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Post date: Mar 16, 2015 3:21:2 AM
Summary:
This was my first time going to the GDC/San Francisco. I met a lot of people, some being lead environment artists for big games. I learned valuable social networking skills and how to survive in San Francisco. The talks actually helped a lot and I made a promise to myself to sit through a couple that I wasn't interested in 100% but would go through the experience. I actually learned a lot from doing that and am glad I did. Sadly, I'm not the picture type of guy and didn't take any pictures. I'd highly recommend going to the GDC to anyone who wants to go into this industry. The people are friendly, the talks are great, and meeting someone who worked on your favorite title or a great looking game is a confidence booster and networking contact.
Day-By-Day Summary:
Each day was something new and exciting. Monday/early Tuesday was my plane flight. Tuesday night as soon as I flew in I went to the main center and got my pass and looked around a bit to know where things were.
Wednesday I left early and arrived around 8:30 to see if I could begin networking with anyone. I actually saw Jason Bennett and he was extremely nice to introduce me to two Ringling Game Art alumni, Miranda Thomas who works at Hasbro as a sculptor and Max Golosiy who works at Naughty Dog as an environment artist. I spoke to them for a good hour and a half and head over to the career center. There I talked to everyone I saw and anyone standing in line next to me. I met environment artists from Crytek, Wargaming, Playstation, indie companies, Glu, High Voltage, Creative Assembly, and Blizzard. To summarize, Wednesday was my biggest networking day meeting a lot of artists in the field I want to go in to and students from other schools.
Thursday I went to the Expo floor and wondered around looking at different attractions and learning from where-ever I could. I saw a lot of cool technology like the Omni. Near the end of the day I had a Blizzard talk for artists that was aimed to help students enter the industry. This was one of the more heavier walking days as opposed to Wednesday which was meeting more people, hanging out in lounges, and standing in lines.
Friday was a full day of presentations from multiple speakers. I went to art talks, marketing talks, portfolio talks, and game design talks. I gained something from every talk I went to, even the ones that were out of my comfort zone. I also met a lot of people with similar interests sitting next to me. I'd highly recommend going to talks that may be of semi-interest to you if you have the time.
Notes from Talks:
I have a PDF/docx of my notes from all of the talks I went to, if anyone wants it or has a question just email me: zforrest@c.ringling.edu
Blizzard Art Presentation:
What is 3D artist life like?
- Busy
- Artists are the core of the team
- They form a pipeline
- If you want to be a 3D artist focus on growth and learning to find a passion as you develop
- When the 3D artist starts there day they get the build
- 3D artists know the tasks and focus on the responsibility they have
Should we 3D artists know specific tools?
- Not necessary, having skills in one program can transfer into another
- Never be afraid to learn
- The main tools used at Blizzard are Zbrush, Max, and Photoshop (Be great at 1 of them)
- Teaching an artist to be good at a program is easy, teaching someone who is good at a program to be an artist is hard
Specialist or Generalist?
- The cinematic team wants specialists
- Blizzard wants generalized skills within a skillset
- Looks at concept of all levels in workplace (everyone is sketching/a concept artist)
Portfolio tips?
- Only put the good stuff, 2 pieces? 2 pieces.
- Worst piece will be remembered/judged
- Finish things
- Know the art style of Blizzard
- Be passionate! GET EXCITED
Focus on just being an artist or know everything?
- Be a good artist
- Understand what everyone does but only do what you do
- If you’re great at multiple skillsets, you’ll be a more valuable member to the team
- Know what you need for your position you want to do
- Be a talented artist first
Do animators do rigging?
