Breaking into the Video Game Industry

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This year I graduated from art school with a degree in Video Game art and design. I was just wondering if anyone else is into this and actually got into a job in the game industry. I know a lot of Aspies end up as programmers but I am trying to break into the art side. I got a portfolio with my work and I am current;y searching for a job at a game developer.

I know as an aspie and this being one of my main passions besides music I am not too concerned about being able to do the job. It is mainly the social networking of it that scares me a little. The game industry is known for being very closely knit and everyone knows everyone. Which may make it easier to get comfortable. Some game companies even treat everyone like family. There are some problems in the industry but every industry has problems.

I just wanted to see if anyone is currently in a game industry job. Maybe even someone who knows someone who knows someone. I am in the Providence/Boston area and currently searching for jobs in the Boston area. Nothing really in Rhode Island anymore. I mean I would love to work for Turbine or Irrational. Those are the bigger companies there. They have quite a few small indie developers with teams of like 5 people which it would be hard to get hired at one of those places.

I am even considering an internship to start. Hopefully the paying kind.

I am at the point where I am willing to do almost anything even Quality Assurance jobs like Testing. Anything that can get me in the door. I mean I got the portfolio which is decent but needs polish. I have an extensive understanding of 3d software and photoshop and experience with the UDK engine. My 2d skills are not as good as my 3d skills with the exception of Photoshop work on textures.

I mean I know that even getting through with a degree in this takes quite a bit more dedication than some are willing to do and many give up. I am one of the kinds of people who love game development and think it is really fun. And I did the work to get where I am at. Step 2, the job is the harder step in my mind. Putting all the things I learned to the test and being a successful artist in a thriving industry of gifted individuals. I want a part of that. My passion is strong.

Hello! Since you already have a good idea of where you'd like to work, you're one step ahead of the game.

One thing that helped me make contacts was to attend conferences where these companies might attend (you can look up who will attend in advance).

At one point I wanted to work for Pixar or ILM, and I attended an IEEE Virtual Reality conference in Los Angeles. I ended up meeting people there who got me into SIGGRAPH that year for free. At SIGGRAPH I met someone who was a Sr. Technical Art Director at LucasArts (I don't even remember how I met him), and ended up having coffee with him a few months later when I was passing through San Francisco. He talked over best things to study and the schools they generally pulled from, and checked in with me a few times later that year. I decided not to go that route, but if I had, I would have had a job at LucasArts right out of school. I also met a bunch of people from Pixar at a party, and they seemed like the funnest ever.

The great thing about these kind of conferences is that they are filled with SMART, TALENTED, SLIGHTLY AWKWARD PEOPLE. So you have a better shot at fitting in. They love to talk about their work and they are there for the sole purpose of talking about it.

My college job paid for the Los Angeles IEEE VR conference, and my friends from that conference got me into SIGGRAPH under one of their exhibition passes. So even if you don't have the money right now to go to your conference of choice, look into ways that you might be able to go.

I would say also send a friendly letter to both of your choice companies, with a copy of your portfolio. Have an NT look over the letter and your portfolio package. Then, if you do not hear from the company but do meet them somewhere (sometimes providence puts people next to you on a plane), you can say, "I love your company! I love these products: (fill in the blank). It has always been my dream to work for a company such as yours. What would you recommend that someone like me do to get work at a company like yours? How did you get to where you are?" This way you're not directly asking for a job, so you're not putting pressure on them. People like to share their expertise and their stories. Take notes if you have issues with short term memory. If it works out well, you may end up getting a job there, or they might be able to connect you with an opening somewhere else that is a good fit.