Should I leave my current studio?
polycounter lvl 3
I'm in my late 30s and had a career change to being an Environment Artist, where I've been working in the industry since early 2017. I was at an indie studio for a year and a half in my city. It unfortunately closed due to funding but we released a small unknown game on PS4 and PC. Since late 2018 I've worked a few remote contract/freelance jobs for small indie studios on games that no one would really know and aren't even released yet.
Since mid 2019, I've been at a remote studio for over a year now working on a game I really enjoy working on. The major issue is, the people that work there have little to no experience and the gameplay itself suffers from that. The game has also had multiple restarts, and lots of people have come and gone within the company over the many years the studio has been around (this is the studios first game, so they’re practically unknown). I've been the only 3D artist on board the last year, but we plan to hire another one in the near future and I have a big role in the hiring process.
My main concern is, I'm not getting any younger, and I'd love to have other artists that I can learn from in general. The studio head knows we need to hire more people, but it's a slow process and the fact there is no producer or anyone with experience knowing how to keep this ship sailing smoothly (at least as smooth as possible when it comes to game dev) that it's really detrimental to any progress the studio can make.
Should I look for another job? Should I wait this out to see how it goes? The fact it's remote and the pay is decent enough (though I could be getting paid a good amount more other places), that's what's keeping me here. I want this game and studio to succeed, but I also feel stuck and something in my head tells me to go to a bigger studio where I can further my career and learn from people. But I'd much rather stick to remote, so I feel like that limits me a bunch. But a lot of bigger studios are remote these days anyway, right? Hoping that paves the way for the future as well.
Does not having any experience at notable studios or games that people have heard about, hurt me in the long run? Should I have a goal of going to AAA and getting the experience, then going contract/freelance later down the road? Is that what most people do, or are there people that have only really been freelance?
Anyone have any advice? I feel extremely lost
Since mid 2019, I've been at a remote studio for over a year now working on a game I really enjoy working on. The major issue is, the people that work there have little to no experience and the gameplay itself suffers from that. The game has also had multiple restarts, and lots of people have come and gone within the company over the many years the studio has been around (this is the studios first game, so they’re practically unknown). I've been the only 3D artist on board the last year, but we plan to hire another one in the near future and I have a big role in the hiring process.
My main concern is, I'm not getting any younger, and I'd love to have other artists that I can learn from in general. The studio head knows we need to hire more people, but it's a slow process and the fact there is no producer or anyone with experience knowing how to keep this ship sailing smoothly (at least as smooth as possible when it comes to game dev) that it's really detrimental to any progress the studio can make.
Should I look for another job? Should I wait this out to see how it goes? The fact it's remote and the pay is decent enough (though I could be getting paid a good amount more other places), that's what's keeping me here. I want this game and studio to succeed, but I also feel stuck and something in my head tells me to go to a bigger studio where I can further my career and learn from people. But I'd much rather stick to remote, so I feel like that limits me a bunch. But a lot of bigger studios are remote these days anyway, right? Hoping that paves the way for the future as well.
Does not having any experience at notable studios or games that people have heard about, hurt me in the long run? Should I have a goal of going to AAA and getting the experience, then going contract/freelance later down the road? Is that what most people do, or are there people that have only really been freelance?
Anyone have any advice? I feel extremely lost
Replies
The next step I would personally take, is applying for positions in other studios to see your hireability, salaries and responsibilities they'd give you. After you got your offers, go to your current studio and negotiate the best you can.
The way you described the situation, it's seems like an amateurish working environment that probably everyone walks as a flock, not really knowing where they are heading towards to. That happens with new businesses and comes with risks, or it can be a chance to take the lead, making yourself indispensable to the company. And that could work in your negotiations as well. Feelings might get hurt, friendships might end, but hey, it's your life, you won't be doing anyone favors without getting enough compensation.
Speaking about compensation, you can ask for a much bigger salary. What happens to them if you walk from the door the next day? Recruiters are not art experts. Heck, you can even ask for a shareholding % of the company, and take most of the artistic responsibilities.That is more profitable, challenging, plus it gives you managing experience which would work in your favor if you were to apply as a lead/senior artist in the future.
