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[UDK] Art Test - RL Melbourne Location

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polycounter lvl 12
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Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
Ok Guys had an art test with Figurehead, still awaiting results, their brief was to re-create the real-life location within Melbourne with a few changes such as adding a junk pile from round the back to the front alley etc.

Here is the google maps location:

yb712ip.jpg

Here is what I produced, I know you guys are gonna slaughter me for some glaring mistakes sooo....be gentle :P

GEcprU4.jpg
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Onzb9G0.jpg
tZKJFJ4.jpg
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Replies

  • Cactus on Fire
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    Cactus on Fire polycounter lvl 10
    For starters I would make the props much more irregular and asymmetrical. The props in your scene looks so geometrically perfect that it gives an odd feeling. Then theres the foliage, it's much more messy and filled with small details. I wouldn't really bother with the root normals for the ivy coming down on the fence, but instead create a mass of leaves and small bits and randomly place them around.

    The barrells look okay. And so does the wooden support layers. If anything, I would bake lots of litter, garbage, broken glasses, torn off newspaper and stuff like that to a plane and scatter them around to make the scene look richer. Pic related.

    And lastly try using reflection maps on the metal parts like the barrells and the poles. They help the visuals alot. You obviously got the skills to make quality ingame stuff, you just need to modify your style a bit.

    KAaaYtK.jpg
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Thanks Cactus, for the closing compliment and some really good feedback mate :)
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    Figurehead? I'd be a bit wary of those guys, mate.

    I might PM you
  • Hayden Zammit
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    Hayden Zammit polycounter lvl 12
    Figurehead? I'd be a bit wary of those guys, mate.

    I might PM you

    I think I can second that. I thought I recognized the name. Back when I was at Uni I think they were trying to get people to work for free. I remember they seemed pretty shady.
  • Cactus on Fire
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    Cactus on Fire polycounter lvl 10
    Dazz3r wrote: »
    Thanks Cactus, for the closing compliment and some really good feedback mate :)
    Happy to help :)
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Thanks guys, even if this news is utterly depressing, really thought I'd have a genuine job here. :( I appreciate you guys telling me though.
  • serriffe
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    serriffe polycounter lvl 9
    well- that certainly sucks. hey man don't worry, you did a great job on this scene. I'm sure there are more great opportunities waiting for you. :)
  • ArtLearner
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    ArtLearner polycounter lvl 3
    the website: "Welcome to 'Figurehead Studios' We are a new develioper based in Melbourne, Australia led by games industry veterans"
    xD
    Btw I like your Game version better then the reference ^^ nice work:thumbup:
  • Mr Smo
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    Mr Smo polycounter lvl 18
    What a dick, nice work on the scene anyway. Have you tried firemonkey studios in melbourne?
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    Firemonkeys was hiring artists recently, though I don't know whether those positions have been filled yet. They're an EA studio and probably the biggest studio left in the country, with the possible exception of Half Brick.
    http://www.firemonkeys.com.au/
  • Fwap
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    Fwap polycounter lvl 13
    http://www.tsumea.com/
    Good resource for us 'strayans.
  • ae.
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    ae. polycounter lvl 12
    Sucks to hear about this and hope you didn't give them any files. on the other hand your scene turned out really nice, i would put some more work into the sidewalk itself as it looks really flat.

    also i dont know if anyone has pointed this out to you but where the sidewalk meets the intersecting road there is a huge seem and you can see through the two meshes.
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    I should have mentioned I'm actually from the uk
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    http://www.figureheadstudios.com.au/page1.html
    wat

    and that sucks man:(
    At least you can add it to your portfolio:)
  • Spikings
    Are you gonna keep going with this project Dazz3r, or giving it up? A bit more tweaking and it could be an excellent addition to your 'folio. :)
  • sltrOlsson
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    sltrOlsson polycounter lvl 14
    Don't give the project up man! If you choose to carry on, I'd work on some new vines. They feel kind of flat and not in the same art style as the rest of the scene.

    I also believe that some hero prop or something would help this scene to the next level. Something that draws your eye.

    Keep it up!
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Thanks guys, your comments are really encouraging and yeah I'm going to continue the scene, will post updates soon. Thanks :D
  • Bek
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    Bek interpolator
    One small thing; our rubbish bins aren't that glossy. The plastic is pretty matte really, and the grime gathers around the lid and bottom area. Some colour variation in the grime might help too rather than all brown. Darker black would fit. I think the wheels are black too. More like this. Also different states use different colours for different materials, pretty safe bet Melbourne uses green bins too but if you're concerned about accuracy that's something you can check.
  • martyhowe
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    martyhowe polycounter lvl 6
    lol. All the guys on my team are working for free (including me)We have no choice. Where is the money going to come from, the money tree?

