Creative professions are becoming highly coveted and in-demand in Asia. If you’re passionate about games, films, art or design – it couldn’t have been a better time to be living in Asia!!!

Creative industries like games, animation, design, and films are gradually flourishing in Asia. In fact, they’re taking precedence over other industries like never before.

Let’s take a look at some statistics specific to just the gaming industry here:

• The games market in the region alone generated over USD 70 billion in revenue in 2018 (twice that of the North-American market), showing a remarkable year-on-year growth of over 13%,
• In Singapore, revenue from the games industry amounts to USD 102 million in 2019 and is expected to result in a market volume of USD 134 million by 2023.
• For the same year, the revenue in the games segment in Japan amounts to a whopping USD 11,644 million.

There’s a general increase in the consumption of high-definition visual experiences, which, in turn, is gradually shaping trends in higher education.

If you’re wondering how, continue reading.

• With the rise in the consumption of visual experiences, creative industries are flourishing more than ever.
• As multiple skills become vital for a lucrative career in creative industries like games and films, the need for creative individuals is gaining momentum.
• As a result, unconventional education spaces are opening up – Spaces that are new, inclusive and way more distinct than conventional education.

Conventional career paths are taking a backseat. And this is being seen, felt and observed in Asia as well. Especially in the fields of games, art, and films.

As highly-coveted mediums of storytelling, they’re great for driving engagement – which is precisely why they’re so in demand!

So, if you’re a creative someone in Asia, looking to build a career in creative industries like games, animation or movies – it’s best to know what kind of jobs would be available to you.

Creative Jobs in Asia

1. Game Designers

Video games are crazy (crazy good!)

There’s a lot that goes into making them. And as game designers, you get to make all the big decisions relating to gameplay, theme, characters and all other core elements (although the responsibilities depend a lot on the size of the team or studio you’re working with).

The video game design industry has blossomed into a creatively-rewarding and high-paying industry.

Gone are the times when primitive art ruled games. In the 21st century, games have become exceptionally attractive – high on vibrant, captivating and high-definition art – which means there’s plenty of need for artists who can do this well.

The demand isn’t restricted to the western nations alone, the Asia-Pacific region has seen a significant rise for the same.

And the pay is pretty good too.

On average, video game designers easily command over $60,000 a year, as per Payscale. In Singapore, that’s SGD 67,500 a year (on average).

There’s also been a gradual rise in the number of game studios in the region.

According to GameDevMap, there are over 50 game studios in Singapore alone! Some of the popular ones are as follows:

• Blizzard Entertainment
• Ubisoft
• Gameloft
• General Interactive
• Konami Digital Entertainment
• Genki Singapore
• Gattai Games
• Tyler Projects

But this isn’t the only reason why Singapore is the hub for learning how to make games (all different aspects of games!). If you want to find out more, check out post about why Singapore is the best destination for people wanting to make it big as game designers!

2. UX Designers

Concerned with optimizing usability and user experience of different machines and software, UX designing is a highly sought-after field in the creative spaces today.

The profession blends both art and technology beautifully to create experiences that have become a vital component of people’s everyday lives in the 21st century.

With the increasing role of an app and web development in the success and future of a company, this profession is here to stay. And it will only grow further.

Payscale pegs a UX designer’s average annual salary to be over USD 70,000. In Singapore, that number is over SGD 45,000.

So what are some of the popular roles you can get as a UX designer?

• Junior/Senior User Experience Architect
• Interaction Designer
• Head of User Experience

The great thing about this profession is its applicability across different industries. From small to large businesses (start-ups or multinationals) – all need UX design for their websites or apps.

3. Film and Video Editors

There’s no doubt that films are one of the most impactful media in the world. The kind of reach films have is unprecedented.

In fact, nothing gets through to people like videos and movies!

On an average, says Payscale, film and video editors earn up to over USD 40,000. In Singapore, the number’s pegged at over SGD 30,000 (yearly, as per Payscale data).

The field tests how well you’re able to combine your love for storytelling, creativity, and technology. It challenges your digital technology and creative skills. Your work is done in close collaboration with directors, producers and those involved in the making of the film video – to better understand the broad goals of the product.

