I'll toss this in here since I haven't seen it mentioned yet:
If you're aspiring to be in the game industry, then going out and socializing with your 'soon to be' peers is vital.
Sitting in front of the computer all day working on art can be just as detrimental to your career as an artist if no one knows you personally. This is why I believe in a strong balance as a starting artist.
In today's market, employers can pick and choose who they want to work for them. As an employer, I would much rather give work to the artist that is out at the beer nights, that I have met face to face, and developed an understanding of his 'non online' personality than the artist that only knows internet forums and I have never met face to face. I have too often seen people online with awesome portfolios and shitty personalities.
That's just my personal opinion on the matter. The future of this industry lies in contract work. If you're a contractor, then you MUST go out and socialize and become known.
I did just this when I was wanting to get into the industry.
A proper balance between training yourself and 'having a life' is vital. Develop those people skills. Because just like some of these people would lead you to believe that 'every minute you're not developing your art, someone else is', the same goes for 'every minute you're not talking to a possible employer, someone else is'.
I agree with Skanker when it comes to networking. Having communication skills and actually putting on some pants and showing up to local events could be the deciding factor in a tie-breaker for a position.
One of the things that has drawn me into this industry is not just the work, but the culture and community. I have the opportunity to make the wildest ideas in my head become a reality. I think doing what you love to do is worth many of the sacrifices you have to make.
As long as you put in the hours to make yourself improve I think its fine to have a social life or other hobbies as long as you can fit them in. As others have said once you get in you might not need to do personal work as often if you don't want to but that is up to each individual.
If both people are in the industry and one outside of work does noting but personal art and the other does other hobbies it does not make one better than the other. The key here is to do what you enjoy, if thats working on art 24/7 then good for you, if its taking a break from it and doing something else then thats fine too.
The thing is the beginning people learn at different rates, some people may need to ditch some other parts of life for awhile and practice 10 hours a day, others may only need 5. It all comes down the to the person. I for one have not gotten in yet and spend about 5-10 hours a day on art, I like others gave up going out with friends, but when you are doing it to get to something you love you don't miss it that much. I know once I break in and get accustomed to things everything will balance out, work and social life.
TL;DR
Put in the hours and everything will fall into place if you want it to and what works for one person might not work for another, its up to each person to find what practice is for them.
Been running ManicTime Tracker since it was mentioned here...dang it's great to see exactly how much time I do things, when i take a break or surf the web. Definitely helps keeps things in line. Also I will shut down what ever creative program I am using, when i do take those breaks...thanks for the heads up on that one!
Its funny, reading this post i can see myself 12 years ago (as Hazardous) and as i am now (Matabus).
It took me years of effort to make it into this industry and after much effort i experienced the bliss of finally making it, getting a job in games and when you begin your career you go in wide eyed,wanting to be the good solider who sticks it out during crunch and puts in 60 hours a week. Thankfully i wasnt one of those jerks who looked down at the people who actually left on time and enjoyed their spare time and life. My career in games has allowed me to travel to many wonderful places which i would have never imagined seeing, i met my wife because of it and i had my good moments,along with the highs there have also been many bitter lows.
The bits of advice i can offer is
1. You are young not but you will get older and your perspectives will change.
2. A career in games can also be a roll of the dice.
There are some lucky few people who will get a good job in games,have stability,love the company you work for and if your really lucky work for a company who actually cares for you.Sadly those are the lucky few.
For the rest of us it can be an extreme roller coaster and the weight of our experiences whether good or bad will have a huge effect on your outlook of this industry as a whole. So most of us are wide eyed workaholics when we enter the biz but as you get older you will see that for the most part that wide eye enthusiasm is something that employers will take advantage of for their gains and when they have overworked you to the point of exhaustion, your reward will most likely be a pink slip as opposed to a bonus check.
You hope off course that will land a job at a well oiled machine such as Valve or be part of the latest up and coming dev studio that will launch a blockbuster out of no where, this does happen but in reality you will most likely work in badly managed studios, with petty and incompetent management who will make huge mistakes run the company into the ground leading to pink slips for one and all.
