I said screw it, I'll start a RUclips channel telling stories while I run my speedpaints in the background, it's helped deal with some stuff mentally. I think it's time for gen Z and millenials to go indie. Sure, money will be a sore topic, but I refuse to let the situation get me down. Let's go artists, show your craft 🙌
Indie was supposed to be my side gig. Now its plan A sadly. If it goes amazing and i end up with more money than i can use i'd love to actually hire people to try and fix the issue some.
I’m a ‘high skill’ tech and this don’t even pay well. I don’t even like this job. The market is effed bro. Our generation is not valued by the older generations in power. They just want us all to be nurses and drs that make them live till they are 1000. Or engineers that make them new toys to play with. My illustration career didn’t even get a chance.
I was a nurse years ago. I went into nursing straight out of high school with a little help from dual enrollment because it was a "safe" career choice, and burnt out as soon as I hit my 30s, especially since the pay was absolute garbage once you factored in all the licensing fees and CE / uniform / personal gear expenses you were expected to maintain. Now I stream on Twitch and barely scrape by, but my sanity is slightly more intact, so a lot of good that safe career choice did me, oh? lol... The whole narrative we were fed growing up was all bogus. Something needs to give soon.
Sadly, concept artists are the first art jobs being significantly replaced by AI. One of my best friends is a concept designer for movies. He designed a lot of the stuff now prominent in pop culture. He's been doing it for 30 years and is one of the most successful in the movie biz. He's really struggling because Art Directors are all just using Midjourney to speed up the process. This is a nightmare. I feel bad for you. Maybe your youtube channel will work out for you.
lol yeah, i was one of those people doing film concept art for many years, then Sept 2022, BOOM! ... i went from work every day, to none. The few gigs I've had since them were directors asking me to edit their Mid Journey images lol .. fun times.
Concept art has always had a speed and efficiency component to it. AI makes the most sense for it because concept art isn't made for the audience to look at. It can come up in art books later, but it's not a fine art illustration that you take forever and Labor over. Concept art is idea jamming.
Honestly not surprised concept art was the first big job to go to AI because essentially it really is just taking stock photos and photoshopping them together to make a concept image which is basically what AI does anyway
The good news is that AI isn't that great at animation, and might not be good at it for a while yet. Of course that doesn't stop giant corporations from trying to replace artists with AI, but it looks so bad and gets so much backlash, that a fair few are begrudgingly going back to those artists they hate paying.
@@jessip8654 do your research, a new company its releasing a new anime by March 2025 called Twins HinaHima, made with 95% of AI, please go and search for it and you will see how good it actually is, it still requires human touch for quality insurance but an entire anime made with 95% of AI is crazy, search it up its called Twins HinaHima.
⚠ I worked as a freelance illustrator in UK for over 30 years. I’m very familiar with problems connected with the art industries. I've watched several videos just like this one by similar artists. My conclusion is: The very industry that any creatives build their career on is now. BROKEN + STARVED OF FUNDING to the point of being non-functioning + about to be murdered by COST-CUTTING USE OF AI. The same way as the skilled horse shoe making industry was killed by the introduction of the Model T Ford. You are right. 1. Try to avoid huge debt. 2. Get ANY job you can get just to generate some income. 3. Work at “night” on your big creative project and hope it wows people when you’ve finished it.
Pretty much summed it up. Real life doesn't stop or wait for anyone, so we gotta cram our art goals around normie jobs and, like you said, hope it wows people enough for them to buy the final product.
I graduated from art school in 2022, actually did this to a senior game art position, but got rejected after 2 interviews. HOWEVER, they liked me so much that they made a non senior position for me and replaced the old one with it. ALWAYS try to throw your hat in the ring, you never know what might work.
@@samantham8773 This is actually so helpful. There aren't any JR positions these days and I've been going insane refreshing indeed every few hours. Slight hope for me if audacity is a possibility. Haha. Thank you.
I was suffering through the job search as a 3d artist with 5 years experience for 6 months earlier this year with no success. I looked across every job site and even tried paid memberships to some of them. That didn't work. Then I started hunting through almost a hundred websites for indie game studios and applying directly. Nothing. Plenty of scam jobs though. When I finally did land an interview from a 3d artist listing on linkedin, the job itself wasnt even 3d art. It is some boring QA contractor job for apple. Pays fine enough, but it definitely is not 3d art. I have no idea why it was posted as such, but most of my coworkers got the job the same way. At this point, I'd rather work this boring job that pays ok than suffer that job search again for no money. Do commission work on the side. I just don't know if I see this ever getting better.
in entertainment most jobs come through connections and recommendations. you gotta go to workshops and such. unfortunately the market was already saturated 10 years ago, you either have to be extremely good or know the right people
@@Artemis-athena They can they will and they do, until everyone becomes unemployed and can't buy anything? The news a couple weeks ago were so cheerful about replacing boiler room specialists with AI, not realizing how dystopian that is and that they could be next. Here goes livelihood of several families, yay?
Then don't. But you are factually wrong. I know how to code these models and i know how capable they are. They are guranteed to replace you.@@Artemis-athena
@@akj3344 No because Amazon bans AI, and ppl trying to sell this AI crap believing these RUclipsrs that they can make quick money will realize that selling art is hard, but selling AI is always harder.
I’m literally almost done with college. I major in animation but I’m also a storyboard artist, graphic designer, character designer and illustrator. I know all of the professional softwares that actual industry professionals use. I have over 7 years of experience honing my craft in animation. I’m $50,000 in debt for that education and uh….nothing. I have a RUclips channel at least but I don’t get paid doing it lol at least not yet
Career advice for young people. Either go to a trade school (electrician, carpentry, HVAC, etc.) or study for a field that’s pretty stable and makes a decent wage (STEM, professional degrees, etc.) Do art as a hobby or a side hustle. You’ll thank me 4 or so years from now. Who knows, you may have a thriving art career by going this route, but at the very least, you’ll be financially secure and still be able to do art.
So back in 2010, I was in a similar situation looking for an art job and ran across a lot of jobs that were out of my experience level or I didn’t have the skills. The key is to apply for them and see if they will interview you. If they look at your work and you can show them you can produce results for them then they may be willing to compromise on the extra skills listed. I was unemployed in 2017 after a layoff and it took me 116 applications just to get a job back at Starbucks. It took about 9 months and if I was willing to compromise I may have gotten a job sooner than that but my ego got in the way and my pay requirements for what I thought I was worth.
so true. Things keep getting tougher. It’s honestly so frustrating. 21:58 I completely agree-it’s time to build that dream project. I’ve been thinking about it for a while; if no one wants to hire me, I’ll create my own path🙏 Thank you so much for your video!✨
6:31 - Can confirm - I live in Manhattan and work as a full time freelance live action storyboard artist for TV commercials. I make 90 - 130k depending on the year, and even though I have a rent controlled apartment, it is still a struggle to get by. Not only is it state and federal taxes, but in NYC, you pay CITY tax as well and if you're a freelancer, additional tax to cover social security. So 1/3 of total income goes to tax. Then you have to get insurance, mine is about 1000 / month, and rent of course, then food which is already more expensive in NYC and inflation has made it worse...
The job creep and irrelevant add ons compared to the name of the job is just ridiculous. Do the people writing these ludicrous job descriptions even take their own job seriously? Now that’s the real question. Betcha they just got chat gpt to do it and copy pasted it right in there without even bothering to look at what was written there.
It's crazy. I'm an art grad and I've been trying to get a job in Graphic Design and Illustration for years in France, Switzerland and Canada and didn't find anything. My best experience was people trying to commission me before turning towards AI to cut the cost, sometimes they've let me know, other times they ghosted me. When I go for a walk in my city, I see AI art on store fronts... So yeah... people still need and/or want art but they're either greedy or genuinely don't have the money, and replace artists... What's left to do?
Hi CS major here. For a year and a half I've jobhunting straight out of Uni can't even find some "low skill" work. Zero confindence. I'm 27 for gods sake and live with my parents. I've given up on programming and have just started 2 months ago pursuing art with the intention of seriosuly getting good at it. I sortof wished I purusued an art degree because then I would at least have a useless degree in soemthing I enjoy. Cool channel btw.
I kind of feel the same way in the other direction. Maybe I should've stayed in STEM despite needing to work 3x harder to keep up, and probably wracking up more debt..I guess the grass is always greener lol. Good on you for starting art though, and the CS background will stick to something.
@@CVRogers17 Not a carrer path. A hobby/passion. I need a "real" job. If an art career happens 5- 10 years down line. Cool. If not I still draw. Right now looking for adjacent roles (archivst, digitalization, maybe library work if I kind find one that doesn't require a library degree)
I'm not a Concept Artist yet - but I work in IT as a Designer. Before my company had more designers and a marketing agency. Now I do do everything: Art Direction, Managing, UX/UI, wireframing, video edition, etc. I thought I was the only one - but I talk to my friends who also work in IT and they're experiencing similar things.
@@flowerbloom5782 Of course they don't. They just get told this is a temporary task, and then suddenly it is a permanent task. Now they do multiple jobs for the price of one.
