The Uncertainty of an Income in the Creative Industry
- Jun 6, 2016
- 2 min read
Working in the creative industry has never been an easy task. Look at how many individuals over the years have been dissuaded from pursuing their passion by parents, colleagues and friends because "You won't make enough money to live." One would have to be naive to not take these comments under consideration as there can be some truth to this.
This week we discussed alternative avenues of income and how one would operate in general in the Game Industry. It was common to hear things such as "I want to do X game as an Indie/AAA developer." In all honesty we were under the assumption that we were already established in the industry and were working on a new project. But that was precisely the issue. We assumed.
In the industry, especially when starting out green, careful consideration and planning must be taken into account as to how you will survive and even get work. We discovered that sometimes in order to even get any sort of work, most of the time a full working prototype must be presented to a studio/client. Portfolios and getting your name out there is a must. But at the same time how does someone do that? And how will that be funded?
One might be required to work a day job or jobs to in the least survive until ample employment is obtained. Crowdfunding was mentioned, however, how do you get funded when you are a nobody company starting out? Advertising is a good way of making extra money to supplement your income. To say it is and will be tough is an understatement and we could expect to eat many 2 Minute Noodles to budget well.
My plan when I finish my degree is to have built up a good portfolio during my course and to obtain employment from an existing studio. Getting your foot in the door is one of the most important things a creative can do. The industry is very much a "who you know" structure and is extremely cut throat. Getting your name out there through websites, blogs, social media and conferences is a must. It doesn't guarantee anything at all, but we all have to start somewhere.
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