Career-seekers looking for a field that will take advantage of their artistic talents will find this volume immensely helpful. Readers will learn about the varied environments in which graphic designers work and the expectations that different kinds of companies have of their employees. They’ll learn how high school courses, college courses, extracurricular activities, online training resources, and internships can help prepare them for careers in computer and graphic design. There are even practical tips on getting and keeping your first job in this competitive field, as well as a useful overview of the tools and software of the trade.

Summarizes positions and professions in the fields of computer graphics, design, and animation, discussing position titles, potential salaries, and related information obtained through interviews with professionals in these fields.

Get the Inside Track to Landing an Enviable Job in Computer Graphics Breaking into the wildly creative and fiery 3D/Effects industry is a tough proposition. With so many talented people competing for each alluring job, it's imperative that candidates grasp what employers look for and make every attempt to stand out. Maya Press, a joint publishing effort between Sybex and industry leader Alias, brings you this definitive and practical guide to help you land that first job or advance your current job in the computer graphics industry. Getting a Job in CG: Real Advice from Reel People is rich with candid strategies and priceless insights straight from industry and academic leaders, job recruiters, and employers. Through interviews, case studies, and sample demo reels on the CD, this book teaches you how to: Discover the myriad job possibilities from the obvious to the obscure Identify precisely what tools, skills, and knowledge employers seek Determine your best training options: college, art school, or do-it-yourself Recognize what staffing agencies and in-house recruiters are looking for Build an extraordinary resume that gets noticed Find out where to go to meet the right people and tap into networking opportunities Acquire the know-how to ace the job interview Produce an exceptional and applicable demo reel that will help you land the job Emulate the career paths of successful artists This book's companion website, www.3djobs.com , serves as a research hub packed with supplementary information and links to vital sources. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Packed with exercises, this book is an application-independent and reader-friendly primer for anyone with a serious desire to understand 3D Computer Graphics. Opening with the first and most basic elements of computer graphics, the book rapidly advances into progressively more complex concepts. Each of the elements, however simple, are important to understand because each is an essential link in a chain that allows an artist to master any computer graphics application. With this accomplished, the artist can use technology to satisfy his/her goals, instead of the technology being master of the artist.

For each position, the authors include a brief overview and its history. Discussions of education, certifications, or licensing required; a detailed job description; salary; and the future outlook are also supplied.

For the artistic girl who enjoys the creative process and also has a knack for handling the technology that powers her world, a graphic design career could be a great fit. This book provides easy-to-follow descriptions of careers in graphic design, including multimedia design, web design, and photography. Readers will find information on the daily duties of a graphic designer, the education and training required, and the job prospects for the coming years. This accessible guide also provides practical advice on how to write a resume and cover letter, build a portfolio, prepare for job interviews, and network.

CG101 is the first comprehensive resource guide written in plain language for all levels of computer graphics users. It is also the first and only detailed behind-the-scenes history about the people and companies that have formed today's industry. Hundreds of contributors and in-depth interviews give a never-before-seen look into the earliest years of CG right up to present day. In addition to the historical perspective, CG 101 includes detailed tips and tricks, demo reel guidelines and CG job descriptions to help those looking to get into the business. The hundreds of software tool descriptions all have extensive contact information, including Web addresses and phone numbers for easy reference.

The role of representation in the production of technoscientific knowledge has become a subject of great interest in recent years. In this book, sociologist and art critic Kathryn Henderson offers a new perspective on this topic by exploring the impact of computer graphic systems on the visual culture of engineering design. Henderson shows how designers use drawings both to organize work and knowledge and to recruit and organize resources, political support, and power. Henderson's analysis of the collective nature of knowledge in technical design work is based on her participant observation of practices in two industrial settings. In one she follows the evolution of a turbine engine package from design to production, and in the other she examines the development of an innovative surgical tool. In both cases she describes the messy realities of design practice, including the mixed use of the worlds of paper and computer graphics. One of the goals of the book is to lay a practice-informed groundwork for the creation of more usable computer tools. Henderson also explores the relationship between the historical development of engineering as a profession and the standardization of engineering knowledge, and then addresses the question: Just what is high technology, and how does its affect the extent to which people will allow their working habits to be disrupted and restructured? Finally, to help explain why visual representations are so powerful, Henderson develops the concept of "metaindexicality"—the ability of a visual representation, used interactively, to combine many diverse levels of knowledge and thus to serve as a meeting ground (and sometimes battleground) for many types of workers.

Begin your graphic design career now, with the guidance of industry experts Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer is a single source guide to the myriad of options available to those pursuing a graphic design career. With an emphasis on portfolio requirements and job opportunities, this guide helps both students and individuals interested in entering the design field prepare for successful careers. Coverage includes design inspiration, design genres, and design education, with discussion of the specific career options available in print, interactive, and motion design. Interviews with leading designers like Michael Bierut, Stefan Sagmeister, and Mirko Ilic give readers an insider's perspective on career trajectory and a glimpse into everyday operations and inspirations at a variety of companies and firms. Design has become a multi-platform activity that involves aesthetic, creative, and technical expertise. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer shows readers that the field once known as "graphic design" is now richer and more inviting than ever before. Learn how to think like a designer and approach projects systematically Discover the varied career options available within graphic design Gain insight from some of the leading designers in their fields Compile a portfolio optimized to your speciality of choice Graphic designers' work appears in magazines, advertisements, video games, movies, exhibits, computer programs, packaging, corporate materials, and more. Aspiring designers are sure to find their place in the industry, regardless of specific interests. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer provides a roadmap and compass for the journey, which begins today.

Create complex and visually stunning games using all the advanced features available in SFML development About This Book Build custom tools, designed to work with your specific game. Use raw modern OpenGL and go beyond SFML. Revamp your code for better structural design, faster rendering, and flashier graphics. Use advanced lighting techniques to add that extra touch of sophistication. Implement a very fast and efficient particle system by using a cache-friendly design. Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for game developers who have some basic knowledge of SFML and also are familiar with C++ coding in general. No knowledge of OpenGL or even more advanced rendering techniques is required. You will be guided through every bit of code step by step. What You Will Learn Dive deep into creating complex and visually stunning games using SFML, as well as advanced OpenGL rendering and shading techniques Build an advanced, dynamic lighting and shadowing system to add an extra graphical kick to your games and make them feel a lot more dynamic Craft your own custom tools for editing game media, such as maps, and speed up the process of content creation Optimize your code to make it blazing fast and robust for the users, even with visually demanding scenes Get a complete grip on the best practices and industry grade game development design patterns used for AAA projects In Detail SFML is a cross-platform software development library written in C++ with bindings available for many programming languages. It provides a simple interface to the various components of your PC, to ease the development of games and multimedia applications. This book will help you become an expert of SFML by using all of its features to its full potential. It begins by going over some of the foundational code necessary in order to make our RPG project run. By the end of chapter 3, we will have successfully picked up and deployed a fast and efficient particle system that makes the game look much more 'alive'. Throughout the next couple of chapters, you will be successfully editing the game maps with ease, all thanks to the custom tools we're going to be building. From this point on, it's all about making the game look good. After being introduced to the use of shaders and raw OpenGL, you will be guided through implementing dynamic scene lighting, the use of normal and specular maps, and dynamic soft shadows. However, no project is complete without being optimized first. The very last chapter will wrap up our project by making it lightning fast and efficient. Style and approach This book uses a step by step approach by breaking the problems down into smaller, much more manageable obstacles, and guiding the reader through them with verified, flexible, and autonomous solutions.