    Once we get signed by a publisher, then we can pay salaries. Its not rocket science.

    Look at the user scores for the new Xbox One games.

    http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/release-date/new-releases/xboxone/userscore?view=condensed&hardware=all

    If anyone wants to join us, and make an Xbox One game that's actually "fun" Write to me.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/52np4w9kjrkstfs/HEAVILY%20ARMED%20demo.MOV

    Ignore the backstabbing, and the gossip, be a man (or woman :)) talk face to face, man to man, phone, whatever,and make up your own mind. Instead of blindly, and ignorantly "following what other people say" Dont be a sheep. We can keep it confidential.

    Anyone want to make a fun video game?
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Hi guys, this is the reply I got when I challenged him on the validity of the position at the end of it all.


    Hi Marty, a few people have told me to be wary of you and that you often offer jobs to get free work out of people. I posted a few of my art test pics on polycount and here is the thread.

    http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127990&highlight=figurehead+studios

    I also had a few PMs from individuals. I thought this looked too good to be true.

    Even if this is all nonsense, how can I with good conscience travel to Australia with doubts like these?


    Marty Howe
    11:00 PM (11 hours ago)

    to me
    Daryl,

    First, you didnt even know the art test has 4 pages. You only read 1. How dumb are you?

    I said dont model cars, you modelled cars.

    You said "ill have it in 1 week" It was not done in 1 week.

    I said, build the level out of brushes, you didnt.

    Dont post our internal stuff on polycount! its confidential!

    I am working on the game for free!!!!!!!!!!!! the guys on my team are working on the game for free!!!! jesus christ, we are a start up company with no funding, why is this so hard for you, and the other idios to understand?

    We will hire someone else, instead of you. Its that simple. its not the end of the world, the sky isnt going to fall in, is it? Me and my team, will keep working 'for free' BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE FUNDING, REMEMBER?


    Daryl Smout <darylsmout@gmail.com>
    1:45 AM (8 hours ago)

    to Marty
    Hey I was only relaying my concerns. People often post their art test stuff on polycount as its not NDA stuff is it? You never said anything concerning that. I've not released anything about your project. I posted a few screenshots from an art test to get feedback from the community...its a fairly common practice.

    Yeah I didnt read the brief properly. I'm not going to lie, big balls up on my part, I could only put that down to my eagerness to do an art test but you seemed fine with it. Now you react by calling me dumb? How unprofessional are you?.

    I'm a recent graduate desperate for any sniff of paid work. My skills are borderline employment worthy at best, I know this and as such my self confidence isnt all that great. I was willing to work for free for you and eventually fly half way round the world for this half chance at a job. I've already done about 2 weeks worth of work on your level, for free! So please dont lecture me on this noble enterprise of working for free, ive been doing it too. The thing that really gets me is you made me believe this was a genuine paid position from the start.

    I wish you luck Marty, it seems you have quite a reputation already, enough for people to take the time to actually warn me about any promises you make.

    All the best.
  • Bek
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    Bek interpolator
    Dazz3r wrote: »
    I am working on the game for free!!!!!!!!!!!! the guys on my team are working on the game for free!!!! jesus christ, we are a start up company with no funding, why is this so hard for you, and the other idios to understand?

    We will hire someone else, instead of you.

    'Multiple exclamation marks, [...] a sure sign of a diseased mind.'- Terry Pratchett.


    Heh. They have no funding yet plan to hire "someone else"? Poor whomever. Anyway, thanks for posting this for others to see and props for your undeservingly calm reply. Good luck with the job hunt :thumbup:
  • BigErn
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    BigErn polycounter lvl 11
    Good Art test, but yea you dodged a bullet for sure! I moved from the UK to Aus years ago and ended up working for a bunch of crooks! So its not the best place to get stuck with no income, so if you are looking as far as Australia for work, make sure you do a lot of investigations about the company!. As for this guy, who can 'hire' a team to work for free? Bonkers
  • tynew
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    tynew polycounter lvl 9
    Funny how after you emailed him his response became completely immature, aggressive and unprofessional.

    I think moreover why this asshole would want things under NDA is so his public reputation isn't put down the drain when people recognize him as the other people in this thread did.
    I'm a recent graduate desperate for any sniff of paid work. My skills are borderline employment worthy at best, I know this and as such my self confidence isnt all that great.
    Well you did work for LEGO so don't you have any connections to refer you to some work?

