How to Become a Special Effects Artist
Special effects artists use makeup, trick camera work and computer graphics to create imaginative, realistic scenes and audio for movies and television. It's a important part of every movie. The path to get to working for an F/X company on the level of George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic is difficult, but persistence and following these steps might get you there a little easier.
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Instructions
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Educate yourself in visual and technical courses. Research listings of colleges or film schools on the internet. While a traditional college is ideal, trade schools and specialty schools that do nothing but teach special effects might be the way to go. Plus, these schools will give you an endless amount of contacts.
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Find and apply to schools that offer programs in film production, media and visual communication, 3-D animation and graphic design. Decide on an area of special effects, such as computer animation or makeup, to concentrate in.
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Train in special effects. Start by taking an introduction to film and video course. Commercial art, computer aided drafting and design, interactive media, sound design and storyboarding courses are also necessary to gain knowledge about special effects.
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Gain experience to build your portfolio. Search newspaper or internet classifieds, or look for job leads at your college career center. You might find special effects apprenticeships in student films, local plays or even haunted houses. Take pictures or video of your work experience to include with your resume.
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Realize that your first few jobs in the industry might very well be for little or no pay on a small budget indie movie. That's fine--what you're doing is getting your feet wet, learning how movie production works, building contacts with others in the industry and building your portfolio. It's all part of the process--everyone's gone through it.
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Prepare your resume. List your educational background. Detail all of your experience that you've had on any theater or film project. Depending on what line of F/X you get into, you might have to edit together a reel of film with your work on it.
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Interview with a field producer. This is your opportunity to showcase your artistic talents and let your personality shine. Dedication to a project and the ability to work with others are important in getting the job.
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Tips & Warnings
Gaining experience by starting in smaller projects can help if you desire to work in Hollywood. Freelance opportunities also exist in special effects.
It helps to enjoy art if you want to be a special effects artist. The job consists mostly of creating hand drawings and computer graphics to help bring awe and excitement into a play, movie or television program. You must also work well under deadline pressure.
