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How much does age matter breaking into the industry?

Nerdicon3000
polycounter lvl 8
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Nerdicon3000 polycounter lvl 8
Hey all. I am about to start putting together my portfolio after 2 years of studying game art and animation at AIE and had a question for anybody who has been in my situation or has some advice. I decided a few years ago to quit my job that I had been working at for 10 years to try my luck and learn how to create game art. I am now ready to put myself out there but I was wondering if it would be different for me as I am 32. It may seem like a weird question but I was one of the oldest people in my class, and was concerned that I may be looked at strangely applying for a junior position and they might prefer a someone younger.

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  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    I'm not in the industry (yet) so, yeah. But I'd like to think it's the skills we possess that matters the most. Good art is good art; doesn't matter who makes it.

    However, there's a thing called work culture. So your personality also matters. But that is to be seen during an interview. And to get an interview, you need good art.

    Do you have portfolio and such to get started on ?

    Ps. 29yr old here.
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    some companies are a bit age predjudice , but i figure on the whole that if you are good enough you will get a chance. I was 35 when i broke in to the industry back in 2002/3
    47 this year and still working as a freelancer.
  • kanga
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    kanga quad damage
    I dont think 32 is very old, but I dont own my own studio so all I can pass on is heresay. Speaking with people engaged in creative pursuits it seems that for all the mud we like to sling at America, they do appreciate artists who 'go for it' regardless of the cost. If you are a poet who waits tables people will generally see you as a writer fist, then as an artist who is trying to 'make it' by waiting tables. In Europe you are a waiter.

    Plus because of certain social work laws, if you are older you are more expensive so less attractive as an employee. That is just in general. I rekon if your work is incredibly good it wouldnt matter how old you are in either of the two so called developed regions of the world.
  • Nerdicon3000
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    Nerdicon3000 polycounter lvl 8
    Thanks for the replies,

    PyrZern - I am about to start work on my portfolio. I made one for school but we worked strictly in groups so I would like to start from scratch. I will be posting my work and hoping to get some feedback from you guys. I was top of my class but I know it's you guys that are in (and trying to get in to) the industry that I have to try to match and impress.

    Ruz - it's good to hear that there is someone else who broke through. That gives me no excuses if I don't get a job. I just have to make the best art I can and work my ass off.

    kanga - I come from Australia so I am afraid that I will be more expensive to hire. Plus we have a pretty weak industry over here at the moment.
  • ZombieWells
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    ZombieWells polycounter lvl 12
    Really cool thing about the industry :) You pretty much get asked two questions- Can you do the job? Are you cool? yes/yes. You get the job. Simple. So you get an art test, and an interview to sort these super simple questions out. Really you could be a two thousand year old, non-gender specific squid monster, no one cares...
  • Jonas Ronnegard
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    Jonas Ronnegard polycount sponsor
    Well in most countries especially in the game industry if you are skilled there shouldn't be a problem, for some countries like for example Japan your salary is mostly based on your age which causes a problem
  • Odow
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    Odow polycounter lvl 8
    It's more a questio of your skill, and your maturity/comportment and this reflect really easily in the way you'll answer question, know about yourself, etc.

    a 19' years old can be more mature then a 29y/o.
  • Nerdicon3000
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    Nerdicon3000 polycounter lvl 8
    This is some awesome feedback guys, thanks. I only just joined Polycount and it has really been an eye opener. From what I can gather the 2 most important things are your portfolio and your attitude. I just hope I'm good enough. Off to work I guess :)
  • seth.
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    seth. polycounter lvl 14
    I got my first Jr Gig at 35, its a bit odd at first but after a while you realise that age isn't an issue ( and that everyone will assume that you are a snr at first glance :D )
  • kanga
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    kanga quad damage
    This is some awesome feedback guys, thanks. I only just joined Polycount and it has really been an eye opener. From what I can gather the 2 most important things are your portfolio and your attitude. I just hope I'm good enough. Off to work I guess :)
    I think networking is also worth a whirl.
  • Deathstick
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    Deathstick polycounter lvl 7
    Well you've come to the right place. The people on these forums are awesome at providing insight, advice, and crits to get to the next milestone.

