Advice to someone who is about to graduate

dystopianghost

Hey Guys,
So basically I am just curious how you guys started out if you went to school, also advice on getting freelance jobs, where should I look, websites and forums I should use. Thanks for your time guys.

LMP

Sorry, I can't help on the Freelance advice.
But, don't count out the possibility a studio job so easily.

Ok, here are some of the biggest things.

#1: Apply to as Many Places as you can. For getting your first gig, it's a numbers game. The more you apply, the better your chances of getting lucky and landing a job.

#2: Keep making new things for your portfolio. Even while your searching and applying to places, keep making new things! It will only help you.

My circumstance was probably pretty uncommon, and especially among my peers in my graduating class. I got a full time contract of indeterminate length job offer just 3 months after graduation. A lot of my friends got contract gigs a lot longer after graduation, some of them still haven't gotten an art gig, and are doing QA.

dystopianghost

LMP wrote: »

Sorry, I can't help on the Freelance advice.
But, don't count out the possibility a studio job so easily.

Ok, here are some of the biggest things.

#1: Apply to as Many Places as you can. For getting your first gig, it's a numbers game. The more you apply, the better your chances of getting lucky and landing a job.

#2: Keep making new things for your portfolio. Even while your searching and applying to places, keep making new things! It will only help you.

My circumstance was probably pretty uncommon, and especially among my peers in my graduating class. I got a full time contract of indeterminate length job offer just 3 months after graduation. A lot of my friends got contract gigs a lot longer after graduation, some of them still haven't gotten an art gig, and are doing QA.

Thank for all the advice, I have been already thinking the same thing at least with applying at so many places, hopefully one works out, and if you don't mind me asking where do you work?

chamade

Not sure what they teach these days in school, but a website with your work is more important than a demo reel. Virtually every company these days has a website through which you can apply and input your web site URL. Do that for as manny companies as possible.

Oniram

best advice i can give if you're going to graduate soon. GO TO GDC! I decided to go while in my last semester and it was one of the best decisions i made. I was fortunate enough to get a private portfolio critique, right then and there was told if i wanted a job after i graduated, it was there for me. Sure enough, 6 months later when i graduated, i sent an email to the same guy who surprisingly remembered me, and i was set up with freelance the next day.

The best thing you can do is network and market yourself to everyone, and if your work is good enough, people will remember.

ysalex

Freelance wise, making yourself visible is the best way to find work. An I don't mean in a way where you visit every forum and comment a ton and reply to all the 'looking for artist' ads and are always pimping your portfolio around, because those people get annoying.

What I mean is producing good work, being known for being helpful and agreeable, making contacts with other artists by just generally being nice.

50% of my freelance work come from people who saw my work one way or another, either they saw a good review of me somewhere like shapeways or an image I did somewhere like cgarena. The other 50% comes from artists/contacts who I know, who know other people looking for workers, like programmers looking for help, or an environment artist who suggests me as a character artist for a freelance gig that they are a part of.

In short, it just helps knowing people involved in your field, and the best way to get to meet people is by being helpful and/or at least not an ass.

Also I have noticed that tutorials help. I have made 2 tutorials now on basic stuff because I though that it might be some help to some people, but both times I have seen a spike in traffic of my website. Usually it hangs around 5-7 thousand, but last month I hit 50,000 people, and I got a ton of emails from people saying hi and thanks, and facebook friend request who message me to say hi, it was really great for meeting people, which is something that I didn't expect. Which I think proves that giving back is the best way to get involved with the community.

dystopianghost

chamade wrote: »

Not sure what they teach these days in school, but a website with your work is more important than a demo reel. Virtually every company these days has a website through which you can apply and input your web site URL. Do that for as manny companies as possible.

What we were told is a demo reel is very very important,and yeah i have been noticing that with alot of the applications.

dystopianghost

Oniram wrote: »

best advice i can give if you're going to graduate soon. GO TO GDC! I decided to go while in my last semester and it was one of the best decisions i made. I was fortunate enough to get a private portfolio critique, right then and there was told if i wanted a job after i graduated, it was there for me. Sure enough, 6 months later when i graduated, i sent an email to the same guy who surprisingly remembered me, and i was set up with freelance the next day.

The best thing you can do is network and market yourself to everyone, and if your work is good enough, people will remember.

I would love to go to GDC and meet people its just so high priced, but I guess you are also getting what you pay for.

dystopianghost

ysalex wrote: »

Freelance wise, making yourself visible is the best way to find work. An I don't mean in a way where you visit every forum and comment a ton and reply to all the 'looking for artist' ads and are always pimping your portfolio around, because those people get annoying.

What I mean is producing good work, being known for being helpful and agreeable, making contacts with other artists by just generally being nice.

50% of my freelance work come from people who saw my work one way or another, either they saw a good review of me somewhere like shapeways or an image I did somewhere like cgarena. The other 50% comes from artists/contacts who I know, who know other people looking for workers, like programmers looking for help, or an environment artist who suggests me as a character artist for a freelance gig that they are a part of.

In short, it just helps knowing people involved in your field, and the best way to get to meet people is by being helpful and/or at least not an ass.

Also I have noticed that tutorials help. I have made 2 tutorials now on basic stuff because I though that it might be some help to some people, but both times I have seen a spike in traffic of my website. Usually it hangs around 5-7 thousand, but last month I hit 50,000 people, and I got a ton of emails from people saying hi and thanks, and facebook friend request who message me to say hi, it was really great for meeting people, which is something that I didn't expect. Which I think proves that giving back is the best way to get involved with the community.

