<p>Well I did get paid much better setting up stages than I ever did as an artist. The trend I also see is more emphasis is on animation right now but artist/engineers are needed as well over the amount of people who entered production and studies. After looking at Ohlone’s flexible certificates I’m actually thinking of switching to there and do one or two of their certificates. I’m finishing up a photography degree at the college I’m at which helped me a lot in numerous useful scientific ways with additional artsy visual literacy and archiving/presentation knowledge. I’ve actually been in school full time 10 of the past 12 years and prior to that did a few years. The skill and set of classes I posted also transfer right over into becoming a Museum Technician. I realize theater or on location stage design is different from exhibit design but share many of the same principles.
Museums and media/entertainment companies like that I’m a ALA certified Library Technician and my Masters is going to be UCLA’s Film Librarian/Archivist program. I already identify, properly handle, preserve, archive, digitize, and do acquisition and cataloging of books, photos of all kind including earth and space, film stocks of all kinds, sound and video files. I can also do advanced earth and anthropological/archeological surveying and do the same with rocks, bones, trees, biological, urban planning, soils etc. so wouldn’t mind working in a Natural History Museum(of Anthropology) Library or Dept. of Interior and do 3D moldings/tourist exhibitions. </p>
<p>I’m hoping to do my Exhibit Design this winter but ultimately want to get a Museum Management certificate towards Curatorship. Management in general is boring to me so I’d much rather be a working independent artist. A Museum Tech with can make 5-6 and with welding and woodworking up to 8 grand a month full time. I wish I had done earlier on but should have taken some Interior (or even Stage!) Design classes since had done a lil on some sets and really liked it. I remember when I did riggin when I was younger I easily made 25-28 an hour and eventually 30-70 an hour. I still think it would be so cool to be the moving lights operator though even though isn’t my calling. I don’t care if people try and put down my pursuits but I do what I like and need to be constantly creating or learning something. These days the large entertainment corporations, the military, and the government pay me much better than any doctor or lawyer does.</p>