What should an ideal portfolio contain?

Jonas Ronnegard · Oct 2007

I know im being very unspecific here but i hope someone can help me anyway.

So what im asking is what a game company would want to see in a portfolio from a future intern. if now the company wasn't searching for someone to put in a specific field,
and i know or i suppose it's very different from company to company but if you see it in an avarage company kinda way hehe.

Im guessing i should rather show props than character models, but if i where to show a prop, what would the ideal choice be if i where to show of my skills :P

J Randall · Oct 2007

my 2 cents would be if the companies are nearby show all new made yourself objects instead of coursework, don't forget to include shots of all the texture materials. maybe edit your post to be more specific would be best.

Flynny · Oct 2007

Target a studio, or a bunch of studios that you like and tailor your folio to them. I mean if you make a RTS type folio and send that to a studio who only ever do racing games youl have a problem.

Besides that just impress.

Mark Dygert · Oct 2007

[ QUOTE ]
What should an ideal portfolio contain?

[/ QUOTE ]
Your art... and read this.
http://www.thejonjones.com/2005/10/07/your-portfolio-repels-jobs/

Rhinokey · Oct 2007

awesome artwork, and contact info.

Jonas Ronnegard · Oct 2007

Thanks for all the great tips, wish there was something that every game company really wanted to see, and could judge by. But i guess my best bet is to decide for a style and focus on companies that uses it. but i'll send it to all companies that exists anyway, can't hurt right.

Wells · Oct 2007

It's not the content, but the the quality that matters.

There's no magical industry-wide art test.

Steve Schulze · Oct 2007

Something I've been thinking about recently is focus vs variety. Do you think its necessary, or at least desirable to try to build an entire portfolio around a specific company's art style. I imagine if I was going for a job at Blizzard, for instance, I'd be foolish not to try and emulate their style in at least a couple of pieces, but if I was to build my entire portfolio around said style, would it be likely to be considered a limited stylistic skill set or some such?

Mark Dygert · Oct 2007

I've been giving this some thought recently as I've needed to update my portfolio. I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to create projects that I'm interested in and whore that around if I need to find a job. The reasoning is two fold:
1) If I'm interested in it, I'll enjoy working on it, spend more time and put in more effort.
2) Do I want to work on dumpsters and generic player models and other stuff that I'm not jazzed about in hopes to pander to the largest audience possible and end up making more mundane crap? Or do I look for a company that would like what I'm interested in making? I guess it depends on what stage you're at and how big of a hurry your in.

The fish you catch is directly linked to the bait you use, or so the theory goes...

J Randall · Oct 2007

Hear hear Vig, I am going to adopt that.

hawken · Oct 2007

What should an ideal portfolio contain?

bribe money

Jonas Ronnegard · Oct 2007

Thanks guys, still have quite a longt time until my intern period but it can't be bad to research a little right.

"There's no magical industry-wide art test" hehe no thats what i guessed, but there seems to be things that more easily impress than other things. Like barrels seems to be a thingy right now :P.

"bribe money" Always wondered why the recruiters were the rich one's guess i know now, :P what's the minimum sum for a Lead artist job?

Jesse Moody · Oct 2007

Yeah can't say it enough Quality over Quantity. You can get a job with 3 bad ass pieces. Now you can probably get a job with 5 good pieces and 2 mediocre but some guys will see those bad pieces and wonder why they are in there.

If you can model something that will make someones eyes bleed because of all the detail and gorgeousness then get to work. Make something that is so sexy you have to hand out wet naps with your sample sheets.

danr · Oct 2007

"but some guys will see those bad pieces and wonder why they are in there"

EVERYONE will see them and wonder why they're in there, and it's never a good result. A portfolio should only contain your very very best work, and if that's only a handful of pieces then so be it. If the person who's looking at your work has their eyes pop out 5 times, that's a hell of a lot better than them popping out 9 times and then squinting, frowning and going "oh, what's he done *that for?" on the 10th piece

Rhinokey · Oct 2007

And for gods sake, no trash cans or toilets and bathtubs. I see that shit all the time when looking through portfolios. No mater how well you do a toilet, no one will be impressed.

Joao Sapiro · Oct 2007

no oil barrels XD

danr · Oct 2007

hee hee, the max payne bathroom. With all dirty white tiles, some of which are missing, some of which are broken along the diagonal. Probably a blood splat on the wall.

Ha, it's not necessarily such a bad thing, good modelling is good modelling ... but like thingy says, just don't expect anyone to linger on it

TheWinterLord · Oct 2007

Barrel Is Key
(crap didnt I teach you anything?) hmm il take a trip up to PSQ soon!

My advise would be to look at the companies you are most interested in. Then what do you want to do? props, characters? lets say its props and you want to get into a Swedish companies. Most companies in Sweden are making realistic looking games so try make next gen props realistic looking. duh.

They want you to normal map well and use spec well. model awesome and texture awesome, uvmap well. its the quality that matters so do things right. take the time (unlike me so far) to uvmap properly and stuff like that.

oh and I just got a internship at Massive Entertainment haha and I learnt that work speed is really something to work on... haha im so happy!

StrangeFate · Oct 2007

[ QUOTE ]
I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to create projects that I'm interested in and whore that around if I need to find a job. The reasoning is two fold:

[/ QUOTE ]
You got me all excited there for a second, until i saw that it was your _work_ you were gonna whore around... and i was already looking for your contact info.

Barrels and crates are really key, someone has to do them, and whoever it is that is doing them right now, will be very interested in having you hired to do them instead since you seem to enjoy them so much.

Ruz · Oct 2007

I think it does n't matter as long as it is high quality. people like high quality and are prepared to stroke you buttocks if you have nice work:)

Jonas Ronnegard · Nov 2007

Thanks for all the info people, can't thank you enough.

Ahh pontus it's been a while, how are you holding up at massive? yeah i've heard the barrel story a couple of times now :P but i don't really understand how a barrel could show of all your skills, sure when we get out there we won't be doing anything more than easy props anyway, but most people should be able to do a barrel quite perfect?. i guess they could go on the textures hehe.

Maybe i should say i really love rigging and really get good at it, "-_- harakiri next"

We at PSQ is gonna have a halloween party this saturday, too bad you can't come :P.. thinking about painting stripes on black clothes, and say it's me in wireframe

What should an ideal portfolio contain?

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