I started of the course with multi interest in a variety of subjects from concept art to film and not knowing my desired route which would be take after I graduate. This carried on until I was introduced to the gaming modules which I really enjoyed, and found myself coming up with my strongest work. I then had to narrow my strengths further down as just saying my specialist skill is too broad. I regard myself as someone who would be more of a creative / design role as I believe myself to have a creative mind and allot of group projects have started off with me coming up with the initial design. Therefore I enjoyed my time coming up with Designs and Concepts for level. I realised my art skills are not as strong as some others in my class so a concept artist was ruled out. However I can defiantly see myself as a Level Designer as its something I have really enjoyed. I also believe I have a decent skill strength in modelling environments and I enjoy it but I'm not someone who is keen on been told what to do, for example the design team telling me to model for example a character they have designed. I like to be more creative thats why a level designer I feel is more appropriate for myself.
Displaying my work is a real weakness of mine, Throughout the three years at Leeds College of Art I have produced a good variety of work which I have not Displayed to the public, not even social websites such as Youtube and Facebook. From doing Creative Industries I have learned a better understanding of how to brand yourself through the use of logos and a website, something I didn't really think about it before but it's defiantly a key aspect if you want to get anywhere within the industry. Presenting work to professional standard is very important and as I am wanting to be a Level Designer / Modeller I have learned upon the most effective way to present my work through the use of showreels, 360 degree turns of models and a camera run through of some of the level designs in which I have created, to make my work look more professional to help me in my career path.
Doing all this enabled me to gain a better understanding of what I am and what I hope to achieve, as well as giving me an identity and making my work look more professional. I have learned that keeping to a timescale is very important and giving yourself weekly deadlines is a great way of keeping yourself on target, ass too many times I get complacent and think I have more time than I actually have and deadlines soon come and go. Also too be proud of our work, especially in the group projects we undertook as we were trying to perfect things too much before going to the next stage when it was actually fine, be confident in what others think of your work as its something your going to have to be when it comes to working in a team in the gaming industry, your going to have to keep to strict deadlines and your work, as I am a modeller, my work will probably get passed on to a animator or even a texture expert, just don't be scared at what other's think and getting over that mindset, just be confident in what others think.
Been drilled into how important it is to be confident in your own work and ability, has led my to improve my online presence. I have already come up with a branding name and logo and have brought myself a website domain, In which I plan to show my portfolio of work for people to see and I am welcome to provide other people advice and any questions they may have. Also I like the idea of doing some tutorials on youtube just to improve my online presence and increase my confidence. I have also set up on many social sites such as Twitter and Facebook in which to promote myself and display the quality of my work.
I believe the standard of my work has improved other the 3 years and this came with focusing my desired passion to a pacific area. I am now allot more confident then I was a couple of years, where I was starting to regret my decision of taking a course in Film, Games and Animation in favour of Graphic Design which I undertook at a diploma level. But once been introduced to the gaming modules my motivation and passion for the course dramatically increased along with the quality of my work to the point I am happy to set off into the gaming industry or at least take the next step up and sometime apply for my master degree which would be great but I have a range of possible directions to undertake.
My Three Year Plan once I leave is firstly to keep funding myself, I have a part time job working in CO-OP so although its not something I want I am going to continue working part time over the summer as I need money to live off. However i do not want to overboard myself with part time work as I need time to continue working and improving my knowledge and portfolio, I have already discussed a possible summer project as part of Pushing Polygons in where we are going to design a zombie horror funfair which I am looking forward to starting. Of cause online presence is very important and i plan on keeping very up to date with that through the many sites and get my website fully functioning. I would like to just email local companies asking if i Can come for a day visit to see if i can ask questions and see the working environment in person, as-well as been cheeky and keeping in contact, sometimes you need a bit of cheek. Visit Gaming meets and conventions, I have looked at the local ones in my area and very easily reachable, the only problem I have with these if everyones after the same thing, but even so It would be valuable experience to listen to a variety of talks and chat and gain advice from people who have plenty of experience, also sneak them a business card. And finally of cause if theres any jobs that come up which are appropriate apply for them, and keep searching through a variety of different forms such as Creative Magazines or follow companies on twitter, or just keep checking the websites. Sometimes though we might have to be patient, keep doing projects and hope that job will eventually come. Just keep yourself active and keeping a good presence.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Hiring A Studio
Just looking into renting out some studio space in around the area of Leeds for example, say Ive set up a company with some mates and were looking at a settlement to establish ourselves.
