Skip to main content

Work Experience?

Submitted by jtan on

Hello, I'm graduating at the end of this year in multimedia. As a greenhorn, I'm trying to apply for jobs in the games industry or anything that deals with 3D. However, many companies require a min. of 2 yrs work experience! Are there any places that I can look into to gain some work experience for a start? I don't mind a low low salary as long as I get to have some work experience. Thanx! [B)]

Submitted by UNITY on Sat, 16/11/02 - 4:15 AM Permalink

HI!

I have been in your position a few years ago and it is NOT easy to find work experience in Australia, however, very soon (a few weeks) I will be the head of a small production company here in Queensland. As our first project we will be producing a short fill around 25 mins. The catch is that it will require very intence 3d and 2d art. At the moment I am scouting around localy to find a few good artist that either want a little experience, like your self, or want to stay with us as part of the arts department. I will be posting a detailed artical in the jobs section very soon.

Submitted by JonathanKerr on Sat, 16/11/02 - 11:51 AM Permalink

How difficult has it been for people to find work. Can any industry peeps recollect their stories for hunting for their game jobs? Did they have an easy or difficult time getting their positions.

I'm hoping to do concept or texture art, but after having seen Tariqs stuff, I realise how far I've got to go. Cor Blimey, that stuff is fantastic.

Submitted by jtan on Tue, 19/11/02 - 11:02 PM Permalink

Sounds good to me! I hope to see more of these work experience jobs for people like me. Yup, it will be great to know how people took their first stepping stones into the games industry. Currently, I building my portfolio which is like my only chance to ever get a foot into the industry.

Submitted by Brad Welch on Thu, 05/12/02 - 6:31 AM Permalink

Hey there guys and gals,

I've read this site from time to time, and I'm gonna try and post here occasionally with some suggestions when I have some spare time, I know its a shit when you are starting out and don't know how to get your foot in the door.

I have been involved in games for quite a while now (about 10 years). I guess that makes me something of an old timer now - although not quite up there with the founding fathers of Oz Games at Melbourne House or in the case of Brisbane the original Gee Whiz/Krome guys...all props to them - the Krome guys are going great guns! 8)

How I got started...

I started doing a game with two or three other friends on the Amiga, while working another job. We did one shareware shooter which was on a UK coverdisc, a strategy game for Manaccom here in Brisbane which got published and several demos which we tried and failed to get deals on (I have the rejection letters and returned discs from every major UK publisher of the day to prove it). All of these were done over 3 or 4 years, but by the end I had built up a decent folio of 2d sprite art, as well as a selection of comic art I had done.

With that I got what I consider my first real games job (i.e. international publisher - Activision) at Auran and worked on Dark Reign, and I now work at Pandemic here in Brisbane. Its funny though, because by the time I started DR I already had work published and been through the whole process.

I guess these days an equivalent is working on mods. Its worth a lot to show you are talented in a folio, but its also worth a lot to show that you can complete work, and have experienced working in some form of team, within a limited time frame. When hiring someone without experience, which we've done a few times in the past, the big gamble is on how professional they'll be, and how well they'll work in a team. Its fun making games, but its also a job. Some team experience helps here.

Having said that, a good quality folio will always get you a look in - we usually know whether we want an experienced or junior person when we go to hire, but great work always stands above everything else with a folio. A few important things with folios...

a) Keep them simple - just a labelled CD with a resume & cover letter is best. If you want to send printed work a simple booklet or binder is fine. Don't send crazy packaging, don't spend hours on flash menus on your CD, because they are not what game companies are looking for - they are distractions from your work. Your best work is what we are looking for...

b) Tell us what the work on your disc is, and what you contributed to it. When I am looking through your work, think of me as an idiot. I want to know what sort of work you've done, be able to easily find it on a CD and if you have worked on anything collaborative - mention exactly which bits you did! We sure have no way of knowing by looking at a screenshot of a game or mod or demo or college project you did something on.

c) Its said often, but only put your best work on there, and only stuff that really fits with what you want to do in games. Put in your imaginative concept work, your textures, your models, animations, mod screenshots. If you have done flash/web work, put your best stuff in, but don't overdo it - you shouldn't need to drop twelve example web sites in to your folio. If you pick your best work, and you only have, say, 1 or 2 items, then maybe you need to do a bit more work before sending your folio. More good work says you are interested in your craft and having taken the time to improve it, which is an essential in this industry.

d) Showing good traditional art skills is a *big* plus. If you have the ability to draw and construct images, then there's a reasonable chance that you'll make the leap to 3D well. The opposite is often not the case. You don't need to be Da Vinci, but the more areas of traditional art you have a grasp of, the more impressive the folio. As an aside, you should try and improve other areas of your skill than just 3D - improvements in one area will definitely flow into another.

That's all for now...

Hope that helps you all somewhat.

Maybe next time we have an opening I'll see applications from some names from this board!

Later

Brad

Submitted by souri on Tue, 17/12/02 - 12:15 AM Permalink

Mod parent up, informative!! [;)]

Excellant advice there, Brad.. thanks for posting it!!

Submitted by davidcoen on Tue, 17/12/02 - 11:58 AM Permalink

now, if i could have just find a postal address to pandemic (have CD/ resume/ cover letters ready) and didn't manage to catch a pandemic person at AGDC....

