Transcript Document

Switching It Up:
Changing Career Paths
• The old description of this talk:
– Can you really start out as QA and become a Lead in
another department?
– Are you in programming now but want to move to
design?
– Are you interested in teaching?
– This panel of industry professionals discusses how
they made their leaps from one career path to
another and how you can too.
• That was written by someone else before I
firmed up this talk. It’s just me, Tom Sloper. But
I’m gonna give you the straight poop.
Show Of Hands
• Outside the industry hoping to
break in?
• Inside the industry hoping to move
laterally or diagonally?
• Inside the industry and now in a
different place from where you
started?
The Egg
• The egg is “the game industry.”
• The yolk is whatever job it is that YOU want.
• Moving around in the egg white is comparatively
easy.
• Getting into the yolk takes time.
• The really hard part is getting inside the shell in the
first place.
Wanna Switch?
It Happens All The Time
• Remember what I said about the
egg white? (It was one slide ago.)
• It may be that the majority of
people in the industry are in a
different kind of position than they
started in.
• Consider these stories...
Mister J
• First job in the game industry: the
mailroom
• Where he wound up: Acquisitions
(he became the guy who rejects
your game concept submissions)
• How he did it: long patient
campaigning with the acquisitions
guy during many smoking breaks
Mister L
• First job in the game industry:
marketing
• Where he wound up: producer
• How he did it: by showing them
(not telling them) that he
understood what makes good
games and how to manage the
process
Mister T
• His first job in games: lawyer
(writing game development
contracts)
• Where he migrated to: greenlight
czar (organizing the meetings
where the execs made game
project decisions)
• His job now: executive producer
Mister M
• His first job in games: QA manager
• Where he migrated to: producing
• His job the last time I saw him: vice
president of the studio
• How he did it: by being an
awesome manager and knowing
how to work with game people
Mister K
• His first job in games: forklift driver
in the game warehouse
• Where he migrated to: producing
• Where he rose to: president of a
huge well-known company whose
name I’m not saying
Then There’s... Me
• Degree: Speech & Drama
• Odd Jobs: Shoes, Popcorn, Taxi, Rental
Construction...
• Applied for a draftsman position, hired
as an engineering model maker
• Moved to California to make movie
special effects models
• Applied for a draftsman position, hired
as a toy model maker
Me, continued
• Brainstormed some game
concepts, became a game
designer by accident
• Designer  Producer
• Producer / Designer
• Freelance Design, Freelance
Producing, Consulting
• Teacher, Author, Speaker
You
• Maybe you’re a professional in a gamerelated job (programming, graphics,
etc.) and you want to get into games;
• Maybe you’re already in games (QA,
CS, etc.) and you want to get into a
different job in games.
• I’m not here to talk about any other
situations than those. My topic is
“switching.”
“Switching”
• That means “switching careers.”
• Meaning, first, you gotta already
have a career, for this talk to be
meaningful to you.
• Either a non-game career, or you’re
already in games but want to
switch jobs within the egg.
If you’re...
• Not in a profession yet, don’t have
a degree yet...
• ... and you want to work in games?
• Sorry! That’s not the topic of my
talk. I’m pretty sure some of the
other talks cover that stuff.
• But stick around if you want, maybe
ask me something during Q&A.
How to Break Through the
Shell and Get Into the Yolk?
No Magic Answer
• But the principles are universal and
simple to understand.
– Be good in your current job, no matter
what it is. Good references are key
– Be able and qualified to do the job
you want to switch to. Got degree?
– Build an awesome portfolio
– Be patient. And live in the right
“location, location, location.”
Already a programmer,
Want to program games
• Build something game related. It needs
to do something cool. Write clean code.
• Have a demo disc you can bring to
interviews
• Target a specialized area (A.I., 3D,
tools, etc.)
• Expect to be paid less, don’t aim too
high.
Already a professional artist,
Want to make game art
• Build a game art portfolio; make it knock
our socks off. Got website?
• Make your models in low-poly, but make
them look really gnarly.
• Know your strengths – characters?
Environments? Vehicles? – Models?
Textures? Animation? 2D?
• Show only your best stuff in the portfolio.
Already an audio pro;
Want to make game audio
• Make a game demo reel. Got website?
• Understand the difference between
games and your field (movies, TV,
radio...)
• Start with a lower pricetag to build your
credits;
• Hang out your freelance shingle.
• Network like crazy (GDC, AGC...)
Already a pro writer;
Want to write for games
• Study lots of games.
• Write some game dialogue, scope
out the difference from stage/film/
TV/radio/comics/novels...
