[Brain]

When words of encouragement become less, rejection rises. I've been applying for jobs lately within the games field, and have been knocked back from them all. One's said contact them again in September, which is the one possibility I have, but I'm not really expecting much. This year's seeming to be one of let downs. The course I did last year which would "guarantee me a job in the games industry" has done anything but. If I'd gone and did an arts course instead of that, I'd be in my second year. Though, all the art courses I applied for knocked me back aswell, so that's prolly a moot point. It's obvious I need more talent, so education's it for me next year, if I happen to get accepted.

What if art isn't it for me? I have the passion for art, but obviously I'm aiming for the wrong area. Graphic design interests me very little, which'd be the other area of 'art' to go to and be able to survive off. My current employment history reads a nice line of grunt work. Factories, supermarkets and kitchenhands at restaurants. That's not what I want to do, but I'm doing it so I can pay the rent. If that's all that's for me in the future, I'll just sit here and do nothing.

*sigh* Maybe I'm just a whiney little 19 year old who, in perspective, doesn't really have any problems. No physical friends nearby, no positive and fulfilling future in sight... I am Brain's feeling of current uninspired worthlessness. Forgive the ramblings.

[egerie]

This is all asuming you want to get in the gaming industry as an artist.... (?)

Firstly, anyone claiming to "guarantee a job in the ____________ industry" is full of it. Stay away from them. Do your homeworks and research what schools do businesses like to see on resumes.

Secondly, (and that said) you can get out of a crap uni with a kickass portfolio or you can get out of a renown uni with a crap portfolio. Artistic directors will see your ability to produce art in the first place. The resume is most of the time not even looked at.

Thirdly, after visiting your website, I would songrly encourage you to go with your idea of pushing your art skills. Draw from life as much as you can, go to an atelier with models and practice x 213924713. Once you feel more confident build a portfolio while staying AWAY from fantasy / manga art.

I have a question.. What position are you looking to fill in the industry ?

Hope that helps.. Good luck ! Gotta run

[Guy]

Brian: i totaly know how you feel. i've been there. i had been trying to get a job in the gaming industry for the past year and a half. hell i couldn't get any work what so ever. it was really depressing. my art sufferd because of it as well. i didn't go to the best school either, but i kept applying everywhere i could and i finaly got a job. my art still isn't that great, but my employer must have liked something he saw.

so what i'm trying to say is stick with it. something will come. just keep working at it.

[[Shizo]]

Hey at least you got some experience and extra knowledge. I didn't go anyplace to study but i'm in persuit of the same goal as you. One thing i'm gonna tell you - PORTFOLIO. Must have an excellent, well-made portfolio with as good contents as your skills allow you to create. Because this is one single thing that can get you a job with a game company (unless you know someone in the company, then you dont need skillz to get a job).

[synj]

what game companies are you applying for? i remember my experience in LA, the so-called heaven for animators.

I applied like 12 places and didn't get in anywhere, let alone a timely interview. I was about to call it quits and go back home but Anticz caught my post of availability and helped me out with an interview and a good word.

Thing is, game companies usually aren't that big, and if they are, they are WAY big like blizzard and get a zillion entries a day. I don't think I'd ever apply there. So in short it seems pretty tough. Where are you located? Check out gamasutra.com. You might be able to hunt down some stuff.

I'm not sure exactly which part of the game industry you want to go in. I'd guess it was modelling or designing. I'd suggest cutting out all the self portrait stuff. 5 out of 8 pictures on your main page are yourself, 6 if you count the left menu.

For your modelling, I'd suggest starting to work on higher poly stuff since times are changing. 1k/2k poly work would be close to most upcoming consoles and PC games. Heck, some games even use around 15k polys for characters now but those are less environment intensive and not online multiplayer.

For your hand drawn stuff, I'd suggest scanning it a little more professionally (I.E. not crinkling the paper / scanning in the lines and holes of it). Try being a bit more confident with your lines. Most solid looking desigs only go over the line once or pencil it in lightly, then ink it in with one stroke. I'd also suggest making more designs of weird creatures/machines/skanky metallic female outfits since that's what the game industry seems to focus on most.