East Street Arts - Patrick Studios
ESA is a visual arts organisation founded in 1993 by artists to meet the need of practitioners working in a range of disciplines at different stages in their careers. Patrick Studios is a bespoke centre for artists and provides up to 34 quality studio spaces, resource areas and large project space, as well as specialist support such as access to facilities, information, training and contacts. There is a strong sense of community and identity via communal area and membership scheme and access to networks locally, nationally and internationally. Studio space at Patrick’s is £9 per sq ft pa with studio rentals ranging between £79 - £230. The average size studio costs around £130 per month including heating, rates, electricity, water and offering 24 hour access, 7 days a week all year round.
Location: Leeds
Round Foundry Media Centre
The Round Foundry Media Centre Leeds, a state-of-the-art facility for digital, media and creative businesses offering 40 offices for 2 to 25 people, most with parking. Contemporary, stylish and located just 10 minutes’ walk from Leeds train station at the heart of Leeds’ newest internet quarter. Offices with flexible terms, high quality digital telephony, broadband internet and a wide range of business support services and networking events. Offices cost around £34 per sq ft, one-person workpods are £200 per calendar month and “front desk” virtual office packages start from just £25 per month.
Location: Leeds
Holbeck Urban Village
An area of Holbeck just to the south of Leeds City Centre has been designated an urban village and is the focus of a multi-million pound regeneration programme. The long term vision for Holbeck Urban Village is the creation of a thriving new business community with a focus on creative and digital industry.
Location: Leeds
Theres plenty more but heres just a few examples feaured above.
East Street Arts - Patrick Studios
ESA is a visual arts organisation founded in 1993 by artists to meet the need of practitioners working in a range of disciplines at different stages in their careers. Patrick Studios is a bespoke centre for artists and provides up to 34 quality studio spaces, resource areas and large project space, as well as specialist support such as access to facilities, information, training and contacts. There is a strong sense of community and identity via communal area and membership scheme and access to networks locally, nationally and internationally. Studio space at Patrick’s is £9 per sq ft pa with studio rentals ranging between £79 - £230. The average size studio costs around £130 per month including heating, rates, electricity, water and offering 24 hour access, 7 days a week all year round.
Location: Leeds
Round Foundry Media Centre
The Round Foundry Media Centre Leeds, a state-of-the-art facility for digital, media and creative businesses offering 40 offices for 2 to 25 people, most with parking. Contemporary, stylish and located just 10 minutes’ walk from Leeds train station at the heart of Leeds’ newest internet quarter. Offices with flexible terms, high quality digital telephony, broadband internet and a wide range of business support services and networking events. Offices cost around £34 per sq ft, one-person workpods are £200 per calendar month and “front desk” virtual office packages start from just £25 per month.
Location: Leeds
Holbeck Urban Village
An area of Holbeck just to the south of Leeds City Centre has been designated an urban village and is the focus of a multi-million pound regeneration programme. The long term vision for Holbeck Urban Village is the creation of a thriving new business community with a focus on creative and digital industry.
Location: Leeds
Theres plenty more but heres just a few examples feaured above.
Future of Social gaming
According to a new report released today from market research firm Parks Associates, social gaming is on track to become a $5 billion industry in the next five years.
Staggering as that estimated growth rate and market size is, according to Juniper, mobile gaming is expected to grow to $11B over the same period.<br /><br />Both of these parallel trends underline the massive shift to and within digital. According to Electronic Arts, digital now accounts for 45% of the overall games market up from 31% in 2008. This is useful and demonstrates the increase of social gaming and the increase in the markets, this is useful research as I'm really interested in social gaming and mobile gaming and is a market i could potentially get into.