• Have an impressive resume
(credits in stage/film/TV/radio, etc.)
• Hang out your freelance shingle,
network like crazy.
Already a project manager;
Want to produce games
• Problem: you need experience in
the game industry first. Find
another way through the shell, then
work your way through the egg
white.
• Patience required – it could take a
couple of years, not just months.
Already a Marketing pro;
Want to market games
• Live in a city where there are game
companies?
• No problem.
• Do your homework; read game
trade dailies, Gamasutra.
• Market yourself.
In some other industry;
Want to do level design
• Got solid work resume?
• Build solid portfolio of several indy
games and/or mods
• “Game school” degree not really
necessary, since you’re already
beyond college.
In some other field;
Want to be a game designer
• Huge problem; you need several years
experience in the game industry – find
an entry into the game industry.
• Work hard, enthusiastically, and well at
your entry job.
• Game designers are communicators,
collaborators, who understand how
games are made. Prove that that’s you.
I’m already inside the shell.
How do I get into the yolk?
No Magic Answer
• But the principles are universal and
simple to understand.
– Be good in your current job.
– Be able and qualified to do the job
you want to switch to.
– Let your superiors know of your
longterm goal.
– If you’re a manager, know who will
replace you in your current job.
– Be patient. It WILL happen.
Show, Don’t Tell
• Just saying “I would make a good
game designer” doesn’t hack it.
• You gotta show me.
• Don’t do like Casey Affleck’s
character in “The Assassination of
Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford.”
Switching Companies Isn’t
Necessarily The Answer
• Recently I got a resume from a QA
tester at another company. He
wanted to work as a level designer
at my client’s company.
• His background, resume (and
sadly, his portfolio) showed that
he’d be best suited for QA.
In the game biz already;
Want to program
• Program something game related. It
needs to do something cool. Write clean
code.
• Have demo disc. Post an elegant
routine outside your cubicle.
• Target a specialized area (A.I., 3D,
tools, etc.)
• Look for opportunities within the
company to volunteer.
In the game biz already;
Want to be an artist
• Build a game art portfolio; make it knock
our socks off. Got demo disc?
• Know your strengths – characters?
Environments? Vehicles? – Models?
Textures? Animation? 2D?
• Post your best work on the walls of your
cubicle – “show, don’t tell.” Show only
your best stuff.
• Look for volunteer opportunities. Don’t
be a pest.
Already got game job;
Want to do audio
• Make a game demo reel.
• Play some of your better stuff now
& then (not too loud!).
• Look for volunteer opportunities,
don’t be a pest.
• Game audio is usually not a fulltime job. Don’t give up your existing
job.
Got game job; Want to write
stories, dialogue
• Patience required. This won’t be easy!
– Writing for games usually isn’t a full-time job.
– Your competition: game designers, freelance
professional writers.
• Share your short stories, tack them up on
your cubicle wall. Contribute to the
company newsletter. “Show, don’t tell.”
• Look for volunteer opportunities, but don’t
be a pest.
Got job in games;
Want to produce
• Work really hard, well, efficiently,
and enthusiastically at your present
game job.
• Watch for your opening. Offer help
whenever opportunities arise.
• Patience required – it could take a
couple years.
Already in the game biz;
Want to move into marketing
• Seriously?? Dude...
• Get a marketing degree in your
spare time.
• Do your homework; read game
trade dailies, Gamasutra.
• Market yourself from within. Maybe
be a bit of a pest.
Got game job;
Want to design levels
• See if you can beg or borrow a
copy of whatever level design tools
your company uses.
• Learn how to use’em, and build
some rad levels. Show’em to other
level designers.
• Keep on doing that, and be patient.
Already got game job;
Want to be a game designer
• Patience, patience, patience.
• Work really hard, well, efficiently, and
enthusiastically at your present job.
• Look for opportunities to volunteer, don’t
be a pest... you know the drill by now.
• Show them you’re a communicator, a
collaborator, who understands how
games are made and what’s fun.
For More Info: On The Web
• www.sloperama.com/advice.html
• igda.org/breakingin/career_paths.htm
• gamecareerguide.com
• www.gamedev.net/reference/
• gamasutra.com
• gamedaily.com
For More Info: Books
• Introduction to Game Development
(Rabin)
• Secrets of the Game Business
(Larramee)
• Game Design Perspectives
(Larramee)
• Game Production Handbook
(Chandler)
Thanks for Listening
• It’s Q&A time (not to be confused with
Q.A. time)...
Tom Sloper
Sloperama Productions
Los Angeles, CA, USA
www.sloperama.com/advice.html