I want to be an Art Director (San Antonio, TX)- I have questions. Please help?

Question

After posting a million questions about careers in this Answers forum, I decided to become an art director. Its got everything I want in a job. Good salary, calls for creativity, capable free-lance, and can easily be changed to something else I like like interior design, or actual movie directing.

My questions are:
1) What is the best college for art director in san antonio Texas?
2) What college courses should I take before getting into a company I like?
3) Can you do a variety of media as an art director ((example: For magazines, and telivision both))
4) Is this a good career field to get into? (Not too competitive, etc.)

I would like someone to try and answer all, but just a few are ok too.

Answer 1

4) its a very competitive field, for some it appears an easy way to make big buck for frustrated artists willing to compromise to avoid starvation - its a natural shift. An art director wont do jack for you in television unless you are part of a major advertising firm that handles all media. you would be better off majoring in business and minoring in Art Direction. and any of the universities here in town have about the same program.

Answer 2

No one starts out as an Art Director. You would likely begin as a designer and work your way up. That means you have to start off in studying design, probably graphic design, and developing a strong portfolio. Then you get an entry level job and learn all the aspects of design that can't easily be taught in school: issues of production, scheduling, client relations, media positioning, etc.

Then you prove that you are growing more capable of creating good work, working well with others, managing additional responsibilities. That path would lead to promotion to Senior Designer, then to Art Director.

Often you move up by moving on. Often moving two or three times, because most designers are only in their first job for a year or two, and then a few years at a second position.

You could be a designer or art director focusing on specific media or you could work in a more generalist firm. This is a very competitive career choice. There are many schools graduating many design hopefuls every year. You need to have great visual skills, great thinking skills, and great communication and people skills if you are going to advance successfully and happily in this career.

Read Steven Heller's book "The Education of a Graphic Designer." It'll give you a more realistic idea of what you are considering and what it will take to achieve that goal.

Answer 3

haha uhh, it relies upon on the place you reside. i circulate to u.s. and stay precise by so there's a TON of quickly nutrition places that are consistently open...Whataburger, Sonic, McDonald's. some take a seat down eating places i'm able to think of of could be IHOP or Denny's. i've got additionally heard there's a Mexican eating place open 24 hours an afternoon downtown, like in industry sq. or The Mercado or despite you call it. it is notably plenty the comparable stuff it quite is open 24 hours everywhere, even in spite of the shown fact that i for my area does not choose any of those places because of the fact they are extremely undesirable for you haha. i'm hoping this facilitates! :)