Image source: Wikipedia.org
You get to create a lot of neat things as a visual effects artist, but it comes with one catch: most of the time you create what other people want you to create. I mean, during your free time you can create whatever you want, but you might have a hard time making a living off of out. Out on the job you have to create what somebody else tells you to create because, ultimately, you’re trying to design a product for a consumer.
That kind of changes the overall purpose of your artwork. You’re creating a piece of work that needs to appeal to as many people as possible as powerfully as possible. How can you pull that off? Well, let’s take a look!
1. Sex Sells
Check out the cover art of Everquest. If you ever walked down the video game aisle of a store 10 years ago, then odds are good that this image is familiar to you. Everquest is filled with magical locations and wondrous creatures, but the designers intentionally chose to portray a scantily clad elf maiden on the front of the box, complete with blonde hair and ample cleavage.
Image source: Mobygames.com
That wasn’t a fluke — the Ruins of Kunark expansion box art features the same elf chained up to a rock and with her legs slightly spread. At least there’s a lizard monster in the frame this time, instead of just the wing tips and tail of a dragon.
Image source: Mobygames.com
You may feel a little bit sleazy putting so much sexual connotation into your artwork, but you can’t overlook the marketing power of attractive people.
2. Stop Thinking Like a Designer, Start Thinking Like a Consumer
Another great strategy is to get into the mindset of a consumer. Before you get started on a project, just take a few moments to yourself and try to imagine what you would want to see if you spent good money to buy the product. Once you have a good picture in your mind, combine that with your artistic expertise to design a well-crafted piece of art that can appeal to both the art snob and the average consumer.
Image source: Atomicinteractive.com
3. Ask People
Shawshank Redemption is the single highest-rated movie on imdb.com. A whopping 23,000 out of 1 million voters (about 2%) gave the movie 1/10 stars.
As an artist, odds are good that you’re with the majority of people and you know what looks good and what looks bad. Sometimes, though, you’re stuck with the 1% or 2% of Debbie Downers who are just plain wrong. “This idea is great,” you think to yourself, completely unaware that the vast majority of people out there would despise the idea.
Image source: Rmsbunkerblog.wordpress.com
You can avoid running into this problem by sharing your ideas with others. Think of your buddies and colleagues as a proving ground for your concepts. If you share your idea and 75% of your friends hate your idea, then there’s probably a good chance that close to 75% of the national consumer market will hate your idea, also. So while iconoclasm is often admirable, you need to find a line between inspiration and starvation.