I admire talented and hardworking people and to get far in this industry you need both but the reality is that this industry is a roll of the dice. Ive seen many talented and hardworking individuals screwed over by some in more fortunate positions.
Once you make in it this industry you really need to think ahead for the future because once you get older,get married and possibly have children your outlook will most certainly change. The older you are in this industry the less likely you are to be that gung ho, crunch warrior as you were in your early 20's
My post may sound negative,perhaps but if given the choice again of working in games i would do it again, how i go about in my career in games is a whole different story.
One last thing i would like to share is my bitter enmity i have towards people in this industry who look down at others because they choose have a life and live it. That sort of mentality is the type that feeds the perception in this industry that crunch is always inevitable/honorable as opposed to what it really is and that is a failure in management.
This is the one of the best pieces of summarized advice around, and something I've heard from various seniors I've worked with.
I'm just under a year in the industry, and I definetly entered with the starry eye and the ready to crunch mentality. I've been blessed in the sense that I've met enough senior people and stayed connected to the latest news via communities, that I've been able to wisen up to this a lot faster then I would of have originally.
I enjoy putting in the extra hours to polish an asset or level... or the final push for an alpha / goldmaster... mainly because It's down to me to put in those hours for the sake of my craft. When that turns into a type of crunch where deadlines are shorter then they should be, that turns into a different ball game.
Unfortunately when you "wise up" to this and take initiative, there's the high chance of getting laid off, fired or guilt tripped, or so seems the case / what I've heard.
My question to everyone is:
What's the right way to act in those situations? How do you deal with them? Crunching at alpha / goldmaster / E3 is understandable, but where is the line drawn?
This is the one of the best pieces of summarized advice around, and something I've heard from various seniors I've worked with.
I'm just under a year in the industry, and I definetly entered with the starry eye and the ready to crunch mentality. I've been blessed in the sense that I've met enough senior people and stayed connected to the latest news via communities, that I've been able to wisen up to this a lot faster then I would of have originally.
I enjoy putting in the extra hours to polish an asset or level... or the final push for an alpha / goldmaster... mainly because It's down to me to put in those hours for the sake of my craft. When that turns into a type of crunch where deadlines are shorter then they should be, that turns into a different ball game.
Unfortunately when you "wise up" to this and take initiative, there's the high chance of getting laid off, fired or guilt tripped, or so seems the case / what I've heard.
My question to everyone is:
What's the right way to act in those situations? How do you deal with them? Crunching at alpha / goldmaster / E3 is understandable, but where is the line drawn?
Well this is one of these moments that just require you to make adult decisions and decide whats right for you. You have to decide what sort of boundaries you when it comes to work life.
I admire the enthusiasm many artists have when trying to find that first gig and at the beginning of the career. But once you make it get your foot in that door,take time to stop and smell the flowers sort of speak. Enjoy what you have accomplished,keep your abilities up as you work but also understand that sometimes that enthusiasm will be exploited in this industry,set personal boundaries for yourself and don't be afraid defend yourself if these boundaries have been crossed.
My first job defined these boundaries for me(although my example may be a bit extreme). I was excited to work and wanted to prove myself at my new job,crunch began in earnest due to lack of sleep i began to crack, oh yes and the work contract i signed stipulated that missed deadlines meant a certain amount of my salary was docked so crunch related mistakes could actually cost you money out of pocket.
Then add to that,the fact this company promised a work visa which they never intended fulfill and i was in reality paid under the table and i was most likely working illegally in the EU. The project i worked on at the time was pretty damn cool to start my career in,but due to naive desire to do well keep that first job i signed a contract that i would consider myself insane today for signing,i worked insane amounts of hours at a shit salary and at all times coping with the growing anxiety at the possibility of fines and deportations if i was caught.
I was lucky however and met someone who knocked some sense into me, i was at a pub on night drinking pints and contemplating my situation when i struck up a conversation with some bloke at the pub who happened to work at the immigration office of the country in question,nice fellow bought me a pint and laid it all out for me about how seriously fucked id be if i was caught. Next day later talked to my embassy,which basically said,holy fuck,get out of that situation.
