Internship as a CGarchitecht in the US (or elsewhere)

[kid606]

Hello,

 

I'm 26 years old and currently studying graphic design in Copenhagen, Denmark. My school allows and encourages internships and exchange programs abroad.

 

I'm looking for information on the feasabilty of interning at an architectural vizualisation shop in the US, preferably in a city like nyc, boston, chicago, los angeles, or san fransisco. I have many questions regarding this dream.

 

Before attending school I worked for 3½ years as a web/flash designer for a large international ad agency in copenhagen so I know alot of tools like the back of my hand.

 

I'm faced with the classic problem of not really having any projects to show that relate to CG viz, even though I have a lot of technical knowledge of 3dsmax, mental ray, network rendering etc. etc. My weak point is probably modelling (lack of sitting down and forcing myself to do own projects).

 

Anyway, just some questions:

 

1) Are there dedicated CG viz shops out there, please name some that might be interesting to me.

 

2) Do I need a kick ass CG viz project to get an internship or will my general portfolio do, (assuming its good of course).

 

I will add more questions as I think of them, feel free to shoot any comments my way.

 

Thanks in advance.

[notamondayfan]

im in the same shoes as you m8! ive been advised by tutors and professionals in the field to get a kick arse portfolio toghether before approaching compaines. im working thro as many tutorials and projects as i can manage. jus google tutorials. do the ones that seem wierd and funky, as i find them fun, and you also get to know loads of parts of programs that u neva knew exisited!!

[Christopher Nichols]

Why come to the US? There is a much better chance of better architecture in Europe (especially in scandinavia) than in the US. I would hate for you to come to the states and end up making renders of ugly spec office buildings.

[kid606]

Those are both good points. I guess there is no way around doing a couple of really cool projects for myself. It's just so hard to follow through on a strictly personal project as I will likely have to do it outside of school, they don't really offer any CG courses like that, so a lot of the stuff is like distractions from what I really want to do.

 

The point about architecture in the US may also be valid, though that choice of destination was more based on the experience than anything else.

 

Hmm. The solution is work work and more hard work it seems.

[Ernest Burden III]

I would hate for you to come to the states and end up making renders of ugly spec office buildings.

 

What else is there?

 

 

There is nothing special about US CG firms. However, there is something special about the US (and Spain, Brazil, Japan, etc.). There is more to education than just what you learn in the class or within an internship. There are social skills that apply to business, connections in the business field, general life experiences, etc. that contribute to who you are and who you will be once you're done being who you are. Take those things into account when looking for a location to apply for an internship.

 

And do not think you have to have a killer portfolio to land an internship. The whole point is "I am here to learn", not "I am already a skilled professional". Yes, show that you have taken on difficult projects and produced good results, show that you work hard, etc. But you are not looking for a production job or to be the competition of the firm you apply to. Simple pieces well done say at least as much as complex pieces--which may reveal more about what you can't do than what you can.

 

Also bear in mind that the US cities you mentioned (a good list, by the way) are very expensive to live in. Internships will pay very little, so somebody will be pulling a lot of money out of pocket to cover living expenses.

[Ricardo Eloy]

Also bear in mind that the US cities you mentioned (a good list, by the way) are very expensive to live in. Internships will pay very little, so somebody will be pulling a lot of money out of pocket to cover living expenses.

Tell me about it. I lived for about a year in San Francisco, working as an intern for MCG Architects. The experience was great (although all I did was drafting Safeway stores), but hell expensive. Rent, food (a chocolate bar for lunch everyday and a Ben and Jerry's cone occasionally), transportation... by the end of the month, all the luxury I could afford was a slice of pizza near Union Square.

Also, you would need a company that really cares about their interns, so you won't simply waste your time and money learning nothing (or learning that all they do there is done anywhere). My 2 cents