Become
3D Artistic Director
On a 3D project (video game, animation film, 3D communication…), the 3D artistic director is the ultimate referent. He works closely with the director / project manager whose intentions he understands and integrates perfectly. Overall, he manages the artistic and creative supervision of a 3D computer graphics project.
THE MISSIONS OF THE 3D ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The 3D artistic director is a conductor who sets the pace, defines the universe of a project, sometimes sketches graphic tracks himself, validates or invalidates the artists’ proposals, and must decide when opinions are opposed…
Very logically, he closely follows the work of the artists (storyboarders, animators, game designers…), which he directs as well as possible, through a collaborative work, in order to achieve a result as close as possible to the expectations of the director, the project manager or the client.
Clearly, the artistic director is in charge of directing the animation and the team of animators. He’s a leader.
HIS KNOW-HOW, HIS KNOWLEDGE
Passionate about everything related to graphic art, the artistic director must rely on a very broad image culture, a good knowledge of the area of animated images and a perfect mastery of 2D software, completed with a very good knowledge of 3D rendering methods on software such as 3DS Max, Vray, Keyshot or Maya.
This is an important position that also requires knowledge of other fields.
Keeping a watchful eye on everything, showing a good ability to manage teams, maintaining consistency and continuity between the different parts of the project, dealing with many constraints… Those are the keys to success. For a 3D artistic director, knowledge of architecture and anatomy are additional assets for the creation of sets and characters.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
It is required to have some experience in order to be truly operational as a 3D art director. This means that there is no typical path to reach this position.
Also, the future manager usually goes through various stages (trainee, assistant, graphic designer, web designer, game designer) before being offered this major position.
As often in this environment, the salary is subject to fluctuations depending on the company and the terms of the project (3D film or video game). The salary of a 3D artistic director is around 3000€ (2400€ gross for a beginner). Self-employed workers negotiate their remuneration on a flat-rate basis.
In the ever-changing digital domain, the 3D artistic director can choose to expand his field of activity and integrate larger projects. He can work in advertising or set up his own creative studio.