One of my friends is working on an animation project which I'm voice acting in! I'll edit this post with the link as soon as its out here on RUclips. :3 Also, I got an ad about "AI will create new jobs in 2025" which is absolute bs cause thats a lie, its taking jobs not making them :/
AI gets even its own creators fired. I don’t believe a word when they say this thing “will create more jobs”. It’s just a pacifier argument to deflect our worries. There are innovations in the past that did create new jobs, but there are also innovations that are just a pure loss. I’m seeing supermarkets replacing cashiers with self service machines. They are hiring less cashiers. There are not “more new jobs” being created. They just appointed one cashier at the machine area to help with the customers in case that they have problems using the machine. The people who say new tech always create new jobs are only using selected evidences, which is no better than lies IMO
I mean... technically they're right. You need a handful of people to develop and keep the ai running. Good handful of jobs. Ignore the tens of thousands and growing number of people it put out of work in the process. Fuck us, right? Lmfao.
It's so wild seeing American Salaries, here in the north of England 10 years ago when I graduated I had to a work a job for £17,000 about £20,000 if you match for inflation now. Which is like $24,000. My advice for a beginner would be push out for everything and have a portfolio with a really nice handful of well refined projects. Less is more as graduate especially proving you can do one thing really well. I started in casino games and when i left my first job i helped pick a replacement candidate for my role and out of 200 applications I helped review we only had 3 women apply, which was kinda bad cause my job involved a lot of drawing and graphic design and more women have the Art education we were looking for. Look for a less desirable role and job hop if nothing better comes up, it's much easier to get a job if you're already working a job because employers definately view you as more valuable if you're in full-time employment already.
I wasn't even able to find an internship at a game studio for my last 6 months of education, which was meant for me to get experience. Because game studios only wanted to take interns if they are already looking for a new employee.
I’m glad someone is finally talking about this issue! It’s really difficult, here in the UK too, to find any illustration jobs. A few yearsfrom now, everyone’s probably going to be running their own businesses and living in camper vans, because they have no other choice. 😭😭 New sub here btw! ✨✨
If you find yourself regretting your art degree and wish you'd gone into something "practical" like IT, I've done that, and let me tell you: the grass is just as dead on the other side.You'd think everyone needs IT, but no one actually has an IT department anymore. It's all either a subscription cloud service, or serviced by the manufacturer, or outsourced to another company that'll be looking for someone with your particular stack of certs when hell freezes over.
Art Director in the game industry. 100% accurate. This girl gets it. Anyone wanting to get into games industry, learn on RUclips or skill share you don’t need a fancy degree, you need a kick ass portfolio.
I just wanted to give a disclaimer that most of the advice in this video is applicable to America only - in the UK paying off your student loan earlier hurts you in the long run - the debt is written off after 30 years - the more you earn the more they take off via taxes. There's no point paying it off in full - why would you when you can pay minimal amount based on your income and have it written off before you repaid it? (which means you will realistically pay back less than the debt was before it expires, that's a good deal). And to make it even better it's not about how much you borrowed (for example medical or legal schools are much longer than studying Games Art) but how much you earn annualy so a person earning 40k with a debt of 200k would pay back as much as someone with just basic undegrad which would be like 60k.
You have to remember most people hired in IT during hiring frenzy were just bad devs, etc, who skated through thanks to either easy online interviews or dei agendas.
I was hoping to get an entry job by November at least. It was probably very wishful thinking, but I still started Applying to jobs, even those that ask for more years of experience (in my college they suggested to do that just to put our stuff out there) Got rejected many times already, even for junior roles, so the depression hit so hard I’m redoing my entire animation reel. I’ve seen very great animators getting laid off tho, so now I’m also dealing with that hopelessness that comes from those news as well…..
Concept artist? It's 2024 Visdev is the new art slave job. Also living in NYC I really don't think you need 100k for a single person or I wouldn't be alive. If anything I would say you'd need 60k for a single person and that's being generous- the rent prices are ridiculous - unless you're trying to live in the center of Manhattan the prices for a decent place is like $3k per month (which I would never pay- I pay wayy less for a lower quality of life honestly). Lastly Indeed is notoriously known for being flooded by bots and one employer told me that Indeed doesn't even show the employers your resume if you easy apply. I usually do not like black pilling content because you can find 1000 examples of anything you want on the internet, but you showed the logic of why art jobs are going the way they are, they hired too much during covid and was betting on an upward trend only to be bought back to reality when their bets didn't pull through. It's rough for most every industry out there and it's quite worrying.
Honestly this felt like a breadth of fresh air for me. It’s an unpleasant reality but at least we are being honest about the situation rather than having some hustle “self made” snake oil salesman telling me that I should try harder or buy their course. I honestly felt behind but seeing everyone understand the struggle of chasing art feels like I’m not alone. Though I’m in the “fuck it we ball” mentality. I am lucky to have support so I can work on my stories.
western company like to outsource to third world country as well, like im a storyboard artist based in Thailand, the rate here is around $1000 - $1500 per month, a lot cheaper with similar quality
I got accepted into university a few months ago, for a bachelor of fine arts degree, but i have been waiting since i start in January. And now all this ai stuff is getting so bad, and i dont even know what i should do. If i spend the 4 years to get it, by then there wont be a need for artists. I feel so screwed
Take it from me. Do NOT study art. Run like hell. You will be broke and straddle in debt. Please please please. I was a fine art major at a university and they were teaching us how to put tape on the walls (installation art) and I was like… oh my god… i’m going to be broke after school. Dropped out and study Information Technology and guess what? Now I’m employed in my field.
@ I have already paid for this semester, I feel like its a bit too late. My grades in school werent so good, and my only talent really is just art. Thats why i feel so stuck
@@azaritheraptorI had an issue with that. I’m a graphic design major, but when I realized how bad the job market was for it, I realized I had to find something else. Seeing art is almost anything is what helped me settle on auto collision. It’s just fixing the body of cars and painting them. Basically still Art in 3D, and a secure job. You can always do art on the side as a side job! Don’t let this current situation kill your creativity!
Did the computer stop people being drawing? While ai will reduce the amount of digital artists... people who niche down and hone their craft will always be needed. Ai and digital media in a way makes people who use traditional media more sought after. Why do you think people are moving back to film in photography?
Many games didn't sell against money borrowed/invested which led to various studio closures. It's not fair, but normal cycle of business. From a more personal perspective, there's just too many artists for the little to no job placements available. AI generated images are an extension of content production for various socials, so users can scroll longer; and, be advertised to more. Real artist or not, we're are just producing free content for media conglomerates. Maybe it's time to stop(?).
Half of those issues are US only, yes the whole world is struggling, but the majority of the world doesn't have student loans in their mind. For those the only recommendation is to leave your country, yes it sucks, but complaining wont do anything, the people in charge wont care until it starts affecting them For concept artists in games, unfortunately the market is filled, you either go indie and self-employed or you need to stand out in some way, in both cases it means working at home, if it's company work that you truly want try to understand what companies are looking for and create portfolio that shows that. I know, it's sad and depressing but the alternative of doing nothing and hoping for the best is not realistic, it doesn't matter if it's not fair either, you can only control yourself, so you need to dedicate to what you want or like, having a youtube channel is not a bad idea but there's a chance it will divide your attention and focus. I hope everything works out for you
My delulu is telling me europe is better and I‘m totally fine with moving to any country in europe for a job. Thanks to EU passport I dont even need any visa to work as long as its EU 🙏
@@PinkSmiiley well, you mileage may vary between european countries but for the vast majority you wouldn't be worried about student loans and healthcare, those are already big mental drains besides the financial one, but generally speaking, work culture is a lot better as well, you have mandatory vacations days that you can take and for the most part people don't expect you to do overtime, specially not unpaid one, so if you need a temporary job while you work in portfolio it's still doable, not easy, but doable. You always need perseverance.
Sadly we are living some rough times and its not gonna get better anytime soon, As someone who went trough the pain of being laid off I can tell you that is only gonna get worst, at some point I wanted to go for a job that relates to art but seeing how AI is disrupting the field I decided not to pursue art as my career job, but I still do it on the side because I love it, I am currently working as a courier cause there was no other better job out there at the moment, and bills don't wait, I am thinking of going back to school to learn a trade and I advice others to do so as well, if I was young again I would learn something that I like that I can do with my hands and that cant be replaced by AI, there are some good trades out there that make plenty of $$$ and will not be touched by AI, if you think things are bad in the current market, let me tell you that it is just the beginning , the job market is gonna get so bad that the government and elites are already talking about an Universal basic income, they probably know something we don't.
I feel bad for all of you. I’m myself an artist too but I also have neuro divergent. Currently I can live on money from the government still but I don’t know how long it will take before they take this away and I’m really need to look for an art job. I don’t know how long to do anymore. I’m scared f capitalist.
Best you start moving to look for a job, any job to pay bills cause any disability money will one day be stopped by government. It's going that way in future.