    I wouldn't fly half way across the world without doing phone calls, or skyping face to face. Anyone can say anything over email behind their keyboard. If you flew all the way over here on the whim of emails it would have hurt real bad.

    Why not just search for more remote freelance environment work? There are plenty of paid position jobs advertised online for environment artists.
  • tynew
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    tynew polycounter lvl 9
    lololololol he just emailed me because of my post above.

    M6uo5Im.jpg
    The maturity of a 13 year old. Pretty funny guy to be watching your thread Dazz3r.


    u-mad-bro.jpg
  • .Wiki
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    .Wiki polycounter lvl 8
    tynew wrote: »
    lololololol he just emailed me because of my post above.

    M6uo5Im.jpg
    The maturity of a 13 year old. Pretty funny guy to be watching your thread Dazz3r.
    Hey you´ve got a critique from an industry pro ;)
  • CarlK3D
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    CarlK3D polycounter lvl 7
    yeah I to have heard really bad things about Figurehead. to the point where people would email them to Investigate there terrible reputation. I heard of a similar case where the person was completely professional and respectfully declined there offer and they were meet with threats....something along the lines of "You'll never work in Games again"

    and like tynew said I'd think there'd be far more jobs in the UK, I feel unfortunate to live in AUS since its mainly Mobile Studios.

    Anyway I really like your Art test, its top quality!

    @tynew Dont worry tynew...I like your Mac-11 :>
  • tynew
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    tynew polycounter lvl 9
    Carl I added you on skype.

    I like this response the most from marty, I'd rate it 7/10.
    FrontNC wrote: »
    Nerijus <ncinbox@gmail.com>
    13:29

    to Marty
    Marty,

    I apologize, but I will have to refuse even such a minor thing a sketching for your project.
    Please do not get me wrong, I only base my decision on your studio's reputation on the web, which in most cases is not good.

    Thanks once again for contacting me.

    Have a nice evening,

    Nerijus
    ____________________

    Marty Howe
    13:42

    to me
    haha. you're too crap to do the characters, aren't you? You dont have a clue what to draw.

    We will ask someone else, instead of you. Someone who can actually do the art, and not run away.

    Dont waste my time by saying "
    I would be very interested.
    Let me know the details if available"

    ok? you fucking idiot.

    -Marty
    ____________________
  • Dennispls
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    Dennispls polycounter lvl 16
    I'm amazed at the whole figurehead thing. How can you be like this....
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    @Tynew, yeah I've applied everywhere in the UK, literally. I've kept in contact with the guys at TT Fusion. I re-applied recently but was turned down although this was at TT Games who make the Xbox / PS3 versions where TT Fusion tend to do the handhelds. I'm still holding out a position may open up in the near future.
    @CarlK3D Thanks man, appreciate the comments.
    @BigErn/Bek Thanks guys :)
  • Shiniku
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    Shiniku polycounter lvl 9
    Wow, this guy seems ridiculous. I don't know how you can maintain a career with an attitude like that. I also don't see how someone with some industry experience would be so ready to mistreat people while trying to get free work out of them.

    Anyway, the art test you did looked pretty good to me! Just keep searching, you'll find something that actually pays before long I'm sure.
  • tynew
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    tynew polycounter lvl 9
    @Dazz3r

    Besides the UK have you tried applying for freelance positions internationally?
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Not freelance work, but I've applied internationally yeah, quite a few places, some big names and some smaller.
  • Mr Smo
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    Mr Smo polycounter lvl 18
    he emailed me a picture of his bafta :S
  • JustGarry
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    JustGarry polycounter lvl 4
    So glad the PolyCount community were able to help you out Dazz3r and save you from a costly mistake, glad this guy has been named and shamed, just hope no one else falls for his bullshit.

    As for your scene Dazz3r theres definitely some potential there, I am from the UK also and it's tough out there at the moment, hopefully you can use this downtime to really nail your portfolio and as soon as the opportunity comes up you will be ready.
  • NegevPro
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    NegevPro polycounter lvl 4
    martyhowe wrote: »
    lol. All the guys on my team are working for free (including me)We have no choice. Where is the money going to come from, the money tree?

    Once we get signed by a publisher, then we can pay salaries. Its not rocket science.

    Look at the user scores for the new Xbox One games.

    http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/release-date/new-releases/xboxone/userscore?view=condensed&hardware=all

    If anyone wants to join us, and make an Xbox One game that's actually "fun" Write to me.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/52np4w9kjrkstfs/HEAVILY%20ARMED%20demo.MOV

    Ignore the backstabbing, and the gossip, be a man (or woman :)) talk face to face, man to man, phone, whatever,and make up your own mind. Instead of blindly, and ignorantly "following what other people say" Dont be a sheep. We can keep it confidential.