Hope any of that helps! Don't mean to sound super knit picky or anything, just trying to lend a hand.

[Brain]

Thanks all for your comments. Just feeling really run down the other day. Advice is definitely much much appreciated.

egerie: At the moment, I'm looking for 3D modeller positions. Unfortunately I've come to realise I don't really have that much 3D wise, which is really... stupid. @;-p I realise after the course how full of BS they all were, one of life's many lessons. I am applying for fine arts degrees for next year, so that should aid me greatly.

Guy: shall do @:-)

Shizo: Even knowing people in the industry isn't as helpful as you'd think. Though if my portfolio was stronger, perhaps things would be different.

synj: Thankyou for being nit picky. It's what I need more of. @:-) So far I've applied to Krome studios, Irrational Games, Pandemic Studios, Micro Forte and Evolution, all in either Canberra or Brisbane (Australia). With the relatively small games industry here, it's easy to keep tabs on them.

Regarding traditional stuff, good point. Admittedly, the stuff on my site is a little less groomed than that I whack on portfolio CDs. I'll make sure to change that. And I have been delving into higher polycounts of late, I just need to do more developed and refined things.

Thanks again @:-D

[[Shizo]]

Brain baby, it is very helpful
Although i must say that there is a huge amount of luck going on when companies hire people. For example, i saw people with less than your skill in 3d being hired on 3d position at Gearbox Software and being paid for their living there
Or one of my friends who has been maping for Half-Life was hired to a MMORPG game building 3d worlds (although the map building there is completely different from HL). He knew some guy there and thats how he got a job.
I saw some people getting a job because they were beta testing for some previous game of that company. I saw people with insane skillz and not having a job too
It's all weird, but yeah, main thing is p0rtfolio!
And one more thing i must tell you. You can take all 3d courses in the world and learn less in a year than if you just sat down and did some tutorials off the web and made sure you GOT it. (somethign i gotta do myself too heheh).

Okthxbye

[[Shizo]]

I also forgot to say that being a MOD (for any game) is a HUUUUGE plus! And i mean HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE plus!!!
It's gotta be more than lame mod ofcourse, but all the good mods ive been in, had people hired even without them looking for a job! The reason is cause imagine you're a recruit for a game company. Where would you go for talent? To game mods ofcourse!

Modding is like the biggest thing you can do besides portfolio (which go hand in hand btw cause theoretically the mod IS your portfolio).

okthxbye

[ August 21, 2002: Message edited by: [Shizo] ]

[Gort]

Ah Brain...

I shall leave the gist of most points to previous posts to your thread, but I will say this:

You're 19. Your life has barely started. You have so much time to pour your energy into. Practice, practice, practice. If you want it bad enough, you can get it. I once corresponded with the lead of the art department at Disney in Culver City, CA; he told me that most of the animators and staff had been initally rejected not once but twice and three times! Those people turned their rejection into energy; instead of interpreting it as "I suck and should just be a brick mason", they instead said "Ok, so what can I do to be better? Where do I need to improve?"

Find your weakness and dedicate two - three hours of practice a night to it.

Someone once posted a thread here about "how would you do it differently if you could do it all over again". Let me just say that you've got so much time to really get focused and practice. Don't give up. You can do it, but it won't be without hard work and sacrifice.

So you can accept what those people are telling you as absolute failure and continue to wash dishes and make pizzas, or you can buckle down and really go for it. If it never works out, you can at least rest knowing that you really tried.

[Dekard]

Brain, try being in your position at 29? Welcome to my world. I've been in the IT Tech industry for the last 8 years out of the Air Force and finally getting my Computer Animation Degree and I think the vast majority of my stuff isn't even publishable to the sijun'ers.

My luck finally came around when I joined up with the Threewave Mod. I'm known in the community with my gaming site too, now if only my art skillz, portfolio and schooling would catch up to that I might someday find a job doing art I enjoy..

Keep at it. It's never too late.