Yeah… that’s why I’m mostly spending most of my time trying to become a freelancer teaching myself how to do everything and working as hard as I can. I definitely regret becoming an illustrator but then again as you said it’s everything…
Yup, as a veteran and a millennial, I've noticed that too. It's pretty harsh for everyone. I've developed a lot of useless skills during my life, so I'll try solo game dev for simple and cheap games to see if I make some money (I've seen horrible zombie games with half-naked girls selling more than 1K units. So... why not?). I'm a comic book artist and have been one for almost 20 years, but my dumb hobbies were game dev and animation. I regret not having had "business" or "administration" as my hobbies XD Previous generations said Gen Z is slow and lazy. I say to the previous generations, including mine, a big "shut the f*ck up". Things are getting crazier and just because they could retire before the whole place is screwed, they mock everybody. 12:18 Oh no! Don't think like that. Many experienced people lose out on jobs to newcomers because of style compatibility. If your work is more compatible with the company's style, you'll have a much better chance. One of the first things I noticed in this industry is that compatibility is favored way more than pure quality. Don't worry. Just do what the company wants, the way they want it. Agreed! Starting your own project is better than expecting someone to rescue us creatives.
I finished college literally this few months ago and im honestly devasted , my teacher said to just apply to any level at this point and hope . Rise of Ai is honestly caused me to struggle and worry a lot WHICH DOESNT HELP MY THERAPY AT All, im trying my best still though maybe some employers arent braindead.. and i hope in indie market aswell
100 applicants ain’t that much for what it’s worth. Having hired for professional roles throughout the years, tons of unqualified people apply for roles they have no chance of getting.
Degree is meaningless, but they say to go back to school. They say there’s no discrimination, but, there is. They say you need more experience,but have too much. 2008 anyone? Welcome aboard.
I listened to a podcast of art professionals from the game and animation industry, and yes, they pretty much said the same thing. For the most part, they are terrified a bit since it will take time to get better chances of survival, but they are optimistic, as ai most likely cannot reproduce actual quality. It looks soulless, marketing garbage and I at least hope that the general public will not give so much a crap about it. That it will just be a plastic cheap product for the cheapest of people who take their kids to movies or give them ipads to watch any crap it gives them. The general public that wants to spend their time watching something with story, soul and art, will give a bit more thought to what they will give time and money to. So we need to rise up, make our own indie companies, and put those shitty directors in garbage where they belong. They are greedy af, to layoff true artists in order to make ai slop. In my opinion, Wish from disney was already partially what happens with that decision.
My art teacher in high school was just let go of because I suppose my school is cutting cost, but it’s just really disappointing. I’m almost done highschool, but I am going into STEM and I am really disappointed since I feel like the art market is getting really really small.
instead of "looking for a job in art", start "looking for a project to start" find a story (one in the open domain) and draw that story, sell it to a publisher, boom, you "got a job" ez
@@futurethewolf5624 or do like the koreans/asians and publish it yourself behind a paywall, releasing a chapter every few weeks till that series is done. depending on the story and how you illustrate it, you can either "make it" or not but the dirty secret behind making it big isn't talent or quality, "it's who you know", nepotism is the ultimate driving force in any industry, art is no exception, that's why everyone is related to everyone else at the top (there are no coincidences), thats why making connections (and being on their good side) is the key to success. so you can either make connections (but you'll be forever at the mercy of those who put you there) or, like sisyphus, you can crawl slowly to the top, never reaching, but at least maybe earning enough to feed yourself (my option)
Just a response to some points made around 19:25. Payroll taxes go into funding social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, programs that most Americans will need when they reach retirement. It’s a kind of pay it forward idea where we pay now for those in front of us and those after us will pay for us. They have been essential in helping to alleviate poverty in seniors which was a big problem in the mid 1900’s. If those taxes were abolished an employer would never pass those savings on to employees, they would pocket those savings themselves, or in the case of large corporations , pass them onto shareholders. If payroll taxes were abolished it would only line the pocket a of the already well off, while not giving any wage increases to labour but leaving them in a more precarious position in older age. What this generation is also struggling from is mass conglomeration. Mergers, big time. In this age of few very large corporations, employers are no longer forced to compete with each other for workers, further pushing down wages. Don’t let anyone gaslight you into believing cutting business axes helps anyone but capital ownership. The struggle is real, there needs to be an organised push back along class lines against capital greed. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Nice video. 👍🏾
I think people should just give up on art as a job unless you plan on working on games or something, idky people would want to work as an artist anyway, making your passion a job almost always just makes you hate something you like, get a normal job, and have your fun in your free time
Unfortunately this is not a passing situation, this is the endgame of a system designed to enrich and protect a very small number of people. There are a few things the average person can do, get out of any expensive areas, do not take on any ongoing debt that assumes stability in a long term income, form a community with capable friends. The system will change but only when people with nothing to lose, lose it. You don't want to be one of those people.
Were the parents right when they said geta real job? 😢cause believing that the AI bloom will burst soon would be a lie, I just graduated and I am applying for medicine cause for me at this point. Art will just be for business 😮
Guys, you sound like boomers dismissing computers as the new fad. The situation sucks, but AI art is NOT going anywhere. Right now is the WORST AI art will ever be, it will only improve from here. Don't stick your heads in the sand. This is the new paradigm
@@PocketBroccoliregulations will not save you. No regulation applies to the world. Any regulations made in a country will be useless as nothing is stopping other countries from leveraging non regulated AI to the fullest. Every nation will be scared to be left behind. DONT wait for regulations
You know what's weird? During the 2009 to 2012 recession the video game industry was popping off. Yes we lost some companies like THQ, but games were still coming out left and right. Sony alone made/published more games in 2011 than in the last four years combined.
The solution isn't it to make your own indie game team then ? If big studios are not hiring under senior level, do your own studio, at least you'll be poor doing what you like instead of being just poor right ? If old ones can't maintain a working society anymore, let's make our own and change the way people are traited at their job and during their carrreer. It's pesonnally my dream project (aside from changing the economy of attention in entertainement)
I've been stagnant in trying to show off my art to at least attempt commissions on the side. I'm thinking my brain is too comfortable and i need to 'burn the bridge' by quiting my day job, so the urgency will trigger me out what could be laziness, depression or executive dysfunction. Might be a combination of all 3. Lol But im scared if i would end up more miserable than working my usual day job.
I've seen that at the moment, freelance positions are more common (for reasons you described.) It can be a good idea to try freelance if you need the experience, have a strong portfolio but can't get into a studio. Sadly though, it still has the competition problem...ack
ABSOLUTELY right about debt. A lot of artists get suckered into an art school that they can't afford and learn skills they could easily attain freely (or much more cheaply) online. Speaking from experience here lol. Loved my time in art school and use those skills today, but I know many of my colleagues who wasted time and money there. Indie is the way to go! Content creation, freelance and small studios is the new creative field where "made without AI" is the new "certified fresh" label for content. All the BEST games that people rave over now are AA or made by a team of 1-3 people. The demand for art is there, it's just not in the AAA. I suffered through GDC from 2015-2019 and I can say that even before covid and AI the art side of the game industry was cutthroat. Politics, drama, elitism and as you mentioned, the push for foreign outsourcing were all the rage in the AAA studios, and in-house artists there were considered completely replaceable. And as far as work-life balance lol, not really a thing in the AAA. I'll also say what many may be afraid to admit, but the NSFW field and anime and furry fandoms are absolutely worth looking into if you have the stomach for it lol. It's not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but I've never had a bad furry client. They have a huge respect for creativity and artists, pay relative well and always on time. Also almost every industry artist I know has worked with the furries at some point in time. There are many downsides, but overall I would say that NSFW and furry art is a cleaner and more honest business than AAA studios now, with more demand for artists and longer term security against things like AI/automation. But I'm obviously biased as that career path has worked out pretty well for me. It still takes years to establish yourself in a fandom. And it still takes a ton of time to develop a business plan and mindset (hugely important), positive reputation and more importantly skill. Its a slow start for any beginner artist. I personally started taking commissions for 10$ an hour 15 years ago. And when it comes to supply/demand - fandom artists are in huge demand, where as you mentioned, Studios have so many to pick from and rarely need to hire for entry-level. Cons are a great way to network and get some income, Crowdfunding can work out well if you've established a reputation, and things like vtubing/streaming/youtube are the best nowadays. Like you said, this is (in a way) the best time to be an independent artist so long as you don't fall into a debt hole. As for buying a house... I mean that's kind of impossible no matter how hard you work now when it comes to the cities. The only thing I can think of is to work remotely and find a really cheap area to live in which was what I did. It's not as hard as you might think but working remotely has it's downsides as well, mostly social like being far from family. Great video, really touched on a LOT of the anxiety around the games and film industry right now for artists.
