Is VFX a good career choice?

I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but i am just going to do it anyways.
I am a sophomore in highschool, and I am really trying to just figure out what I am going to go to collage for, and what collage to go to.
Previosly i was thinking of going to school for 3d modeling for games and stuff, because I really like to do that, but I am seeing a decline in the gaming industry, and now am not so sure that would be a good choice. I also like doing VFX allot, so I was thinking I would do that.
If I do end up doing VFX I would probably go into 3D compositing, like NUKE. I could also do allot of modeling sort of jobs.
Really I am just wondering about things like:
-how expensive is school
-how hard is it to get into (like i know in videogames they say things like "minimum of 2-7 yrs. in industry, which makes it hard to get the 2-7 yrs. because you have to start out somewhere.)
-once in, how hard is it to get hired
-is it a thing where you work for a company, or is it job to job freelance
-What is the adverage sallary, is it enough to live off of?
-Where would i probably have to move to get these sort of jobs (california or something?)
i know these are allot of questions but i am really just wondering what my options are, any information would be nice.

hmm... Bill, don't recall what DP that woulda been. Enough funny stuff happens on set etc that it coulda been lots of things.
I was thinking more about poster's question, and comment about engineering interest...and would like to add this bit of info...
Most VFX stuff is to some large extent 'recreating' reality with models, using stuff like maya or else really high end proprietary programs ( stuff pixar etc would use ). Maya is being used a lot now on sets with "live" view of models being shown on monitor when shooting green screen ( surveyed targets on grid ). If poster does search for pan am tv series he might find my references to that stage setup here...with targets and explanation of that little camera mounted on top of alexa..
Anyway, like I said, maya is being used a bit now and some searching on google will pull up info on the company that did the VFX for pan am, and poster can check out their system(s ) used.
It turns my stomach to think of the potential comments now about how pan am was not a good show, but that's not the point.
Anyway, recreating real life gets into a lot of subjects. Namely enineering ( civil, mechanical etc ) and physics. Trying to make " computer smoke " act like real smoke requires knowing something about how real smoke acts and why.
So all the subjects poster can take for engineering will help in VFX anyway.
Furthermore, mechanical drawing would help a lot in both engineering and VFX. For example Autodesk CAD is used a lot for mechanical drawing now in schools... and Autodesk Maya is in some ways similar.
Here's sample of my choo choo train ( a tutorial I should some day get back to )...notice the top, front and side views ( and the 3/4 view )... the 3/4 view can be rotated etc as desired..all sceens can be zoomed in to individual parts etc. CAD drawing will be the same.
The menu systems will be somewhat similar re: the GUI...in other words, if you hit the spacebar a 'menu' will come up on screen...and looks like THIS.. .makes it faster than going to the top menus and so on...
With regard to nParticles and that sort of thing...it's a lot of physics... and math too, including some pretty advanced stuff...having to do with quantum physics etc. Searches on internet will show poster that...look for " maya physics computer AI " and stuff like that... Some of the plug in type things for maya are developed by professors teaching at good colleges around the country ( MIT etc ).. who experiment with how physical things 'act' and put that into context mathematically and so on.
As for the pursuit of career path etc, since these two things ( engineering and VFX ) coincide at least as far as science and mechanics is involved... there are at least some things to start studying immediately ( drafting etc )...
good luck

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Sanjeev
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My complaints about VZW's lack of good "feature" phones