- Yes, if they don’t the tech artists are
- Be well-rounded
General notes from questions from the audience:
- Be skilled
- Art team does everything, everyone works together un-separated
- Deadlines and art principles will determine when you know when you’ve gotten to the right place to know when you finished a piece
- Feedback is essential
- End of production is when crucial performance tests happen
- Keep everything as cheap as possible
- The art graduate program is beginning with programming
- Look at the art contests for a way in
- Diablo has been made 100% in Maya version 2012
- Overwatch is being made 100% in Maya version 2014
- Each individual game has it’s own editor
- Portfolio’s that separate from the others are beyond the assignments
- The teams love to see work inspired by Blizzards worlds
- Discover a corner of a game we haven’t seen before
- Doodles tell a passion
- Playing is awesome
- On the job training, documentation isn’t provided but there are “breadcrumbs that will lead you to a bread loaf”
- If you want to be a producer don’t focus on getting a producer job, go for the hardware jobs or a QA position
- Being a producer is all about being an organizational facilitator
- You’re being hired for what can you bring to the table
- What are you passionate about?
- Designers and artist work holding hands
- Ideas grow as a team
- There is always a back and forth, Kerrigan began as a ranged unit, then to melee, now she does a little of both
- EVERYTHING IS COLLABORATIVE
- School is not required
- Global mobility is easier with a degree
- Understand mocap vs animation, mocap needs a lot of cleanup and needs to be sped up and pushed
Team Culture?
- Take feedback and push things further
- Have an open mind
- Personality tests are great. Know your own and know everyone else’s
- Diablo team is a very relaxed/laid back team
Student Phase to Pro Phase?
- School is project focused
- Industry is collaborative
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP IN THE INDUSTRY
A New R&D Process for Game Design:
(Speaker: James Taylor taylorjames9@gmail.com)
- A community-centric design process that is fun, inclusive, and creative
- Benefits everyone
- Work on little prototypes, try things out, be experimental and work in groups
- So many different levels of skills & utilities used, they start people out at concept stage with a loose structure to have them all bring something to a table
- They needed a prompt to help them move forward with an idea
- Steps the design process:
o Introduce ideas and game directions
o Vote on ideas
o Prototype, Discuss progress and next steps
o Second prototype. Group critiques and guests come for interactions
- Have productive failure. Not getting an A+ on something is extremely helpful because it makes you want to become better at something you love
- Everyone chooses there own amount of participation
- The environment is not a gated community, feels liberating to work on other people’s projects, and people are supposed to jump in at any time
- The best designers are people who are eager to help other people
- In the beginning don’t think about games, think about topics
Breaking In: Designers & Writers:
(Speaker: Katie Chironis katie@herinteractive.com)
- Make a lot of games
- Write a lot of stuff
- Steps to become the best:
1. Target yourself
a. Generalist on basics but focus on your discipline
2. What do you want?
a. Find a company you want to work for and focus on it
b. QA usually = 500+ Hours of gameplay on there games
c. Start with smaller companies then go big
d. Lots of things count as shipped
3. Portfolio
a. 3-4 pieces
b. More isn’t better
c. 10-15 minute experience
d. Dungeons and Dragons games are great
e. No poetry
4. Go back and polish
5. Website time
a. Splash page that has about and a blurb
b. Portfolio
i. More visual
ii. At most 45 seconds on portfolio
c. Subpage each project
6. Online presence
a. Make sure your photo looks good and it’s not you doing something inappropriate or not you at all
7. Network – Look for friends
a. IDGA is great
b. Meetup.com
c. Gamedevmap
8. Always put your best foot forward
a. Personal hygiene is necessary
b. No fedora!!!
9. Network smart
a. Follow up
b. Congratulate contacts released games
c. friend first, contact second
10. Interview
a. Don’t wear a suit
b. Dress casual
c. Firm handshake
d. Be confident
11. If you’re uncomfortable get out of there
a. You’re better then sexual harassment
- The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want something. They’re there to stop the other people
Indie Marketing:
- You can learn from everything
- Be an opportunist
- It’s about the journey
- Money is hard to come by, make contacts
- Once in a lifetime chance, look for help
o When you’re marketing, it resides inside out
- Pitch to everyone
- Small things make a market big
- Show everywhere, pitch, business connections, kickstarter
- Have thick skin to rejection and failure
- Push and pull with other developers
- What do the publishers want vs what I need?
