ok, so i have just finished a degree in computer science thinking that it will help me get a job programming in the games industry. well to be honest, i dont think i have done that well (waiting for my results) and i am so sick of programming now after doing it for 4 years. its got me thinking whether im cut out to work as a programmer at all. i know i want to work in the games industry, its all i've ever wanted to do but now i dont think its going to be in the programming parts of game development. so it got me thinking, what other aspects are there in game development and what exactly do they do? i know the basics such as designers, artists etc but when i thought about it i dont really know what they do. for example, im guessing artists are the ones that draw the characters design on paper. so who puts those drawing into a 3D modeller?? is it the same artist or someone else, and also who then animates it? a third guy? well anyway, i've been playing around with 3D modellers for quite some time now (even used one of my models in my final project) and i thought,'hey, why not see what it take to become that guy that takes the drawings on paper and puts them into the computer and maybe animate them too'. so, i guess what i want to know is, who does this job? the artists or someone else? and also, what qualifications/skills will i need to get into this field? now, please dont tell me to go do my research because its easy to find. trust me i have and there are a few things i've found out, i just want some 'up-to-date' info and opinions. thanks in advance.

It is a good idea to see and get some experience and understanding of the other fields of game design, since then you can appreciate the difficulties involved and manage/work better with a team. ;D

Back to your question, it really depends on the skills of the artist involved.

Concept Artists and/or Illustrators are usually the ones who draw characters and scene's on paper in black and white to be used as a backdrop or something to work off of for the 3D modeller and/or 2D Pixel Artist/texturer.

The 3D modeller is usually the guy who takes the image and renders it into a frame to be used ingame or in a movie (with the polycount usually being as low as possible while still making it look good), he may or may-not UV map the model as well to help the texturer along.

Then there's the Texturer who may or may not be a 2D Pixel Artist, who uses 2D textures and images to create the skin and general color/appearance of the model/character, from clothes to general complection. (which will be wraped around the model, this is where the UV map comes in handy since it will make it wrap more smoothly)

Animation of characters can be done with Bone Animation by a 3D animator and/or modeler, or coded directly into the game, it depends on the programers whim since he'll be coding it. Generally with bone animation you'd use a Character Animator such as CharacterFX(free). Honestly, i don't see many (if any) want-ads for 3D animators, usually their always for 3D Modelers, but i'm sure it is a job in itself since not all modelers and/or programers are proficient in good animation. So having an experienced Animator is good, especially if presentation is important, but not neccessarily essential. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

Now, any person who works as an artist/animator can be skilled in one/some/all of these jobs, so technically speaking one guy COULD do all this. There are plenty of people who specialize in one or two of these fields as well, it all really depends on what your good at/comfortable with.

Well said, so far...very concise. I guess I'll throw in a little extra info...

Still in the art field, there are also Lead Artists, or Art Directors... Usualy their duties overlap a lot, but generally, Lead Artists a little more "hands-on" than ADs. They have a few jobs to do, they generally establish visual directionm and help to set style guidelines for a project. They'll also divy up tasks, among art team members, and are usually resposible for mainting the art pipeline, acting as a liason between the art department and other areas (design, code, etc). Lead Artists will also have their own art tasks as well, but it varied depending on the game, and their individual skill...it's a mix of creative work and management. Both ADs and Lead Artists need to know a lot about the various processes that go into developing a title.

As for qualifications, almost every art-related game job is based on a strong portfolio. Regardless of what area you want to work in, a good base of traditional artwork always helps. Having a mix of architectural drawing, character work, props, good colour pieces, and so on will help get you past the inital group of applicants, who usually submit generic anime-style characters, drawn on plain white backgrounds :P Then, you shoudl have a good body of work, showing your area of experitse (pixel art, 3d model, skins, etc).

Having game-related experience helps, as you can start working within the team more quickly, but if you have a very strong portfolio, most companies are willing to show you the ropes. If you do want to grab some experience, volunteering for one of the many, many projects posted here will certainly get you started.

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Original post by Abbid ok, so i have just finished a degree in computer science thinking that it will help me get a job programming in the games industry. well to be honest, i dont think i have done that well (waiting for my results) and i am so sick of programming now after doing it for 4 years.

Well to be honest if you're sick of coding already - this is not the industry for you. You really need to eat, sleep and breathe coding to make it in a decent position - and even more so (to the point of neurotic paranoid insanity) if you wanna be indie.

