How to break into the game industry?
by Javier O'neill · in General Discussion · 07/23/2001 (12:28 pm) · 3 replies
Ok heres a hard one after graduating from the art institute of houston i have been looking for work making games,the problem is the school told me about the game industry but didnt teach me a thing about the kinda 3d work i would have to do to get a job in it,i have tried and tried but always get the same freaking response"we like your skill but have no need for your abilities without experience"basiclly a nice way of telling me to fuck off,but how the hell do you get experience if none will hire you?,i know i can do the work,i am also an exceptional artist but no one will hire me?im learning how to do game modeling and animation but whats t gonna help me if no one wants to give me a freaking chance,i have joined a group here making a game called "event Alpha" how will doing this help my prospects out,as for ooking for an internship i have tried but we have almost no video game companies here in Houston,what can i do.
well anyway here is my website with some off my work on it some of it is older than the otherstell me what you think,
http://hometown.aol.com/sagephoenix/JavierOneillindex.html
should i buy a gun and force a company to hire me,hehe just kidding all advice is welcome
well anyway here is my website with some off my work on it some of it is older than the otherstell me what you think,
http://hometown.aol.com/sagephoenix/JavierOneillindex.html
should i buy a gun and force a company to hire me,hehe just kidding all advice is welcome
About the author
#2
Overall, you should keep working and evaluating the things you have made, take a look at tutorials from guys like Paul Steed (he's written quite a lot on character modelling). Get into a good team on GG seems a good idea as well.
Finally, I know a good company in Houston, theyre called Timegate Studio's, and theyre really nice guys. Ive seen an intern there so you MAY have a chance. But only show them your absolute BEST work.
www.timegatestudios.com I think.. definitely worth a try, theyre really friendly guys, you could learn a lot.
Phil.
07/24/2001 (4:29 am)
Its really not that hard to get a job if you have a good portfolio for an artist. One thing to do is be VERY critical about your work. Dont put ANYTHING on your website you dont consider to be professional quality. Ive noticed a few things on your website that I'd take off.Overall, you should keep working and evaluating the things you have made, take a look at tutorials from guys like Paul Steed (he's written quite a lot on character modelling). Get into a good team on GG seems a good idea as well.
Finally, I know a good company in Houston, theyre called Timegate Studio's, and theyre really nice guys. Ive seen an intern there so you MAY have a chance. But only show them your absolute BEST work.
www.timegatestudios.com I think.. definitely worth a try, theyre really friendly guys, you could learn a lot.
Phil.
#3
The unfortunate fact is - if you have no experiance your work often has to be a ways ABOVE industry standard to get your foot in the door - its like this:
if your work is 'industry standard' then why should a games company higher you considering your lack of industry experiance (proof of meeting deadlines - motivation etc) when they can get 1 of the truck load of 'industry standard' experianced game 'artists' there are out there instead.
To break into most media industrys you realy have to be in the top 5% of your piers.
go out on the web and check out the better artists work -thats what you need to match (or beat)- dont make the mistake that many people make and only compare yourself to the dregs - if you are better than someone - then stop comparing work - its only acting as an ego boost for yourself and not actualy helping you.
I know this from experiance - I have had 4 years high end animation and character design experiance - I have worked on Manga type stuff - south park style cartoons - 3D character work for high profile adverts - and designed characters for major marketing agencies (etc etc etc) - yet I have had to take several months out to learn LP modelling and game graphics because I see the future media as being games (plus I love playing them).In the eyes of most of the game companies I have been to - I am now as higherable as a mediocre but experianced game graphicist (even though my skill and artistic ability is much higher).
As far as what kind of use working on a hobby game will be - it will allow you to improve your skills - it will put you in a situation where you are getting feedback from others on your work - and if you see it through it will show your level of commitment.
07/27/2001 (8:46 am)
I agree with the above post - you have talent - but its still a little raw - get an internship - or just get any job for a couple of years while you hone your skills further.The unfortunate fact is - if you have no experiance your work often has to be a ways ABOVE industry standard to get your foot in the door - its like this:
if your work is 'industry standard' then why should a games company higher you considering your lack of industry experiance (proof of meeting deadlines - motivation etc) when they can get 1 of the truck load of 'industry standard' experianced game 'artists' there are out there instead.
To break into most media industrys you realy have to be in the top 5% of your piers.
go out on the web and check out the better artists work -thats what you need to match (or beat)- dont make the mistake that many people make and only compare yourself to the dregs - if you are better than someone - then stop comparing work - its only acting as an ego boost for yourself and not actualy helping you.
I know this from experiance - I have had 4 years high end animation and character design experiance - I have worked on Manga type stuff - south park style cartoons - 3D character work for high profile adverts - and designed characters for major marketing agencies (etc etc etc) - yet I have had to take several months out to learn LP modelling and game graphics because I see the future media as being games (plus I love playing them).In the eyes of most of the game companies I have been to - I am now as higherable as a mediocre but experianced game graphicist (even though my skill and artistic ability is much higher).
As far as what kind of use working on a hobby game will be - it will allow you to improve your skills - it will put you in a situation where you are getting feedback from others on your work - and if you see it through it will show your level of commitment.
Associate Logan Foster
perPixel Studios
1) Find a job doing 3D or 2D graphics at a local media company. Bills need to be paid, you need to eat and have shelter, and if they want you to get experiance doing this stuff, a local media company is the next best place to be.
2) Work on demo material in your spare time. Try out various things, work on creating different objects (sci-fi, fantasy, real life, etc).
3) Continue to help out with your V12 team, this will give you valuable reallife experiance working on a team in a production environemnt, as well as refining and enhancing the skills the industry needs (just don't expect a games company to jump all over you just because you are working on a V12 title though, even if your team does produce something).
Right now, You (and I) are still in the league of "commoners". To any game company we appear to be a dime a dozen, even though we ourselves know that we can contribute a lot to their work and are skilled enough to do the work. Eventually with a lot of hard work, we will be given our dues and the chance to proove them wrong.
Logan