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By Posted in Careers, Schools No Comments
Portrait of Branden Brushett, 3D video game artist
“Do not give up. Working in the game industry is worth the struggle.”

Branden Brushett is a professional 3D artist in the video game industry, with credits on hit games like Minecraft, MetalStorm, and Paradise Bay. But it took more than an art education to break into the game industry. After art school, Branden’s journey had only just begun. Success as a game artist demanded serious effort, countless hours, and literally chasing his dream across the country.

We’re speaking with Branden today to learn why you should (or shouldn’t!) get an art degree, how to choose and apply to art schools, and how you might be able to score a free education and follow a non-standard path into the game industry. Read more »

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By Posted in Applying No Comments
Futuristic weapon concept art by Eliott Lilly
When it comes to your online portfolio, you’ll need more than a good aim to hit your target.

Eliott Lilly has been a concept artist in the video game industry for over a decade, and is credited on mega-franchise titles such as DOOM, F.E.A.R, and Black Ops. He currently works as a freelance artist, but he also finds time to mentor thousands of aspiring artists through his books and website.

All that coaching and question-answering has given him unique insight into three portfolio “traps” — fundamental problems that could be sabotaging your job hunt. In this guest post, Eliott discusses how to find and fix the most common art portfolio problems. Read more »

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By Posted in Portfolio Advice, Portfolio Examples No Comments

“As I review animators’ portfolios, I often look for animators that can wear multiple hats.” Indeed, if Mathias Takacs is as whimsical as the characters in his 3D animation portfolio, he may be wearing actual hats himself — witch hats, pirate hats, or tall furry gorlatnayas.

But when he’s evaluating job applicants, he’s specifically vetting artists for a diverse skill set and stylistic range. Because artistic breadth, not just technical depth, is required to excel in the competitive world of video game art.Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Tools No Comments
Home page of a finished art portfolio site
Start basic and personalize until it’s uniquely you

If you’re an aspiring video game designer or artist, you need to have a gorgeous online portfolio.

Why? Because when game directors open your job application, the first thing they look at is your portfolio. If they aren’t immediately impressed, their next move is to hit DELETE — and send your job application to the trash.

Fortunately, you can easily build your own portfolio website — with your own personalized URL — in under 15 minutes. (If you consider yourself “technology challenged,” give yourself 30 minutes.) Here’s how. Read more »

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By Posted in Podcast, Resume No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Supreeth, who asks, “Hey Jason! Supreeth here, we here in India appreciate all the information provided in you website and I’m a huge fan of your podcast. So, I would feel glad if you could provide me any certain information regarding, How do I make a game programming demo to apply for jobs? How should the demo be? In video format? How do I show my code along with my demo reel?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why you can’t afford not to have a game programming portfolio
  • How to use the “what, why, how” portfolio format
  • How to get your own portfolio website and your own domain name

Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast 2 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Mihai, who asks “I have a question regarding game art colleges. I’ve watched Marc Brunet and other artist’s videos and they strongly advised us not to attend any colleges as long as our portfolio is as strong as the Industry demands. Would you recommend attending a game art college if I already have a game studio quality portfolio?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Whether you can get a job as a game artist without a degree
  • Why an art degree doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a job… or that you’ll be a good artist
  • How to get real, candid feedback on your art skills

Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Careers, Interviewing, Networking 3 Comments

video-game-job-search

Contents

So you’ve worked hard for months – maybe years – learning how to make games. You’ve got serious game dev skills under your belt, and whether you went to school or you’re self-taught, it’s finally time to start looking for a full-time job making games.

Congratulations, because all that hard work is about to pay off. You’re soooo close to becoming a professional game developer. (That’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? “Professional game developer.”)

The only thing standing between you and a job making games, is writing a good resume. And building a portfolio. And applying for jobs… and doing all those interviews… Well, okay, I guess you’ve still got some work to do.

But you’re in luck, because what you see before you is the Internet’s most comprehensive guide to mastering your video game industry job search. The opportunities are out there, and I’m here to help you find them and make them yours.

You can thank me later, once you’ve been hired and your dream has become a reality at long last. Until then, check out the articles below to help you on your way.

Note: Also be sure to bookmark the Game Development Terms Glossary.
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By Posted in Podcast, Schools No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from John, his son is wondering if he should drop out of college and learn to make video games on his own?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to push your boundaries in ways you never dreamed
  • The best way to convince employers that you know how to “GSD”
  • How to build deep, lasting connections with game industry insiders

Read more »

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By Posted in Resume 1 Comment
This article is part of our Video Game Job Hunt Guide. Read the full guide to learn how to write a strong resume, build a winning portfolio, ace your job interviews and more.
Screen shot from Particle + Noise shader demo, Brandon Fogerty
A graphical programming portfolio can make your resume mesmerizing.

If you’re searching for a job in the video game industry, it’s important to have an online portfolio to showcase your work. That might be easy for artists that already work in a pixel-based medium – but how can video game programmers make their code into something visually appealing that looks great on a web page? Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Schools No Comments
This article is part of our Video Game Job Hunt Guide. Read the full guide to learn how to write a strong resume, build a winning portfolio, ace your job interviews and more.
Graduation hat in a grassy field
Do you need the hat and tassel, or is talent enough?

Art student Jessica Parker wrote in to ask: “How important is a degree vs a portfolio when applying for an art position? I’ve heard very polarizing opinions on that front.”

I’ve heard this discussed many times between artists as they plan out their careers in the game industry. It’s important because school is time-intensive and expensive, so the idea that you could skip the education and get a job just by building a kick-ass portfolio is an attractive option.

But the answer is more complicated than it might appear. As it turns out, “degree vs. portfolio” is a trick question – with an even trickier answer.Read more »

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