Entertainment Design is a broad term. It covers things like animation, illustration, and visual media technology. But what is it really?
What Do Entertainment Design Students Study?
Illustration: Entertainment Design students start with “basic” art courses. They need a strong understanding of art before they can start professionally illustrating and animating.
Once their foundation courses are complete, students take classes about illustration in the entertainment industry, mostly in film, television, and video game design. They also take courses about animation technology, business in the arts, and how to build a strong portfolio.
What Do Entertainment Design Illustrators Do?
Entertainment Design Illustrators can work in many different fields, but most tend to work in some form of animation or illustration job. A common career path is to become an animator and illustrator for movies, television, and video games. Storyboarding is also an option for artists wanting to work in entertainment.
Some illustrators choose not to work in the entertainment field and do freelance work, become teachers, or work in the advertising or product design fields.
Where Do Illustrators Work?
There are locations that have more positions open to illustrators than others. Many Entertainment Designers live in places like these:
United States Locations
- New York City, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- Greenwich, Connecticut
- Orlando, Florida
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Austin, Texas
International Locations
- Vancouver, Canada
- Toronto, Canada
- Madrid, Spain
- Tokyo, Japan
- Seoul, South Korea
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- London, England
- Paris, France
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Auckland, New Zealand
Although living in cities like these is not a requirement for Entertainment Design Illustrators, it does increase the number of jobs available to you. Depending on the career path you take, there may also be remote positions available, meaning that you have more freedom to choose where to live.
Who are Some Examples of Entertainment Design Illustrators?
There have been many Entertainment Design Illustrators that have had successful careers. Sometimes, illustrators go unnoticed, but their work is still known worldwide. Some artists that earned degrees (from various universities) in the Entertainment Design field include:
- Gem Lim: Associate Art Director and Concept Artist at Riot Games, with art in games like League of Legends.
- Patrick Hanenberger: Production Designer with credits at studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, and Warner Bros. He worked on movies like Rise of the Guardians and Monsters vs. Aliens.
- Elsa Chang: Character Designer with credits on shows like DuckTales and Mickey Mouse.
- Celine DaHyeu Kim: Art Director and Artist on movies like K-Pop Demon Hunters and The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.
- Brenda Chapman: Animator, Animation Director, and Writer on movies like Fantasia 2000, The Lion King, and The Prince of Egypt.
- Minkyu Lee: Artist and Animator on movies like The Princess and the Frog, Frozen, and Big Hero 6.
Anything Else to Know?
Just like any art field, Entertainment Design can be unstable sometimes. Income for artists depends on available projects or openings at studios. This being said, Entertainment Designers can have stable and fulfilling jobs. Continuing to build your skills, learn new things, and gain experience can help you in your future career.
Sources:
Top 20 Cities Worldwide for Animation Careers | Animation Career Review
8 Cities Where you Can Find Work as an Animator | All Art Schools
Top North American Cities For Animation Careers | Animation Career Review
Best Animation Studios to Start your Animation Career | ianimate.net
Entertainment Design Alumni - ArtCenter College of Design
Film/Video Alumni | CalArts
Illustration Alumni - ArtCenter College of Design