Perhaps a more practical career in the industry would be more appropriate?

thanks for replying guys.

ok, firstly, scoot, yes i understand that being sick of coding and wanting to work in the game industry is kinda weird but i think u missed my point. i am thinking of going into another part of game development ie 3D modelling and as far as i know that does not require any programming, please correct me if im wrong. at first i wanted to go into the actual coding of the game engine but i guess doing this course has made me realise that its not for me.

i have a few more questions.

i would love to be a 3D modeller. now as you said, this might mean that i have to do a bit more than just modelling using a peice of software. now, im not that good at drawing things on paper. im quite average when it comes to that. so will that cause i problem for me?

secondly, what qualifications/courses (if any) will i need to get this job? and if its not too much to ask can u point me in the direction of which universities (in the uk if possible) do these courses? also what level will the qualification need to be? (ie A level, or degrees?)

thirdly, what is the general age that sommeone new to the industry should get into this job? im 21 at the moment and if i have to do another course than i guessing it will be another 3 years. will it be too late to even bother applying then?

fourthly, you say that i should create a portfolio. so what exactly goes in a portfolio? is it just like a folder with a bunch of drawings inside?? remember i want to go into 3D modelling so will i still need to show that i can draw on paper? (i hope not since i cant draw).

im sure more question will come up but this is it for now.

once again thanx for the help.

Okey Dokey - you wanna be a 3D animator/modeller...

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i would love to be a 3D modeller. now as you said, this might mean that i have to do a bit more than just modelling using a peice of software. now, im not that good at drawing things on paper. im quite average when it comes to that. so will that cause i problem for me?

It shouldn't, but it does. Almost any 3D visualisation course you apply to (I personally graduated from the Computer Animation + Visualisation Course at the NCCA) will expect you to have a certain level of artistic talant - and if you've ever tried modelling something halfway decent straight from your head without at least a concept sketch, then you know how difficult this can be. You don't need to be Van Gogh, but you need to be able to draw with perspective and an eye for shape.

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secondly, what qualifications/courses (if any) will i need to get this job? and if its not too much to ask can u point me in the direction of which universities (in the uk if possible) do these courses? also what level will the qualification need to be? (ie A level, or degrees?)

This (unlike so-called "games programming") is one area where there are certified BA courses at hundreds of universities throughout the world - enrole on a Computer Animation (or equivalent) course - a good one will also teach you the basics behind a great range of subjects related to the industry. Unfortunately the best ones require previous academic (eg A-level) qualifications, usually in art, a science, and maths although many will accept a foundation course in part.

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thirdly, what is the general age that sommeone new to the industry should get into this job? im 21 at the moment and if i have to do another course than i guessing it will be another 3 years. will it be too late to even bother applying then?

This is not an issue.

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fourthly, you say that i should create a portfolio. so what exactly goes in a portfolio? is it just like a folder with a bunch of drawings inside?? remember i want to go into 3D modelling so will i still need to show that i can draw on paper? (i hope not since i cant draw).

A portfolio is a representation of you as a professional. It should contain your best work relating to the field you wish to enter. An artist will certainly have a "folder with a bunch of drawings inside", but he/she may also have taped fieldwork, studies etc. A 3D modeller will have concept sketches, renders of his/her best work, possibly backed up with taped animations - even complete animated pieces and revolutions. The most important thing is everything must be to your highest standard. If a certain portion lets you down, don't include it. Your prospective employers may want to see a range of differing styles petaining to the job in question.

hmmm, cool thanx for the info.

so u graduated for NCCA.

if u dont mind me asking, what are u doing now (job)? how old are you? when did u graduate? what did u get in your degree?

also, was the degree what u expected it to be? and can u draw?
what A levels did u have and what grades to get into this course?

sorry for all the questions.

i dont mind learning to draw. i mean, i can draw something thats infront of me quite decently, but drawing something from the top of my head is kinda difficult but it is something i would love to learn if needed.

im getting kinda worried now because i've been doing some research and alot of the courses are too expensive (one is £6000 per year) or some are too far away. i cant leave my current job because i wont have a source or income then (and wont be able to pay rent, bills etc).

so what i was wondering is, will it be possible to teach my self from tutorials and books, maybe create my own protfolio with no academic help and a show reel too? to be honest i dont know how im going to do this but will employer enerally like a degree in the field or is self taught ok for them?

Its quite possible to teach yourself how to do it, just need to practice and fool around with it alot. Really an employer shouldn't care if you have a degree or not so long as you get results, which is what really matters. There are a bunch of tutorials and such at the top of this Forum as well that could help get you started if you wanted to go that way.

so, are you telling me that if my portfolio/show reel is good enough then employers wont care for whether i have a degree in the field?

also, if i was to teach myself, what books would u suggest i get to learn? im planning on learning both maya and 3DS.