Becoming a videogame artist

1. Becoming a videogame artist A presentation by Daniel "klein" LukaTexture/Shader ArtistUbisoft Montreal Savannah, GAApril 8th 2006

2. Special thanks Zach Ford Savannah College of Art and Design Tamar Curry SuAnne Fu Everybody at Thirteen Thirty-Seven

3. AGENDA: Becoming a videogame artist ▪ About myself

4. AGENDA: Becoming a videogame artist ▪ About myself THE GAMES INDUSTRY ▪Common false ideas about the industry ▪The importance of MOD communities & going beyond what they teach you in school ▪Getting noticed within the community & getting your name out ▪Building and maintaining a network of industry contacts ▪How to create a killer portfolio that will get you interviews ▪The interviewing process ▪What to do once you’re in

5. AGENDA: Becoming a videogame artist UBISOFT ▪General information about the company ▪Brands developed by Ubisoft Montreal THE COOL STUFF ▪One-on-One portfolio review session ▪Collection of job applications (please include portfolio, resume and cover letter)

7. ABOUT ME: Becoming a videogame artist DANIEL LUKA ▪20 years old ▪Originally from Germany ▪Texture Artist at Ubisoft‘s Montreal studio ▪Shipped first game at age 17 ▪Worked full-time for about 2 years now

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12. ABOUT ME: Becoming a videogame artist

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17. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist FALSE IDEAS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY ▪Being a game developer is not a serious job ▪You absolutely need a degree to work in games ▪You get creative freedom as a game artist ▪Only the big-name companies are worth working for ▪You can only get a job if you know the right people ▪We all drive Ferraris :P

18. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist FALSE IDEAS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY ▪A bit of reality: √ Overtime is omnipresent in the games industry √ Spreadsheet philosophy in big companies √ Too little time and too much fear for true innovation √ Gaming does not = $ √ The quality of your work is more important than a degree

20. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MOD COMMUNITY ▪What is a mod? ▪Why work on a mod? √ to have FUN doing what you love to do √ to gain valuable experience √ to enhance and broaden your skill set √ to make contacts √ to get your name out √ to create a portfolio

21. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MOD COMMUNITY Game companies are actively hiring people from the mod community. ▪You should NOT join a mod if… √ ...all you are hoping for is to be bought out √...you want to be the "next Counter-Strike" ▪The "employer’s perspective" √ People who work on mods show passion & dedication √ Familiarity with tools and workflow is given √ Candidate has teamwork experience

22. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MOD COMMUNITY ▪Don’t get de-motivated by failing to release a mod √ An unreleased mod is still a valuable experience ▪The future of mods √ The bitter side effects of "next gen" √ The number of mods is dropping √ Team sizes are increasing  more complex to manage ▪Bottom line √ Releasing a top quality mod with today’s technology is highly remarkable. Definite plus when applying for a job.

24. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist GETTING YOUR NAME OUT ▪Things you should do to promote your work: √ Regularly post your work on popular forums for feedback and self-promotion √ Take part in competitions on forums and CG sites √ Build and maintain an up-to-date portfolio website and link to it in your online profiles and on screenshots that you release √ Team up with others to create custom content for games and spread the word through IRC chat rooms, game news sites and forums.

25. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist GETTING YOUR NAME OUT ▪If you regularly post your work through the channels I described and if you keep creating content that is good the online community WILL notice you ▪Most big CG forums are visited by film and game industry professionals and are therefore a perfect place not only for being seen by potential employers and making contacts but also for getting the best feedback on your work possible

27. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist BUILDING A NETWORK OF CONTACTS ▪Good contacts and networking skills are essential for survival in the industry ▪Contacts alone will NOT get you jobs. You still need to kick ass ▪You may go directly through your contact when applying for a job instead of going through the long query with Human Resources. Referrals are a big plus ▪The chain reaction effect. Second- or third degree contacts can be just as valuable ▪Try to get at least 3 contacts in every major location (Cali, Texas, etc…)

28. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist BUILDING A NETWORK OF CONTACTS I’ve made ALL my contacts through the mod community, online forums and IRC. I know people in every major location including people at EA, Valve, Lucas Film, THQ, Gearbox, etc.. Being well-connected in this industry can be very beneficial for your career. ▪How can I make contacts like that? √It’s really not that hard. As mentioned earlier on, regularly post work online and try to get people’s IMs and chat them up directly and ask for crits and comments on your work. √Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT talk to people just so you can use them as contacts. Nothing will piss people off faster than that and it will make you look like a jerk. Build friendships.

