#truly this is the quality. i strive for. on my art specific tumblr

[dead-leavez]

tablet art glove taken off with teeth time to crack open another hard cider

[mi5016simonelliott]

Reflective Essay

Throughout this module, I believe that I have made it clear where I want to go after I finish university. When we talk about computer games, many of us picture something along the lines of Space Invaders or Pac-Man, something simplistic in its nature. Even though these examples are perfectly fine in their own right, they do not accurately represent my own opinions on the matter. Part of my appeal towards making computer games is their unique opportunity at being the only medium in which they are a completely non-vicarious art form. Computer games, just like animation, are a marriage of science, art and design and it is in this synergy where I find I would be most suited. Over the first and second years of this course I have found a niche skill that I find a lot of enjoyment in, and that is 3D modelling. Because of my personal interest in architecture and the world-building aspects of computer games, in my opinion one of the best ways for me to break into the computer game industry would be to get my start as an environment artist. This is what a lot of my research and branding has revolved around during this module.

Environment artists have the advantage of being a key (and thus a more permanent) part of a team of developers. A lot of this has to do with the fact that building modern games is a highly iterative process, environment artists and level designers are often kept on for the entirety of a given project and that gives me confidence that pursuing a career in computer games within the skills of an environment artist be would a good career option. That and I know that I find enjoyment in this kind of work, part of the appeal is that it is almost like solving a problem with the consideration that the solution has to convey a certain artistic style, so it certainly requires a more lateral approach to thinking. I think the reason environment art appeals to me specifically is because I like architecture and I like the way in which architecture and computer games crossover. I am interested not only in how an environment can serve the mechanics of a given game, but how that can help tell a story. To me this is a universal objective of many forms of entertainment but the way in which computer games can achieve this is radically different from other forms of media. When you truly think about it computer games are a well suited industry for budding environment artists because of the obvious lack of physical constraints. This is why I want to take a more specialised approach rather than being a 3D artist or 3D generalist, environment art already encompasses a wide range of technical skills and this isn’t counting the fact that you must have a good idea of free hand sketching, so I believe that I would be able to demonstrate a large amount of different skills within this vocation.

Computer games are a highly cooperative affair, there are so many moving parts and types of specific skills that go into making a computer game so I have made a concerted effort to ensure that I can effectively communicate in a group, I think that is evident from the fact that I collaborated with two other individuals in the first semester on a different module, to which we were given very positive feedback on the resulting work. To me communication is extremely important and I want to make a point of highlighting this fact, personally I would always rather work in a team as much like playing an instrument in a band, I feel that the benefit of being able to readily communicate with colleagues leads to a much vaster improvement in my overall skill. I feel that being able to work in a small team after I graduate as a full time job would be an ideal scenario, so the intent is to show that I have been thinking about this since the beginning of the module.

When I thought about how I would brand myself then, I made sure to include as much of this research as I possibly could. I looked at numerous computer game developers and publishers and what they looked for in an applicant, and I also looked at many examples of different environment art show-reels and portfolios and looked at how they solved various presentation issues. On the whole, I opted to present myself as extremely organised and focused on making my own work the main ‘point’ of my brand. I didn’t want to obscure my skills in any way but I made sure that where possible I could elevate its presentation through simple graphical and font design, effective use of editing in my show-reel and an overall consistent image across my web presence and branding materials. This is also apparent in my physical promotional materials, as I spent a large amount of time researching and designing business cards and personal logos. Evidenced on my Tumblr blog is a large amount of hand drawn designs, with an iterative design process showing how I progressed from my initial sketches to final design. I think this all speaks a lot to the actual level of quality that I strive for in everything I do and shows that when asked to, I put in a professional amount of effort.

This thinking also extends to how I constructed my CV when the time came. Obviously it is easy to outline the specific skills that you can demonstrate in your work, but in the sea of applicants that is game art development, it is imperative that you stand out so my thinking revolved around how I could show the way in which my creative skill is affected by my own thinking and how I have been actively developing different ways to solve problems. In an industry where everyone has the skills needed, it becomes more a case of who has the best ideas and not who has the best skills, meaning I focused more on demonstrating how I can think laterally. In my research on show-reels many of the interviewees that I watched outlined how valuable being able to think laterally was, employers want to see people who can solve a problem in a non-traditional way as most of the time, this ends up being the more favourable solution. During my 3D Games Design module I was praised for the way in which I had ‘Solved technical challenges such as simulated cloth physics to provide a crucial part of the effect.’ The actual method of this solution was initially difficult to figure out, but the resulting effect was something that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve through traditional means. The fact that tutors picked up on this is clear evidence that I have developed this recognisable skill, which shows I am making progress.

On the subject of presentation, I made sure to extend this sentiment to my online presence. To date I have six different areas in which people can discover my work. I have been thorough in the way in which I work on each social media account and website, everything has been kept consistent throughout the semester which I feel is another important aspect of this module in general. It has been repeatedly highlighted by our course tutors of the importance of maximising your discoverability on the internet, and I think I have definitely taken this advice to heart. I also made sure to consider the possibility of going freelance after I finish university. This comes with a lot of consideration and planning on my part but thankfully I have some experience. Various small pre-production jobs that I had worked on at the beginning of the first semester gave me valuable experience as a freelancer, to which I was then able to use this in my CV and respective social media accounts.

At the beginning of this module we were asked to outline what our interests and aspirations were and I knew exactly what I wanted to say. There are obviously downsides to being so assertive in decisions like this, but what I wanted to show is my level of commitment to attaining a serious and professional outcome. At no point in this module have I taken any piece of advice (from tutors and peers) lightly, this is pretty evident in the dramatic changes I made to my branding image. Every decision I have made has been made with that singular aspiration in mind, be it the company’s I wanted to work for, my CV, my show-reel. I have displayed that I have been able to work as if this was a real interview. Over the course of this module I have made significant steps towards attaining my career goals and developing crucial interpersonal skills, and I have a much clearer idea of how I will reach my career goals.