In an effort to save on my wireless bill (college kids have to do that) I have moved from my beloved LG Ally to a KIN TWOm. Upon seeing the selection of "feature" phones that VZW offers, I was left with an empty feeling. Verizon has to have the worst selection of "feature" or "quick messaging" phones in the business. Gone are the glory days of the ENv Touch, Rogue, Chocolate Touch (piece of crap really), and Reality (still found in some stores). Now we (the customer) are stuck with offerings like the Cosmos Touch and the Pantech Crux as well as the KINs. As far as the Cosmos and Crux is concerned, they are far from enticing. So is the once overly hyped KIN series the only appealing decives they offer for those looking to save? Looks that way.
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resistive touch screen or better, as well as, at the least, a 2mp camera. All of them also come with some type of social network integration. The Samsung also include an intuitive display that allows you to place widgets on up to three homescreens. The Freestyle provides a smartphone experience without the data package price, and the Laser is acclaimed as the thinnest sliding phone ever.
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If you don't have the pleasure of choosing from great selections (those of ATT and T Mobile) then like most, if not all of us here, you are stuck between choosing a flip phone dating back at least four years (Accolade), one approved by military standards (Ravine, Brigade, Barrage, etc...) or one of the touchscreen "feature" phones VZW offers. The Cosmos Touch, Crux or KIN ONEm or KIN TWOm. What is so bad about these phones? Well, I can't say too much is wrong with the KINs, aside from them carrying a half-baked OS (the potential these phones had was astoundingly lost in bad marketing and under development). The Crux on the other-hand is a pain to use. Considering its unresponsive touch screen, and sluggish performance it makes for a terrible user experience. This leaves the Cosmos Touch-it is no ENv Touch. It lacks a good camera, no way to record video, and a bad screen resolution.
The way I see it is that the only decent "feature" phones VZW offers are the KINs ONEm and TWOm. They are equipped with WiFi, 5 and 8mp cameras (respectively) capacitive touchscreens, and a decent web browser. These are features that ATT and T Mobile do not offer on their "quick messaging" phones (1 point for VZW). Too bad they only come with a stripped OS (no more LOOP or KIN SPOT) because these features were too "data heavy" and, in all honesty, made them too much like smartphones. Nor do they include Backup Assist support, or any access to the VZW apps (really not a big deal anyway). At least when using a KIN you aren't bombarded with VZW marketing and logos.
Before I settled on the KIN TWOm I checked to see if I could get my hands on a Samsung Rogue (re-certified). The only way I could only get it is to pay $159. For a re-certified phone? I don't think so. It is obvious that while ATT and T Mobile are still keeping those in mind who can't afford a smartphone, VZW is forgetting them. They are throwing the "feature" phone to the wind and concentrating on selling expensive smartphones. I will say that they are making smartphones more affordable, but it is not yet enough.
In the end I will stick with VZW, as long as I can afford it....they really do have the best coverage. But I will be a disgruntle customer stuck with a pathetic selection of "feature" phones until the day I go back to my smartphone (out of college maybe?). I will now step off of my soapbox.
Thanks to those of you who read this, and I hope VZW takes this seriously.

The main point of the post was to provide a solid comparison of the lower end phones offered by the three most major carriers in order to show that VZW is falling behind (albeit in brief). I will admit that that did get lost as my post dragged on. The problem is that Verizon does not offer a good enough selection of phones to choose from for those trying to save by going the lower end route.
Thier selection of phones has indeed changed. Comparing the latest run of "feature" phones to the phones they offered not just two years ago, I can see a change. The quallity and build of the products is the same, but the capabilities are lower. If you look back at the phones I mentioned from ATT and compare them to the touchscreen phones that Verizon offers, I think you will see a difference in features. You can get previous phones; but by doing so you forfeit the ability of getting insurance, or any other replacements.
When I said that T Mobile and ATT are bigger than VZW, I am taking into account the merger that is currently taking place. Once the merger is 100% complete they will have about 30 million more subscribers than VZW. I doubt that T Mobile's quick messaging phones will become obsolete like Alltel's did. T Mobile is larger and thier phones are better known.
I agree that VZW has better customer service (many sources can prove this), but I do not agree that ATT's phones are garbage. They carry Samsung, LG, and Pantech. VZW carries the same brands (+ Sharp). I will again agree that VZW is the best all around, except for the selection of "feature" phones. A reason I will stay with Verizon is that they have good customer service, and great reception everywhere, if this were not the case I would switch carriers simply for the chance to get a better lower end phone. I also stay with them in hopes of being able to get a smartphone back one day-VZW has a fantastic selection of them.

Want to make a career in SAP BI

Hello,
This is Sanjay Sreedhar from Bangalore. Currently, I am working as a Senior Software Engineer on Java/J2EE and related technologies and have an overall experience of 2 and a half years.
I am not really interested to continue doing Java development and would like to move over to SAP.
Among the various modules of SAP, after gathering some information, I felt that SAP BI is the most suitable domain for me. I also have experience of 1 year in report design and development on oracle platform and I found this kind of work very interesting.
Since SAP BI primarily focuses on reporting and analysis, I strongly feel that I can have a good career in this domain.
My career expectations are as follows:
a) Long-term career with stability and growth.
b) Career in which I can feel secure and confident.
c) Compensation as per experience and industry standards.
It would be really very helpful if I could please get some advice and guidance regarding career opportunities in SAP BI.

Try to explore below mentioned link..
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Is VFX a good career choice?

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