A Discussion About Art Tests

I have recently been hired for a new studio and this is after having multiple art tests for different studios across America. Most have been in California, with some in Texas. I have had discussions with multiple HR managers in an initial phone screening and salary-requirement phone call and also in-person interviews with developers. I can discuss all of this in detail in future posts, but today I would particularly talk about the art test.

Format of an art test:
When you send in an application to a studio and they like your portfolio, but don't have a good enough referral as to find more about your positive track record, or they feel like you may not be able to match their style, you will be given an art test to prove to the developers that you have the skills necessary to complete tasks for their studio. If you already have been working in the gaming industry and have built a reputation and you have a compelling referral, a studio has a level of trust that they can hire you and not have to worry about you not being able to perform well on their team. Since most of the studios that you will be applying to may not know anything about you--this is especially true if you are applying out of state--then you will most likely be given an art test anyway. Unless your portfolio is nothing but pure gold and to the highest quality standards of the current generation of video games, then they have reason to be doubtful. I must admit that it is hard to keep your portfolio to that high and updated standard unless you have been working for one of the top AAA studios, which happens to work on the same style as the studio that you are applying to. It takes a lot of time for an artist to release a personal project, and even more so if it is a full-scale environment. This means that the work in your portfolio will best be utilized if you focus on making small and digestible props so that you can really polish the hell out of them. A senior artist who was in charge of hiring applicants told me that it is what separates a hire-able applicant from someone who is a novice: their work must look AAA, no matter what they are working on. If you choose to complete a full-fledged environment, you are shooting yourself in the foot--because it will take longer to complete and will be judged as not appearing top-quality/AAA unless you put in even more time to make it look even better. So, you should be focusing on beautiful corners and smaller areas of an environment and not worry about being able to see the model from every angle (unless it is a prop/single asset).


With that said, when you get an art test from a studio, this is how it usually happens:

• They email you confirming that they would like to send you an art test, and would like to know when you would like to receive the materials. They do this because most art tests require a deadline of about a week to complete, and they want to make sure that you are ready to meet that time restraint. If you are working overtime you may want to start the test on the weekend, to get your best foot forward, for instance.
• Once you confirm you are ready for the test, they send you a zip file that usually consists of a style-guide/instructions document and a few reference images. These can vary from a painted concept to some in-game screenshots.
• The level of sophistication and complexity of a test varies wildly among studios: some are okay with having just a few screenshots (shaded and another with wireframe only) as a submission, others want a certain file structure and exact naming conventions in the file and supporting textures and want all textures and models submitted for reviewing the cleanliness of the modeling and UV work. Some require modeling only and supply their own textures, while others want all of the textures to be made from scratch (this is especially important in a stylized/cartoon art test). Most tests fall somewhere in-between: they want you to create your own textures and submit the files, but they usually don't care much about the naming conventions or file structure--as long as everything is clean.
• Once you finish your test, make sure to compress the files into a .zip format (as most studios will be able to have a .zip reader but may not have a .rar reader) and email them back to the person who gave you the test (which is most likely Human Resources). Note: some email systems may not be able to accept files over a certain size, and one studio couldn't accept files over 10MB! This makes it hard to turn in a complex test. So, the best solution to this is to host the file as a downloadable link on your website (if you are website-savvy or download the free application Dropbox and let them access the file from there). Make sure to include a link to the downloadable file in the submission email.
• Even though tests have a deadline, it is acceptable to go above the time restraint--within reason. I turned in one test a day late and it was still passed. A colleague of mine turned in a Zbrush test for a prop a week or two late and was still able to land a job! The quality of the test matters more than the time frame you completed it in. Developers understand you are busy and also that good art takes a while to complete. If your competition is turning in tests early but are not to par with yours, the company will put you at the top of their list even though you were over the time limit. Make sure to make a note about why you were late in your email so that they know that you still took the test seriously.
• Now, is the not-so-fun part of the art test: waiting. It usually takes a few days to a week for a studio to get back to you with an answer, especially if you past the test because now they are interested in you. If you don't hear back, it is acceptable to check in about the test weekly. Note that one particular studio in California that was working on an MMO did not get back to me for a month and when they did they failed my test, because I had not used the most pleasant of words in my last email since I was fed up that it took a month for the studio to reply back to me about my test. Don't let this happen to you: always act professional even if the studio is not acting professional themselves. This may be a sign that they are a disorganized studio or it may have been a fluke on their part. Either way, you don't want to pass up a potential opportunity. Sometimes, when a studio does not get back to you soon it is almost a tale-tale sign that you flunked the test. I checked in with one studio a week after a test and they got back immediately saying I failed the test. It seems that they were waiting for me to email them to tell me anything.
• If you have passed the test, great! You are far from getting hired, though: as you still need to pass the HR "salary" phone call (because that's really the question they want to know about you the most) and the in-person interview. These are both grueling and studios like to take their time in making their selection so it could still be a week or more before you know if you have a chance at a job. If it is a top studio with lots of funding they will fly you out for an interview. If it is a local studio they will get back to you sooner. If it is a distant studio with not much funding, they will either interview you on skype/video conference call or a simple conference call with no video.

