<p>Hello everyone,
This summer I attended RISD's precollege program to see if I really do want to go to art school and I discovered that I do! Now that my parents are disappointed that their theory of me going to RISD and realizing that I hate it failed, I have to convince them that there are jobs out there and that I will have a job when I graduate since they arent too keen on spending 140ish thousand dollars on an education there (which I dont blame them.. expensive!).
At the moment Im saying that I will probably major in illustration. Who knows what could happen from the time being and the time where I pick my major but if I could get some examples of work that I could do with that major that would be stupendous. I know that you can do freelance for book covers/cds/etc but are there any other specific examples of things I can do with an illustration degree.
Another question- if I wanted to get into art direction what major would I choose? My friends grandma was an art director for movies and even won an academy award for memoirs of a geisha and hearing the things she did sounds very appealing to me. If anyone has more information on what different kinds of things art directors do, how to get into the field, or any other specifics, it would be very helpful!
thanks! -kayla-</p>
<p>i'm interested in this too</p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.artdirectors.org%5B/url%5D">www.artdirectors.org</a>, that is the website for the art directors guild. To be an art director in the film industry, you should be in the guild. Contact them and they will advise how to become qualified and they are usually pretty open about chatting with potential candidates. My husband is a motion picture costumer in local 706 ----he never went to school for costuming, but studied acting (go figure).</p>
<p>I just read my post and I need to clarify. Im not suggesting that you join the guild now. But they will advise on what skills you need to aquire in college in order to join the guild. Illustration is one of these skills, I would recommend The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Ca. They are geared to training career oriented students.</p>
<p>again with another add-on! Art Center does have an undergraduate degree
program in "Entertainment Design". ie art direction. And they are really respected in the film community.</p>
<p>You don't really train to art direct, you train as an artist in the discipline you eventually want to be a director in (theatre/film production, graphic design, etc.), and work really hard to move up to an art director position. A business minor probably wouldn't hurt in your quest to advance to managerial positions, though.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses so far. I checked out that site and it is very informative. </p>
<p>Would going to a school like Art Center that specializes in that kind of field be better than going to a school like RISD (which is where I really want to go) or is it all just a matter of studying what you wish and then heading in that direction? </p>
<p>any other job examples people could inform me about too? :D</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Well its in Pasadena. Only a fifteen minute drive to Warner Brothers and Disney studios. A thiry minute drive to Universal. Thirty five to Paramount
......the list goes on. Its a company town. Your teachers and fellow students are more likely to have real connections to the film industry.</p>
<p>go to RISD.... it's incredible, and incredible people go there (haha like me)... but anyways... It seems like you are not completely clear about what type of art you intend to pursue, so it might not be the best idea to specialize just yet. Go somewhere where you can experience illustration, and FAV, everthing, etc... As for job opportunities, look at the Occupational Outlook Handbook online (<a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/)%5B/url%5D">http://www.bls.gov/oco/)</a>. Search for a particular occupation, and it tells you everything there is to know about that job, from the training you will need and the potential for growth in that field to the working conditions and salary you should expect. That site really helped me convince my parents that I actually could get a job with an art degree. If you do end up at RISD (or if you are visiting or nearby) take your parents to the career services building, where all the internships are arranged, etc... and they will explain all the possibilities to your parents. Hey, they might even convince them that you won't be a starving artist all your life.</p>
<p>this is NOT going to help you (sorry) but I would like to know what you most enjoyed about the pre-college experience there. My son is really into metalworking - silversmithing etc - do you know how the students into that form of art appreciated their summer? Any tips would be appreciated!
In term of life's questions...follow your skills because there are an awful lot of computer programmers out there...</p>
<p>thanks everyone! esp for that site.</p>
<p>to the above poster: I honestly cant say just one thing I like most about the precollege program. I enjoyed every bit of it even though at times I thought I was going over the edge because of lack of sleep. For one, the teachers were extremely extremely supportive. I was lucky to have a man named Michael Townsend who honestly cared about each students work and did anything for anyone whenever they needed it, whether it was getting supplies they needed, or helping them at 3 am if they were stuck in a rut. The projects were insane and helped me think in a completely different way compared to my high school art class where they jsut say "draw a still life", "do a self portrait" etc. I knew of a few who were in jewelry which I guess is the closest to metalsmithing unless youre thinking sculpture. I cant say that I really knew them that well but I didnt hear anything bad about it. I would highly suggest sending your son there. Beyond the extent at which I learned and improved I also had the time of my life.
For the first time I feel like I met people who are actually like me and who I will probably be friends with for the rest of my life. Providence is also beautiful and fun and everything else was amazing too. Lotttttttttts of work but Im sure your son would highly benefit from it and would have the best summer of his life as well. </p>
<p>au revoir</p>
<p>thank you so much for your reply. It sounds like it was an amazing life-changing experience for you. I really don't think it is possible to study XYZ and expect to get a career if it doesn't mean anything to you. So hopefully by working at your art and showing your devotion, your parents will come around to supporting you...after all even the standard 'careers' can be full of difficulty and stresses of their own! best regards and au revoir back to you</p>
<p>hahaha kayla....its ryan...from townsends class...pomeranian rap....wow. lol.</p>
<p>haha what the **** are you doing ehre? I got the pomeranian rap! its quite excellent and the first time I listened to it my mom walked in and was like "what the hell is this???!" lol anyways howve you been? Ive been missing risd like hell. ill ttyl</p>
<p>ps: two things you might appreciate:</p>
<p>ahahahha wow. my guidance counselor told me to look at colleges last year (even though im going to be a junior) so here i am i guess. i found this a couple weeks before i went to risd. im not looking at art schools but i figured theres so many people on this place that someone in the art section HAD to have gone to pre-college. i saw your post and was going to ask you what mjaor and stuff until i read "townsend's class" and then saw your name. wow thats really weird.</p>
<p>whoa you're going to be a junior?? never would have guessed hah but good luck. I thnk I nearly died my junior year. but eh you survived precollege. and yeah this is kind of creepy. small world.</p>
<p>you have a facebook/myspace?</p>
<p>no i dont :( il prolly end up making a facebook this year but i dont really know</p>
<p>haha yea youll succumb to the facebook. I jsut got it, but gave into myspace a few months ago. Comes in handy for talking to risd kids though.</p>