Posted by jtan on

Hello, I'm graduating at the end of this year in multimedia. As a greenhorn, I'm trying to apply for jobs in the games industry or anything that deals with 3D. However, many companies require a min. of 2 yrs work experience! Are there any places that I can look into to gain some work experience for a start? I don't mind a low low salary as long as I get to have some work experience. Thanx! [B)]


Submitted by UNITY on Sat, 16/11/02 - 4:15 AM Permalink

HI!

I have been in your position a few years ago and it is NOT easy to find work experience in Australia, however, very soon (a few weeks) I will be the head of a small production company here in Queensland. As our first project we will be producing a short fill around 25 mins. The catch is that it will require very intence 3d and 2d art. At the moment I am scouting around localy to find a few good artist that either want a little experience, like your self, or want to stay with us as part of the arts department. I will be posting a detailed artical in the jobs section very soon.

Submitted by JonathanKerr on Sat, 16/11/02 - 11:51 AM Permalink

How difficult has it been for people to find work. Can any industry peeps recollect their stories for hunting for their game jobs? Did they have an easy or difficult time getting their positions.

I'm hoping to do concept or texture art, but after having seen Tariqs stuff, I realise how far I've got to go. Cor Blimey, that stuff is fantastic.

Submitted by jtan on Tue, 19/11/02 - 11:02 PM Permalink

Sounds good to me! I hope to see more of these work experience jobs for people like me. Yup, it will be great to know how people took their first stepping stones into the games industry. Currently, I building my portfolio which is like my only chance to ever get a foot into the industry.

Submitted by Brad Welch on Thu, 05/12/02 - 6:31 AM Permalink

Hey there guys and gals,

I've read this site from time to time, and I'm gonna try and post here occasionally with some suggestions when I have some spare time, I know its a shit when you are starting out and don't know how to get your foot in the door.

I have been involved in games for quite a while now (about 10 years). I guess that makes me something of an old timer now - although not quite up there with the founding fathers of Oz Games at Melbourne House or in the case of Brisbane the original Gee Whiz/Krome guys...all props to them - the Krome guys are going great guns! 8)

How I got started...

I started doing a game with two or three other friends on the Amiga, while working another job. We did one shareware shooter which was on a UK coverdisc, a strategy game for Manaccom here in Brisbane which got published and several demos which we tried and failed to get deals on (I have the rejection letters and returned discs from every major UK publisher of the day to prove it). All of these were done over 3 or 4 years, but by the end I had built up a decent folio of 2d sprite art, as well as a selection of comic art I had done.

With that I got what I consider my first real games job (i.e. international publisher - Activision) at Auran and worked on Dark Reign, and I now work at Pandemic here in Brisbane. Its funny though, because by the time I started DR I already had work published and been through the whole process.

I guess these days an equivalent is working on mods. Its worth a lot to show you are talented in a folio, but its also worth a lot to show that you can complete work, and have experienced working in some form of team, within a limited time frame. When hiring someone without experience, which we've done a few times in the past, the big gamble is on how professional they'll be, and how well they'll work in a team. Its fun making games, but its also a job. Some team experience helps here.

Having said that, a good quality folio will always get you a look in - we usually know whether we want an experienced or junior person when we go to hire, but great work always stands above everything else with a folio. A few important things with folios...

a) Keep them simple - just a labelled CD with a resume & cover letter is best. If you want to send printed work a simple booklet or binder is fine. Don't send crazy packaging, don't spend hours on flash menus on your CD, because they are not what game companies are looking for - they are distractions from your work. Your best work is what we are looking for...

b) Tell us what the work on your disc is, and what you contributed to it. When I am looking through your work, think of me as an idiot. I want to know what sort of work you've done, be able to easily find it on a CD and if you have worked on anything collaborative - mention exactly which bits you did! We sure have no way of knowing by looking at a screenshot of a game or mod or demo or college project you did something on.

c) Its said often, but only put your best work on there, and only stuff that really fits with what you want to do in games. Put in your imaginative concept work, your textures, your models, animations, mod screenshots. If you have done flash/web work, put your best stuff in, but don't overdo it - you shouldn't need to drop twelve example web sites in to your folio. If you pick your best work, and you only have, say, 1 or 2 items, then maybe you need to do a bit more work before sending your folio. More good work says you are interested in your craft and having taken the time to improve it, which is an essential in this industry.

d) Showing good traditional art skills is a *big* plus. If you have the ability to draw and construct images, then there's a reasonable chance that you'll make the leap to 3D well. The opposite is often not the case. You don't need to be Da Vinci, but the more areas of traditional art you have a grasp of, the more impressive the folio. As an aside, you should try and improve other areas of your skill than just 3D - improvements in one area will definitely flow into another.

That's all for now...

Hope that helps you all somewhat.

Maybe next time we have an opening I'll see applications from some names from this board!

Later

Brad

Submitted by souri on Tue, 17/12/02 - 12:15 AM Permalink

Mod parent up, informative!! [;)]

Excellant advice there, Brad.. thanks for posting it!!

Submitted by davidcoen on Tue, 17/12/02 - 11:58 AM Permalink

now, if i could have just find a postal address to pandemic (have CD/ resume/ cover letters ready) and didn't manage to catch a pandemic person at AGDC....