the I make noises Perspective
This topic has been something thats been on my mind for the last few years and it didn't occur to me to write about it until I stepped in to Lubys yesterday for a late lunch.
There at the door a man twice my age happily greeted me at the door, a woman trying to support children (I'm assuming as she looked a bit motherly) served me my salad, and guy around my age came to my table to ask me how my "Lubys experience was". Now between you and I it was a bit rough yesterday as a group of senior citizens devoured every vegetable and baked item grasping for that last bit of health before heading to the final destination.
It occured to me how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing. Now despite the occasional ridiculous hours, the stress from having to manage multiple projects, revisions, and the occasional dip in creativity I would never want to do anything outside of games and audio.
It occured to me on a more personal level when I was chatting with a gal about money and realized that some people just can't go out to dinner on a whim or book a flight to see a friend whenever they feel like it. Its kind of amazing really, some people actually don't like what they are doing and not only that they still have to stretch thir dollar to make ends meet.
I find myself oftentimes complaining with various people in the content creation space about how company X is only going to pay X dollars for the audio on a project or a trailer or whatever. To be honest the amounts are more money than I ever made doing things I dreaded (like working at a liqour store). Its my perspective that has changed over time and ultimately as far as making money is concerned its changed for the better.
Sometimes when I'm tired of making the eight hundrendth version of a creature death or trying to create twenty sword sounds that sound different but still from the "same family" I'll head to the outside world for a moment and remember that I'm ultimately getting to live a dream. I wake up essentially when I want to I head to a cool office I turn on my computer and I help make digital worlds beleivable. Its a far cry from working at a liqour store where I was constantly at risk of being robbed, my largest pay check for two weeks worth of work was around $200, and the most exciting thing that ever happened was some gal asking me if I wanted to close shop and make out in the cooler, (which ended up not happening).
Now there are arguments that I have indeed considered and they are all in my opinion very valid.
1. Game Audio is a lifestyle and we take our jobs with us wherever we go.
2. Game Audio is going to demand more money because not everyone can do it,, it takes a special person with a unique set of skills.
3. Game Audio is creative and can be a constant challenge. Despite the perception of people about your job the task of being constantly creative and always challenging yourself is much harder than punching a clock and saying hello to people all day (that has its own challenge)
The bottom line is no matter where your at in the world of game audio (or even if your not). I'm lucky to be doing what I have been blessed to do. In my opinion to maintain success and fulfillment in my career it is important that I always realize that despite sometimes a "thin" payscale, or a project that is just not proving to fun at least I'm not washing dishes or selling liqour anymore and at least every morning I wake up I'm not wondering if my paycheck is about to be wiped out and I'll have to find some way to make it another week.
There at the door a man twice my age happily greeted me at the door, a woman trying to support children (I'm assuming as she looked a bit motherly) served me my salad, and guy around my age came to my table to ask me how my "Lubys experience was". Now between you and I it was a bit rough yesterday as a group of senior citizens devoured every vegetable and baked item grasping for that last bit of health before heading to the final destination.
It occured to me how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing. Now despite the occasional ridiculous hours, the stress from having to manage multiple projects, revisions, and the occasional dip in creativity I would never want to do anything outside of games and audio.
It occured to me on a more personal level when I was chatting with a gal about money and realized that some people just can't go out to dinner on a whim or book a flight to see a friend whenever they feel like it. Its kind of amazing really, some people actually don't like what they are doing and not only that they still have to stretch thir dollar to make ends meet.
I find myself oftentimes complaining with various people in the content creation space about how company X is only going to pay X dollars for the audio on a project or a trailer or whatever. To be honest the amounts are more money than I ever made doing things I dreaded (like working at a liqour store). Its my perspective that has changed over time and ultimately as far as making money is concerned its changed for the better.
Sometimes when I'm tired of making the eight hundrendth version of a creature death or trying to create twenty sword sounds that sound different but still from the "same family" I'll head to the outside world for a moment and remember that I'm ultimately getting to live a dream. I wake up essentially when I want to I head to a cool office I turn on my computer and I help make digital worlds beleivable. Its a far cry from working at a liqour store where I was constantly at risk of being robbed, my largest pay check for two weeks worth of work was around $200, and the most exciting thing that ever happened was some gal asking me if I wanted to close shop and make out in the cooler, (which ended up not happening).
Now there are arguments that I have indeed considered and they are all in my opinion very valid.
1. Game Audio is a lifestyle and we take our jobs with us wherever we go.
2. Game Audio is going to demand more money because not everyone can do it,, it takes a special person with a unique set of skills.
3. Game Audio is creative and can be a constant challenge. Despite the perception of people about your job the task of being constantly creative and always challenging yourself is much harder than punching a clock and saying hello to people all day (that has its own challenge)
The bottom line is no matter where your at in the world of game audio (or even if your not). I'm lucky to be doing what I have been blessed to do. In my opinion to maintain success and fulfillment in my career it is important that I always realize that despite sometimes a "thin" payscale, or a project that is just not proving to fun at least I'm not washing dishes or selling liqour anymore and at least every morning I wake up I'm not wondering if my paycheck is about to be wiped out and I'll have to find some way to make it another week.
posted by mtcs at 9:11 AM
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