    Most of the time when I hear anything about ageism in the workplace, is that the company might want to hire someone cheaper so they automatically assume they can hire a younger person for less or are worried about someone retiring versus sticking around for years (has been happening to my dad and it really sucks). I doubt you'd have to worry about being 32 and starting, 32 is still the prime of your life and people can quickly get better at producing art if they work hard. I've seen some people on these forums drastically improve in a year or less.

    I myself while still on the early side of things have so far gotten all my previous jobs and my new studio one through knowing other artists I've either studied under, was a fellow classmate, or worked with on a project before. It's also great when you've been looking for jobs and can't seem to find any open positions online, but someone you worked with before recommends you for an open position you had no idea even existed before then.

    If you're also having trouble finding studios in your area, you might want to consider opening yourself up to applying for other studios of a slightly different field but that would still use your 3D skills and have fun making things in the process, such as advertising, architecture rendering, or simulation companies.

    Feel free to post your portfolio for a review or something you're working on and want crits on in the 3D Art Showcase and Critiques section!

    Best of luck!
  • Gmanx
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    Gmanx polycounter lvl 19
    I'm nearly 52 and have been in and out of game dev since 2001 (I was 37). I began by modding for UT and got noticed by a visiting developer whilst working in animation.

    Nowadays it's handy being the greybeard in design meetings that says "You know, a game exactly like you're proposing was released on the SuperNes back in the early nineties."
  • root
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    root polycounter lvl 18
    Hey, Seth and Ruz - you both entered the game industry in your thirties, what were you doing prior to that? Did you work in related fields or work joe jobs or what? Was it a hard left turn from a different discipline before going into game art or had game art always been the brass ring that you were working toward?
  • Chimp
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    Chimp interpolator
    I'd say its less of a problem being older than average than it is being younger than average, but what matters with both really is drive and open-mindedness. Do what is asked of you until you're good enough that you find people ask you what to do.
  • seth.
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    seth. polycounter lvl 14
    @root. I used to make toy soldiers for a living the analogue way, back in 2009 I realised that everything was going digital so I started learning maya and zbrush intending to go back to what I did, but I got the game art bug and only recently did my first production miniature digitally. I just like making stuff really, game art provides a bigger set of restrictions to try and get around and the payoff of seeing the character moving and acting at the end is far more appealing to me.
  • DireWolf
    I just landed a new job at 36 just a few weeks ago.

    There are a lot of small houses that focus on hiring youngsters and new graduates for their low wages. As long as you don't run into this sort of place you'll be fine.
  • easterislandnick
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    easterislandnick polycounter lvl 17
    There is defiantly some ageism in the Industry, but it's probably worse for 40-60 year olds.

    http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidMullich/20140822/223945/No_Consoles_For_Old_Men_Ageism_In_The_Game_Industry.php

    http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/05/the-subtle-demon-the-games-industrys-problem-with-ageism/

    Some people have a problem managing people who are older than them, I have had this managing artists who are are older and more experienced than me, it is a little weird but you have to get over this stuff, we are all adults.

    At 35 you should be fine, we have plenty of 50+ devs where I work so 35 is pretty young!
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    root - I did a few different things all of which I hated, like being a clerical officer, being in metropolitan police cadets , the military police, factory worker and being a student for a very long time.
    I was unemployed after being a student, so life was rather uncertain then.

    I was always in to art and was primarily an airbrush artist, before deciding computers was the way to go.
    It still was not an easy road though, took ages to get my first gig and the pay was diabolical:/
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    There is defiantly some ageism in the Industry, but it's probably worse for 40-60 year olds.

    http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidMullich/20140822/223945/No_Consoles_For_Old_Men_Ageism_In_The_Game_Industry.php

    http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/05/the-subtle-demon-the-games-industrys-problem-with-ageism/

    Some people have a problem managing people who are older than them, I have had this managing artists who are are older and more experienced than me, it is a little weird but you have to get over this stuff, we are all adults.

    At 35 you should be fine, we have plenty of 50+ devs where I work so 35 is pretty young!

