Since I started this course, and now coming close to the end
of second year I am very happy with my progress and how much I have improved
not just as an artist, but as a working machine. Being in such a competitive
market has made me and many others on the course really push to do the best we
can in our line of [hopeful] work. But is it really enough to have some
university teaching and a portfolio at the end of three years learning it all?
Over the recent years, games courses have become increasingly
popular as they have become easier to gain access to. Young students want to
learn what it takes to make your own game and thrive in that industry. However
it has become increasingly obvious that there really just isn’t enough jobs in
that industry for graduates. Many industry professionals even admit that they
don’t tend to look at an applicant’s CV if their work isn’t what they’re
looking for. Oli Christie, founder of Neon Play Studios explains that “a
candidate who can demonstrate their ability, be it the form of a completed
game, a physics demo or impressive artwork is help in far higher regard by
studios than a qualification.” This is understandable as with such a visual
aspect, why would you look at how good at maths someone is if they can’t
produce the work you’re really looking for?
I think that the danger with a games course is that modules
and projects can be heavily directed and gives no artistic freedom to the
graduate. Senior Producer at Firefly Studios, Paul Harris says “Work created at
university is ok, but it’s often quite dry or lacking in imagination.” So this
suggests they get a lot of art traffic which they say no to. This doesn’t make
me sweat however, as I feel that on my course we are directed with some
projects and others give us almost complete freedom which requires you to scope
down to your own capable skill. I also feel that we create some very unique and
creative artworks, influenced by traditional masters.
Paul Harris also goes on to talk about how work created in
spare time and outside of a course usually has more flair. As a student myself
I know that myself and my course mates share knowledge and tutorials to learn
from. As well as this we have the fortune of having constant communication
other year groups on the course. With all of these credible sources a great
deal can be learnt which may not be found in an online tutorial or during a
seminar or lecture.
Many among the gaming community tend to discredit most
artists and designers because of the majority who lack some key skills or don’t
have that spark which is sought after. This mainly appears to do with the idea
that graduates that have learnt to be a game designer or game artist won’t have
the necessary skills to do any other job. However, being on a course that
focusses heavily on both 2D and 3D gives us the opportunity to have a wide
range of skills which cover multiple tasks as well as the potential to go into
any other visually creative industry, such as film or advertising.
Although I agree that studying a game art course or not have
their own pros and cons, I do feel that studying how the industry works and
what employers look for in their employees is very important. I am lucky enough
to be on a course which has many very passionate industry professionals that
have worked in the field since I was a boy. Because of this there is a range of
skills; old and new which I hope will give everyone on my course that edge when
it comes to showing what we can do.
http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/za4zs/is_a_game_design_degree_worth_it/
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/04/02/is-it-worth-doing-a-degree-in-video-games
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