Paths to being Epic: Finding your role in the Industry Andy Bayle - Apr 18, 2012 Who is this guy? • Production Team – Localization Coordinator – Production Assistant – Test Expert • Shipped Title Experience – UDK – Shadow Complex – Unreal Tournament 3 – Bulletstorm – Gears of War 3 • Raam’s Shadow • Fenix Rising • Forces of Nature I love Video Games! What next? Administration Business/Marketing • Operations • Sales • HR • Advertising • Public Relations Animation • Rigging Design • MoCap • Game Designer Audio Production • Music • Project planning/Scheduling • SFX Programming Talent • Platform/Engine • VO Designer • Level Designer – Visual Environments – England • High School hobby • Long Break in toying with this stuff – University • Studied Illustration • Concept Art Designer • Level Designer – Visual Environments – Unreal Tournament 3 Launches in 2007 • Posts every stage of his level development • Call from Mark Rein – Entered the Make Something Unreal Contest • Won! 3 Stages – These were collaborative efforts with a small team • No prior “real” experience – Internship • After 10 months, hired Artist • Modeling and Texture Art – India, High School • 3D not available in schools – Had a gap in interest • Worked saving money for College – College in California • Realized that school wasn't everything that was needed – Find additional information on his own • 3 yrs, No breaks - No summer holidays - No Christmases • Slept 2 hours per night - seriously – Because he loves Art Artist • Modeling and Texture Art – Polycount.com • Just putting up the work • Asking questions of the community – Collaborating – Shortly Rocksteady, Blizzard, and Naughty Dog were calling • Rocksteady • But, then Epic called… – Met Epic people at GDC • Got the opportunity to do the Epic art test – NC for 3 month internship • By the end, Epic wanted to hire him Animator • Animator - Cinematic and In-game – Vermont High School • Tons of Art • Wanted to be an Architect • Technical side of Engineering was a challenge – Art School • Decided to go for Computer Animation – Fought the tough parts everyday • Drawn to animation from doing tons of Flash bringing the still images to life • Also loves creatures - both aesthetic and motion • 4 yrs BA Animator • Animator - Cinematic and In-game – Really wanted to get into big studios: • Epic, Valve, Naughty Dog, Bioware • Also looked at Hasbro toy shop – Sophomore year • A prior graduate of the school was hired to Epic • Companies were looking for interns to send in reels – A call to come do a technical test • Started an internship summer with Epic – Junior year • Did another summer internship – Senior year • Got an offer Quotes • “If you can do nothing else, get into collaboration with some people who are making cool stuff.” • “Soak up all the knowledge you possibly can, if ever presented with an internship! Everything you can.” • “School doesn't teach you to create awesome. It gives you the tools to discover what it is you can do that is awesome.” • “Rely on yourself to improve your quality. Teachers cannot teach you to reach the pinnacle. They just can't, you have to do that yourself.” • “You can learn to love what you do, or love what you do innately. But, must love it, be passionate about all aspects of it, or you are wasting your time.” • “It only gets harder and harder, if you do not love it.” Quotes • “It requires a 100% commitment. 7 days a week, 12 hours a day in the labs. It really took that much work. You have to love it and live it.” • “Never accept that your work is good enough to meet the quality bar you are aiming to reach.” • “Overestimate your quality bar, always, then continually drive to reach that bar.” • “Getting to a starting point. I never knew how to begin, but once begun, things got easier.” • “Rework everything, you need to fail and rework. If you don't, you won't... ya know?” • “But, instead of giving up, do it again, but better. You might plateau for a while, but it is enlightening when you break through. It is exciting to see great work coming from you.” Questions? Links • http://www.cgsociety.org • http://www.altdevblogaday.com • http://www.gamasutra.com • http://www.polycount.com • http://www.3dbuzz.com • http://udk.com • http://epicgames.com/about/values • http://epicgames.com/community .