#from a programmer's perspective getting ai to take a human's job is a sign of progress

[bewires]

the disconnect between the way people who work on and with AI talk about it and the reporting/social media discourse on it makes it incredibly hard to have a meaningful conversation about it

[forlornegames]

CGX Ottawa 2018 Recap!

My perspective and expectations

I'm a self-taught Game Developer / Programmer with the intention of attending this conference to learn as much as possible about the industry from people who are actually in it, and to use this information to build on my portfolio and help align my career trajectory. In short, to learn lots and get a job! So, my experience at CGX Ottawa is going to be a little different than that of a presenter or your run of the mill gamer. It might also be important to mention this was my very first conference/convention of any kind.

 Hitting the expo floor early…

When I arrived at the conference first thing Saturday morning I was ready to go. I had a Masterclass with Nathan Pringle on "A Beginner's guide to video game neural networks" which is a subject I've been very interested in diving into, but never really had the time or opportunity. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances and in no fault of CGX the class was canceled. I caught the tail end of Celia Hodent's talk entitled "Developing a UX mindset on Fortnite" which was really interesting and by the end I was ready to hit the expo floor. As a self-taught developer in a city that has an almost non-existent scene it wasn't hard to realize I was missing out on some of the benefits of being in a social environment with like-minded individuals. The entire 2 hours I spent in the expo I felt like I was in my element. I made some real connections with other game devs and it really primed me for the rest of the conference.

 Connect Café

I was the most excited for this event, and the most nervous. Although I did make some meaningful connections I felt more like it was a means to learn what is required for entry into the industry of AAA games. It was great to get some of my work in front of industry professionals, receive some helpful and encouraging feedback on my portfolio, and I took away a list of things I need to work on as well as a couple things I need to change entirely.

 Portfolios

You don't need to limit your entries to 3 games.

As a programmer it's best to submit games where you had you're hands on just about every aspect of the engine (audio implementation, animation, AI, etc).

Provide small (1-2 classes) high quality examples of your code.

Provide easily accessible video footage of your games.

 Most AAA companies are looking for people with Unreal Engine experience and strong C++ skills. I had the chance to speak to someone working with EA/Frostbite and was surprised to hear they have a similar visual scripting component in Frostbite for quick basic implementations and prototyping. So, it seems a pivot from Unity/C# to Unreal/C++ is in order for me.

 Concerns

As much as I loved all the information I was able to gather from this event I have to say it was not at all what I imagined. The reps had no sign at their table to indicate studio name/positions available which led people to believe anyone sitting at a table was a rep (not the case). This led to artists waiting for a chance to speak to a rep only hiring programmers and vice versa. The chaos of people scrambling to try to speak to an industry professional meant time wasted. It felt like we were sharks circling prey. I understand the difficulties of organizing events like this but it could have only been beneficial for both the reps and the attendees if something was put in place to identify the reps and positions, as well as something as simple as a ticket system to add order to the chaos.

 Scrum Masterclass

Sherri Flemings hosted this Masterclass. As someone who has not been working in the industry in an official capacity this was invaluable to me. Look forward to a separate post on this in the future. :)

 Party at Atari

End of Day 1 at CGX and now it's time to head to the party. This is an excellent opportunity to chat with people I met throughout the day in a more casual setting. I really enjoyed learning more about what people are working on and meeting some new developers and streamers. There was a lot of business card trading.

 UI and Cognitive Science Masterclass

Celia Hodent hosted this Masterclass. It was crammed with really useful information on UX and how it relates to the human brain. Again, another post is coming to talk more about this one.

 Funding Lounge

This was an interesting event to attend. I wanted to get an idea of what kind of programs were available for developers to assist with funding and what the requirements were. Kitfox games was also there giving advice on how to pitch your game to publishers which was really useful. If you live in Canada then the Canadian Media Fund has some experimental programs for assisting game companies that are currently developing a game with production costs and marketing costs. Very exciting stuff!

 Mentor Lounge

For me, the mentor lounge was very similar to the Connect Café. I used it to learn as much as possible about the AAA industry and what I needed to do to get into the industry. Again, this is from the perspective of a self-taught developer so I can't say what kind of courses you should take or what university you should attend but the portfolio information I mentioned earlier is really the key to getting into any studio.

