Phil Rice (Overman) and his new cohost Ricky Grove take on the topic of Pro Machinima [EDIT: Part 1 - Game Company Employment] Who has gone pro in this way? What impact has it had on the community? And what can you do to put yourself on a path which might one day lead to a game developer’s doorstep?
Thank you for listening! As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated.
This Week’s Hot List (URLs from the show’s content):
Music Credits for this show:
Opening music is by Nine Inch Nails, from the album Ghosts, the track title is “26 Ghosts III,” from the third CD in that 4-disc set.
The music for Ricky’s World of Sound #1 is from Magnatune.com. The artist is Swivel Neck Jones, the album is Deep Life and the cut is “Arlo’s Auto Parts and Salvation”.
Both musical selections are used under the Creative Commons license graciously chosen by these artists. Please consider supporting them with a music purchase if you enjoy these tunes.
If you want to get the attention of a game developer and go this route, what can we learn from those hired above?
Have a commitment to quality in your work
Build relevant skills
Demonstrating that you know your way around (at least) one of the more advanced game machinima toolkits, like Source (Half-Life 2) or Unreal Tournament, is a big plus
Study everything you can to become a better director and cinematographer (the games which have cinematic designers want them to feel like interactive movies)
Develop an eye for design - use of color, use of light - and let that show in your work
Any relevant skills not directly related to machinima can set you apart - sound design, CGI knowledge (3ds Max, Maya, etc.), training in filmmaking, etc.
Networking can help; knowing someone already at the company can sometimes help you get a foot in the door, but ultimately it comes down to what can you do (show don’t tell), how well can you work in a team, aptitude to learn new tools, etc.
