I got my first job 5 years ago so I guess I don't count. I have a degree and it helped me out, it was an animation degree and 50% traditional art. Before school I taught myself how to UV unwrap and texture but I hit a brick wall with modeling - so school really helped me out on that front.
I have a degree and got my first job just over 2 years ago.
Did it help? yes and no.
My first job was up at Bungie as an environment artist, but i was actually shot down for that position when I first applied, but was given an art test for the 3d artist position since I didnt have the experience of working on a shipped title they wanted for the environment job.
I did the art test for the 3d artist spot and got a phone interview for that position. During my phone interview with the 3d artist lead he let me know the job was mine and then we were just talking about art, where I hoped to go in the future which I made if very clear that being an environment artist was my biggest passion and would do anything to get there, especially at a dream studio like Bungie.
Things were left there and I had the 3d artist job, but the next day I got a call from the environment artist lead offering me the environment job. The 3d artist lead clearly saw that environment art was what I wanted to do and after both leads looked over my portfolio, internship experience and the fact that I went to school and had a degree they deiced to take a chance on me and offer me the job. (yes it was mentioned that going to a school for my craft and getting a degree was a big plus, but not the deciding factor) So clearly it helped me there as I got to work at one of my dream studios straight out of college instead of some of the other studios I had offers at that I didnt really care too much about beyond that they would be my first job.
In terms of what I learned at school, it taught me the basics of what I needed to know, but didn't teach me everything I needed to know, or even teach me enough to get a job if that was all I learned. To get to the quality bar I needed to and to learn all the extra things I needed to actually get a job in the industry I had to bust ass on my own, learn things from tutorials, friends and here on Polycount.
For me, school helped set deadlines, teach me the basics, and introduce me to life long friends. It did not get me my job, I got my job, no school can ever get you your job. But I feel it was still 100% worth it for friends alone.
I have a game-related degree. I definitely feel that taking the course put me along the right path and I met really talented people, both students and instructors. It got me to where I am today.
The only thing I'm pissed off about is the price of that experience.
i got my degree back in september and within 2 weeks of graduating, i had a job. Those two events happening had nothing to do with each other. The job was at Shadows In Darkness/Darkside Games (an outsourcing studio), where i still currently work. I had done my internship for school at the same studio but that was mostly because I pushed for it. The school typically would not have gone to Darkside to ask for internships since they dont ever do them. When they saw my work they figured they could give an internship a shot, but essentially it was contract work, labelled as an internship by my school.
I dont give credit to my school for getting me the internship or job. The only thing that i give the school credit for is giving me an assignment that acted as motivation for me to get something done on a deadline. thats basically all i got out of it was learning to manage my time with work. most of the classes i took were a waste of time where i can honestly say i didnt learn anything (a udk class where the teacher only knew ut2004). for about 3 semesters it was myself and some other classmates researching and developing, not really caring about the grade or assignment, but just finding out cool new ways to work on things.
in addition, going to GDC was a huge contributor in landing my 2nd job, with Liquid Development. I met with someone there from the company and after he saw my portfolio he mentioned that i should apply to the studio. and i did.
i am starting to see more and more now on job applications that degrees are required.. which ive been finding to be quite odd since most schools tend to graduate students with crap work, but thats just my two cents on the matter.
Associates in Computer Animation, finishing my Bachelors of Computer Science w/focus on Game Programming this spring. I currently work in the health care industry where I animate and render medical simulations for our products and how to use them.
I went to Baker College. Their animation program was only a few years old when I went in. Let's put it this way, it wasn't a renowned school or anything. However, it did give me a mile wide knowledge, even though it was only six feet deep. It helped me learn how to teach myself. You don't need to go to any fancy art or animation school to get an industry job.
I had a degree (longer than 2 yrs ago tho). I don't think it helped to get the job though. But it helped me to learn about art (I didn't even know what a folio is before lol)
I got my first industry job about ayear ago, and I definitely did not have a degree. I actually failed my games-art degree and dropped out of university. I do think that i learned a lot from university though, regardless of whether I failed or not.
Oniram: Hey, I'm guessing you went to AiFL, what about all the top notch traditional art teachers like Mr. Radford? Or does the game art degree put less emphasis on traditional? I went before there was a game degree so I had a lot of life drawing, traditional animation and painting classes mixed in with digital classes.
I don't have a degree and got my first industry job last year.
I've taken several traditional art classes, but the only 3D-related courses I've taken were complete disasters and the "teacher" had no idea what the hell he was talking about. The class devolved into him sitting at the front of the computer lab, blabbering on about god-knows-what for five straight hours while everyone in the room did their best to ignore him as much as possible and focus on learning Max.