    You probably already know/have learned this, but i guess i'll give this advice for anyone else who needs it:

    We're groomed from an early age to respect our elders and accept that they're wiser and that we should learn from them etc. And that's why "managing" older people can be difficult, it goes against something that's deeply embedded in us.

    So it's important to try to realise that your job as a manager isn't actually to advise or to instruct, but to guide. If they're more experienced, or a better artist than you, awesome! That's not something to fight against, all you need to do is guide them to doing the awesome artwork that's needed for your project. Managing a group is about using everyone's strengths to overcome combined weakness.

    The time issues will arise is when the older staff member subverts your management by saying "i know better", which they might do... but it's not their call to make. At which point you just need to explain that while their way might be better to them, it might not be the best way for the group to proceed.
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    The thing is before I worked in games and worked in an office, loads of my co workers were around 60 , but we still got on well, common purpose and all that. Ageism is rapidly becoming a kind of fascism these days.

    If a manager is too immature to handle working with an older person, then maybe he wasn't ever going to be good management material in the first place.
    Its not as though you don't get 'I know better than you' from younger people also.

    I thnk that its really easy to find an excuse not to hire someone and I read that there is a huge shortage in the games industry on the BBC website wtf?

    In my first games company, I had to work with a few older people and on the whole they were great. learned so much from this texture artist called rob i think his name was. no ego, great example of what a game artist should be.

    I intend to work in games until I retire or die, albeit that will probably be in a freelance capacity.
  • skyline5gtr
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    skyline5gtr polycounter lvl 11
    Got in at 28 so
  • root
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    root polycounter lvl 18
    This is really encouraging, I pretty much figured my window had closed by now, so thanks!
  • skyline5gtr
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    skyline5gtr polycounter lvl 11
    I don't really think age ever comes up either. Its not like they are looking at your birthday or anything most of the time.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    root wrote: »
    This is really encouraging, I pretty much figured my window had closed by now, so thanks!

    Only you have the power to close that window mate. Keep pushing and it will always be open.
  • bonepuller
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    bonepuller polycounter lvl 4
    We were looking to hire an animator who was a recent grad. His reel and the test we had him do were solid. We literally said, 'this kid is good'.

    During the interview, we realized he was 33 and married with 2 kids. Almost 6 years later, he's one of our best animators and we will still joke about how 'this kid is good'.

    In my opinion, age may matter a bit when all other things are equal, but they almost never are. If your reel/portfolio is awesome, it won't matter at all.
  • slipsius
    I think you can get hired at all ages. but there might be that stigma of they may think that the older you are, the better they expect you to be.

    It's also a matter of what you can handle in your life. If doing a career jump will be doable, knowing that you`ll be moving back into a junior job / wage. Studios won't hand you a senior position just because of your age, or your job title at a previous job if it's not in the industry. You need to be willing to accept wages that are offered to young, fresh graduates. I feel that the biggest problem with hiring older people is that they expect higher wages.
  • ericdigital
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    ericdigital polycounter lvl 13
    I'm at a small studio (20-30 range) and we have people as young as 25 up to their mid 50s with our average age probably being in the mid 30s. I've heard of studios being weary of age (on both ends of the spectrum) but in my personal experience it just comes down to your ability to fill the role and how you fit into the team.
  • imyj
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    imyj polycounter lvl 13
    The subject of Ageism is rarely spoken about but has affected me a lot during my career. A lot of people don't realize it affects people at both ends, young and old.

    Dismissing somebody because they're "young and inexperienced"; dismissing the old because "they aren't quick learners" is just ridiculous.

    I've many friends who have been affected by it for different reasons. It really doesn't matter in this industry what age you are and if a company makes you feel or believe that it does, then it's not the type of company you want to work at anyway. If you're good at what you do, people will see that in you.

    I come from the younger side but still had to put up with a lot of crap. I was a Lead and then Director at a young age - everyone working on my team was older than me. I could give examples but I will hold back. It was extremely difficult learning how to navigate through things, but people shouldn't make it a problem.

    I used to let it affect me when I was starting out, but now I just embrace it.

    TLDR; Age doesn't matter.
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