Switch from Animation to ArchiVis in South Africa

[byder]

Hey All,

 

So I am hoping to appeal to all the SA board members and get thier thoughts and input, but if you have anything.... pls throw it in!!

 

I currently work in 3D Animation, having had 2 years experience in the 3D Gaming industry before moving back to animation a few months ago! However I am beginning to realise that I am more prone to a technical point of view over the overly creative one. So I will spend more time making sure something is functional in 3D instead of just 'making it look good' or 'making it just work' etc!

 

With Modelling, Lighting & Rendering being my main passions I have begun thinking that maybe ArchiVis is the way to go! Its technical, logical, and has that spot of creativity in it, just to keep the creative side happy.

 

So I suppose my question is.. is it worth it?! What are the odds of finding a job, or finding freelance work?! What would be invoved in swapping over from Animation to ArchiVis (coz lots of people advertise some CAD experience, etc) Is it in big enough demand to be a viable form of income?!

 

Anyway, I would love to hear everyones thoughts, and maybe even make some contacts in ArchiVis in South Africa!

 

Thanx

 

C

[innerdream]

Hey All,

 

So I am hoping to appeal to all the SA board members and get thier thoughts and input, but if you have anything.... pls throw it in!!

 

I currently work in 3D Animation, having had 2 years experience in the 3D Gaming industry before moving back to animation a few months ago! However I am beginning to realise that I am more prone to a technical point of view over the overly creative one. So I will spend more time making sure something is functional in 3D instead of just 'making it look good' or 'making it just work' etc!

 

With Modelling, Lighting & Rendering being my main passions I have begun thinking that maybe ArchiVis is the way to go! Its technical, logical, and has that spot of creativity in it, just to keep the creative side happy.

 

So I suppose my question is.. is it worth it?! What are the odds of finding a job, or finding freelance work?! What would be invoved in swapping over from Animation to ArchiVis (coz lots of people advertise some CAD experience, etc) Is it in big enough demand to be a viable form of income?!

 

Anyway, I would love to hear everyones thoughts, and maybe even make some contacts in ArchiVis in South Africa!

 

Thanx

 

C

 

Bwahahahahaha! Sorry, I lost myself for a second. This is the worst possible thing you could consider at the moment. Do a search here and read up on pricing, especially from India and China. If you leave the Game industry for Architecture you deserve what you get.

[free agent]

i would say only consider it if you have a interest in architecture and design, otherwise the "excitement" of the gaming industry would call you back...

[Koper]

Bwahahahahaha! Sorry, I lost myself for a second. This is the worst possible thing you could consider at the moment. Do a search here and read up on pricing, especially from India and China. If you leave the Game industry for Architecture you deserve what you get.

 

From an American viewpoint that is true. But from a South African viewpoint maybe not so imo. When I visited sunny SA in march this year, after being away for two and a half years, I realized there was a very big boom in the development sector. the whole place (Gauteng) looked very different, and that just in over 2 years.

 

Ok yes, with this credit crisis it might become a bit slower but then again, South Africa are hosting ALLOT of international sporting events this year and then the FIFA world cup next year, which should keep the market a bit more stable.

[Horhe]

Well sure it is advisable to move into the vis and arch industry, diversification never hurt anyone. It is always good to have choices and be able to provide a wider range of services. So dont drop what you are doing now, but expand into the vis industry if you like. My 5 c.

[innerdream]

From an American viewpoint that is true. But from a South African viewpoint maybe not so imo.

 

Notice I said search pricing from India and China, it's a market place without boarders. He will face the same 3rd world competition that we do here in the states.

[Justin Hunt]

There is the compounded issue that the archviz industry in SA is tiny. On the plus side there are very talented artists there. This makes for a very competitive industry to get into. I am not sure how many arch viz studios there are so you may have more luck with an In-house possision.

 

Granted I left many years ago so my perception may be outdated.

 

jhv

[JonRashid]

I switched from 10yrs in games and tv to arch viz around 5yrs ago. Yes things are fairly tough in construction at the moment but with companies like EA shedding staff things aren't that rosy in the games industry at the moment. My view is go for it if you have a passion. As a freelancer the threat from cheap outsourcing doesn't really have a bearing on my market. Most of my jobs are quick turnaround for planning. Even the marketing images tend to be an afterthought andd so usually have a compressed delivery time as well. I don't know about SA but in GB visuals are becoming almost a prerequisite in many planning applications and so the market is growing. The housing industry will be one of the first areas to recover as we had a shortage of housing before the economic slump. This has only exarcebated the shortage. Make your transition slowly by picking up some freelance work first. Once you feel you have enough clients to sustain you then you can make informed decision. There is still plenty of work out there, but it relies on your ability to get it.