well im a TOA student...
i found tht what mr.tong said were all the facts....
i have lost most of passion in design, things have change when i know more about this lines, you really cant earn a lot but work as a slave.
I try to think why some of my lecturer willing to teach in TOA perhaps they have a more flexible time, i was too late to change course right now as i spend a lot of my parents money in it...
i think the only way now is work hard for me... i kind of regret why didnt pick a course that has a more stable income every month...
maybe most of the things i didnt think of it when i am still young thinking change when u think grow older.

Well being a lecturer has more stable income even though its not a lot, less stressful and do not require to work late that often. If u really want to venture into education, u should continue your study to at lease master degree, that will fetch you a better income when lecturing. But dont expect anything more than 8K, most lecturer start around 2.5K and work their way up. U may probaly get 5 to 6K if u are the course leader. And owning the college is a different story, but that will involve a lot of money and risk. But once everything work as it suppose to be, then the money will start to flow in, like what happen to Lim Kok Weng and The One.

This post has been edited by tong1774: May 30 2008, 11:16 AM

Sorry i'm not TOA student, but i already in the industry for 7 years. Yeah what Mr .Tong say is absolutely true. I'm been working my ass off for tiny bits of salary. Now still driving kancil. Dont expect overtime allowance, benefits, and get salary pay on time.(sometimes 2 months no salary). Bos will use alot of excuse and sweet talk hoping you will stay. When early 20s, of coz u guys are very passionate, fresh and your eye sight is still good. But when near 30's u will see the different story. You will get tired easily, your eye can't handle the strain and stress by looking on monitor, and i bet some of u might get gastric and migraine too like what i'm suffering it now. Sooner or later your clinical bill is more than what u earn. Yeah if really want to join this line better be somebody before 35's or you just ended up as Kuli. Or change to other industry, and do this art stuff as a hobby. Now i learning how to do business from my dad. Hoping can help him later. My happy time and fun is over, got to get serious now.

LOL.
I haven't graduate, but I feel like start to lose the passion in design already.
The foundation course make me feel sick, had to attend those class that I hate.

Wow 2 months no salary? So are they doing it often? My worst experience is during those bad years where some times salry will be late for 2 weeks, but never longer than that. My advise is leave that company, now there are tons of studio looking for animators. My friend who is an animator himself is setting up a studio. You or who ever interested can PM me. Heard from him that his offer is higher that market rate, dont expect a really big margin though, but at least 20 to 30% higher depend on your experience. He need both senior and fresh-grat. But i won't be working with him.

BTW, if your company is late in paying your salary, there is a possiblity they may 'Makan" your EPF and income tax if they deduct it from your salary monthly. Go check this 2, and if they do "makan", u can launch a report.

Hi Mr. 1774,
I have to agree with you on everything u've mentioned. I've been in the industry for 7 years.
Everything you've said is true and that's why I'm quite fed up with the unhealthy environment for animators in Malaysia. Anyway, last year when I was in a post production house. I've spent most of my time in the company and end up having some health problems.
Took an advice from friends to switch to video games industry. I've joined codemasters since april 2007 and I can say this is the best working environment I've ever experienced in Malaysia.
No need for late nights and I can be able to reach home on time. All I can say the life is getting alot more well balanced now.
So for TOA students, fret not. There's plenty of video games asset companies starting up in Malaysia.
The challenge in the job is actually the requirement to reach high quality work for every assets that we worked on. It has to be perfect from every angle before it can be sign off. Working hour wise is reasonable and most of the time we are not required to work on weekends.
Money wise, I think it's very reasonable for what they are offering in Malaysia.

Our boss is very generous that he allow us to play pool, video games (usually the latest) and company trips for us. There's even benefits to join an english class to improve our language.

From my experience working both in post production and video games. I can say post production evironment is alot more stressful than video games. Post production can earn alot more if u are running the business on ur own. video games has got higher requirement for skills, but less exploits in working environment. what u can expect in video games creation can be alot more enjoyable than post productions. Heard that gamebrains hired a cook to cook for their meals. MFX has got cook too. but difference is Gamebrains doesn't require u to work over night while MFX is very common to work late or over night.

Anyway, for the lubang thing. if u are in the industry long enough. there's for sure a chance for u to pull off the stunt.
for newbies pls don't expect for it yet until u have higher ability to be responsible for it.

