What positions can I get in CGI industry as a programmer?

Question

I am currently in my final semester doing a Bachelors in Computer Science, Programming Emphasis. I also love graphics and my initial aim was to go in game development (graphics programming). I now opened the gap wider to any field that includes graphics, including movies, etc.

My questions are:

1. What positions are available to programmers in the CGI industry?
2. What roles do they play (what do they do)?
3. What technologies should I start learning?

Answer 1

In a way you're a bit late in asking this question, as you should have already been tailoring your course selection with this career path in mind. You should be learning:

• lots of math, most particularly in discrete mathematics and linear algebra, but also calculus
• algorithms
• optimization methods
• graphics of course!
• your main languages will likely be C++ and Python, so at this point you should be learning Stroustrup thoroughly.

There are lots of opportunities available, in video games, rendering, special effects etc. You should start do the normal career-advicy sorts of things: get networked in the communities of interest to you, start contacting the big players in the industry etc etc. Also open an account on SO Careers and emphasize your interest in this area, and check out other posts in the [graphics-programming] tag.