Game studios in Canada and hiring process

Boban

Pk, here's the thing. I am preparing my website and demo reel, so i can apply in game studio in Canada.

First i want to know is this. Where i live we don't have game studios. just couple of TV. So my experience (6.5 years) is from TV. What are the changes to be hired for game studio? Also. i did Ianimate gaming animation all Workshops. But i am not sure if i am qualified.

So here is my questions.
How many interviews they going to do with you, before they decide to accept you or not?
Because i haven't have any shipped titles or game industry experience, are they going to give me game test? For Animation position?
If you are accepted by the studio, what are the next steps?
Most importantly for me, does they help you with accommodation, place to stay? because i don't know anyone there or have one .

LMP

Boban wrote: »

How many interviews they going to do with you, before they decide to accept you or not?
It... depends, I applied to a Canadian studio when I lived 300 miles away, I had 3 interviews 2 phone interviews (one with recruiter, one with art manager), I then was flown out for an in person 2 weeks after the 2nd phone, by that point I was 90% confident that I had a job.

Because i haven't have any shipped titles or game industry experience, are they going to give me game test? For Animation position?
If your reel is up to the minimum level for them to send you a test, then yeah, they will send you a test, I don't know exactly how that works... but I applied with no experience and got a test.

If you are accepted by the studio, what are the next steps?
They will give you a formal offer of employment, which you can at that point accept or decline, it will tell you what your salary will be and how many vacation days they will give you. They will tell you what the next steps will be. For me, as someone from outside Canada that included gathering and sending in all my paper work for immigration.

Most importantly for me, does they help you with accommodation, place to stay?
In my situation, they set me up with a person who would assist me in my relocation, ie, setting up all my necessary things, opening a bank account, health care card, social insurance number, looking for an apartment, all the while they also set me up in a temporary apartment for 2 weeks while I looked for an actual apartment. This could all vary...

That was my experience.

Bruno Afonseca

Mine was quite similar to LMP. Though I didn't do an in-person interview since I was a bit far away.

Note that getting the work permit might take anywhere up to a year, depending on which country you're from. There's a lot of going back and forth, but the company helped me out quite a bit where it could. Mine took about 8 months!

Boban

Awesome:). Would you like to tell me, where did you applied for?
I want to apply for BioWare (Edmonton) and Ubisoft (Toronto)

LMP

I work for Gameloft Montreal, my work permit took a month... but I was told to expect at least 2 months.

Boban

How long are you at Gameloft?

LMP

How long have I been? Or how long will I be here?

I've been here for a year and 9 months, I have a work permit that lasts 3 year and I can extend it, but as long as I have legal status to work in Canada I can be working for Gameloft, barring any other factors.

Boban

Yea, how long you are in Gameloft..

May i ask you how newcomers who don't have anyone in Canada, find place for rent, for descent price?

Bruno Afonseca

I found my place on the classifieds, the most used one is kijiji followed by craigslist.
But hey, focus on the application first, you'll have time to figure out the details later

Boban

I see, but i was told that both kijiji and craigslist got really scammers.

imyj

I looked on www.padmapper.com to find a place in Canada. It just feeds in lots of different sites but generally makes it a lot easier to filter through things. You can spot the scammers a mile off!

Any company who wants you will go out of their way to get your into their studio. This means paying for relocation, your belongings etc. All of it should be covered, especially by the companies you mentioned.

Boban

imyj wrote: »

I looked on www.padmapper.com to find a place in Canada. It just feeds in lots of different sites but generally makes it a lot easier to filter through things. You can spot the scammers a mile off!

Any company who wants you will go out of their way to get your into their studio. This means paying for relocation, your belongings etc. All of it should be covered, especially by the companies you mentioned.

Thanks. And did you found where to stay by this site?
Where did you applied to?

imyj

Depending on where you're moving from, companies will give you help.
In my case, I had a relocation guy take me around Montreal and help me find an apartment based on the ones I saw on Padmapper. I started working in Canada a few months ago now.

Boban

Awesome mate. I hope others will share their experience.

Boban

What about hiring someone from overseas (Europe) in Canada, who have years in experience in animation, but most of the part is on TV. Is there any changes to be hired? And what about salary, how would be good to live in Canada, ex, Toronto, Edmonton, Where those game studios are

ambershee

I'd be curious to know where you are if you're European and don't have gaming studios nearby enough that you'd be considering Canada right off the bat for a first job in games.

Boban

ambershee wrote: »

I'd be curious to know where you are if you're European and don't have gaming studios nearby enough that you'd be considering Canada right off the bat for a first job in games.

I am from Serbia, but living in Macedonia for now.