Next day later i resigned on the spot,in my exit interview was yelled at for 3 hours for "letting the team down" and quit regardless.Thank god i did because i really dodged a bullet sort of speak,i found out what happened to the others who eventually got knicked by immigration and the fines alone would set anyone back financially for years.
After that horrible series of events i got a way better job,it was legal, i was treated with respect and i relaxed and began to live my life in a more balanced way. I also found out what is personally tolerable for me in a job and if something feels wrong i wont keep my mouth shut. Admittedly, taking the financial state of affairs into consideration,holding on to your principles can be a bit tough at times
With how volatile the industry is, can anyone say its worth it to try and get in anymore? Im just curious what peoples opinions are. I recently graduated still trying to get and with the amount of competition getting laid off it feels almost impossible and even if you get a job your guaranteed for what the length of the project?
To answer the OP, it can be a fun although trying industry. There is potential for you to find work but in all honesty based on the portfolio link you have on your profile you are sadly not there. With the amount of competition at the moment due to lay offs and such you need to give yourself the best chance to find work.
If i was looking at portfolio site these would be the reasons i wouldn't call you back for an interview.
1. I don't see any focus in your portfolio, it appears like its focused to environments but you could do more to focus your portfolio towards environment art. Environment artist positions are the most numerous and give you the best chance to find work.
2. your modeling is boring, i see alot of very basic shapes in your models but nothing too complex nor impressive. The sci fi table specifically suffers from this. All i see in the Sci Fi server room is boxes,nothing but boxes all over. The office chair is nice but i wouldnt see where that would fit in a game artist portfolio, maybe someone doing FX or visiualizations. Unless its a low poly model with baked normals and specs,it doesnt quite fit in.
3.You put Mudbow and UDK in your experience but i can not honestly see where you use the two, the hanger environment would be greatly improved by the use of specular maps for instance and perhaps lighting, as it stands it looks like an unlit render in the 3d app you use.
4. Your texture work is your strong suit but without a good models and proper presentation in a game editor it all seems to fall flat and short.
You have potential but your portfolio is in serious need to refinement and focus.
Replies
If you're aspiring to be in the game industry, then going out and socializing with your 'soon to be' peers is vital.
Sitting in front of the computer all day working on art can be just as detrimental to your career as an artist if no one knows you personally. This is why I believe in a strong balance as a starting artist.
In today's market, employers can pick and choose who they want to work for them. As an employer, I would much rather give work to the artist that is out at the beer nights, that I have met face to face, and developed an understanding of his 'non online' personality than the artist that only knows internet forums and I have never met face to face. I have too often seen people online with awesome portfolios and shitty personalities.
That's just my personal opinion on the matter. The future of this industry lies in contract work. If you're a contractor, then you MUST go out and socialize and become known.
I did just this when I was wanting to get into the industry.
A proper balance between training yourself and 'having a life' is vital. Develop those people skills. Because just like some of these people would lead you to believe that 'every minute you're not developing your art, someone else is', the same goes for 'every minute you're not talking to a possible employer, someone else is'.
One of the things that has drawn me into this industry is not just the work, but the culture and community. I have the opportunity to make the wildest ideas in my head become a reality. I think doing what you love to do is worth many of the sacrifices you have to make.
If both people are in the industry and one outside of work does noting but personal art and the other does other hobbies it does not make one better than the other. The key here is to do what you enjoy, if thats working on art 24/7 then good for you, if its taking a break from it and doing something else then thats fine too.
The thing is the beginning people learn at different rates, some people may need to ditch some other parts of life for awhile and practice 10 hours a day, others may only need 5. It all comes down the to the person. I for one have not gotten in yet and spend about 5-10 hours a day on art, I like others gave up going out with friends, but when you are doing it to get to something you love you don't miss it that much. I know once I break in and get accustomed to things everything will balance out, work and social life.
TL;DR
Put in the hours and everything will fall into place if you want it to and what works for one person might not work for another, its up to each person to find what practice is for them.
This is the one of the best pieces of summarized advice around, and something I've heard from various seniors I've worked with.
