Your Dream Job In The Industry
Jonathan Reilly, creative director of Inner-Freak Ltd talked about his journey through the games industry and how it led him to work on blockbuster films. Jonathan talked about how his skills allowed him to work in a variety of industries from games and film to action figures and collectables for toy companies. He said that the game art requires such an efficient workflow compared to movies and figures, and using that workflow allowed him to exceed through the creative industry.
Jonathan also mentioned that he had a passion for working on characters, even though that wasn’t necessarily how he started, he worked on characters in his spare time to perfect his skills to an industry standard. “Start small, and be realistic. But having something to show to potential recruiters could be the difference between getting the job and missing out.” (Cheary, 2017). Not everyone starts out in their desired position when they first enter the games industry. Working and finishing a passion project in your spare time is one of the best ways to show what you’re passionate about.
A great way to improve your skills is to ask industry professionals for criticism by either meeting them at game conferences such as E3 and GDC or using free online forums. “If you always think you're right but don't get feedback from anyone else, how do you know for sure that what you're doing is any good?” (Thomas, 2012). Many people, especially when they first start to work on their or passion projects, tend to be less inclined to look for feedback. However, constructive feedback forces you to think about your work and prevent bad habits as appose to fostering them. Many online forums offer direct contact with industry veterans, such as PollyCount, ArtStation and CGSociety. At the end of the day, getting into the industry is one thing, but getting your dream job is another hurdle that only you can get by working hard.
Cheary, M. (2016) How to: get a job in the games industry. Reed.co.uk. [Online] Available from: https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-get-a-job-in-the-games-industry/. [Accessed 22 February 2017]
Thomas, T. (2012) Six reasons why criticism is a good thing. The Guardian. [Online] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/feb/09/reasons-tips-criticism-arts. [Accessed 22 February 2017]