29. THE GAMES INDUSTRY: Becoming a videogame artist BUILDING A NETWORK OF CONTACTS Where to start: √LinkedIn – An online networking solutionwww.linkedin.com √Polycount – A 3D/2D communitywww.planetquake.com/polycount √CGTalk – A 3D/2D/VFX communitywww.cgtalk.com √CGChannel – A 3D/2D/VFX communitywww.cgchannel.com √PixelMorgue – A texturing communitywww.pixelmorgue.com √Gamasutra – Useful information resource on the industrywww.gamasutra.com

31. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪Introduction: The portfolio is your ultimate selling point. This is where degrees and credentials are outweighed by the quality of your work. Your portfolio is essentially what will get you jobs, or keep you from getting jobs. There are many “golden rules” to creating a successful online portfolio that attracts potential employers. I will tell you all about them here. Keep these rules in mind when you create your portfolio and be very critical with yourself when you do so.

32. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪Note: Hiring managers don’t have much patience. They sift through dozens of portfolios every day. They will usually decide within√15¬seconds whether to keep you on file or not. Keep that in mind when building your portfolio. ▪A special thanks goes out to Jon Jones (www.jonjones.us) for allowing me to use his excellent article “your portfolio repels jobs” as a resource in this lecture.

33. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪The golden rules: √ Keep it simpleThe purpose of a portfolio is to present your work and your contact info.No artsy flash menus please. √ Make your website easy to navigateOne page of art > 10 different pages I have to navigate my way through in order to find what I want. √ Keep your contact information visible at all timesInclude your name, email and website URL at the top of every page of your site and every screenshot of your work. √ Use your best work ONLYIf it doesn’t help selling you as an artist it shouldn’t be there. Polish your work like your life depended on it.

34. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪The golden rules (continued): √ No splash pages The first thing a visitor should see on your site is your ART. Your portfolio’s highest purpose is to show off your art quickly and easily. Don’t tease, satisfy. √ No obscure plug-ins or unnecessary popupsDon’t make the visitor download stuff before he can view the content of your site.Popups are annoying and if you have more than one it’s a hassle to close them all √ Be specific about your desired positionThe industry is requiring more and more “specialists” and less and less “generalists”. Be specific about the job you want to be hired as and design your portfolio around it. Leave out anything that’s not relevant for that position.

35. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪Common mistakes: √ Multiple layers = bad Splash page  News page  Portfolio page  3D Art  Charters  Man with Axe thumbnail  Man with Axe enlarged.You get me here? Flatten your site and put the art in my face with the quickest, simplest possible way of navigating. One page of art is way better than anything that requires me to click through five pages to see a screenshot of a character. √ Vague thumbnails = bad A thumbnail exists to offer a relevant preview of a larger image. If I’m looking for medieval characters, how does a grainy thumbnail of the bottom of his foot help me find it?

36. Becoming a videogame artist CREATING A KILLER PORTFOLIO ▪Common mistakes: √ Small images Small images convey nothing. Keep it large enough to be easily seen and understood. The average screen resolution is 1024x768, so make it reasonable from that standpoint. Avoid dead space on your pictures. √ Bad lighting Why would I want to hire you if your work is so badly lit for me that I can’t even see it? Polish your work, get critique on your portfolio from multiple professionals before you send it. Use your personal network of industry contacts to help you out here. √ Keep personal stuff and your portfolio separate Your portfolio is not a place to talk about what bands you like and what you do in your free time. A portfolio is not a personality test. A job interview is.

38. Becoming a videogame artist THE JOB INTERVIEW ▪The final step before you’re hired √ What’s the purpose of a job interview? If a games company invites you for a job interview after reviewing your portfolio it means that you have already satisfied them with your art work and they liked what they saw. Now it’s time to prove that you are not a total goon. √ What happens in a job interview? Depending on the job and the company you are applying for the first interview usually takes place over the phone. A representative of the company (usually an HR person, project lead or lead artist) will ask you a bunch of questions about yourself and your work. What’s most challenging, how you make compromises, etc… They want to find out about how you handle problem situations and what kind of person you are and how well you’d fit in their team. The interviewers usually take a bunch of notes on what you say and how you come across during the interview.

