Arts & Entertainment

Description: Art Directors formulate art and design concepts and presentation approaches for print, broadcasting, or advertising.
Knowledge Required: Basic principles and techniques of art and design, website design, graphic design
Skills: Active listening, oral comprehension and expression, customer service, complex problem solving, management
Career Path: Training in graphic design, photography or drawing, among other forms of art, and putting together a portfolio
Best Cities for this Job: California, New York, Minnesota, District of Columbia, and Illinois have the highest concentration of art directors.
Median Annual Income: National: $95,860 California: $106,330
Future Growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistic predicts a 12 percent growth in employment between 2008 and 2018.
From the Field: The thing I love most about my job is the flexibility I get. I get to wear a lot of different hats. I get to have a hand in pretty much every aspect of the creative process here." - Nikki Thayer, Art Director, Inigral, Inc.
Associated Curriculum: Digital Media Arts: Introduction to Visual arts and Digital Design, Unit 1

Overview: Keith Knight creates cartoons that highlight his experiences and experiences of underrepresented communities. Watch our latest Day in the Life release and find out how he followed his passion of cartooning. Watch this video to follow his journey. Interested in more of Keith's comics? http://www.kchronicles.com

Description: Composers create original music such as symphonies, operas, sonatas, radio and television jingles, film scores, and popular songs. They transcribe ideas into musical notation, using harmony, rhythm, melody, and tonal structure. Some use computer software to compose and edit their music.
Knowledge Required: Music theory, music interpretation, composition, conducting, performing
Skills: Musicians must be knowledgeable about a broad range of musical styles. Having a broader range of interest, knowledge, and training can help expand employment opportunities and musical abilities.
Career Path: Musicians need extensive and prolonged training and practice to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to interpret music at a professional level. Formal training may be obtained through private study with an accomplished musician, in a college or university music program, or in a music conservatory.
Best Cities for this Job: Composers will do well in large metropolitan areas with a concentration of entertainment such as LA, New York City, San Francisco, and San Diego.
Median Annual Income: National: $41,270 CA: $71,190
Future Growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment of composers to grow 8 percent over the 2008-18 decade.
From the Field: "I think to be a film composer, personality is almost as important as musical talent. Write as much music as possible and go see lots of movies." - Nathan Barr, Film Composer

Description: Animators create art that is used to tell a story or communicate a message. An animator can work as a freelance artist or work for a larger production company.
Knowledge Required: Fine art, writing, business, film, communication, graphic design
Skills: Communication and storytelling skills, as well as familiarity with digital media and animation software, will increase opportunities for employment.
Career Path: Many colleges and universities offer programs leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in fine arts, with courses or concentrations in animation. Independent schools of art and design offer postsecondary training that is focused more on studio work. While in school it is important to build a portfolio and pursue internships.
Best Cities for this Job: Metropolitan areas with concentrations of business in the creative field such as Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
Median Annual Income: National: $58,250 CA: $70,420
Future Growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 12 percent increase in job opportunities in this field, due to an increasing reliance on artists to create digital or multimedia artwork.
From the Field: "I get to create worlds, which is really exciting. So the characters in it, what they look like, what their spaces are like." -Katherine Woodman-Maynard, Animator, The Post-Nup Show.
Associated Curriculum: Digital Media Arts: Introduction to Visual arts and Digital Design, Unit 3

Overview: Sean Hiller is a Los Angeles-based photojournalist who covers US presidents, news, high-profile sports and red carpet events. Diego J. and Alejandra R. are multimedia students who interviewed Sean Hiller for the ConnectED's Day at Work contest and winners of the grand prize.

Description: Recording artists are singers or musicians who perform on stage, radio, television, or in motion pictures, and who often write their own music.
Knowledge Required: Fine arts, music theory and history, creative writing, sales and marketing, business management
Skills: Speaking, active listening, stage presence, vocal abilities, instrumental abilities, oral expression, creativity
Career Path: Successful recording artists undergo extensive training to acquire the knowledge necessary to interpret music at a professional level. Recording artists may sing in choirs, take vocal lessons, instrumental lessons, or musical theater in high school and college.
Best Cities for this Job: Recording artists will do well in large metropolitan areas with a concentration of entertainment cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Nashville.
Median Annual Income: Annual wage data is not available because of the variation in hours worked and the short-term nature of the job. The national median hourly income is $29.10 and the California median hourly income is $35.02
Future Growth: Employment of musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow 8 percent during the 2008–18 decade, as fast as the average for all occupations.
From the Field: "That's what I love about [songwriting]- that it helps me to connect with people. It helps me to know myself, it helps others to know me." - Adesha Adefela