Yeah I’m about ready to throw in the towel and just work at Walmart or something. If I can even manage to land that either. My degree I worked my ass off for is worthless now
Yes it is hard, BUT, you also need to consider your own Skills. I feel like a lot of artists aren’t even at Junior Level, and I can even say for myself that I need a looot of improvement,so thats also why artists arent being hired. I looked at your art/portfolio and I would say that your foundamentals aren‘t strong enough yet to be considered junior level. Great art at first glance ! but there‘s an underlying fundamentals problem, especially when it comes to understanding 3D shapes, materials and anatomy, same face syndrome, and there‘s a lot of stiffness in your characters, each shape feels like its being „rushed“ to paint rather than to understand what you are really painting (I know its tough to understand everything). Again I‘m really not saying this to be rude, but I am also aware that at my level, I wont be as likely to be choosen because art directors can spot this kind of stuff immediately, and they need someone who got atleast solid fundamentals, after foundation follows design understanding, and for your stuff, I feel like the designs are cool but again, doesnt really matter if the execution isnt there yet. I just recently heard a big artist say, its better to improve and work on your fundamentals first, and actually really understand it (gonna take a while, we might be talking years) and then you can build a portfolio, rather than to have to renew that portfolio all over again. I know you can still do it and shoot your shot, but don‘t be too surprised if you wont be hired. Wishing you and everyone else all the luck tho, the more we learn the more we realize how much there is to learn, lol xp
Makes sense cause my friends that were hired at junior level last year were a similar skill level and after getting laid off are also struggling to find a job too. I guess we all gotta become senior level otherwise nobody gonna hire us for a junior position at this point .-.
Hey Janelle, just discovering your content for the first time. Really excellent analysis and some really great stuff. Let me know if you’d like to do a video where your followers can ask an Art Director (Over 25 years exp) in the games industry their burning questions.
If employers were not taxed for their employees… you might technically be “paid more money”…. but not really. Because then you have to pay all the taxes yourself as an independent contractor. If you get $20k more but also have to pay $20k more in taxes…there is no improvement.
I think the way forward for Artists that want to live off their own work is to build an Audience and offer some Product they can sell (like comics, games, animation or something). Because "Getting hired to work at a Studio" will soon go the way of the Dodo as all this new Tech improves. "I'm gonna go work at Dreamworks" is not gonna be a thing anymore.
I'm in Louisiana. Here it feels like the art job market doesn't even exist. I gotta go indie, and you don't need a BA degree to go indie. Plus, it can go into a portfolio should any company want to take me in for a project.
At first when the synthetic fabrics were invented humans went completely bananas about it, everyone wanted to have the synthetic clothing. Nowadays same people are willing to pay 10 times the price, if not more, for natural fiber garment. I think it will be the same with "AI" generated images. Unfortunately we were unlucky to exist in "I want synthetic" times peak.
Been working on my comic since last year "Kenny the Curse" on webtoon and other places. Been out of work for a long time now... however, I'm getting the boot out of my place soon, so... there's that. :D Wish me luck on that job or my comic magically does amazing
Aa weird as this sounds I see opportunity with all this though. Because everything is so terrible in the industry which is going to collapse in on itself at this rate, but because of that it gives smaller teams and artists a chance to go indie and outmaneuver the corpos. I know thats not a perfect solution but when they cut out actual artists in favor of AI eventually that AI is going to backfire when everything starts looking samey and they will need artists again.
For me animation is just contracts and gigs now, no jobs are hiring. I was working at a Studio but then got laid off. Now working as a babysitter with some retail work and looking into either teaching or being a daycare worker. I don’t plan this to be permanent. I’m trying to see if I can pivot into other careers that makes more income while working these jobs temporarily. I’m also considering making animation or art content online to not lose my creative side. And yes I have an animation degree (learned mostly 3D animation) just when AI took over so yeah it sucks… Oh yeah and I’ve considered learning to code online but even then I’m not sure about that since I know tech jobs are affected too. It sucks, I like animation/3D art, coding is pretty cool, been learning different languages like Japanese but they can all be affected by AI potentially. So I’m just thinking of what are other potential careers I can do that I will enjoy but also makes a decent income. It’s pretty rough mainly for jobs that can be done on the computer but affected by AI. I guess in a way physical jobs has become more reliable? Like blue collar jobs? Still thinking on it. So I got to the end of the video, sorry if my comment is long. I’d say my dream project would be a mix of slice of life, comedy, maybe throw in some action scenes to spice it up, 3D animation if possible. I’ve really enjoyed SpyXFamily, Beastars, Aggretsuko, Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, and of course I loved Glitch’s series The Amazing Digital Circus. Maybe I’ll start an indie animation series? 😂
I speak two languages and always aspired to be an illustrator. Might just hang up my pen tablet and go scrub dishes somewhere for fuck all money. There's no hope right now.
As a 2024 graduated game artist I feel awful.. I spend over 4 years learning all for it to be replaced by AI 💔 I’ve been looking for a job for so many months! My life long dream is gone..
Uh.... the art job market has been cooked for like a century and a half now... You should look at what happened to portrait painters after the photograph was invented... 150 years ago give or take. The whole market has been little boom and bust markets that don't last more than ten years since then... and now they don't even last a year. We were already well-done and then A.I. just walked in and turned on the furnace to make sure we were cremated. I have an art education degree and I graduated in 2016 for context. The concept of the starving artist is an ancient tale as old as time.
I got hired in a game dev company and got a contract for a AAA franchise. I don't even have experience in the industry. I think it's not all doom and gloom, the industry is bouncing back.
You misread the job description for Digital Graphic Designer. They listed the designs and graphics they need in different areas not that you would be handling those areas.
I started a RUclips channel and am currently illustrating my own picture book. Plus I got myself a Patreon account and selling custom brushes for Krita. We will make it somehow 🙂
1k jobs withougt focus u dont know what u want to work with. Most i applied was 350 my first year. If you can cut down and focus on 40 jobs instead u penertate deeper into a hireing organisations.
Your money belongs to Ukraine ,Taiwan, Syria, Irak, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Etc. That is the reason why you pay so many taxes. The American war of independence started for so many taxes from the crown, now in 2024 it is the federal government who takes your money and life.
One asks the question. If these greedy prats replace artists with a.i then all thier shit is going to start looking the same. Saw someone with a a.i generated tshirt the other day, ot looked like shit, had errors in it. The shit being done is so generic that it begs the question. If these creative industries are not doing anything then what arre they doing? They are not providing a service.
I said screw it, I'll start a RUclips channel telling stories while I run my speedpaints in the background, it's helped deal with some stuff mentally. I think it's time for gen Z and millenials to go indie. Sure, money will be a sore topic, but I refuse to let the situation get me down. Let's go artists, show your craft 🙌
I’ll subscribe. Do some tutorials too with some dark poetry mumbling.
@Artemis-athena thank you for the sub! I'll definitely think about something like that 😅
YES! RUclips squad lets goooooo 🔥🔥
Indie was supposed to be my side gig. Now its plan A sadly. If it goes amazing and i end up with more money than i can use i'd love to actually hire people to try and fix the issue some.
Fuck it we ball!
I’m a ‘high skill’ tech and this don’t even pay well. I don’t even like this job. The market is effed bro. Our generation is not valued by the older generations in power. They just want us all to be nurses and drs that make them live till they are 1000. Or engineers that make them new toys to play with. My illustration career didn’t even get a chance.
I was a nurse years ago. I went into nursing straight out of high school with a little help from dual enrollment because it was a "safe" career choice, and burnt out as soon as I hit my 30s, especially since the pay was absolute garbage once you factored in all the licensing fees and CE / uniform / personal gear expenses you were expected to maintain. Now I stream on Twitch and barely scrape by, but my sanity is slightly more intact, so a lot of good that safe career choice did me, oh? lol... The whole narrative we were fed growing up was all bogus. Something needs to give soon.
Fr tho 😭😭
Sadly, concept artists are the first art jobs being significantly replaced by AI. One of my best friends is a concept designer for movies. He designed a lot of the stuff now prominent in pop culture. He's been doing it for 30 years and is one of the most successful in the movie biz. He's really struggling because Art Directors are all just using Midjourney to speed up the process. This is a nightmare. I feel bad for you. Maybe your youtube channel will work out for you.
lol yeah, i was one of those people doing film concept art for many years, then Sept 2022, BOOM! ... i went from work every day, to none. The few gigs I've had since them were directors asking me to edit their Mid Journey images lol .. fun times.
@@glowshedfilms jee I wanna ask, what typa film companies do that, and what typa shit they be producing
That’s awful 😭 dog water designs by ai doesn’t sound appealing for any entertainment media
Concept art has always had a speed and efficiency component to it. AI makes the most sense for it because concept art isn't made for the audience to look at. It can come up in art books later, but it's not a fine art illustration that you take forever and Labor over. Concept art is idea jamming.
Honestly not surprised concept art was the first big job to go to AI because essentially it really is just taking stock photos and photoshopping them together to make a concept image which is basically what AI does anyway
Ai art just started popping off just as i was working to get an art degree how quaint e.e
Same with me but animation now I have to go into microbiology
I feel ya, it was right when I graduated and I felt like I made the biggest mistake going to school for game design 🥲
@ryebread-xi9xgbruh I am currently in the middle of choosing animation for my uni. 😂 Idek what to do now
The good news is that AI isn't that great at animation, and might not be good at it for a while yet. Of course that doesn't stop giant corporations from trying to replace artists with AI, but it looks so bad and gets so much backlash, that a fair few are begrudgingly going back to those artists they hate paying.
@@jessip8654 do your research, a new company its releasing a new anime by March 2025 called Twins HinaHima, made with 95% of AI, please go and search for it and you will see how good it actually is, it still requires human touch for quality insurance but an entire anime made with 95% of AI is crazy, search it up its called Twins HinaHima.