Better understanding leads to a better product – as your roles mostly entail tailoring the audio or commentaries to fit the storyline or main message of the product.

4. Animators and Multimedia Artists

The work of animators and multimedia artists abounds in the 21st century.

It involves an intersection of both technology and art-making it absolutely essential to the digital age.

There’s a wide variety of areas where both multimedia and animators are in demand – including films, music videos, corporate videos, video games, commercials and other kinds of media. Motion Design Classes have gained popularity in the past few years due to surging demand in terms of both quality and quantity.

According to Payscale, multimedia artists and animators make over USD 50,000 on average.

Both roles are amongst the highest paying creative professions in the world as well.

5. Graphic Designers

Art is the soul of life. It renders everything more beautiful, more picturesque and more captivating.

Nothing brings ideas to life like art! Nothing matches the intensity with which it hooks us! Nothing sells like art.

Art seems to have become integral to the modern age. It’s essential to our consumption of high-quality, high-definition visual media. In fact, a lot of our actions are motivated by what we see and how the “art” in it inspires us.

And all this is possible thanks to graphic designers. They’ve transformed into the heart and soul of creative industries.

According to Payscale, graphic designers can command up to $43,293 on average. If you’re in Singapore, your average salary as a graphic designer will be SGD 30,495 (as per Payscale).

From application across multiple channels such as magazines, social media, advertisements, web design, brochures, logos, billboards and more – graphic design is a high-in-demand, highly coveted profession, guaranteed to bring you both monetary and creative satisfaction.

You only have to be passionate enough.

Final thoughts: So how do you start?

Creativity takes many forms in the evolving world and requires a lot of unique and focused skills that are specific to the jobs. Landing in a creative job does not mean you are destined to remain poor, instead, articulating and demonstrating your strengths in your field will make you stand apart from the rest.

Understanding current trends in the job market are of utmost importance to channel your career better. The boom in digital platforms has led to many businesses using these spaces for innovation, effective conceptualization and communication of ideas. Thus, with several creative jobs in demand, it seems to be the right time to add more feathers to your cap – in the form of relevant skills training.

By keeping your ears to the ground, you can judge the path you would like to pursue and accordingly hone your skills to land a dream job that will also pay you well. Being knowledgeable of relevant tools and being up to date with necessary skills will give you a boost during the interview processes.

To be weighed higher than the rest, you will have to demonstrate your sincerity in personal growth and your passion for the industry you are looking to work for. This will guarantee a more stable job with a potential for growth in the long-term.

The real question is how and where do you begin? Where do you begin your creative journey? Without sacrificing a lot of time and money.

Because all the above information wouldn’t make sense if you don’t know where to begin. Getting to start the right way is tough and one of the most important things for a creative career.

Here’s the best possible thing we know you can do – Find a specialized program in a specialized and affordable institution with industry-relevant mentors.

If you’re wondering why to look here:

• Specialized institutions offer programs and courses based on your needs and goals. There also tends to be more flexibility in the curriculum than in conventional universities.
• You get personalized attention from mentors which goes a long way in determining your successful career in your chosen field (and a huge relief from administrative red-tape!)
• There’s equal opportunity for everybody to access networking and professional opportunities (these are crucial to make it big in skill-based, creative industries).
• Such institutions provide a stronger space for making friends, connections and avail peer support.

And finally, because → Creative courses are high in demand. But institutions offering creative courses are scarce. And most of the big ones offer everything at quite a premium price. Small, specialized institutions differ here a lot!

So if you found an institution that offers creative courses tailored to your needs, well-aligned with your goals and well-within your financial reach, wouldn’t you take it?

MAGES, for instance, offers you –

• Specialized and affordable course programs for a career in games, art and film industries.
• A hands-on learning environment for better development of goal and industry-relevant skills
• Individual guidance from an industry-experienced faculty
• Unique opportunities every month (game jams, networking, art showcases and more!).
• International recognition
• Relevant employment opportunities

Find out more here.