In My Opinion, the Best Job Would Be…

Jasmine Fouche, International Studies Academy, Wat it do, ISA? (February 2007):

One of the most fun jobs to have, in my opinion, would be making cartoons or creating video games.

If you were an animator, I think it would be so cool to see the character you created come to life on the screen. An animator is an artist that creates multiple images that form an illusion of movement when rapidly displayed, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Animators work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the Internet. Usually, an animation piece requires the collaboration of several animators, according to the Web site.

If you were a storyboard writer, it would be cool to know that people will be watching a person’s life unfold in an animated show or video game, based on the story you wrote. A storyboard is a series of drawings that lay out the sequence of scenes in a film, according to Wiktionary, an open content dictionary.

A sound technician is another job you could have in the fields of animation and video game creation. Your job might be to add funny sounds, like someone going “smack” into a wall, or the frightening and threatening sound of lightening bolts striking.

The 2006 online Job Guide explains that sound technicians work to amplify, enhance, record, mix or reproduce sound in support of performing arts. Sound technicians can work in radio, television and recording studios, or in theatres and other live performance venues. Sound technicians can sometimes be required to work shifts that involve long hours in the evenings and on weekends.

Another job you could have in animation and in video games would be as a character designer, where you might put your animated character in casual or dressy clothes with simple or complex designs.

Character animation attempts to create the illusion of life, usually to complement the voice of an actor, according to Wikipedia. Character animation is artistically unique from other animation because it involves the creation of thought and emotion, in addition to physical action, according to the Web site.

Schools like The Art Institute of California, which has campuses in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County, teach some of the skills required for jobs like these.

They offer degrees in programs like computer animation, game art and design, graphic design, interactive media design, media arts and animation, and game programming, according to the Web site artinstitutes.edu.

For people who don’t think they can afford classes like these, financial aid is available. The institute’s Assistant Director of Admissions and Admissions Coordinator can help you, and so can people in the Student Financial Services Department. For more information, call toll-free (888) 493.3261.

The Web site gamediscovery.com also has information about schools that offer video gaming design programs and lists job openings such as “video game tester.”