⚠ I worked as a freelance illustrator in UK for over 30 years. I’m very familiar with problems connected with the art industries. I've watched several videos just like this one by similar artists. My conclusion is: The very industry that any creatives build their career on is now. BROKEN + STARVED OF FUNDING to the point of being non-functioning + about to be murdered by COST-CUTTING USE OF AI. The same way as the skilled horse shoe making industry was killed by the introduction of the Model T Ford. You are right. 1. Try to avoid huge debt. 2. Get ANY job you can get just to generate some income. 3. Work at “night” on your big creative project and hope it wows people when you’ve finished it.
Pretty much summed it up. Real life doesn't stop or wait for anyone, so we gotta cram our art goals around normie jobs and, like you said, hope it wows people enough for them to buy the final product.
FYI you should 100% apply to senior positions no matter your experience level. One senior position is secretly also 2 or 3 junior positions.
i'm applying for ceo at my local amazon, hope i get hired.
I graduated from art school in 2022, actually did this to a senior game art position, but got rejected after 2 interviews. HOWEVER, they liked me so much that they made a non senior position for me and replaced the old one with it. ALWAYS try to throw your hat in the ring, you never know what might work.
@@samantham8773thanks sounds good!
@@samantham8773 This is actually so helpful. There aren't any JR positions these days and I've been going insane refreshing indeed every few hours. Slight hope for me if audacity is a possibility. Haha. Thank you.
I was suffering through the job search as a 3d artist with 5 years experience for 6 months earlier this year with no success. I looked across every job site and even tried paid memberships to some of them. That didn't work. Then I started hunting through almost a hundred websites for indie game studios and applying directly. Nothing. Plenty of scam jobs though.
When I finally did land an interview from a 3d artist listing on linkedin, the job itself wasnt even 3d art. It is some boring QA contractor job for apple. Pays fine enough, but it definitely is not 3d art. I have no idea why it was posted as such, but most of my coworkers got the job the same way.
At this point, I'd rather work this boring job that pays ok than suffer that job search again for no money. Do commission work on the side. I just don't know if I see this ever getting better.
I pray it gets better, the scam listings are no joke 😭😭🙏
Best of luck on your personal projects. Got my own indie game passion project in the works with a few friends and family in the same boat as us.
in entertainment most jobs come through connections and recommendations. you gotta go to workshops and such. unfortunately the market was already saturated 10 years ago, you either have to be extremely good or know the right people
My advice: Do your own thing. Create your own IP, rather than for someone else. That's the point of having these skills. Do your own thing.
EXACTLY!!! your own RUclips show or your own comic/manga WHATEVER!!!
AI is the worst thing that has ever happened to humankind, it kills creativity and encourages laziness.
Not really. They can’t sell that crap.
@@Artemis-athena They can they will and they do, until everyone becomes unemployed and can't buy anything? The news a couple weeks ago were so cheerful about replacing boiler room specialists with AI, not realizing how dystopian that is and that they could be next. Here goes livelihood of several families, yay?
@@InternetNonsense They tried to make a coke commercial with AI and everyone hated it. So I’m not buying the fear monger.
Then don't. But you are factually wrong. I know how to code these models and i know how capable they are. They are guranteed to replace you.@@Artemis-athena
@@akj3344 No because Amazon bans AI, and ppl trying to sell this AI crap believing these RUclipsrs that they can make quick money will realize that selling art is hard, but selling AI is always harder.
I lied at my job interviews and just said that i had job experience, and being to speak to a manager. learned to ramble about jobs to get the job.
doesnt work if youre working for indie studios, theyre well connected and I‘d be too terrified to get busted
im honestly so lost in life right now i just dont know what to do anymore
Make money should be your mission
Same tbh .-. Just doin whatever to survive atm
Really underrated vid this topic needs WAY more attention
Fax .. all the rejection i been getting i started feeling like I'm at fault now
I’m literally almost done with college. I major in animation but I’m also a storyboard artist, graphic designer, character designer and illustrator. I know all of the professional softwares that actual industry professionals use. I have over 7 years of experience honing my craft in animation. I’m $50,000 in debt for that education and uh….nothing. I have a RUclips channel at least but I don’t get paid doing it lol at least not yet
Sorry about your debt. As a beginner I am envious of your skills. Have you tried the website Aftercollege?
Hang in there!
Career advice for young people. Either go to a trade school (electrician, carpentry, HVAC, etc.) or study for a field that’s pretty stable and makes a decent wage (STEM, professional degrees, etc.) Do art as a hobby or a side hustle. You’ll thank me 4 or so years from now. Who knows, you may have a thriving art career by going this route, but at the very least, you’ll be financially secure and still be able to do art.
Yup! That’s why I plan doing cyber security!
So back in 2010, I was in a similar situation looking for an art job and ran across a lot of jobs that were out of my experience level or I didn’t have the skills. The key is to apply for them and see if they will interview you. If they look at your work and you can show them you can produce results for them then they may be willing to compromise on the extra skills listed. I was unemployed in 2017 after a layoff and it took me 116 applications just to get a job back at Starbucks. It took about 9 months and if I was willing to compromise I may have gotten a job sooner than that but my ego got in the way and my pay requirements for what I thought I was worth.
so true. Things keep getting tougher. It’s honestly so frustrating.
21:58 I completely agree-it’s time to build that dream project. I’ve been thinking about it for a while; if no one wants to hire me, I’ll create my own path🙏
Thank you so much for your video!✨
You def gotta build that dream project 💪😤
6:31 - Can confirm - I live in Manhattan and work as a full time freelance live action storyboard artist for TV commercials. I make 90 - 130k depending on the year, and even though I have a rent controlled apartment, it is still a struggle to get by. Not only is it state and federal taxes, but in NYC, you pay CITY tax as well and if you're a freelancer, additional tax to cover social security. So 1/3 of total income goes to tax. Then you have to get insurance, mine is about 1000 / month, and rent of course, then food which is already more expensive in NYC and inflation has made it worse...
The job creep and irrelevant add ons compared to the name of the job is just ridiculous. Do the people writing these ludicrous job descriptions even take their own job seriously? Now that’s the real question. Betcha they just got chat gpt to do it and copy pasted it right in there without even bothering to look at what was written there.
I would t be surprised if they use chat gpt for job listings they already sort applicants using ai 😭😭
It's crazy. I'm an art grad and I've been trying to get a job in Graphic Design and Illustration for years in France, Switzerland and Canada and didn't find anything. My best experience was people trying to commission me before turning towards AI to cut the cost, sometimes they've let me know, other times they ghosted me. When I go for a walk in my city, I see AI art on store fronts...
So yeah... people still need and/or want art but they're either greedy or genuinely don't have the money, and replace artists... What's left to do?
It’s ridiculous at this point people want art but will pay for cheap recycled internet garbage like what 🫠
Hi CS major here. For a year and a half I've jobhunting straight out of Uni can't even find some "low skill" work. Zero confindence. I'm 27 for gods sake and live with my parents. I've given up on programming and have just started 2 months ago pursuing art with the intention of seriosuly getting good at it. I sortof wished I purusued an art degree because then I would at least have a useless degree in soemthing I enjoy. Cool channel btw.
I kind of feel the same way in the other direction. Maybe I should've stayed in STEM despite needing to work 3x harder to keep up, and probably wracking up more debt..I guess the grass is always greener lol. Good on you for starting art though, and the CS background will stick to something.
I feel for you, but you just picked another career highly impacted by automation. I'd go back to the drawing board with a different career path.
What kind of programming do you do?
@@CVRogers17 Not a carrer path. A hobby/passion. I need a "real" job. If an art career happens 5- 10 years down line. Cool. If not I still draw. Right now looking for adjacent roles (archivst, digitalization, maybe library work if I kind find one that doesn't require a library degree)
@@akj3344 I primarily studied web and app dev (JS and React). With electives in databases and a bit of backend tech like C# and node.js
I'm not a Concept Artist yet - but I work in IT as a Designer. Before my company had more designers and a marketing agency. Now I do do everything: Art Direction, Managing, UX/UI, wireframing, video edition, etc. I thought I was the only one - but I talk to my friends who also work in IT and they're experiencing similar things.
Do you get paid more for all these skills or not really?
@@flowerbloom5782 unfortunately not! but others in the same field are experiencing similar things
@@flowerbloom5782 Of course they don't. They just get told this is a temporary task, and then suddenly it is a permanent task. Now they do multiple jobs for the price of one.
One of my friends is working on an animation project which I'm voice acting in! I'll edit this post with the link as soon as its out here on RUclips. :3
Also, I got an ad about "AI will create new jobs in 2025" which is absolute bs cause thats a lie, its taking jobs not making them :/
AI gets even its own creators fired. I don’t believe a word when they say this thing “will create more jobs”. It’s just a pacifier argument to deflect our worries.
There are innovations in the past that did create new jobs, but there are also innovations that are just a pure loss. I’m seeing supermarkets replacing cashiers with self service machines. They are hiring less cashiers. There are not “more new jobs” being created. They just appointed one cashier at the machine area to help with the customers in case that they have problems using the machine.
