ENDA Episode 89 → The time when ENDA wonders what path to follow? (Part 1)

At some point, every VFX artist reaches a crossroads: Which specialty should I pour my energy into?

Decades ago, when the industry was young, most artists were generalists who knew a little of every area. Today, studios place a premium on deep specialists.

More of the reason why the choice isn’t always easy, and its difficulty varies depending on the person:

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 leave school unsure which department fits them best; classroom projects rarely mirror studio life and the lack of experiences mades them more hesitant.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 who have survived on freelance gigs but now crave one speciality to get bigger projects. However, they do not know where to land yet.

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 sometimes discover their chosen niche no longer excites them and wonder which new area might be right for them.

In all of these cases, there are two common threads: uncertainty and fear.

We all want to pick the “right” path. But the truth is, there often isn’t one perfectly straight path.

You might end up in a department that wasn’t on your radar and still gain skills you couldn’t have planned for. You might spend years hopping between disciplines before one finally clicks. And while you’re still a student, you can afford to explore, because all those detours add experience to your resume.

Sometimes the “right” path isn’t a line at all; it’s a journey of discovery. One that sometimes starts way before you know it, but that’s for another episode.

The journey continues…