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Nervous about my first day eeek!

polycounter lvl 12
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Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
I'm quite nervous, I've been working hard and for a long time for this day, my first day working in the games industry for TT Fusion as a Junior Prop Artist. I'm confident in my abilities (except for the fact they use Maya not Max but I'm solving that one with lots and lots of tutorials from digital tutors).

Anyway, any of you guys care to share your stories of your first day working in a studio? Might help me sleep better tonight.

Cheers

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  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    hehe sure mate lol
  • r_fletch_r
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    r_fletch_r polycounter lvl 9
    i hear TT have some really perverse hazing rituals.

    wear a chastity belt and dont pick up anything folks drop.

    also avoid the soup.
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    they said everyone has to try the soup :/
  • Habboi
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    Habboi sublime tool
    Try to remember your co-workers names within the first day.
  • r_fletch_r
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    r_fletch_r polycounter lvl 9
    they've interviewed you so they like you and your work, relax and do it :)
    Everyone knows what its like to start out.

    just dont pee in the pot plants and you'll be grand.
  • Mathew O
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    Mathew O polycounter
    Habboi wrote: »
    Try to remember your co-workers names within the first day.

    Yeah I recon this'd be ossum if you find that kind of thing easy enough. Well done by the way!
  • crazyfingers
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    crazyfingers polycounter lvl 10
    Don't stress so much man. At the end of the day it's just a job. You've got all these misconceptions in your head getting this far. Do whatcha gotta do, meet some people and enjoy it as best you can. Most importantly, don't stress too badly thinking everything hinges on your performace, the greatest variables at play as to whether you stay or not are often out of your hands. Politics, funding, who knows what's going on within the place. Do a good job and don't stress.

    Story of my first job:
    Moved 3 days after hearing i had the job, it was a 3 month contract position but they really made it sound like there was potential for longer stays. So i found a temporary place fast on craigslist 4 hours north and made the jump. They didn't have a rig for me yet so i was hauling by desktop machine to and from work for 3 weeks, figured what the hell this is going to show dedication. First day was mostly spent standing near my machine waiting for TortiousSVN to get installed and update everything. I met a few polycounters there and we really seemed to hit it of, it was exciting, this was the big show!

    I worked my ass off, had my name over nearly half the environment checklists on a fairly large 3d team and put out what i thought was pretty damned good work considering the time restraints. I really wanted a long term gig. Felt a bit of animosity from the team like they felt i was trying to outdo everybody, I guess in a sense i was, but more than anything i just wanted to prove i was worth keeping. I regret doing this, looking back i wish i'd taken more lunches and just hung around with my coworkers more shooting the shit. I ended up being just some dude in the corner working more than i'd like. Life is short, works important, but part of why it's important is to meet people and just have a good time.

    Some people worked their ass off, some people surfed the net while clocking massive overtime. People in all ranges of positions were incredibly talented, and others not so much. But, that's every company.

    Development on the game took a bit longer than expected so we all got another month or so on the project, then came the day when everyone was told if they were staying or going. Pretty much the entire 3d team found out they were being let go. There was a lot of optimism said to us we would be brought back, but at that point after seeing the lay of the land and knowing the title didn't really shape up, I had a pretty good internal feeling this would never happen. I felt a little used at that point. Got a bit depressed and after showing up every day, and often times on weekends for massive overtime i slipped the past few days with hangovers. I had all these preconceived notions that if you work hard you'll make it but that's just not always the case. The video game industry's just crazy like that, no one's fault, everyone wants games to be good and be hits but it's always a gamble and the industry is always changing.

    Don't take this the wrong way, this could be a great place with long term potential. Just know the prospect that it isn't is there too. Try to be realistic while you work there, and build your expectations accordingly.
  • Frankie
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    Frankie polycounter lvl 19
    first day = make everyone take you to the pub at lunch

    edit: Actually I just read crazyfingers reply its pretty good advice for someone new to the industry.
  • C86G
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    C86G greentooth
    Nice post, crazyfingers. Very informative.
    Thank you : )
  • PredatorGSR
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    PredatorGSR polycounter lvl 14
    Depends on the company of course, but first days usually consist of taking a tour around to meet everyone, doing a bunch of paperwork, and getting your machine set up and all your hotkeys and tools installed. Make sure you bring a flash drive with all that stuff to speed up your workflow and make you comfortable.

    My first company gave me the first 2 weeks to learn their tools and pipeline, and I didn't get anything real to work on until 2 weeks in, at which point I was itching to work on something.

    My second company had me working on real assets on the second day.
  • Noodle!
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    Noodle! polycounter lvl 8
    Allow yourself to be yourself too. If you're nervous, it's ok. Everyone there has also had a first day

    edit: also congrats to getting a job!
  • Stinger88
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    Stinger88 polycounter
    Asking people if they take milk and sugar isn't that stressful ;P