The people who say new tech always create new jobs are only using selected evidences, which is no better than lies IMO
Omg noooooooo not a delulu ai ad 😭
I mean... technically they're right. You need a handful of people to develop and keep the ai running. Good handful of jobs. Ignore the tens of thousands and growing number of people it put out of work in the process. Fuck us, right? Lmfao.
It's so wild seeing American Salaries, here in the north of England 10 years ago when I graduated I had to a work a job for £17,000 about £20,000 if you match for inflation now. Which is like $24,000. My advice for a beginner would be push out for everything and have a portfolio with a really nice handful of well refined projects. Less is more as graduate especially proving you can do one thing really well.
I started in casino games and when i left my first job i helped pick a replacement candidate for my role and out of 200 applications I helped review we only had 3 women apply, which was kinda bad cause my job involved a lot of drawing and graphic design and more women have the Art education we were looking for. Look for a less desirable role and job hop if nothing better comes up, it's much easier to get a job if you're already working a job because employers definately view you as more valuable if you're in full-time employment already.
I wasn't even able to find an internship at a game studio for my last 6 months of education, which was meant for me to get experience. Because game studios only wanted to take interns if they are already looking for a new employee.
I’m glad someone is finally talking about this issue! It’s really difficult, here in the UK too, to find any illustration jobs. A few yearsfrom now, everyone’s probably going to be running their own businesses and living in camper vans, because they have no other choice. 😭😭
New sub here btw! ✨✨
If you find yourself regretting your art degree and wish you'd gone into something "practical" like IT, I've done that, and let me tell you: the grass is just as dead on the other side.You'd think everyone needs IT, but no one actually has an IT department anymore. It's all either a subscription cloud service, or serviced by the manufacturer, or outsourced to another company that'll be looking for someone with your particular stack of certs when hell freezes over.
Art Director in the game industry. 100% accurate. This girl gets it. Anyone wanting to get into games industry, learn on RUclips or skill share you don’t need a fancy degree, you need a kick ass portfolio.
I just wanted to give a disclaimer that most of the advice in this video is applicable to America only - in the UK paying off your student loan earlier hurts you in the long run - the debt is written off after 30 years - the more you earn the more they take off via taxes. There's no point paying it off in full - why would you when you can pay minimal amount based on your income and have it written off before you repaid it? (which means you will realistically pay back less than the debt was before it expires, that's a good deal). And to make it even better it's not about how much you borrowed (for example medical or legal schools are much longer than studying Games Art) but how much you earn annualy so a person earning 40k with a debt of 200k would pay back as much as someone with just basic undegrad which would be like 60k.
Oh dang I had no idea the UK was like that, I'm jealous :0
You have to remember most people hired in IT during hiring frenzy were just bad devs, etc, who skated through thanks to either easy online interviews or dei agendas.
I was hoping to get an entry job by November at least. It was probably very wishful thinking, but I still started Applying to jobs, even those that ask for more years of experience (in my college they suggested to do that just to put our stuff out there) Got rejected many times already, even for junior roles, so the depression hit so hard I’m redoing my entire animation reel. I’ve seen very great animators getting laid off tho, so now I’m also dealing with that hopelessness that comes from those news as well…..
I was wishful thinking I was gonna have a job a year ago 😭
@@stallout_art I really hope you find something soon. This is awful... 🥲
Ive had this RUclips channel since I was in middle school and I'm starting to get to a point where I think it's all I have left.
Concept artist? It's 2024 Visdev is the new art slave job. Also living in NYC I really don't think you need 100k for a single person or I wouldn't be alive. If anything I would say you'd need 60k for a single person and that's being generous- the rent prices are ridiculous - unless you're trying to live in the center of Manhattan the prices for a decent place is like $3k per month (which I would never pay- I pay wayy less for a lower quality of life honestly). Lastly Indeed is notoriously known for being flooded by bots and one employer told me that Indeed doesn't even show the employers your resume if you easy apply. I usually do not like black pilling content because you can find 1000 examples of anything you want on the internet, but you showed the logic of why art jobs are going the way they are, they hired too much during covid and was betting on an upward trend only to be bought back to reality when their bets didn't pull through. It's rough for most every industry out there and it's quite worrying.
Honestly this felt like a breadth of fresh air for me. It’s an unpleasant reality but at least we are being honest about the situation rather than having some hustle “self made” snake oil salesman telling me that I should try harder or buy their course. I honestly felt behind but seeing everyone understand the struggle of chasing art feels like I’m not alone. Though I’m in the “fuck it we ball” mentality. I am lucky to have support so I can work on my stories.
western company like to outsource to third world country as well, like im a storyboard artist based in Thailand, the rate here is around $1000 - $1500 per month, a lot cheaper with similar quality
maybe I can move to asia and work online for companies that wanna pay less
I got accepted into university a few months ago, for a bachelor of fine arts degree, but i have been waiting since i start in January. And now all this ai stuff is getting so bad, and i dont even know what i should do. If i spend the 4 years to get it, by then there wont be a need for artists. I feel so screwed
Don't go, I graduated during the actors and writers strike and AI it suuuucks, if I had the money to redo it I wouldn't do art
Take it from me. Do NOT study art. Run like hell. You will be broke and straddle in debt. Please please please. I was a fine art major at a university and they were teaching us how to put tape on the walls (installation art) and I was like… oh my god… i’m going to be broke after school. Dropped out and study Information Technology and guess what? Now I’m employed in my field.
@ I have already paid for this semester, I feel like its a bit too late. My grades in school werent so good, and my only talent really is just art. Thats why i feel so stuck
@@azaritheraptorI had an issue with that. I’m a graphic design major, but when I realized how bad the job market was for it, I realized I had to find something else. Seeing art is almost anything is what helped me settle on auto collision. It’s just fixing the body of cars and painting them. Basically still Art in 3D, and a secure job. You can always do art on the side as a side job! Don’t let this current situation kill your creativity!
Did the computer stop people being drawing? While ai will reduce the amount of digital artists... people who niche down and hone their craft will always be needed. Ai and digital media in a way makes people who use traditional media more sought after. Why do you think people are moving back to film in photography?
Many games didn't sell against money borrowed/invested which led to various studio closures. It's not fair, but normal cycle of business. From a more personal perspective, there's just too many artists for the little to no job placements available. AI generated images are an extension of content production for various socials, so users can scroll longer; and, be advertised to more. Real artist or not, we're are just producing free content for media conglomerates. Maybe it's time to stop(?).
Half of those issues are US only, yes the whole world is struggling, but the majority of the world doesn't have student loans in their mind. For those the only recommendation is to leave your country, yes it sucks, but complaining wont do anything, the people in charge wont care until it starts affecting them
For concept artists in games, unfortunately the market is filled, you either go indie and self-employed or you need to stand out in some way, in both cases it means working at home, if it's company work that you truly want try to understand what companies are looking for and create portfolio that shows that. I know, it's sad and depressing but the alternative of doing nothing and hoping for the best is not realistic, it doesn't matter if it's not fair either, you can only control yourself, so you need to dedicate to what you want or like, having a youtube channel is not a bad idea but there's a chance it will divide your attention and focus.
I hope everything works out for you
My delulu is telling me europe is better and I‘m totally fine with moving to any country in europe for a job. Thanks to EU passport I dont even need any visa to work as long as its EU 🙏
@@PinkSmiiley well, you mileage may vary between european countries but for the vast majority you wouldn't be worried about student loans and healthcare, those are already big mental drains besides the financial one, but generally speaking, work culture is a lot better as well, you have mandatory vacations days that you can take and for the most part people don't expect you to do overtime, specially not unpaid one, so if you need a temporary job while you work in portfolio it's still doable, not easy, but doable. You always need perseverance.
Sadly we are living some rough times and its not gonna get better anytime soon, As someone who went trough the pain of being laid off I can tell you that is only gonna get worst, at some point I wanted to go for a job that relates to art but seeing how AI is disrupting the field I decided not to pursue art as my career job, but I still do it on the side because I love it, I am currently working as a courier cause there was no other better job out there at the moment, and bills don't wait, I am thinking of going back to school to learn a trade and I advice others to do so as well, if I was young again I would learn something that I like that I can do with my hands and that cant be replaced by AI, there are some good trades out there that make plenty of $$$ and will not be touched by AI, if you think things are bad in the current market, let me tell you that it is just the beginning , the job market is gonna get so bad that the government and elites are already talking about an Universal basic income, they probably know something we don't.
Tbh I’m thinking of becoming a dental hygienist at this point 🫠
I feel bad for all of you. I’m myself an artist too but I also have neuro divergent. Currently I can live on money from the government still but I don’t know how long it will take before they take this away and I’m really need to look for an art job. I don’t know how long to do anymore. I’m scared f capitalist.
Best you start moving to look for a job, any job to pay bills cause any disability money will one day be stopped by government. It's going that way in future.