- Who am I marketing the game too?
- Always reach back to press and publishers
- Launch everywhere
o Steam
o Humble Bundle
- You will have highs and lows with momentum
o Enjoy the highs
- Cultivate relationships
- People will want things for money, look everywhere for marketing
- Die before quitting
- Tenacity of determination
- Add value to people’s lives
o Mentors especially
- Help you, help me
- Always help someone else
- If you have a good game, people will come
- Just find ways to pay the bills
o He used student loans while going for a master to pay for things
o He believed in his team
- Passionate people make a game
Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer; Advice for Industry Artist:
Speakers:
Wyeth Johnson – Epic Games
Greg Foertsch – Firaxis Games
David Johnson – Infinityward
Shawn Robertson – Irrational Games
Steven Scott – Bungie
- Never stop working
Start with pretty picture, and then show the process. An image leaves a question
- VFX Tips:
o Color problems are the main concern
o Game info to the viewer, How will it be used?
- General tips:
o Only show best work
o Demo reels are ONLY for VFX and animators
o Only the worst piece will be remembered
o Quality vs quantity
o Show a solid body of work
o Begin with a strong story and then next piece is just as strong with a different story
o Use polycount
o Don’t feel compelled to fill a portfolio
o URL’s better load and work
o Make seeing you easy
o What it comes down to is good taste
o A spelling mistake makes me not trust you
o Follow through and edit
o Attention to detail, what will you forget?
o Selling who you are as an artist
§ What is your eye?
§ Know the fundamentals of art
§ Can you draw?
§ Sketches?
§ BE AN ARTIST
o We will teach you any tool in 2 months
§ BE A GREAT ARTIST
o We can’t teach you how to draw and paint but programs are easy
o Communicate your process
§ We are visual problem solvers
o Is this person going to work well with my team?
o Narrating your demo reel is way cooler then music
o What are you thinking?
o How did you do this?
o Who is this person in this clutter?
o Context, give context
o Visual storytelling
o Present your art in the easiest manner that anyone will understand
o Everyone has a test, Don’t stress this
§ It’s an insult if they don’t give you an art test
o How do you take feedback?
o How do you follow an art style?
o Go above and beyond
o Don’t put a key pose in your portfolio
o Marmoset looks pretty, but display what things look in engine
§ The horrors of teal time engine ‘joy’
o How will you be aligned to our company?
§ Magic vs hardcore military
o High caliber
o Fan art isn’t 10/10. How would you drive a new IP forward?
o Everyone has a stack of rejection letters
§ Let it drive you to get better
§ How will you improve yourself?
o Start and finish everything
o It’s rare to get hired immediately
o Align yourself
o Ask why you are rejected
o A no isn’t a you suck, never want to see you again, it’s at this time, you aren’t ready for the company
o No one wants to insult anyone, it’s never personal
o It’s almost always never a no, it’s a not right now. It’s not that personal
o An online presence must be good
o Don’t be a jerk
o USE POLYCOUNT
o An art blog, feedback on polycount can help
o It’s all about POV
o Never resend a portfolio that is rejected
o Ask HR for feedback
o Segregation on portfolio is justified
o Direct portfolio to the company
o Direct portfolio to the environment art
o Don’t try to do it if you don’t want to do it
o If it’s not the job you want to get, don’t put it in
o Your work must look as good as the games
o Shine against the top talent
o Dress casual
o Work represented to 2-3 years, not job experience
o Send us the work of your three best students if you’re a professor at a college
o Presentation is smooth
o Sell yourself in 30 seconds
o Style guide and mood board is given to concept artists
o If you have time, it better be great
o Nothing inappropriate in your portfolio
o Don’t use something without permission
o 100% ok to use concept art as portfolio pieces
o Do whatever makes the best portfolio
o Generalists = small studios, Big studios = specialists
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