What I've learned over the years.

If you say 3D .Most will think you mean 3D movies with the glasses.

If you say CGI ,There clueless.or think ya mean Common Gateway Interface.

If you say ya work on PC's ,there want you to fix there PC.

If kids here you say Shrik ,Trasformers there want you to make them Shrik ,Transformers toys.

If you say Games there think 1 or 2 people could make Halo in a day or two.
Even had adults tell me what kind of games I should make.

When people don't know what ya mean there imagine all kinds of stuff.

Most time I just say I'm a Artist .
1/2 the time if I say CGI Artist ,the CGI will confuses them.

Good luck explaining to a civilian what CGI is.
I just tell them to google zBrush.

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I started in 1979, CGI in 1998 .Could not have gone to a bank and said I'm a Artist.
Loan me money to make Art.

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The Artist that will fight for decades to conquer their media.
Even if you never know their name ,your know their Art.
Dark Sphere Mage Vengeance