If asked whether or not a degree of some sort would've helped me, I think the only answer I could give is that it'd simply have given me some structured practice time and that'd be the only benefit. I'm naturally pretty self-motivated, so I've simply taught myself everything I know about game art. This is not to say it's been easy, though. I've busted my ass to get to where I am today, and I refuse to let myself stagnate. I simply can't afford that kind of luxury. If I don't keep pushing myself to learn new things and improve my skills, I'll be back to living at home and being a miserable human being.
Yes and no lol, no I dont have a degree, yet! I am studying for a degree, in my second year but it was through Uni however that I was put in contact with a games company, interviewed and taken on...so it that sense, I suppose I would count as one who went through the education route.
I do have a BSC Computational and Applied Maths, and an art diploma where I focussed on 3D and game art...
[CapsLock]BUT[/CapsLock]
In my case, despite being a stellar student at school, winning awards and stuff, when I got an internship I found I was utter crap compared to the work that needed to be done. It didn't look as if I was going to get a job, so I volunteered to do more programming work, scripting HUDs, particles, shaders, etc.
In the end, I beat off an artist who (at least, at the time, not so sure now ) was way better than me to get a job, just because the stuff I could do (demonstrably, while I was interning unpaid) was stuff that the team didn't have the resources to do.
The point here is that it doesn't matter what qualifications you have; it just matters that you bring value to the team, whether you're a damned good artist, or someone who can do stuff that other people can't/don't want to do. It also helps a lot to be a nice guy that people enjoy working with, who's always keen to learn, and doesn't have a huge ego.
I was about to answer yes, but I never actually graduated. I got my job through my internship and never actually had time to finish my thesis for school since we crunched pretty hard. But somehow I felt that landing a job was more important than graduating.
I'm in a situation similar to what most people have already mentioned, seems to be a trend.
I went to uni for 3 years with the thought of getting a degree to help my chances in a job search and basically just help me into a more focussed study. Well, the first half happened, the 2nd not so much. The course I was shoehorned into was "animation" on the recommendation of the tutors as they said it would include the most 3d practical work. Well it did, but it was all animation and it was too late to change course when I asked. I stuck it out anyway making as many excuses to do just 3d within the confines of the modules and it didn't work out too bad. After all that time trying to work in modelling any way i could for the end of show piece I just flat out said "I'm going to do some kind of cool 3d model/diorama for my portfolio instead of a big animation piece" and the lecturers were quite cool with that as they knew it was what I wanted.
As it turns out it worked out quite well, I and 2 others from my uni got invited to a student showcase thing hosted by Games Republic in Yorkshire and I met my current boss there. The reason I got offered a job was on the back of my art which uni didn't really help towards teaching me at all (although I got alright at animation),and the degree didn't even factor in. Bu,t had I not attended uni and been invited to the student show I would have never met my boss and may still be looking for a job. It was worth it imho.
I'm not sure whether it qualifies as having an 'industry job', but I did get to work for 2 weeks as an enviro artist. I had to quit because exams were coming up, and I didn't want to lose my government funded tuition. Thought I could make it, but it didn't work out in the end.
I got the job before finishing the first year of college, but I got the job more due to competence in a market with very little competition (not many game artists around here).
Shouldn't the poll include a fourth option for simply "Got a Degree"? Not everyone in the games industry who has a degree has one in their field of expertise. Just because degrees are not priority in art positions doesn't mean they are bad or useless.
There is a lot more to tertiary education than the paper you get at the end.
Replies
I studied on my own like crazy
Did it help? yes and no.
My first job was up at Bungie as an environment artist, but i was actually shot down for that position when I first applied, but was given an art test for the 3d artist position since I didnt have the experience of working on a shipped title they wanted for the environment job.
I did the art test for the 3d artist spot and got a phone interview for that position. During my phone interview with the 3d artist lead he let me know the job was mine and then we were just talking about art, where I hoped to go in the future which I made if very clear that being an environment artist was my biggest passion and would do anything to get there, especially at a dream studio like Bungie.
Things were left there and I had the 3d artist job, but the next day I got a call from the environment artist lead offering me the environment job. The 3d artist lead clearly saw that environment art was what I wanted to do and after both leads looked over my portfolio, internship experience and the fact that I went to school and had a degree they deiced to take a chance on me and offer me the job. (yes it was mentioned that going to a school for my craft and getting a degree was a big plus, but not the deciding factor) So clearly it helped me there as I got to work at one of my dream studios straight out of college instead of some of the other studios I had offers at that I didnt really care too much about beyond that they would be my first job.