Yeah… that’s why I’m mostly spending most of my time trying to become a freelancer teaching myself how to do everything and working as hard as I can. I definitely regret becoming an illustrator but then again as you said it’s everything…
Everywhere is cooked, no one is hireing, anywhere
tough times usually make for great art
Amen brother
Yup, as a veteran and a millennial, I've noticed that too. It's pretty harsh for everyone. I've developed a lot of useless skills during my life, so I'll try solo game dev for simple and cheap games to see if I make some money (I've seen horrible zombie games with half-naked girls selling more than 1K units. So... why not?). I'm a comic book artist and have been one for almost 20 years, but my dumb hobbies were game dev and animation. I regret not having had "business" or "administration" as my hobbies XD
Previous generations said Gen Z is slow and lazy. I say to the previous generations, including mine, a big "shut the f*ck up". Things are getting crazier and just because they could retire before the whole place is screwed, they mock everybody.
12:18 Oh no! Don't think like that. Many experienced people lose out on jobs to newcomers because of style compatibility. If your work is more compatible with the company's style, you'll have a much better chance. One of the first things I noticed in this industry is that compatibility is favored way more than pure quality. Don't worry. Just do what the company wants, the way they want it.
Agreed! Starting your own project is better than expecting someone to rescue us creatives.
Keep in mind those games sell for cheap. You won't get anywhere making them unless you live in a place like India.
Yeah older generations be buggin ain’t no way we will be able to afford a house by the time we are 40 that’s like a pipe dream now 😭
@@Reverie_Blaze So it's perfect for me. I'm based in a third-world country and work remotely XD
I finished college literally this few months ago and im honestly devasted , my teacher said to just apply to any level at this point and hope . Rise of Ai is honestly caused me to struggle and worry a lot WHICH DOESNT HELP MY THERAPY AT All, im trying my best still though maybe some employers arent braindead.. and i hope in indie market aswell
100 applicants ain’t that much for what it’s worth. Having hired for professional roles throughout the years, tons of unqualified people apply for roles they have no chance of getting.
Degree is meaningless, but they say to go back to school. They say there’s no discrimination, but, there is. They say you need more experience,but have too much. 2008 anyone? Welcome aboard.
lived happily in nyc for the past decade on less than 30k a year - most years closer to 20k, some years less than that.
I listened to a podcast of art professionals from the game and animation industry, and yes, they pretty much said the same thing. For the most part, they are terrified a bit since it will take time to get better chances of survival, but they are optimistic, as ai most likely cannot reproduce actual quality. It looks soulless, marketing garbage and I at least hope that the general public will not give so much a crap about it. That it will just be a plastic cheap product for the cheapest of people who take their kids to movies or give them ipads to watch any crap it gives them. The general public that wants to spend their time watching something with story, soul and art, will give a bit more thought to what they will give time and money to. So we need to rise up, make our own indie companies, and put those shitty directors in garbage where they belong. They are greedy af, to layoff true artists in order to make ai slop. In my opinion, Wish from disney was already partially what happens with that decision.
Amen to that 😤
My art teacher in high school was just let go of because I suppose my school is cutting cost, but it’s just really disappointing. I’m almost done highschool, but I am going into STEM and I am really disappointed since I feel like the art market is getting really really small.
instead of "looking for a job in art", start "looking for a project to start"
find a story (one in the open domain) and draw that story, sell it to a publisher, boom, you "got a job"
ez
Im doing that, not so easy
@@futurethewolf5624 or do like the koreans/asians and publish it yourself behind a paywall, releasing a chapter every few weeks till that series is done.
depending on the story and how you illustrate it, you can either "make it" or not
but the dirty secret behind making it big isn't talent or quality, "it's who you know", nepotism is the ultimate driving force in any industry, art is no exception, that's why everyone is related to everyone else at the top (there are no coincidences), thats why making connections (and being on their good side) is the key to success.
so you can either make connections (but you'll be forever at the mercy of those who put you there) or, like sisyphus, you can crawl slowly to the top, never reaching, but at least maybe earning enough to feed yourself (my option)
Just a response to some points made around 19:25. Payroll taxes go into funding social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, programs that most Americans will need when they reach retirement. It’s a kind of pay it forward idea where we pay now for those in front of us and those after us will pay for us. They have been essential in helping to alleviate poverty in seniors which was a big problem in the mid 1900’s. If those taxes were abolished an employer would never pass those savings on to employees, they would pocket those savings themselves, or in the case of large corporations , pass them onto shareholders. If payroll taxes were abolished it would only line the pocket a of the already well off, while not giving any wage increases to labour but leaving them in a more precarious position in older age. What this generation is also struggling from is mass conglomeration. Mergers, big time. In this age of few very large corporations, employers are no longer forced to compete with each other for workers, further pushing down wages. Don’t let anyone gaslight you into believing cutting business axes helps anyone but capital ownership. The struggle is real, there needs to be an organised push back along class lines against capital greed. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Nice video. 👍🏾
I think people should just give up on art as a job unless you plan on working on games or something, idky people would want to work as an artist anyway, making your passion a job almost always just makes you hate something you like, get a normal job, and have your fun in your free time
Fair😢that's what I have been saying
I definitely like the last bit of advice. DIY might be the most promising future
Unfortunately this is not a passing situation, this is the endgame of a system designed to enrich and protect a very small number of people.
There are a few things the average person can do, get out of any expensive areas, do not take on any ongoing debt that assumes stability in a long term income, form a community with capable friends. The system will change but only when people with nothing to lose, lose it. You don't want to be one of those people.
You know who needs more people? The military.
You might hate it but get your 4 years and you get access to the gi bill to help pay off those loans.
Its just an ai boom. Once they realize ai art is lifeless and not near what a graphic artist can do theyll stop using it
That and when more regulations hit, it’ll all balance out.
Yeah. For some reason, I have this feeling too
Were the parents right when they said geta real job? 😢cause believing that the AI bloom will burst soon would be a lie, I just graduated and I am applying for medicine cause for me at this point. Art will just be for business 😮
Guys, you sound like boomers dismissing computers as the new fad. The situation sucks, but AI art is NOT going anywhere. Right now is the WORST AI art will ever be, it will only improve from here. Don't stick your heads in the sand. This is the new paradigm
@@PocketBroccoliregulations will not save you. No regulation applies to the world. Any regulations made in a country will be useless as nothing is stopping other countries from leveraging non regulated AI to the fullest. Every nation will be scared to be left behind. DONT wait for regulations
You know what's weird? During the 2009 to 2012 recession the video game industry was popping off. Yes we lost some companies like THQ, but games were still coming out left and right. Sony alone made/published more games in 2011 than in the last four years combined.
The solution isn't it to make your own indie game team then ? If big studios are not hiring under senior level, do your own studio, at least you'll be poor doing what you like instead of being just poor right ? If old ones can't maintain a working society anymore, let's make our own and change the way people are traited at their job and during their carrreer. It's pesonnally my dream project (aside from changing the economy of attention in entertainement)
Exactly my thought process boss if you’re poor no matter what, better to be poor building your dream than sitting on your hands doing squat 🫡
I've been stagnant in trying to show off my art to at least attempt commissions on the side. I'm thinking my brain is too comfortable and i need to 'burn the bridge' by quiting my day job, so the urgency will trigger me out what could be laziness, depression or executive dysfunction. Might be a combination of all 3. Lol
But im scared if i would end up more miserable than working my usual day job.
Don’t quit your day job, wait til you make the same amount of money doing commissions before you quit especially in this economy 🫠
I've seen that at the moment, freelance positions are more common (for reasons you described.) It can be a good idea to try freelance if you need the experience, have a strong portfolio but can't get into a studio. Sadly though, it still has the competition problem...ack
ABSOLUTELY right about debt. A lot of artists get suckered into an art school that they can't afford and learn skills they could easily attain freely (or much more cheaply) online. Speaking from experience here lol. Loved my time in art school and use those skills today, but I know many of my colleagues who wasted time and money there.
Indie is the way to go! Content creation, freelance and small studios is the new creative field where "made without AI" is the new "certified fresh" label for content. All the BEST games that people rave over now are AA or made by a team of 1-3 people. The demand for art is there, it's just not in the AAA.
I suffered through GDC from 2015-2019 and I can say that even before covid and AI the art side of the game industry was cutthroat. Politics, drama, elitism and as you mentioned, the push for foreign outsourcing were all the rage in the AAA studios, and in-house artists there were considered completely replaceable. And as far as work-life balance lol, not really a thing in the AAA.
I'll also say what many may be afraid to admit, but the NSFW field and anime and furry fandoms are absolutely worth looking into if you have the stomach for it lol. It's not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but I've never had a bad furry client. They have a huge respect for creativity and artists, pay relative well and always on time. Also almost every industry artist I know has worked with the furries at some point in time. There are many downsides, but overall I would say that NSFW and furry art is a cleaner and more honest business than AAA studios now, with more demand for artists and longer term security against things like AI/automation. But I'm obviously biased as that career path has worked out pretty well for me. It still takes years to establish yourself in a fandom. And it still takes a ton of time to develop a business plan and mindset (hugely important), positive reputation and more importantly skill. Its a slow start for any beginner artist. I personally started taking commissions for 10$ an hour 15 years ago.
And when it comes to supply/demand - fandom artists are in huge demand, where as you mentioned, Studios have so many to pick from and rarely need to hire for entry-level.
Cons are a great way to network and get some income, Crowdfunding can work out well if you've established a reputation, and things like vtubing/streaming/youtube are the best nowadays. Like you said, this is (in a way) the best time to be an independent artist so long as you don't fall into a debt hole.