 Concerns

This was a little more organized than the Connect Café but the setup was a little misleading. Before the conference started I was provided with a registration form for the mentor lounge. It was designed to provide them with the information needed to pair me up with mentors who would best suit me as a programmer/developer. However, when I arrived it was the same format as Connect Café. Just walk in and sit somewhere and talk to someone. Thankfully they had signs this time so that helped. There was supposed to be a time limit enforced to ensure everyone had a chance to speak to as many people as possible but that was pretty hit or miss. Again, I feel like I gathered so much information at this event, but I know it would have been more beneficial if it was more organized.

 Wrapping Up

After leaving the Mentor Lounge I grabbed a bite and retired to my room. I poured the business cards out of my bag and made sure I connected with people on at least one social media network. I met a lot of great people with great ideas and games and I plan on staying in touch with all of them! :D

 What I wish I had time for…

First, the expo. Talking to developers who are excited about their game is… exciting!! Talking shop isn't something that I get to do much so getting to talk to people in person like that was just an amazing experience. I left CGX feeling physically exhausted but mentally refreshed and re-energized. It was fantastic, so I wish I could have played more games and spoke with more developers.

 Second… so many awesome talks (In no particular order).

Cuphead - The Creative Process and 2D animation - Tina Nawrocki

Creative Direction for Small Teams - Tanya X. Short

Concept Design, World Building for triple A - Abe Taraky

Level Design: Getting Started - Travis The Evolution of Warframe: 5 years of Continuous Iteration - Jim Leedham

How to leverage government funding programs - Mark Allice

Who do you know? - Mike Mood & Jon Keon

Etc.. Etc….

 Conclusion

I'll be posting full writeups on the master classes I attended as soon as possible. I'd like to thank everybody at the Mood Foundation who put this conference together and I'm VERY much looking forward to the next one. I hope any nobody takes offense to the criticisms I included in this post and know I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to attend. Anyone who's interested in game development, go to these. They are awesome!!

[brendagilliam2]

How to future-proof yourself as a designer

For over 50 years, D&AD has been dedicated to recognising and celebrating the very best of creative excellence from studios and agencies around the world with its Pencil awards.

Alongside that, the not-for-profit organisation works with students and young creatives to discover, nurture and elevate talent wherever it’s found, with its New Blood awards. And of course, this attracts energy and talent; persistence and curiosity – those forces that keep our industries in a perpetual state of change.

This perpetual state poses challenges. We spoke to D&AD’s CEO, Tim Lindsay, and Bethan Morris, manager of D&AD’s New Blood Programme to find out more about how young creatives can future-proof themselves.

01. Consider alternative routes

Despite media hand-wringing about algorithms, robots, and AI, you and I will still be part of the future, somewhere, somehow. And so too will a new batch of creative talent. But how will they be educated, and where will they come from? “Universities still offer excellent routes in,” says Morris, “but we need alternatives,” she insists.

“Creativity struggles to be valued and is frequently overlooked by education systems and governments alike,” explains Morris. “In the UK alone, we’ve seen teacher shortages, a drastic reduction in the numbers studying design and technology, and a big mismatch between what’s being taught and the skills needed.”

Where does D&AD come in? “We want to help creative people realise as early as possible that there are career paths open to them where they can get paid for doing what they love,” says Morris.

Lindsay adds that creative roles need to be open to all. “The idea that creative excellence is available only to those who already have the ‘right networks’ has limited us for too long,” he says.

“We want to work with businesses to attract a far greater diversity of talent into the industry. People who can challenge what has gone before can provide different perspectives and solutions.”

02. Be adaptable

‘What should I be learning now?’ seems to be a question we ask ourselves with increasing frequency. Which piece of software, which programming language, which APIs?

While we can’t know now what we’ll need to know in 20, or even 10, years’ time, Morris recommends staying informed, and dabbling in new platforms, trends and technologies (Udemy offers great free courses on all sorts of topics and tech to get you started).

But ultimately, what’s more important is cultivating a progressive outlook on the world. “What you need is the urge to learn on the go, and to be prepared to adapt to whatever the situation calls for,” says Morris.

Even for those in their dream job, not every project that lands in your lap is going to give you goosebumps, which is why Morris stresses the importance of side hustles and passion projects. “There’s a real need for mavericks and ‘entrepreneurs’ within agencies,” she says.

