Texas Film Commission
Menu

Getting Started in Digital Media

With a rich diversity of creative talent, Texas is one of the best states to grow your Digital Media career, whether it be in animation, VFX, video games, or XR. Texas offers an affordable, high quality of life in regions across the state as well as unmatched business advantages, with no corporate or personal income tax and a friendly business climate. With top-ranked colleges and universities offering Digital Media programs, Texas is already home to hundreds of animation, VFX, video game, and XR companies—several of which are hiring!

Breaking into a Digital Media career can seem challenging. To help prepare Texans for the media productions jobs of tomorrow, the Texas Film Commission compiled helpful guidelines based on industry feedback. 

Page Contents

Learn and Study the Basics

  • To develop or design for video games, learning the fundamentals of programming languages such as C++, Python, or C# is considered crucial to maintain a solid foundational understanding of backend development.
  • If you choose to pursue a degree in higher education, Texas is home to dozens of highly rated Game Design and Development / XR schools as well as Animation / VFX schools that are attended by students from across the globe for hands-on experience with the Digital Media industries.
  • Many online platforms offer excellent courses in all Digital Media subject matter that are self-paced, range from free to paid, and cover varying experience levels from beginner to advanced.  Examples of such platforms to grow your skillset include Codecademy, Coursera, Yellowbrick, and YouTube among countless others.
  • Consider reading books from subject matter experts in tandem with online courses. For example, "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell or "Level Up!" by Scott Rogers illuminate fundamental video game design concepts and language, while “The VES Handbook of Visual Effects” by Susan Zwerman and Jeffrey Okun and “The Animator's Survival Kit” by Richard Williams cover foundational animation and VFX theories and practices.
  • Now here’s the fun part! Play as many games/XR experiences as possible or actively watch animation/VFX-heavy films with a critical mindset. Ask yourself “Why was this project fun, engaging, and worth my time?” Similarly, “Why didn’t this project work for me? What could have been improved on?” Think in depth about storylines, game mechanics, level layouts, and designs. Watch behind-the-scenes materials talking about the animation and VFX process to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. 

Get Hands-On Experience

  • While several exist, the three most popular game engines are Godot, Unity, and Unreal. If you have a computer that meets the minimum software specs, you can download these for free and start exploring. All major game engines have great first- and third-party tutorials centered on getting started.
  • If you don’t have a computer that meets those specs for either a game engine or animation/VFX software, talk to your local library’s computer lab / community makerspace to see if they have one that might. Some libraries also loan out high-powered tablets that may be able to run certain drawing/animation apps.
  • For animation & VFX-specific software, the Texas Section of the Visual Effects Society (VES) prepared a list of software that professionals are currently using on largescale projects.  Consider using this as a guide for what software to prioritize in your studies.

Build a Portfolio and Résumé

  • Building a captivating portfolio may be the single most important aspect to showcase your work to potential employers and collaborators.  This is one of the biggest factors in standing out from the crowd when looking for employment in the creative digital media industries.
  • Try to demonstrate a variety of styles to clearly showcase your range of skills and proficiency with different software, coding languages, and gaming engines.
  • Even if you’re on your own, making a simple game with a unique story/gameplay and eye-catching style can clearly demonstrate your skills and unique voice to potential employers.
  • Consider starting a website to showcase your work and post on social media to drive people to it directly. Many web hosts offer free tiers that come with limited branding. While amassing social media followers may not lead to a job directly, it can add a bit of credibility to artists starting out.
  • Once you have one paid professional credit, join our Texas Production Directory (TPD) so our office can recommend your services alongside other Texans!

Network and Join Communities

  • It may not be everyone’s strong suit, but networking with other video game designers / developers, animators, and VFX professionals is key to provide support, feedback, and inspiration. Some professionals may be willing to be official mentors if it’s the right fit. While not everyone can provide that much time, it never hurts to ask—most people want to help those getting started in their industry in ways big or small.
  • Take a look at Texas-based Digital Media Industry Associations. Consider joining relevant organizations and sign up for their newsletters to attend their networking/educational events.
  • We collect as many Digital Media events as possible on our Digital Media Events Calendar. It’s updated frequently so check back often!
  • If the community in which you live is Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified, you’re in luck! This means your community is eager to make inroads with the animation, VFX, video game, and XR industries. Reach out to your Community Liaison to get more information about how you can get involved and start networking with other members of your town to exchange ideas.
  • There are also digital communities that are accessible to Texans no matter where you live.  Check out resources like r/gamedev or the Unity Forums to talk with others who are starting out or professionals wanting to help new talent.
  • If you need help finding a mentor, check out SCORE. It is one of the largest networks of volunteer mentors in many areas of business.

Stay Up to Date

Additional Resources

  • Legal & Accounting Resources
    • Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA) – Educational workshops and seminars designed to help Texas creatives apply sound business practices to protect intellectual property, advance careers, and develop income. Provides pro bono legal and accounting advice for Texas-based artists.
    • Freelancer's Union – Offers contract templates, freelance insurance information, and community resources via an informative blog. Their resources are open to freelancers of all kinds. 
  • Career & Wage Resources
    • Texas Career Check - Explore Career – Provides occupational outlooks, relevant skills, and employment totals by region.
    • Texas Wages – Find out what recent graduates and experienced Texans in your industry are currently earning in any given field.
    • Texas Reality Check – Determine your minimum salary needs and monthly costs while factoring in how much you need to make to pay off your student debt, adopt a pet, start a family, or buy a house.
    • Career One Stop – Compare wages and typical education levels for different occupations across the United States.
    • Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) – Track wages, job growth, and economic impact for 800 different occupations. Either click here to search by keywords or click below to see the most common Digital Media Occupation Titles and SOC codes: