, trash cans, street lights, and street signs.

    Besides being aesthetically pleasing, all elements of a city or town must also allow for functionality as well. For example, inhabitants and visitors should find it easy to navigate. The use of street signs and properly laid out streets can accomplish this task.

    Textile Designer - It is the job of a textile designer to help create the structure and design of different types of textiles. These textiles may be used to create garments, accessories, bedding, furniture, window treatments, and a variety of other common everyday items. Textile designers will usually work closely with other types of designers, like fashion designers or interior designers in an effort to create the perfect pattern.

     

    Set Designer - Set design, which is sometimes referred to as scenic design, refers to the design and creation of the sets used in works of performance art, including movies and plays. At times, designing these sets may be as simple as arranging a few simple pieces of furniture on a stage. Other times, however, it may be as complicated as re-creating a complex location, such as the inside of a spaceship, with limited materials.

    Toy Designer - Every toy starts with an idea. It is usually the job of a toy designer to come up with this idea. After he has a good idea of what the toy will look like and how it will function, a toy designer can then put his idea on paper. This often involves drawing the toy with either a pencil and paper, or computer software.

    Once the design is down on paper, a toy designer will then usually build the toy, if he has the proper tools and materials. This idea and prototype can then be sold to a toy manufacturing company. During their careers in toy design, many professionals will often specialize in a certain type of toy, or toys for certain age groups. One toy designer may create nothing but board games, for example, while another may create original action figures.

    Floral Designer - A floral designer is a professional that designs and creates different types of floral arrangements. Some floral designers might grow their own flowers and plants, but many will usually purchase flowers and plants from an outside supplier. Floral designers might also hang live flowers and plants to dry, or they may use artificial flowers to create their pieces.

    A Furniture Designer -is a professional that designs and creates different types of furniture. Each piece of furniture that a furniture designer creates must serve a few different purposes. First of all, it must be functional. It must also be practical, comfortable, and attractive.

    Every new furniture design starts with a basic concept, or idea. A furniture designer then creates a drawing of this idea using traditional and modern methods. They will often sketch their designs on paper first, for instance. Computer software can then be used to create a more intricate and detailed design.

    Art Professor  or Art Teacher - Like other professors, the sole responsibility of an art professor or teacher is to teach. This might involve lecturing about different artists or types of art, or it may involve showing students how to improve their skills.

    Depending on the subject matter being taught, they may teach in classroom settings or studios. Art history courses are usually best taught in classroom settings, for instance, while art techniques – like sculpting and painting – are best taught in a studio setting.

    Art Therapy is a relatively new type of therapy that began sometime around the 1940’s. It is also sometimes referred to as creative or expressive therapy.

    This type of therapy can be used alone or in conjunction with traditional therapy. Like traditional therapy, art therapy can be used to treat several different emotional, mental, and physical conditions. For example, art therapy can help those suffering from anxiety, depression, abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, chronic pain, or even just an overload of everyday stress.  Unlike traditional forms of therapy, art therapy requires participant to create works of art as part of their treatment. By expressing themselves through their art, it is believed that patients can improve their mental and emotional well being. Many art therapy experts argue that creating art can help individuals resolve difficult issues and even reduce stress. Creating works of art can also help some improve their self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

    Museum Curator -  is often considered to be a manager or overseer of a museum. Depending on the size of a particular museum, there may be just one curator or there may be several. In general, a small museum will usually only have one curator overseeing the entire facility, while a larger museum will usually hire several curators to oversee the different sections.

    Museum curators can be found in nearly every type of museum there is, including art museums, history museums, and even children’s museums. Without a curator, a museum would have a very difficult time opening its doors to the public each and every day.

    Cinematographer - Cinematographers are probably the most important people that work to create motion pictures. Without these professionals, moving images would not be captured, and there would be no motion picture.

    These professionals, however, never work alone. Instead, they collaborate with several other motion picture professionals during the filming of a movie. For example, they are constantly communicating with the director, who gives instructions on what he envisions for each scene. It is then the cinematographer’s job to capture the perfect shots.

    Video Editor - Video editing is the process of choosing the best raw footage for a movie. This includes removing unusable footage and stringing together what’s left into the best possible sequence. Unusable footage often includes footage where actors make mistakes, the camera angles weren’t just right, or it doesn’t move the story forward somehow. During the video editing process, each scene should segue into the next flawlessly.

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