Concluding Notes:

Make sure to triple-check your work before submitting an art test because some studios will be turned off by the smallest mistake and will not give you the chance to fix it once submitted. It seems that the video game industry like to be particularly harsh on artists and that is why it is necessary for you to spend the extra time making sure that everything is clean and organized. I have been doing some reading of Brenda Brathwaite's book, Breaking into the Game Industry, and she states that programmers have tests that only last a few hours while designers have tests that can be completed in a few days. Artists, though have tests that take one week. And, you'd better take that whole week to make the modeling and texturing the best it can be. Don't turn in a test too early because a studio won't care that you got the work done really fast if the quality is not up to par. So, now you know how to complete an art test. The biggest obstacle from getting an art test is a referral. I have found it difficult to hear anything back from a studio, much less been given an art test, unless I list a referral in my application (someone who works their that you know). So don't forget to keep networking, as some people will tell you to "focus on your art" but you probably won't get very far without the connections to get your art into the right hands.

Good luck!

-Ken

P.S. For a good laugh and to see what not to do for your portfolio, check out this art demo reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiARsQSlzDc

Video Game Designer is Voted A Top Ten Career in America

In 2012, CNN Money voted video game designers to have one of the best jobs in America. I am thinking that they rated this based on the amount of job satisfaction, as voted by interviewed employees, and also the amount of pay. The study even states that availability of the job is an issue, so it seems that it is something that the video gaming industry will always be dealing with. Just like movies: there are only so many pictures produced a year and it doesn't take that many people to make one. It is interesting that the "experts" predict a 32% growth increase in the next ten years. This is great news, but I'm not sure how they are calculating that figure and we all can attest to how unexpected the future of games will be--especially in the next ten years.

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/pf/2012/11/01/best-new-jobs-in-america/index.html

A Free Script for a Follow Up Call

I've been having quite a lot of interviews lately, and in each one there is usually a preliminary phone screening or art test followed by an in-person interview. But, there can be a delay between each. If you are finding yourself without a response from an HR manager that you talked to during your initial phone screening, then you will want to check back with them so that you can show your interest and initiative for the job. In the past, it may have been okay to just wait it out and let them contact you. In the current times, with all of the bustling competition, it is almost required to check back in about the status of your interview to separate yourself. It is just as required as a thank you letter after an in-person interview. Some good etiquette for a call back:

• Don't call back too soon. At least three days should be given so that the HR manager can sort through other applicants and make sure to have the team review your details. I prefer to wait even longer--at least a week--because I know that in this industry time flies and everyone is usually so busy and there is so many other applicants that you don't want to agitate them by calling too soon. It's better to call too late than to soon, in my opinion: by that time, you may have heard something back anyway.
• Be polite. Make sure to keep a positive and pleasant mood the entire time regardless of how flaky the person you are talking to may be.
• Talk to the person that you talked to originally. If they called you from their cell phone, call them back on their cell phone. Don't call outside of business hours (usually 9AM-5PM). If you get a receptionist or the only phone number you got was the HR manager, then ask to be transferred to the actual hiring manager that you spoke to (this is only if you already had the in-person interview). If you just had the initial phone screening, then you should be talking to the HR manager or whoever contacted you.
• Have a script ready, so that you keep the conversation short and simple and to make sure that you ask all that you wanted. Here is the script that you can use:

Follow Up Phone Call Script

1. This is [Your Name] calling you back. We had an interview for the [Position Name] last Wednesday (or whichever day you talked to them).
2. I am intrigued by the work that your studio does and the games it works on, such as [Game Name] (this part is just some sort of compliment as to why you like the studio and reiterate that it would be a good fit for you. Make it sincere).
3. I would like to know if there has been any decision made?
4. [If there has been no decision made] Are you still considering my application? (only if you feel comfortable with this one. You may want to wait to say this until it has been a few follow-up calls later).
5. Will it be okay for me to call again within a few days, to see how the process is going?
6. Again, thank you for your time.

*Note: This conversation begins and ends with a thank you. You want this so that you show that you are serious about having a good mood and impression about the position

*Note 2: It is very likely that the HR manager will not answer your call. Many times, the HR department may not answer calls they don't know. They will especially not answer your call if they remember your number and this is more likely if you check in too soon. In this case, you will want to leave a message on their answering machine. It is still preferable that you talk to them in person, though, so it may be worth waiting until the next day to call in and see if they pick up. You don't want to be making multiple calls with no message, though, so if you attempt multiple calls in the same day and they never pick up, make sure to leave a message on the last one.

This strategy has to be the least-utilized of all when applying for a job. That is more reason for you to use it, because other applicants are not even considering it. This one call may be the deciding factor for the employer, if you were previously on the fence about a decision. So use it!

-Ken

http://work.chron.com/proper-way-call-back-after-interview-2720.html