In terms of what I learned at school, it taught me the basics of what I needed to know, but didn't teach me everything I needed to know, or even teach me enough to get a job if that was all I learned. To get to the quality bar I needed to and to learn all the extra things I needed to actually get a job in the industry I had to bust ass on my own, learn things from tutorials, friends and here on Polycount.
For me, school helped set deadlines, teach me the basics, and introduce me to life long friends. It did not get me my job, I got my job, no school can ever get you your job. But I feel it was still 100% worth it for friends alone.
The only thing I'm pissed off about is the price of that experience.
I dont give credit to my school for getting me the internship or job. The only thing that i give the school credit for is giving me an assignment that acted as motivation for me to get something done on a deadline. thats basically all i got out of it was learning to manage my time with work. most of the classes i took were a waste of time where i can honestly say i didnt learn anything (a udk class where the teacher only knew ut2004). for about 3 semesters it was myself and some other classmates researching and developing, not really caring about the grade or assignment, but just finding out cool new ways to work on things.
in addition, going to GDC was a huge contributor in landing my 2nd job, with Liquid Development. I met with someone there from the company and after he saw my portfolio he mentioned that i should apply to the studio. and i did.
i am starting to see more and more now on job applications that degrees are required.. which ive been finding to be quite odd since most schools tend to graduate students with crap work, but thats just my two cents on the matter.
I went to Baker College. Their animation program was only a few years old when I went in. Let's put it this way, it wasn't a renowned school or anything. However, it did give me a mile wide knowledge, even though it was only six feet deep. It helped me learn how to teach myself. You don't need to go to any fancy art or animation school to get an industry job.
I guarantee you I'd be in the same position I am now if I didn't go to school :P Maybe even sooner to be honest.
I know you already know my thoughts about "school" :poly142:
I've taken several traditional art classes, but the only 3D-related courses I've taken were complete disasters and the "teacher" had no idea what the hell he was talking about. The class devolved into him sitting at the front of the computer lab, blabbering on about god-knows-what for five straight hours while everyone in the room did their best to ignore him as much as possible and focus on learning Max.
If asked whether or not a degree of some sort would've helped me, I think the only answer I could give is that it'd simply have given me some structured practice time and that'd be the only benefit. I'm naturally pretty self-motivated, so I've simply taught myself everything I know about game art. This is not to say it's been easy, though. I've busted my ass to get to where I am today, and I refuse to let myself stagnate. I simply can't afford that kind of luxury. If I don't keep pushing myself to learn new things and improve my skills, I'll be back to living at home and being a miserable human being.
[CapsLock]BUT[/CapsLock]
In my case, despite being a stellar student at school, winning awards and stuff, when I got an internship I found I was utter crap compared to the work that needed to be done. It didn't look as if I was going to get a job, so I volunteered to do more programming work, scripting HUDs, particles, shaders, etc.
In the end, I beat off an artist who (at least, at the time, not so sure now
The point here is that it doesn't matter what qualifications you have; it just matters that you bring value to the team, whether you're a damned good artist, or someone who can do stuff that other people can't/don't want to do. It also helps a lot to be a nice guy that people enjoy working with, who's always keen to learn, and doesn't have a huge ego.
Nothing quite like hand job to get your foot in the door eh?
(And now I'm banned from polycount forever and I got your thread locked, YEA FREE BEER FRIDAYS!)
I did 1 1/2 yrs of 3 yr degree....worked hard on folio, got gig.
So my answer is "sort of".
I went to uni for 3 years with the thought of getting a degree to help my chances in a job search and basically just help me into a more focussed study. Well, the first half happened, the 2nd not so much. The course I was shoehorned into was "animation" on the recommendation of the tutors as they said it would include the most 3d practical work. Well it did, but it was all animation and it was too late to change course when I asked. I stuck it out anyway making as many excuses to do just 3d within the confines of the modules and it didn't work out too bad. After all that time trying to work in modelling any way i could for the end of show piece I just flat out said "I'm going to do some kind of cool 3d model/diorama for my portfolio instead of a big animation piece" and the lecturers were quite cool with that as they knew it was what I wanted.
As it turns out it worked out quite well, I and 2 others from my uni got invited to a student showcase thing hosted by Games Republic in Yorkshire and I met my current boss there. The reason I got offered a job was on the back of my art which uni didn't really help towards teaching me at all (although I got alright at animation),and the degree didn't even factor in. Bu,t had I not attended uni and been invited to the student show I would have never met my boss and may still be looking for a job. It was worth it imho.
I got the job before finishing the first year of college, but I got the job more due to competence in a market with very little competition (not many game artists around here).
Still got jarb!
Somehow.
There is a lot more to tertiary education than the paper you get at the end.
And no, I dropped out of my degree course to take the job.