3D Modeling: Part-time? Contract? Freelance?

July 16, 2015 7:49 AM

Can professional 3D Modelers work part-time? On a contract basis? Freelance? We are considering it as a hypothetical career when my partner returns to the work world, but we would like a flexible schedule so that we can still provide plenty of care for our primary school age daughter.

I am familiar with graphic design and know that it can be done on a per-project basis (although that's not always easy) and are wondering if the same thing is true of 3D modeling.

posted by Slothrop to Work & Money (1 answer total)

I've worked as IT at animation and VFX houses in Toronto for about a decade and a half, so I'm a bit-but-not-overly familiar with the job situation on the modeling side.

From what I've seen: Yes, there are contract and freelance modeling positions. Many of them are contract-but-actually-full-time, where you're working 8 hours a day (or 12, if it's that kind of company) at the office just like all the fulltime workers.

There are project-by-project jobs, most of which I've seen with TV series or fully animated films (where characters will be created up front and then used for a long time).

There's a lot of moving around of workers from company to company as money moves around (provided you're in a city with many production houses), so that can be just-like-a-contract work.

There are also work-at-home possibilities, which range from be abused in the new Internet economy jobs to the kinds of jobs you only get only after you have lots of industry contacts who respect your modeling work.
posted by clawsoon at 9:07 AM on July 16, 2015