I have to move. Atlanta or Boston?

[ContrivanCe]

Anyone live in Boston or Atlanta?
I gotta move outta state those are my options.

I want to find a job in video games or 3d animation and wonder how the industry is in those states.

Graduating with a bachelors in animation, I use maya, photoshop, zbrush, painter and a bit of after effects and premiere.

California is out of the question :(

[keo]

From gamedevmap.com : these are your potential employers:

Boston (http://gamedevmap.com/index.php?tool=location&query=Boston)

Atlanta (http://gamedevmap.com/index.php?tool=location&query=Atlanta)

Check their job pages, look for them on gamasutra, creativeheads, etc. There are more companies in CA, TX & WA, but you only need to find the one that wants to hire you :)

I have never been to Atlanta, and I haven't living in Boston, but at least I have been there! While Boston is expensive to live inside the city, there are many suburbs of varying expensiveness, there are companies outside of the city, and there are trains that go out to the suburbs.

[ContrivanCe]

yeah, I just discovered that site before I checked back here :)
Looks like boston is where it's at.

[jpgourley]

It sounds like you are limited to moving to one of those two places now, but don't limit your job search to those cities. In my opinion you should apply everywhere. Some employers will pay for relocation for entry level positions, and even if you don't land a full time position you may end up with contract work to add to your resume/portfolio.

Your website looks good, but if would really help if on your 3D models you added shots of the wireframe / tri counts / and textures (along with their sizes). Any potential employer is going to want to see these. Best of luck!

[keo]

I noticed that most of your work experience is in the restaurant industry... To add to jpgourley's advice, you might want to expand your job search to internships and/or contract positions. I'm not trying to be a downer, but this can be a difficult industry to break into... since you have the ability to get a day job with a flexible schedule I would definitely explore those opportunities as well.

I'm not sure how quickly you want to move, but in the mean time, the contests here provide excellent portfolio pieces as they follow the work flow of a professional studio within a supportive and extremely knowledgeable community.

One last note, without prying into your personal business, do you really have to move out of FL? There are game companies in-state: gamedev map Miami (http://gamedevmap.com/index.php?tool=location&query=Miami)

[ContrivanCe]

Thanks keo.
Sorry for the long time to respond, but I'lll consider what you said.

[Dude Run]

Hey, I used to be a bartender before turning into the 3d field and I live 2 hours from Atlanta. If you needed to get a part time job or whatever in the meantime while you dig around 3d, Atlanta has a lot of clubs and bars you could work at also. I just graduated from animationmentor but am still freelancing. Not sure if I want a studio job yet or not... though it might be fun. :)

Gotta make that money!

[joymonkey]

The Boston IGDA group (aka Boston Post Mortem) has a fuller listing of companies to check out too...
http://bostonpostmortem.org/boston-area-game-companies/

I'm sure the Atlanta IGDA would have a similar list.

[Redz]

I don't mean to bad mouth Atlanta, but there is just not much here. I've lived in Atlanta for a while now and can say that it has been difficult at times. The cost of living is pretty good, thats what kept me from going out west. I don't really recommend Atlanta to anyone in the 3D industry. Not sure about Boston, lovely place though.