Cool stuff bro! I love me some "snaaaaaaaaaake". Idk why, but I always imagine him through the whole movie just repeating his name whenever there's dialogue. Anyways, to answer your question, I too was a super duper high guy at my school, but I actually had design experience before actually attending. I graduated from HS in 05', learned computers, web design and graphic design as I was a illustrator first since I was a kid. Learned how to screen print, but after graduation, I didn't really have an idea of what I wanted to do.
Spent a good 5 yrs working for a bank while also doing freelance gigs for music artists designing album covers, promotional flyers that sorta thing. One day I was just totally tired of the bank job, and while working there, started working on a brand to develop. Shortly after not giving a hoot anymore about the bank, I was let go in a massive lay-off due to the recession (I worked for Bofa), and I wanted to do something that I wanted to do. So I decided to sign up for art school to see how my skills were in the design industry. Went to school at Art Institute of Hollywood (North Hollywood) and it wasn't actually that bad. Got A's, got to design all I wanted and got to learn amazing crap, but for me it was easy because a lot of the kids there had no business being there, so I found it easy to smoke on class breaks, come in and just zone into my work and take tests.
I graduated with an associates, I could've extended to a bachelors however I wanted to get out there and see what I could do (Gawd this is a long story) and started at Davis Elen Advertising doing stuff for McDonalds and GMC. Got bored with the production work and then got hired at the NFL Network for my illustration skills. Quickly became a Creative there and was in charge of 3 podcast shows (branding) and helping the NFL rebrand for NFL Now and Super Bowl 50. I've been at Hulu and PXL Bros on short term contracts but mostly I love helping companies find their look (branding) and I love doing apparel.