Staggering as that estimated growth rate and market size is, according to Juniper, mobile gaming is expected to grow to $11B over the same period.<br /><br />Both of these parallel trends underline the massive shift to and within digital. According to Electronic Arts, digital now accounts for 45% of the overall games market up from 31% in 2008. This is useful and demonstrates the increase of social gaming and the increase in the markets, this is useful research as I'm really interested in social gaming and mobile gaming and is a market i could potentially get into.
Portfolio Proposal
A portfolio is a very important aspect in demonstrating your range of work to potential clients and employers. It can come in a variety of different forms of media from print based portfolio's to more virtual and interactive portfolios which can be accessed through the use of computer and with the increase in technology this becoming ever more popular, as well as been easier to transfer from location to location without any damage. When choosing a desired portfolio for myself I don't think a print based portfolio would be beneficial to me. My work ranges from 3D models, Character Designs and level and environment designs, hence why something like a show reel would be more effective which would allow more interactivity with my models and Level Designs and would allow 360 views and provide the viewers with allot more to look at and would be more fluent and exciting seeing work come to life then just looking at print based work.
I'm thinking that a show reel around 2 minutes long would be ideal as its a long enough period to demonstrate a variety of work without boring the audience and keeping them entertained throughout. There huge benefits of doing this is I can then upload it virtually onto my website and other social sites such as Facebook and YouTube in the hope of gaining exposure, and could then take it to interviews or email it to potential clients and employers in the hope of gaining a start in the industry.
The key piece I am going to be showing at the final end of the year which I believe is my strongest work and one that demonstrates my specialist skills, is the Food Landmarks project I did with Ifraz as well as showing the contribution I made on the Elemental game which was also a group project. I want to show my level design skills and have a camera which runs through the level as well as the original design on paper, which provides an example of where the designs came from and where the ideas started from. There is no need to have any turnarounds for the overall levels as there supposed to be 2D from a players point of view, Same goes for both projects. I would also like to include turnarounds for some of my models on the level such as the Western buildings and the Water tower, which will demonstrate some of my modelling and texturing skills, Because the games have been in 2D some of the models are not textured effectively on the back as there was no need to so I might have to sacrifice the turnarounds but Id defiantly like a more close up view than the players camera on the show reel. The texturing will demonstrate my ability to come up with Cartoon / self shading aesthetics which is something I want to demonstrate.
I probably need more variety in my show reel as this last year I have focused allot on 2D games, however the previous year on this course I did a couple of 3D environments with a different approach aesthetically which will show a better range to my work, which will help clients / employers know I am not 1 dimensional even though I have a preferred style, i am willing to work on a range of different titles.
I will be uploading some of the work which does not get shown on the show reel onto my website and other forms of social sites such as the likes of twitter and facebook just to demonstrate as much quality work as possible and show the development and improvement of the quality of my work for people to see
I'm thinking that a show reel around 2 minutes long would be ideal as its a long enough period to demonstrate a variety of work without boring the audience and keeping them entertained throughout. There huge benefits of doing this is I can then upload it virtually onto my website and other social sites such as Facebook and YouTube in the hope of gaining exposure, and could then take it to interviews or email it to potential clients and employers in the hope of gaining a start in the industry.
The key piece I am going to be showing at the final end of the year which I believe is my strongest work and one that demonstrates my specialist skills, is the Food Landmarks project I did with Ifraz as well as showing the contribution I made on the Elemental game which was also a group project. I want to show my level design skills and have a camera which runs through the level as well as the original design on paper, which provides an example of where the designs came from and where the ideas started from. There is no need to have any turnarounds for the overall levels as there supposed to be 2D from a players point of view, Same goes for both projects. I would also like to include turnarounds for some of my models on the level such as the Western buildings and the Water tower, which will demonstrate some of my modelling and texturing skills, Because the games have been in 2D some of the models are not textured effectively on the back as there was no need to so I might have to sacrifice the turnarounds but Id defiantly like a more close up view than the players camera on the show reel. The texturing will demonstrate my ability to come up with Cartoon / self shading aesthetics which is something I want to demonstrate.
