Before I begin the next edition of “Getting into the video game industry,” I would like to point out that my very first Xbox 360 arrived today. I exercised incredible self control by actually going to work, and then going to yoga class after work, and now that I am home, I am blogging for all of you instead of making myself an Xbox live profile and going crazy with Mass Effect and Fable II.
Damn my professionalism.
Anyway, let’s say that you’re an artist, and you’ve been applying to studios for a while but you haven’t heard anything back. What are you doing wrong? What can you do to improve your chances?
1. Take a good, hard look at your portfolio. Is it up to industry standards? If you can’t tell whether or not your portfolio is up to snuff, ask for advice and feedback from others online. I have seen people apply and apply and apply with modeling skills that are poor and texturing skills that are nonexistent. If your work isn’t good enough, you will just not be hired. There is nothing wrong with admitting you’re bad at something and choosing to do something else. I don’t mean give up, I mean know your limits. I originally wanted to be an animator. I wanted to work for Pixar! I had grand dreams of bringing characters to life. Then it turned out that I really, really suck at animating. I didn’t like it, I didn’t find it rewarding and I was bad at it. I decided then and there that animation wasn’t for me, and that I would focus on 3-d modeling instead. I’ve never looked back.
2. Start getting your name out there in places other than your application. There are a lot of excellent forums for digital art. Pick a distinctive username and start posting. Give feedback on other posters’ work and seek feedback on your own. Participate in contests. Get your work associated with your username and use that username everywhere. Industry professionals post on those boards, too, and there’s a possibility the next time you apply someone will say, “Hey, that’s FizzTheCarbonated’s work. She’s always friendly and helpful on the CGChat forums. We should bring her in.”
3. Take another look at your website. If it’s clunky, uses outdated technology and is hard to navigate, your work might be rejected before it’s even seen. You might not be applying for a web design position, but your website is a reflection on your art. It needs to be easy to navigate and attractive, or you might get rejected out of hand.
4. Don’t be picky! I know people who didn’t want to work for a studio where they wouldn’t get to do fantasy art, or people who only wanted to do character modeling. When you’re just starting out, you really can’t be choosy about what jobs you want to take. My philosophy was, “If I get a job modeling cardboard boxes, I will model the best damn cardboard boxes I can!” (I have, to date, modeled over 15 different forms of cardboard boxes.) Once you have some skills and experience under your belt, you’re going to be in a much better place when it comes to seeking your dream job.
5. Type professionally on your website and resume, and in any professional emails to a studio. Once you’re hired, you can pretty much throw grammar to the wind (but please… Don’t. Please.) but when you’re seeking an interview you need to be as easy to understand as possible. You want these people to give you a job, so treat them with respect. Once you know them you can be more informal, but leave the text abbreviations and l33tspeak out when you’re jobseeking. This should go without saying, but some people still screw it up.
That’s it for today! I can ignore the siren call of the 360 no longer. I think I’ll call her Vera.