    Anyone want to make a fun video game?
    Anybody want to tell me why the fuck this asswipe isn't blacklisted yet? Or banned from polycount?
  • Jason Young
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    Jason Young polycounter lvl 14
    The test turned out pretty nice overall. I think you could still push material definition more as the metals feel a bit glossy and clean in the spec.

    Regarding free work, I think a good rule to live by is to only do free work if you've got some sort of personal investment and ownership in the project. For example, you and a couple friends work on a project together. Or, maybe a programmer is working on an iOS title and needs an artist, you partner up and get half the profits, etc. Another good rule is you shouldn't be doing art tests for free work.

    Working for a "studio" like this doesn't benefit you AT ALL. "Exposure" like this doesn't mean shit. You'll get plenty of real exposure by posting good work here on polycount and other communities. Don't sell yourself short, as you've got some skills and just need to keep plugging away on stuff, improving, and you'll land somewhere decent.
  • sltrOlsson
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    sltrOlsson polycounter lvl 14
    Holy crap! What a guy..

    I've done two art tests in my life, one was for Crytek and one was for Frictional Games. The later paid me when I was done. They are NOT a big wealthy studio, but they really respect there applicants.

    Working for free isn't something I personally would do, that's up to the individual. Being treated with respect is something I demand from everyone around me though, especially an employer. If I don't get that, I cut that social contact off. It's not worth the investment.
  • ae.
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    ae. polycounter lvl 12
    tynew wrote: »
    lololololol he just emailed me because of my post above.

    M6uo5Im.jpg
    The maturity of a 13 year old. Pretty funny guy to be watching your thread Dazz3r.


    u-mad-bro.jpg

    This guy also emailed me a picture of a bafta award for some reason.

    He also called me on my cell phone to scold me for my comments in this thread which i don't think were very bad. He obviously isn't very professional and I would tell anyone to stay away from him.
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    email me email me
  • Tom3dJay
    This guy contacted me too last month.
    Asked me to do an art test, checked his website LOLNO.NFO
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    Lol this guy emailed me yesterday with a picture of a BAFTA and NO text, top lel. I don't even know what he was attempting to accomplish.Bafta-statue-007.jpg
  • mospheric
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    mospheric polycounter lvl 11
    I love how entertaining this train-wreck of a company is, though everyone should walk away with more than a chuckle: be careful who you get in bed with. Don't just apply for companies, but research and find others who have heard/worked for them. Networking on Linkedin is a great way to avoid companies like this.
  • danRod
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    danRod polycounter lvl 18
    welp, guess this company will fail horribly! What a spahhh-douche!!!
  • Tits
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    Tits mod
    the fuuuuccccckkkkkk
  • NegevPro
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    NegevPro polycounter lvl 4
    Going to e-mail this guy for fun when I'm bored. Anybody have his phone number by any chance?
  • AlexCatMasterSupreme
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    AlexCatMasterSupreme interpolator
    NegevPro wrote: »
    Going to e-mail this guy for fun when I'm bored. Anybody have his phone number by any chance?

    Fucking do it!
  • Oniram
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    Oniram polycounter lvl 15
    its hilarious how most of these "startup companies" have promises of fulfillment and pay after they get this super awesome publishing deal with [insert name that should WOW you] , and they're all nice and everything to you until you refuse. Then they fucking 180 and show their true self. Ive never had any interaction with someone who wanted me to work for free that turned out to be a positive experience. I'm glad most people were able to catch this and inform you that it would be a huge mistake to work for this guy.

    regardless of all that. i like how your scene turned out. i think the lighting could use some tweaks, like if you're going for something of a sunset look your shadows should be softer as they stretch and there should be some hot spots of light, with most of your shadowed areas being a contrasted blue.

    example http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs16/i/2007/214/c/4/Sunset_in_the_big_city_by_Mimsss.jpg

    also the cracks on the sidewalk were a bit confusing at first. i thought they were shadow artifacts at first glance to be honest. they just seem to be a bit too much/too repeated.
  • crazyfool
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    crazyfool polycounter lvl 13
    Lol this guy emailed me yesterday with a picture of a BAFTA and NO text, top lel. I don't even know what he was attempting to accomplish.Bafta-statue-007.jpg

    2001 called, it wants its bafta back bwah hahaha
  • Free_Fall
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    Free_Fall polycounter lvl 8
    Not sure if troll or real..
  • Kroma!
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    Kroma! polycounter lvl 9
    Almost as professional as the "fuck your self at Corner" guy...

    Context
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