I probably need more variety in my show reel as this last year I have focused allot on 2D games, however the previous year on this course I did a couple of 3D environments with a different approach aesthetically which will show a better range to my work, which will help clients / employers know I am not 1 dimensional even though I have a preferred style, i am willing to work on a range of different titles.
I will be uploading some of the work which does not get shown on the show reel onto my website and other forms of social sites such as the likes of twitter and facebook just to demonstrate as much quality work as possible and show the development and improvement of the quality of my work for people to see
Group Work - Pushing Pollygons
For part our final major project we decided to work as a group into create a 2D platform video game, this was a great input for when we get into the gang industry as we would be having to work as a team, and concentrate on our specialist area, which for this project I concentrated on the level and environment design and also helped out with modelling, whilst other people focused there skills on other areas. I learned a lot through working as a team, both good and bad. It was good to be able to focus on a pacific area and not having to worry about aspects such as animation which is something I am not as strong, and it was good to discuss a range of ideas as a group and see the game get developed a lot faster. However there was also the bad as people missing deadlines and one individual offering very little, and the range of arguments but this is something to learn.
We called ourself Pushing Polygons which is a very catch name and links well to what we do, and came up with our own logo and way to promote ourselves and our work through the likes of twitter and Facebook in which we had set up a page for us to discuss our ideas in the project and for anyone to see what we were getting up to. We have also now brought the domain name PushingPollygon.com and we plan to upload our stuff, we have also decided that me, Ifraz and Chris will upload our stuff on there and we have potential plans for future projects such as a Zombie Funfair we are planning to develop during the summer. It will also look good on a CV and in an interview saying we having experience working as a team and part of a independent game developer which we technically are in pushing polygons.
We called ourself Pushing Polygons which is a very catch name and links well to what we do, and came up with our own logo and way to promote ourselves and our work through the likes of twitter and Facebook in which we had set up a page for us to discuss our ideas in the project and for anyone to see what we were getting up to. We have also now brought the domain name PushingPollygon.com and we plan to upload our stuff, we have also decided that me, Ifraz and Chris will upload our stuff on there and we have potential plans for future projects such as a Zombie Funfair we are planning to develop during the summer. It will also look good on a CV and in an interview saying we having experience working as a team and part of a independent game developer which we technically are in pushing polygons.
Jobs In Leeds
Having been in The Leeds area, I'm quite familar with the area and have really enjoyed my time up here plus I have plenty of friends around the area plus with being a member of Pushing Polygons it could be beneficial for me to live in the area, and look for potential jobs around the leeds and yorkshire area as this area is well popular for its distribution of video games so it may be worth looking into.
Heres a few companies around the area.
Obviously there is Rockstar in Leeds which is probably the most famous around the area and well known for its popular games titles including grand theft auto and red dead redemption. Having just looked on there website I'm intrigued to see they have a job going for a level designer, the only problem is its looking for experience in the industry which I don't really have but its nice to know there is potential jobs out there.
Theres also a company called Just Add Water which work on the popular title Gravity Crash, although there not as well known as Rockstar there defiantly a company on the role, having looked at there recruitment section they don't have any apropiate jobs for myself but they have Concept art jobs going.
Other companies include Game Republic, Gamerholix, and The code Monkeys which all surround Leeds and the local area which are defiantly worth looking into swell.
Heres a few companies around the area.
Obviously there is Rockstar in Leeds which is probably the most famous around the area and well known for its popular games titles including grand theft auto and red dead redemption. Having just looked on there website I'm intrigued to see they have a job going for a level designer, the only problem is its looking for experience in the industry which I don't really have but its nice to know there is potential jobs out there.
Theres also a company called Just Add Water which work on the popular title Gravity Crash, although there not as well known as Rockstar there defiantly a company on the role, having looked at there recruitment section they don't have any apropiate jobs for myself but they have Concept art jobs going.
Other companies include Game Republic, Gamerholix, and The code Monkeys which all surround Leeds and the local area which are defiantly worth looking into swell.
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