Game Art Portfolio and Reel

Break in to game art with a showcase of your talents

Breaking into the game industry isn't easy. If you’re an artist, you’ll need a strong body of work, a portfolio, and a reel that showcases your talents.

The Game Art Portfolio and Reel class is developed to help game art program students put it all together and present their work in a professional manner. A major focus of the class is on exploring the different career options and understanding what employers are looking for.

You'll get a realistic overview of the industry career market, learning tips for networking and representing your skills. You'll focus on how to create a public portfolio of work, find and apply for jobs in the game industry, and compile a reel that matches your career aspirations.

All students get input from a faculty panel on improving their overall portfolio of work. Learn how to tailor your portfolio for a job ad and create a short animated reel for DVD or the Web that shows off your finest work.

Tuition: $300 US

Course Instructor(s):

Sessions game art instructor Beth Dillon
Beth Dillon  is the former editor of Gamasutra's GameCareerGuide.com and Education Editor for Gamasutra.com.
Course content developed by Beth Dillon.
back to top

Requirements:

To take this course you'll need:
  • Computer with Internet connection (broadband recommended).
  • Non-linear editing program. Directions for Premiere Pro are provided. Students with other non-linear editors (Avid, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Elements, iMovie, and so on) are invited to join the class but will need to adjust for differences in interface and features.
  • A body of game art work from which to build a portfolio and reel, such as student projects from the Game Art Professional Certificate program.
back to top

Prerequisites:

The following courses can help you meet the above requirements:
back to top

Course Objectives:

Students learn how to:
  • Develop basic strategies for breaking into the game industry.
  • Identify good ways of networking with game developers.
  • Organize work into a portfolio and evaluate the portfolio for strengths and weaknesses.
  • Identify the general skill set needed by game industry employers.
  • Conduct a game industry job search and identify a company that is right for you.
  • Interpret current salary expectations in the game art field and develop basic interviewing skills.
  • Write a clear and concise cover letter applying for the job.
  • Prepare and optimize art assets for a reel.
  • Produce a short demo reel and accompanying shot list.
  • Learn the basics of putting together a reel in a video editing program.
back to top

Course Outline

LESSON 1 Breaking In

What does it take to land a job in the game industry? Lesson One focuses on different approaches to "breaking in." You'll hear case studies on how different professionals got their start, and learn techniques for networking with game developers. You'll learn what skills employers are looking for and explore how the pros organize their portfolios of work to stay competitive with the changing job market. In the assignment, you'll prepare a Web-based portfolio of work and get faculty feedback.

LESSON 2 Applying for Jobs

Game development is a diverse field with many paths for the aspiring game artist. Lesson Two focuses on the specific requirements of the game industry. You'll learn how and where to find jobs online and what elements need to be included in your application. You'll learn tips for interviewing and discover how to identify which company is right for you and what general salary requirements you should expect. Finally, you'll examine what kinds of work samples, skills, and attributes employers look for when interviewing for specific roles modeler, animator, character artist, and more. In the exercise, you'll find a game art job and put together a cover letter and revised portfolio.

LESSON 3 Building a Reel

A reel is short, dynamic movie of your best artwork. How do you make it more exciting than the cutscene to your favorite Ubisoft or Nintendo game? Lesson Three explores a basic approach to creating a reel that will get you started. You'll learn how to prepare and optimize your art assets and structure your reel into an effective presentation. Using any basic video editing software, you'll learn how to animate your reel, sequencing elements on a timeline and adding titles and transitions. In the assignment, you'll create a short reel of your best work and present it for faculty feedback.

back to top
 
Portfolio and reel student work
Excerpts from student Julie Kosiski's game art reel