    Good luck man and enjoy it. Don't worry too much when the coders start shouting at each other about trivial things, its a daily event. Remember to take the most important tool for any artist in a studio, noise reducing head phones.
  • Saman
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    Saman polycounter lvl 13
    Being nervous can be a good thing. It shows that you take the job very seriously and don't want to do any mistakes. I think a lot of the comments in this thread are very useful and I agree with them. Just be yourself, if you're nervous, be nervous. Just don't take it too seriously... Congratulations on the job btw!
  • WarrenM
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    Just be yourself - you were hired for a reason. Listen to any and all advice that anyone tries to give you (sort out the good from the bad later) and generally try to make yourself useful. :) You'll be fine...
  • tharle
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    tharle polycounter lvl 9
    yeah dont be worried if you basically get ignored for the first week and just have to pick up the tools. chances are your art director will be really busy with everything else that's going on so dont be afraid to go and ask for work if you've got nothing to do. tbh everywhere will be different so just relax be yourself and you'll be fine.
  • DrunkShaman
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    DrunkShaman polycounter lvl 14
    Good luck on your first day. =]
  • jipe
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    jipe polycounter lvl 17
    Congrats on breaking in! The first day is exciting but not as important as the rest of your days at work; showing up with a consistently positive attitude, seeking out feedback from more experienced artists, and meeting deadlines while still producing quality work -- those are the things that will help your career. And the fact that you've been hired somewhere is proof that your current coworkers think you can handle all those things in a professional way. So no stressing tonight... just get some sleep and enjoy meeting people and learning about the project tomorrow.
  • seth.
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    seth. polycounter lvl 14
    Congrats on the gig Dazz3r...if you are reading this now then get some bloody sleep. you have work in the morning :D
  • slipsius
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    slipsius mod
    Hahaha. my first day was funny. I was told by a friend who already worked there that id spend the first day or two reading documentation on the game engine and stuff. I get there, spent an hour or so going over my new contract and reading some documentation, then my boss came up to me and said ok, thats enough reading. Here's a dragon. rig it! At which point I pooped myself. Very little knowledge of rigging at the time. Only doing arms and legs before that. Never full body rigs. Nevermind a dragon. But man, did I learn fast. haha.

    Hope it went well for you!
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    Grats man.

    Know an animator there and he seems to enjoy it so take that as a positive.
  • notman
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    notman polycounter lvl 18
    Same thing I recommend to everyone else: Walk in and punch someone in the face. Declare your dominance. From that point forward, no one will fuck with you.
  • Flynny
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    Flynny polycounter lvl 9
    You will do fine, TT-Fusion is quite a good place to work ;)

    *Just remember, on your 1st day look for the biggest meanest looking mofo and stare him out, youl have no problems after that.

    *(please dont, lol!)
    Ps which floor will you be on? theres a few Fusion peeps on here including myself.
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Cheers all for the comments, really enjoyed my first day got stuck in doing work on my first day. Its not exactly what I thought I would be doing but I've learned a lot :)

    The place itself is awesome, really relaxed atmosphere, friendly peeps, pool table, fridges, food, drinks etc just need to find out if they have a 5-a-side football team or even better rugby 7's!

    @Flynny 2nd floor matey
  • 3DFM
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    notman wrote: »
    Same thing I recommend to everyone else: Walk in and punch someone in the face. Declare your dominance. From that point forward, no one will fuck with you.

    This is true.
  • Jungsik
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    Jungsik polycounter lvl 6
    Sweet! Good luck haha
  • Andreas
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    Andreas polycounter lvl 11
    Stinger88 wrote: »
    Good luck man and enjoy it. Don't worry too much when the coders start shouting at each other about trivial things, its a daily event.

    I chuckled.
    notman wrote: »
    Same thing I recommend to everyone else: Walk in and punch someone in the face. Declare your dominance. From that point forward, no one will fuck with you.

    And make sure its a higher-up. Guaranteed once those layoffs come, he'll be too scared to let you go.
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    @Andreas and Notman

    Thanks alot, walked in punched the MD in the face, they called the police and asked dismissed me for gross misconduct..it didnt work!!

    lol I kid I kid!
  • notman
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    notman polycounter lvl 18
    Dazz3r wrote: »
    @Andreas and Notman

    Thanks alot, walked in punched the MD in the face, they called the police and asked dismissed me for gross misconduct..it didnt work!!
    Pft, you don't want to work at a place that doesn't respect your dominance.


    Good luck with the new job.
  • Andreas
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    Andreas polycounter lvl 11
    notman wrote: »
    Pft, you don't want to work at a place that doesn't respect your dominance.

    Which reminds me, Fletch is totally wrong about not pissing in the pot plants. Gotta mark your territory holmes. Eat loads of Asparagus prior so you get a nice stinky result.
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Andreas wrote: »
    Which reminds me, Fletch is totally wrong about not pissing in the pot plants. Gotta mark your territory holmes. Eat loads of Asparagus prior so you get a nice stinky result.

    I've also tagged my part of the office with spraypaint ;)
  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    Soo how did it go? :)
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Soo how did it go? :)

    Really really well. The work im doing is very very repetitive and there is a ton of it to do (im assuming this is typical stuff for a n00b in the industry) but I dont mind, I'm just getting stuck in, its Thursday and I'm still here.
  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    Dazz3r wrote: »
    Really really well. The work im doing is very very repetitive and there is a ton of it to do (im assuming this is typical stuff for a n00b in the industry) but I dont mind, I'm just getting stuck in, its Thursday and I'm still here.

    Believe me most of 3d-art work is really repetitive, especially if you're a prop artist. However you'll learn the difference between efficient modeling and bad modeling once you do LODs for 2 months straight :):thumbup:
  • Dazz3r
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    Dazz3r polycounter lvl 12
    Believe me most of 3d-art work is really repetitive, especially if you're a prop artist. However you'll learn the difference between efficient modeling and bad modeling once you do LODs for 2 months straight :):thumbup:
    Despite the repitition, I'm enjoying the fact im getting quicker at it lol. I'm in autopilot!
  • SimonT
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    SimonT interpolator
    - go on and toilet and don't flush
    - stick dirty dishes into a dish washer with clean stuff in it
    - drink all the coffee and don't refill the machine
    - eat weird smelling stuff at lunch (everyone loves garlic)
    - give your co-workers funny nicknames
    - pull out some of the cables of your co-workers pcs at evening

    ;)
  • Flynny
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    Flynny polycounter lvl 9
    SimonT do you work here o.0!
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