Morris gives Ross Norman – New Blood Academy class of 2016 attendee, Pencil winner, and Kingston student – as an example of someone who has such adaptability and passion. 

He recently launched Peep, a publication about celebrating side projects and creative play. “Every project in Peep has play, freedom and experimentation at its core,” she says.

03. Question your motive

Make choices for the right reasons

As well as questioning what you’re doing to prepare yourself for the future, Lindsay also thinks you should be asking why you’re doing it. “The future of the planet is still largely dependent on business seeking to grow in a sustainable way – if indeed growth is the answer.”

Doing good will increasingly become good business, he adds, but it’s important to do this authentically and honestly.

“This movement is not about hijacking issues for dubious ends or playing with people’s hopes and fears,” warns Lindsay. “If you’re going to change how business is done, you’ll need creative courage, and be willing to take risks.”

Lindsay admits that taking such risks is not easy. “We’re not going rose-tinted specs here,” he says. “There are real challenges on the way to making it. There’s the risk of anonymity and the challenge of cutting through the competition for your talent to shine.

“There’s trying to move from serial placements to a permanent role, or even landing that placement in the first place. And then there’s balancing the need to gain experience and make connections with the need to pay your bills.”

04. Put yourself out there

Tom Watkins’ When I’m a Dad book features 10 imaginings of life as a parent and won a Black Pencil in 2015

But D&AD New Blood can help. It has free events, tools and resources to give everyone industry-standard insight, and offers a platform to identify and spotlight creative talent, help people rise to the top, open doors, and start conversations.

You can’t just rely on D&AD, though. Morris emphasises the importance of learning from your own mistakes. “It’s up to you to continue that conversation, put yourself out there, meet people, make connections, take advice to avoid some pitfalls, and learn the hard way on others.”

It’s up to you to put yourself out there, meet people, make connections, take advice to avoid some pitfalls, and learn the hard way on others

Getting out there and making stuff for real will always get you noticed over pictures on a page. And you’ll learn more, too. “It’s one thing to conjure up a beautiful concept under lab conditions,” says Morris, “but taking it out into the messy real world and solving problems and patching things up until it works will teach you a load of skills you’d never get in the classroom.”

We see this in the work that wins, too. Take Tom Watkins’ 2015 New Blood Black Pencil winner, When I’m a Dad. The touching and original approach to the subject matter took it a long way, but the fact that Watkins put the project out there by starting a conversation online was perfect proof of concept, and showed that his piece had the power to engage outside the jury room.

The world of commercial creativity is already a rapidly changing beast, and will undergo seismic shifts in the years to come as new technologies become commonplace and consumer expectations and behaviours adjust – and D&AD will continue to celebrate, stimulate and evolve with the best of this new world.

“It will always be key to celebrate and reflect the best of the industry as it is,” says Morris, “but with programmes like New Blood and Impact, D&AD will continue to set out a vision for and champion the best of the industry as it should be, rather than limiting ambition and representation to the industry as it is.”

05. Adjust your priorities

D&AD’s headquarters in London are full of lovely people

Finally, you can shape your future with your priorities: by putting humans before companies; choosing fun over money; being approachable rather than formal; and innovating rather than always sticking to the norm.

The company you work for is just a building full of people. So think hard about your interactions. Are you nice to people because you worry about upsetting them? Do you know them so well that your honesty can mutate into rudeness? Do you trust each other enough to be unselfconscious and have genuinely novel ideas?

Treat fun as a valid source of measurement, alongside all the other metrics you use to judge the success of your company’s culture. Make sure you give yourself the time and space to be playful.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a junior designer or an ECD – you should treat everyone the same. Marketing jargon needs to go. Layers of sign-off on every piece of work need to go. Trust needs to be handed out and fuck ups need to be expected. This is better than the alternative where everyone is afraid and just looks after themselves.

Seek out the weird, and the cutting-edge. Not all of it will find its way into a project, but resist the urge to self-censor or give people what you think they want. Question everything. If people tell you: ‘This is the way to do it because that’s how it has always been done,’ question it. Sometimes a small tweak or even a complete deviation will result in something better.

This article was originally published in Computer Arts issue 269. Buy it here and  subscribe here.

Related articles:

How to get into design without a degree

Back to school: essential design kit for the new term

The designer’s guide to Brexit

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