If u've already picked this industry. Don't be regret and give up just yet. There's alot of talented artist in Malaysia that's earning heaps. So to get there u got to work really hard and be smart with ur work. (if u guys think i also talk like a lecturer, in fact I am. I'm a guest lecturer for TOA)

Tong1774, I really think we need an animator/artist union to fight for our rights.

btw, anyone wanted to look for a job in video games industry can send me a PM. I do some recruit during my free time.

Cheers.

This thread is becoming very interesting but also out of line with the original topic

But if the TS doesn't mind...

I have also just entered this industry and I am 27 (transitioned from Insurance) But I am not a creative, more on the producing side. I am a student of video production/ advertising. I guess I what I hope to learn from this thread is how to maintain and motivate my artists.


Keep on contributing (or maybe in a new separate thread)

LOL I don't mind really . You know, it's really good when you learn something from someone 10 or 20 years ahead of you!

Now everyone's just bluntly ranting and agreeing the facts of Mr. Tong xD!

But that's fine with me really, it's good to know more .

What u said about the post production & game industry is true. The reason of game industry being less stressful and better paid is because most of them are foreign investment, like codemaster, and gamebrain is consider half Malaysia since the boss are mat salleh. So yeah, if u want to join the game industry, be it now. Few years from now, a lot of game production will go to China, like what happen to long format now. Or when all this mat salleh company start to become more localise, they will start to lower the overall wages and other benifits to gian more benifits.

But bare in mind that not all game studio are paying as good as codemaster. And u must know the different between game and post production. As in post production u may have to involve in all aspect of the production like modelling, character setup, texture and lighting. But in game industry, u may be doing just modeling for cars for the whole year, or weapons or buildings. This may bored some of u, and its actually not very good for fresh-grat, as u may be too specialise in one thing and lost the rest.

And the same problem is, u will reach a limits in terms of salary, dont expect anything more than 8K unless u are doing a lot of freelance. And freelance will give u stress as well. LOL. But at least u got a stable income from full time job and do not have to worry too much even if its difficult to collect money for the freelance.

hey kfc, can u recommend me which course for me to major for my second year? cause basically i like all of em. and im not sure which major to choose now. we have to decide next semester..........
mrtong, any suggestion from u too?

oh ic mr.tong
thx for that answer...
but how many ppl will change their mind after reading all this??
will u get urself out of this line?

I am already out of this line

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Added on May 31, 2008, 3:56 amI really dont know how to tell u. If u wanna do game, go for 3D. If u want to join agency, take multi media or design. If u wanna be a director, take mass com but i dont think TOA has this subject. Most director are either art base, or start as a crew, then become 2nd asistant camera, 1st assistant camera, then DOP then director. So depends what u wanna do my friend. Choose wisely.

This post has been edited by tong1774: May 31 2008, 03:56 AM

which is the most demanding??? i hope by the age of 28/29 can earn like erm, 5k and above? maybe 6k?

Demand keep changing once a while, now is 3D, 3 years from now i am not sure. 5k and above at 28? Its possible, all depends on yourself and luck. Some of my friends earning more than 10k as animation director, some still get around 4K, and they are all above 28.

icic, ok. btw ts. if u wanna study art and design. bear in mind that......the art materials price are killing me. we need to top up monthly if high usage. for example. one pencil set already cost rm 18 and one acrylic colour already cost rm 28. i use my own money to buy all these material and my monthly allowance is only 240. includes everything. makan. parking. toll. ktm. bus. and ART MATERIAL. mr tong. teach lubang la...let me earn extra money

Haha, you are still in foundation year only right?

Later have to spend even more. First week de I spent RM150, second week RM100 on art materials. I'm in DG, doing 2nd year term 1 now.

Heard from seniors, 1 term above, they had to spend rm300 on marker renders only. So yeah, first week they blew rm300++ de. XD

Foundation you don't really need to spent alot one actually.

the lecturer name lilly. screw her. like to waste our stuff

LOL, Liliy is teaching me too, and yes, she thinks money to us is water.

The name Lily sounds like a hot chick. So is she?

hahaha....if i run my dad business then i will be rich....but need study lar....and im interest in it....hope can cari money at design field