I'm just under a year in the industry, and I definetly entered with the starry eye and the ready to crunch mentality. I've been blessed in the sense that I've met enough senior people and stayed connected to the latest news via communities, that I've been able to wisen up to this a lot faster then I would of have originally.
I enjoy putting in the extra hours to polish an asset or level... or the final push for an alpha / goldmaster... mainly because It's down to me to put in those hours for the sake of my craft. When that turns into a type of crunch where deadlines are shorter then they should be, that turns into a different ball game.
Unfortunately when you "wise up" to this and take initiative, there's the high chance of getting laid off, fired or guilt tripped, or so seems the case / what I've heard.
My question to everyone is:
What's the right way to act in those situations? How do you deal with them? Crunching at alpha / goldmaster / E3 is understandable, but where is the line drawn?
Well this is one of these moments that just require you to make adult decisions and decide whats right for you. You have to decide what sort of boundaries you when it comes to work life.
I admire the enthusiasm many artists have when trying to find that first gig and at the beginning of the career. But once you make it get your foot in that door,take time to stop and smell the flowers sort of speak. Enjoy what you have accomplished,keep your abilities up as you work but also understand that sometimes that enthusiasm will be exploited in this industry,set personal boundaries for yourself and don't be afraid defend yourself if these boundaries have been crossed.
My first job defined these boundaries for me(although my example may be a bit extreme). I was excited to work and wanted to prove myself at my new job,crunch began in earnest due to lack of sleep i began to crack, oh yes and the work contract i signed stipulated that missed deadlines meant a certain amount of my salary was docked so crunch related mistakes could actually cost you money out of pocket.
Then add to that,the fact this company promised a work visa which they never intended fulfill and i was in reality paid under the table and i was most likely working illegally in the EU. The project i worked on at the time was pretty damn cool to start my career in,but due to naive desire to do well keep that first job i signed a contract that i would consider myself insane today for signing,i worked insane amounts of hours at a shit salary and at all times coping with the growing anxiety at the possibility of fines and deportations if i was caught.
I was lucky however and met someone who knocked some sense into me, i was at a pub on night drinking pints and contemplating my situation when i struck up a conversation with some bloke at the pub who happened to work at the immigration office of the country in question,nice fellow bought me a pint and laid it all out for me about how seriously fucked id be if i was caught. Next day later talked to my embassy,which basically said,holy fuck,get out of that situation.
Next day later i resigned on the spot,in my exit interview was yelled at for 3 hours for "letting the team down" and quit regardless.Thank god i did because i really dodged a bullet sort of speak,i found out what happened to the others who eventually got knicked by immigration and the fines alone would set anyone back financially for years.
After that horrible series of events i got a way better job,it was legal, i was treated with respect and i relaxed and began to live my life in a more balanced way. I also found out what is personally tolerable for me in a job and if something feels wrong i wont keep my mouth shut. Admittedly, taking the financial state of affairs into consideration,holding on to your principles can be a bit tough at times
To answer the OP, it can be a fun although trying industry. There is potential for you to find work but in all honesty based on the portfolio link you have on your profile you are sadly not there. With the amount of competition at the moment due to lay offs and such you need to give yourself the best chance to find work.
If i was looking at portfolio site these would be the reasons i wouldn't call you back for an interview.
1. I don't see any focus in your portfolio, it appears like its focused to environments but you could do more to focus your portfolio towards environment art. Environment artist positions are the most numerous and give you the best chance to find work.
2. your modeling is boring, i see alot of very basic shapes in your models but nothing too complex nor impressive. The sci fi table specifically suffers from this. All i see in the Sci Fi server room is boxes,nothing but boxes all over. The office chair is nice but i wouldnt see where that would fit in a game artist portfolio, maybe someone doing FX or visiualizations. Unless its a low poly model with baked normals and specs,it doesnt quite fit in.
3.You put Mudbow and UDK in your experience but i can not honestly see where you use the two, the hanger environment would be greatly improved by the use of specular maps for instance and perhaps lighting, as it stands it looks like an unlit render in the 3d app you use.
4. Your texture work is your strong suit but without a good models and proper presentation in a game editor it all seems to fall flat and short.
You have potential but your portfolio is in serious need to refinement and focus.