39. Becoming a videogame artist THE JOB INTERVIEW ▪Sample questions that you may be asked √ Are you married? √ What games have you worked on before? √ What games are you currently playing or have recently played? √ Are you better at realistic art or fantasy/sci-fi stuff? √ What would you do if there was a tight deadline ahead and you had too much work to be able to make it on time? √ What are your weak/strong points? √ Are you more technical or artistic?

40. Becoming a videogame artist THE JOB INTERVIEW ▪Some important rules √ Don’t kiss ass. Be “in the know” about the company but don’t say stupid things to make yourself look better. √ Dress casual. T-Shirt/Sweater and some nice jeans will do. NO SUITS. EVER. √ Try to be as calm as you can. Remember this is a PERSONALITY test. If you have gotten this far, they are already impressed by your art and you sold them on that end. Now wrap up the package and ship it home. √ Don’t be cold. Smile! Make jokes! Laugh. Nobody likes a co-worker who doesn’t know how to laugh (or make other people laugh). √ No one-liners as answers to their questions. Show that you are passionate about what you do and be elaborate when you answer.

41. Becoming a videogame artist THE JOB INTERVIEW ▪After the interview √ What happens after the interview? When the interview is over the people who interviewed you will go through their notes and decide whether you are a “no go”, whether they should interview you again or whether you seem like a good fit for the job based on the impression you made during the interview. √ DO NOT call the company to follow up on your interview!!!! I can’t stress enough how important this is. HR departments are very busy, do NOT mess up your own chances and call them every day to ask if they have made a decision yet. If they are interested in you they will get back to you. If they aren’t they probably won’t. Send an email to ask about the status of your application. Once. If you have inside contacts at the company get them to find out for you.

43. Becoming a videogame artist WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU’RE IN ▪ Your first 6 months √ Put in 200% You only get to make a first impression once √ Don’t be “the late guy” Most companies have flexible hours. However in your first few months you want to come in early and leave late. It’s all about making a good first impression. √ Earn respect Don’t take being respected for granted. You have to earn it through your work and personality. You also want to stay in a low gear for the first few months. Don’t tell veteran employees how to do their job. √ Make friends Try making friends fast to help you get settled and to give you the “inside scoop” on unspoken company policies that you don’t even know exist.

44. Becoming a videogame artist WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU’RE IN ▪ IMPORTANT RULES √ Don’t EVER talk about salary!!!! Don’t tell anybody what you make. And don’t ask what others make. This is the number ONE rule in the industry. √ Don’t get personally attached to your work Your work is company property. You make it because they pay you. Don’t complain when your lead asks you to make changes to your work. It’s his job. √ Don’t put up a fuss A games company is not a mod team. If you are pissed off, CONTROL YOURSELF.Don’t go and send angry emails to the project manager about every little thing. √ Be a team player Follow chain of command. Be helpful, share tricks & techniques. Don’t be a loner. Learn how to motivate yourself and the rest of your team. If you don’t like somebody’s art, be constructive about it and give pointers.

45. Becoming a videogame artist WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU’RE IN ▪ RANDOM TIPS √ Create art on the side if you can, keep an up-to-date portfolio √ Your first job should be about EXPERIENCE, not money √ Don’t jump ship too often √ Keep working on your art. Keep improving. Keep seeking new challenges! √ Don’t let crunch ruin your personal life. Whatever they tell you, it’s not worth it.

47. º Becoming a videogame artist ▪ FACTS ABOUT THE COMPANY √ Founded in 1986 by the five Guillemot brothers √ CEO: Yves Guillemot √ 3rd independent European publisher, 5th independent publisher in the US, 2nd largest in-house development staffing in the world √ About 3000 permanent collaborators worldwide, of which ¾ are dedicated to production √ Development studios in: Annecy – Barcelona – Bucharest – Casablanca – Düsseldorf (Blue Byte) – Milan – Montpellier – Montreal - Morrisville, NC (Red Storm) - Quebec City – Paris - Shanghai √ Offices in 21 countries, present on every continent √ Portfolio includes over 1000 titles, distributed in more than 55 countries

48. º Becoming a videogame artist IN CANADA ▪ Montreal studio employs over 1500 people ▪ Average age: 30 years old ▪ Men 87% Women 13% ▪ 500 new employees by 2010 ▪ 36 games made at studio since 1997 ▪ Hosts development of the following brands: √ Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell √ Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six √ Prince of Persia √ Far Cry √ Myst

49. Thank you all!