Truth To Be Told

(To all designers out there, a word of truth. Not written by me. But I bliff it's kinda true. So what will ur future be?)

I had been in the CG line for 12 years now. When-ever there are some kid ask me if its good to go into this line. I will ask them "What do u want in your life? 

1) Money? 

2) Job satisfaction?

3) Flexible working Life

If your answer is number 1, sorry, art in Malaysia wont make you rich (May be 1 in a 1000 will get rich) after 5 years you may be able to get 3-4K, but to break the 5K barrier is difficult, then to break the 10k barrier is almost impossible. Unless:

1) U start your own studio (U dont need a lot of money to start, but u need a lot of money to survive)

2) U are good and lucky to get a good boss and u are the head of department or supervisor or something (Only 1 or 2 in a company, and has to be a big company)

3) Freelance (None-stable income + PITA to collect money)

And if your answer is number 2, sorry also. Becasue 80% of the time, what u do is not what u like. Changes after changes, u will end-up with the version that u dont like, perhaps u will start to hate it.

If your answer is number 3, LOL. Almost all studios now require u to work late, and guest what? U still have to go into the office the next morning. U work till 3 last night? may be u can be late for 1 or 2 hours. But what is 1 or 2 hours compare to working till 3 AM.

So if for those who like art and CG, just remain it as a hobby. When ppl told u that making your hobby as your career is fun. he is bullshitting u. U want money? Go study business, economy, Oil & Gas/ Aerospace Engineering, doctor, lawyer or even a start your own business nor matter how small it is. 

U want job satisfaction? Well depends what u like most. U like Flexible working hour, become a sales-man, insurance/property/direct-

sales agent. u will have plenty of time.

Trust me... youngman, before its too late. Dont waste your 3 years and 60K fees in this line. its not worth it. Trust me...

May be i shouldn't post it at the first place. I understand your situation, as i had gone through it myself. Ppl said the same thing to me 15 years ago, and i react just like u. But after so many years in this industry, i see some ppl in the same industry doing good, but majority of us are still suffering from the low pay, long working hour nightmare. and i dont see there is anyway to change this in the near future. Art can make money, but not in Malaysia, not even in Singapore, and Hong Kong and China. If u manage to work in Australia or NZ or even better, US or Europe, by all means go for it. But its not easy to get a job there especially in this line. 

After 12 years of doing what i love initialy, i started to think, am i doing this for myself, or for the client. Should i be so selfish to let my family suffer with me? How many hours can i see my wife and kid a day, or perhaps how many hours a week. Everyday when i go to work, my wife ask me if i am coming back for dinner, i can not give her an answer. And she ask me what time roughly do i come back from work, i cant give her an answer. And she ask again if i am coming at all that day, i cant give her an answer. I am like a police, i dont know if i am able to go home that day every morning when i step out of my house. U may think i bullshit, i am telling the truth, i live like that everyday. even on weekend when i need to go to my wife home town i have to turn off my phone, so they cant find me. I use to stay in the office for 2 weeks with all my cloths, underware and pillow. After that 2 weeks my girl friend break off with me. And i am not the only one that experienced this. If anybody already in this industry who never experience this, its either u are working in a not so happening company, or your boss is too good. 

Try ask ppl who are working in Silver Ant or MFX how is their working life, and u will be surprise. I know we are all doing what we like, but the client and your boss use that as an advantage, to make u work like a dog. U may be willing to take it for the sake of love for art, u may be thinking money is not important, u may think that 14 working hours is nothing. but how about your wife, how about your kid? How about your old and lonely parent? Are they suppose to suffer together with u, just because your love of art? If u are 21, fine no worries. 25? Still good. 30? Start thinking about what u want. 35? 40? 45?

Go to any animation studio or post production and see how many ppl there are over 35. In this line if u are over 35, u better be someone, other wise u are dead. At least 50% ppl switch line before 35, and that is if u are lucky. Dont ask me how many ppl over 35 that i had meet in this line. But i am sure everyone of them had a sad story. And i even know some is over 45, and their career is over, its gone. And they dont know what to do, because thats everything he knows. And he had 3 kids to take care of, and the eldest son is going to college. His salary may be 10K, so it would be 120K a year. How much do the college charge u? 20K for a year. Thats 2 months of his salary. How about other son, they are going to Uni soon. How abot house loan? Car loan? May be your son need a transport, a bike? a car? Well, do the calculation.

For those of them keep saying this line is good, this line is fun, this line can make money. U are either too naive, too un-experience, or u are working for the college. Yes, art can make money. But not everybody. So if u have a rich daddy to give u the money to start a studio, u are lucky. If not, u are just a slave to your boss, to your client, and to art. Think about it, not for now, but for the rest of your life. Think what u want to do when u are 40. And come back here and tell me.

my comment:

aku tak tau sape yg tulis.. aku dapat pon spam dari email.. aku baru 2 tahun dlm bidang yg sama.. ya, mmg byk smilariti kehidupan penulis dan aku.. boleh kata 99% sama.. skrg aku tgh mencari hala tuju baru.. kerjaya baru perhaps.. yg lebih stabil & relaks.. for the sake of my family..