Thanks, I will keep all that in mind the further I get in my career, thank you for the advice

almighty_gir

You should already have a portfolio up, if you don't then you're looking at at least 6 months before you should start looking for work, because you will want/need to show at least three SOLID finished pieces. and then continue to update regularly with new pieces until you get so busy that you don't have time to anymore heh.

and then when work slows down, kick yourself for not making time to keep it updated, start a new project, and then rage when more jobs come in and you can't finish the project you just started.

such is the way of freelance =[

freelance turns you into a hooker, paid to please everyone, and can never please themself.

Jason Young

Where's your portfolio? Lots of great advice so far, but it's hard to give focused advice unless people know what type of work you're looking to do, where you're at skill level-wise, and what kind of condition your portfolio is in.

glottis8

^^ aye aye.. first thing i did was go look for your portfolio... nothing there.

LMP

ghost123238 wrote: »

and if you don't mind me asking where do you work?

Gameloft Montreal, don't be afraid to relocate.

dystopianghost

Jason Young wrote: »

Where's your portfolio? Lots of great advice so far, but it's hard to give focused advice unless people know what type of work you're looking to do, where you're at skill level-wise, and what kind of condition your portfolio is in.

My portfolio is currently being pieced together as we speak I should have one up on here with in 3 to 4 days, I am an environment and prop artist just so you know. Thank you for your advice and I will try to get it finished even sooner now.

dystopianghost

glottis8 wrote: »

^^ aye aye.. first thing i did was go look for your portfolio... nothing there.

In the process of getting on up there now should be within the next few days I am hoping to get it done sooner though but here is a sample of something I did recently

dystopianghost

almighty_gir wrote: »

You should already have a portfolio up, if you don't then you're looking at at least 6 months before you should start looking for work, because you will want/need to show at least three SOLID finished pieces. and then continue to update regularly with new pieces until you get so busy that you don't have time to anymore heh.

and then when work slows down, kick yourself for not making time to keep it updated, start a new project, and then rage when more jobs come in and you can't finish the project you just started.

such is the way of freelance =[

freelance turns you into a hooker, paid to please everyone, and can never please themself.

I have about I would say 7 finished pieces I am in the process of putting up everything now in the form of a portfolio, and thanks for all the advice.

dystopianghost

LMP wrote: »

Gameloft Montreal, don't be afraid to relocate.

I fine with relocating if it mean a job lol and Gameloft Montreal nice how do you like it there?

MeshModeler

internships. i got an internship at soe for 3 months, which then lead to a contract position one year before graduating. so i was going to school and working at the same time.

Apply to as many places as possible, i would usually go on a binge and apply to everyplace gamedevmap provided.

For freelance its always good to network with fellow freelancers that can refer you, or try applying at places that focus on outsourcing. streamline studios and liquid development to name a few

dystopianghost

MeshModeler wrote: »

internships. i got an internship at soe for 3 months, which then lead to a contract position one year before graduating. so i was going to school and working at the same time.

Apply to as many places as possible, i would usually go on a binge and apply to everyplace gamedevmap provided.

For freelance its always good to network with fellow freelancers that can refer you, or try applying at places that focus on outsourcing. streamline studios and liquid development to name a few

Thanks for the advice MeshModeler, I am checking those out right now Thanks

Quack!

I highly recommend removing 'Prop artist' from your lexicon. While there are prop artist positions at some companies, most places will want an environment artist. So I would just get into the mindset that you will be an environment artist and not a prop artist. I feel that most people use the 'prop artist' title to validate them not having the drive to make full environments.

Join an organized mod/hobby project. Start producing work for a game engine that has you importing and exporting objects.

Demo reels, unless you are demo'ing animation or effects, are a huge time sink that aren't really worth it. Make a nice simple to navigate portfolio website with well done screenshots from a game engine and you will be considered.

Don't be afraid of job openings that state 'years of experience'. In fact, ignore them and apply to them anyway.

Be active in communities/twitter/linkedin. Always be positive, don't give up.

Mil0

glottis8 wrote: »

^^ aye aye.. first thing i did was go look for your portfolio... nothing there.

I did the same.

dystopianghost

Mil0 wrote: »

I did the same.

Sorry about that Mil0 I am getting a portfolio on here as soon as I can, Hoping to get it up by sunday that way my stuff get seen by others Thanks for the advice

dystopianghost

Quack! wrote: »

I highly recommend removing 'Prop artist' from your lexicon. While there are prop artist positions at some companies, most places will want an environment artist. So I would just get into the mindset that you will be an environment artist and not a prop artist. I feel that most people use the 'prop artist' title to validate them not having the drive to make full environments.

Join an organized mod/hobby project. Start producing work for a game engine that has you importing and exporting objects.

Demo reels, unless you are demo'ing animation or effects, are a huge time sink that aren't really worth it. Make a nice simple to navigate portfolio website with well done screenshots from a game engine and you will be considered.

Don't be afraid of job openings that state 'years of experience'. In fact, ignore them and apply to them anyway.

Be active in communities/twitter/linkedin. Always be positive, don't give up.

I will be sure to take that off that way I am not just seen as a prop artist Thanks for that, and thanks for all the advice