I have no diretion

[craven]

Hi

 

I graduated from a 3D animation course a couple of years ago and have not been able to find work. I've been working dull labour jobs that leave me drained of energy at the end of the day.

 

I recently took some training courses, over the last two months, that helped me get a temp position working on local film sets. The experience was not what I expected...it was terrible, I spent an entire day standing around. It occurred to me that I took the film training courses to be involved in the creative process of film, contributing to how the film gets made, not being some grunt who walks around cleaning the sets.

 

I have all these "plans" and for the most I see them through without regret...I did graduate from a 3D school, I did work on a film set...but it never seems to be what I want.

 

I'm good at Labor jobs, construction, but I HATE that type of work. I've gone through entire days angry and on the edge of quiting regardless if I can afford to or not. The only thing that keeps me going is when I get home and put an Hour of time into my art or anything else creative that I'm working with. But all that extra time spent on my art doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere either and I'm starting to burn out.

 

I have friends and family who still talk about the things they plan to do, for more than ten years now, I don't want to be a 35 yr old man looking for a career.

 

I probably won't quit working on my portfolio, but I sure don't know what to do next.

[Jetta]

Well instead of begrugging the jobs there were within your industry you should have been doing them to the best of your ability. You never know what will lead you to where you want to be or who you'd meet. Really you have to start somewhere and the bottem is usually it, regardless of your training.

 

Getting in even as a temp was an opportunity to connect with the right people. Remember when your granted your next position that it could be leading you to the right people. Do you think going around complaining about how much you've done will get you where you want to be? Take any job that's even remotely close to where you want to be and if you do well at it you'll work your way up possibly getting the chance you're thinking is going to appear by complaining.

[Kaia]

I agree with jetta. Take this as an opportunity to network with the right people. "The one" might not be your immediate colleagues, but you never know they might know someone who is. As soon as you see an opening for another job, transfer to it. It might still not be something you want, but you're getting experience in different areas in the industry and that's good on the resume.

 

Meanwhile, just be friendly and talk with anyone you come in contact with. Good luck.

[mgirl]

Without even having read the above two posts, i was going to say you should be taking advantage of your opportunities. Nobody is going to come up to you and offer you your 'dream' job, it just doesn't work that way. I was in a creative industry myself and it took me years of doing the schlep jobs before i could make anything of myself. Even then, once i started getting the right jobs, i still didn't "make" it until about 10 years into it.

 

I wouldn't recommend anyone try to get into a 'creative' industry - there just aren't enough jobs.

 

If i were you, i would go back and retrain at something else they use in that industry, like IT or Business. That way, you can get into the industry and hang around and look for jobs while you are in there. Once you get a foot in the door, you can come up with ideas and approach people with them, but only once you are safe and secure or else you may be seen as pushy or as a threat.

 

The other alternative is to start your own thing, whether it be a business or a small project, which can be aired on community television. I was in a similiar position to you many years ago, nobody would give me a break, so i started my own projects and the first one really took off. It didn't last that long, but it gave me a chance to network with people and tell them what i had been doing. Really, that's where my career started.

 

The other people that i have seen "make it" in my industry all started off at the bottom and waited for the right opportunities.

 

Really, instead of hanging around that film set, complaining to yourself that that was not what you wanted, you should have been looking enthusiastic, offering to do things for people. When you are like that, people really notice and you may have been offered more work.

 

You have to realise you are a product and you are competing in a competitive market place. How many other people have finished a 3D animation course? And what makes you stand out from the rest? You need to determine what makes you good at what you do and market yourself accordingly.