As for buying a house... I mean that's kind of impossible no matter how hard you work now when it comes to the cities. The only thing I can think of is to work remotely and find a really cheap area to live in which was what I did. It's not as hard as you might think but working remotely has it's downsides as well, mostly social like being far from family.
Great video, really touched on a LOT of the anxiety around the games and film industry right now for artists.
I had to scroll super far down to see this but it was worth it thank you for sharing your opinion and insight
Yeah I’m about ready to throw in the towel and just work at Walmart or something. If I can even manage to land that either.
My degree I worked my ass off for is worthless now
Same here boss 🫠
Yes it is hard, BUT, you also need to consider your own Skills. I feel like a lot of artists aren’t even at Junior Level, and I can even say for myself that I need a looot of improvement,so thats also why artists arent being hired. I looked at your art/portfolio and I would say that your foundamentals aren‘t strong enough yet to be considered junior level. Great art at first glance ! but there‘s an underlying fundamentals problem, especially when it comes to understanding 3D shapes, materials and anatomy, same face syndrome, and there‘s a lot of stiffness in your characters, each shape feels like its being „rushed“ to paint rather than to understand what you are really painting (I know its tough to understand everything). Again I‘m really not saying this to be rude, but I am also aware that at my level, I wont be as likely to be choosen because art directors can spot this kind of stuff immediately, and they need someone who got atleast solid fundamentals, after foundation follows design understanding, and for your stuff, I feel like the designs are cool but again, doesnt really matter if the execution isnt there yet. I just recently heard a big artist say, its better to improve and work on your fundamentals first, and actually really understand it (gonna take a while, we might be talking years) and then you can build a portfolio, rather than to have to renew that portfolio all over again. I know you can still do it and shoot your shot, but don‘t be too surprised if you wont be hired. Wishing you and everyone else all the luck tho, the more we learn the more we realize how much there is to learn, lol xp
Makes sense cause my friends that were hired at junior level last year were a similar skill level and after getting laid off are also struggling to find a job too. I guess we all gotta become senior level otherwise nobody gonna hire us for a junior position at this point .-.
people are too afraid and too comfortable to stop the economy by simply not working.
Hey Janelle, just discovering your content for the first time. Really excellent analysis and some really great stuff. Let me know if you’d like to do a video where your followers can ask an Art Director (Over 25 years exp) in the games industry their burning questions.
this video refreshes my soul
THIS CANNOT STAND!!!!!!
It would be cool if a bunch of laid off art people got together and made there own lil indie company but that would take a lot of time/money
Further evidence that the youth of this generation will have to overthrow the oligarchs. Luigi and UHC CEO were just the first.
If employers were not taxed for their employees… you might technically be “paid more money”…. but not really. Because then you have to pay all the taxes yourself as an independent contractor. If you get $20k more but also have to pay $20k more in taxes…there is no improvement.
I’ve been thinking about just entering the cyber security industry to make that bag so I can go indie for animation🤭
I think the way forward for Artists that want to live off their own work is to build an Audience and offer some Product they can sell (like comics, games, animation or something). Because "Getting hired to work at a Studio" will soon go the way of the Dodo as all this new Tech improves. "I'm gonna go work at Dreamworks" is not gonna be a thing anymore.
It’s def lookin like that will end up being the strat 🫠
Yeah we’re cooked, time to become content creators 😭
I dunno boss I saw a video of creators quitting to normal 9-5 😭
Ai art is a joke tbh. Trying to replaced human creativity not gonna work.
fr it’s like people wanna be basic using ai 💀
machine learning & greed
I'm in Louisiana. Here it feels like the art job market doesn't even exist. I gotta go indie, and you don't need a BA degree to go indie. Plus, it can go into a portfolio should any company want to take me in for a project.
At first when the synthetic fabrics were invented humans went completely bananas about it, everyone wanted to have the synthetic clothing. Nowadays same people are willing to pay 10 times the price, if not more, for natural fiber garment. I think it will be the same with "AI" generated images. Unfortunately we were unlucky to exist in "I want synthetic" times peak.
Theres plenty of jobs laying bricks. gotta wake up at 330 am tho
Only men can really do that or want those jobs. Untill some miserable gits replace them with robots of course
@@potoo6122 What happened to women can do everything a man can do? But I'm waiting on these robots to take over so I can focus on my art.
This is why my sons will be push to study a stem subject.
Been working on my comic since last year "Kenny the Curse" on webtoon and other places. Been out of work for a long time now... however, I'm getting the boot out of my place soon, so... there's that. :D Wish me luck on that job or my comic magically does amazing
I just checked out your comic, it's actually really interesting! I'll be following its development from now on, I hope you keep it up! :)
@@araara5901 Oh I will! It's my baby! Thanks for checking it out :'D
THIS WILL NOT STAND!!!!!
Aa weird as this sounds I see opportunity with all this though. Because everything is so terrible in the industry which is going to collapse in on itself at this rate, but because of that it gives smaller teams and artists a chance to go indie and outmaneuver the corpos. I know thats not a perfect solution but when they cut out actual artists in favor of AI eventually that AI is going to backfire when everything starts looking samey and they will need artists again.
💯 gotta be positive and working with a small team building your dreams is def the way to go 💪😎
For me animation is just contracts and gigs now, no jobs are hiring. I was working at a Studio but then got laid off. Now working as a babysitter with some retail work and looking into either teaching or being a daycare worker. I don’t plan this to be permanent. I’m trying to see if I can pivot into other careers that makes more income while working these jobs temporarily. I’m also considering making animation or art content online to not lose my creative side. And yes I have an animation degree (learned mostly 3D animation) just when AI took over so yeah it sucks… Oh yeah and I’ve considered learning to code online but even then I’m not sure about that since I know tech jobs are affected too. It sucks, I like animation/3D art, coding is pretty cool, been learning different languages like Japanese but they can all be affected by AI potentially. So I’m just thinking of what are other potential careers I can do that I will enjoy but also makes a decent income. It’s pretty rough mainly for jobs that can be done on the computer but affected by AI. I guess in a way physical jobs has become more reliable? Like blue collar jobs? Still thinking on it.
So I got to the end of the video, sorry if my comment is long. I’d say my dream project would be a mix of slice of life, comedy, maybe throw in some action scenes to spice it up, 3D animation if possible. I’ve really enjoyed SpyXFamily, Beastars, Aggretsuko, Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, and of course I loved Glitch’s series The Amazing Digital Circus. Maybe I’ll start an indie animation series? 😂
So inspirational 😭
Got an art degree just to be jobless 🎉
Ayo! Welcome to the club boss! 😎
I’m building a online store for indie creatives
AI trash is the reason gunning for every job!
My Future is doomed. 😢
This inspire me to make my own brand than to work for a company.
at lease I'll reap all benefit from my blood swear and tears
I speak two languages and always aspired to be an illustrator. Might just hang up my pen tablet and go scrub dishes somewhere for fuck all money. There's no hope right now.
I got lucky and am grateful for the job I have.
As a 2024 graduated game artist I feel awful.. I spend over 4 years learning all for it to be replaced by AI 💔 I’ve been looking for a job for so many months! My life long dream is gone..
It’s been 2 years for me boss 😭😭
@ 😔 Damn that really sucks.. what are your plans for the future?
Uh.... the art job market has been cooked for like a century and a half now... You should look at what happened to portrait painters after the photograph was invented... 150 years ago give or take. The whole market has been little boom and bust markets that don't last more than ten years since then... and now they don't even last a year. We were already well-done and then A.I. just walked in and turned on the furnace to make sure we were cremated.
I have an art education degree and I graduated in 2016 for context. The concept of the starving artist is an ancient tale as old as time.
They found so ething else. Provlem with this a.i shit is they wnat to replace people's capacity to think to.
I got hired in a game dev company and got a contract for a AAA franchise. I don't even have experience in the industry. I think it's not all doom and gloom, the industry is bouncing back.
You misread the job description for Digital Graphic Designer. They listed the designs and graphics they need in different areas not that you would be handling those areas.
Whoopsie lol proof I ain’t blonde for nothin 😎
I started a RUclips channel and am currently illustrating my own picture book. Plus I got myself a Patreon account and selling custom brushes for Krita. We will make it somehow 🙂
Let’s gooooo RUclips gang gangggggg 😎🔥🔥
1k jobs withougt focus u dont know what u want to work with. Most i applied was 350 my first year. If you can cut down and focus on 40 jobs instead u penertate deeper into a hireing organisations.
Your money belongs to Ukraine ,Taiwan, Syria, Irak, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Etc. That is the reason why you pay so many taxes. The American war of independence started for so many taxes from the crown, now in 2024 it is the federal government who takes your money and life.
Preach brother 😭
Your best bet from now is to go indie. If that doesn't work at some point I'll just get a wage slave job while I do indie lol
lmao bet 🤝
One asks the question. If these greedy prats replace artists with a.i then all thier shit is going to start looking the same. Saw someone with a a.i generated tshirt the other day, ot looked like shit, had errors in it. The shit being done is so generic that it begs the question. If these creative industries are not doing anything then what arre they doing? They are not providing a service.