So yea, writing all these things I got excited for your situation. You can be a co-owner. Imagine if that studio becomes the next Riot Games
Just work at a AAA studio. That's pretty much it. Or a well-known studio. It could even be a contract gig for a year. Environment art or any role similar.
Be open to working with folks younger than you. The age factor might kick in. I think when it comes to game dev exp, it'll be great. Becoming a better artist just comes from you. Not every AAA studio can allow their artists to post their work in whatever game they work, but if they can, that's great.
I started out in AAA a bit, just as an art intern and was in QA. Went in different fields, did some freelance work then came back as an Environment Artist at a small studio (first in San Diego, CA a little, and then in Seattle). Got fired and was in a rock in a hard place. Didn't have that AAA title under my belt as an Environment Artist. I felt like that was all I needed. Did some more freelance work, and joined Vicarious Visions/Activision for a year in Albany, NY. My contract just ended and I'm now working on another contract, with a different company, this time in Florida, just for the hell of it. I won't say what I'm doing yet, but it's cool.
I'm fine with not staying at a AAA studio all the time, it's being at that studio under Activision that helped a lot. The freelance work also paid off. Any work on any well-known game or with any well-known studio will get more eyes on what you're doing.
Again, if you want to become a better artist, that's all on you. If you want to work at a well-known studio, aim for it. It'll help in the long run, even if it's just for a short while. Might be like hitting a peak or a point where you feel like you got what you wanted. That's how I felt like when the Tony Hawk remaster came out. The art was good enough to get the game out and sell. It was more of the IP and getting that game out that mattered the most.
Before, I use to work at Hardsuit Labs for almost two years, on the Bloodlines 2 game, where I got fired a few days after they announce the game at GDC 2019. Nothing super crazy about the termination, the reason behind it wasn't all that bad. I worked on a bunch of small indie games on the side, military sims, movies (cool to see on paper, but has nothing to do with game industry exp or environment art exp), and have old AAA games under my belt. It got me to getting interviews and some art tests but not much luck. I couldn't show the work I did on Bloodlines 2, still can't, which does upset me a bit but that's how it goes on long-term projects. I read the articles, on whose not there anymore, and whatnot, and to be honest, I'm glad the artists are still cranking away on what's going on, I'm more concerned with the other departments at this point.
Most of the work I could show was all on the personal work I did on the side, and some freelance work. I added some older work that's not relevant now, just for history sake. The freelance work actually got me to working on Crash Bandicoot 4 but only for a little bit. Side note, Hardsuit Labs mentioned on Twitter that they also worked on Crash Bandicoot 4. When I saw that, I looked back on all the news of Bloodlines 2 throughout the year and just wondered wtf and wth, and that same thought I had is kind of why I'm not there anymore. But, to me, just working on Crash Bandicoot 4, with Airborn Studios, led me to Activision, and my way in to Vicarious Visions. Now, after a year, I'm on to something else. Before my contract ended, I did get a bunch of recruiters reach out to me for other potential gigs. I ended up with one that's out of left field and one that I'm willing to do, just for the hell of checking out what's in Florida.
Back to your situation. I haven't looked at your portfolio yet, but as far as what your capable of, it's all on your portfolio, and you don't have to work a AAA studio to prove that you're good at any software or engine.
As far as compensation, that's your call. I'm aware of engineers getting paid higher than artists, because they're on the back-end and have to be reliable from start to finish on a project, or just reliable and not mess up the code. That opinion of artists being a dime a dozen or replaceable depends on the studio, but I mean, I was just on a one year contract, it was out of my control. So, if you're going to take the ball and run with it, do it, give a shot. Try it out. 3-months, 6-months, or one year will go a long way at a well-known studio. And if anything, if not a well-known studio, a studio with very experienced devs that know their shit. I probably should've mentioned that early on. AAA for me was like a resume booster but also a strong selling point for me to talk about.
If and when you're ready, go for it.