Ryan Ehrenberg designs real time visual effects for video games.

Some pearls of wisdom:

Get a copy of a game engine like Crytek or Unreal and see what you can do- again check for tutorials online. Get a subscription with a school like Gnomon that specializes in training for VFX. Sign up for local figure drawing classes. Network with people in the industry. Find local groups that meet up for a monthly get-together of Game Devs. Join groups online where VFX professionals can critique your demo reel. Network, network, network- and be a nice person.

Be as well-rounded as you can be. Take every art class you can to start developing an understanding of techniques in multiple mediums. Get very familiar with digital art packages like Photoshop and After Effects. Get familiar with Max and Maya. There are plenty of free tutorials online to get up to speed.