Artist Roadmap

1. If you could project out past graduation, what is your overall career goal?

Post graduation I would like to work in AAA, as I believe that would be the best way to establish the knowledge base needed for a career in game development, and also allow me to make meaningful connections and access more resources as I continue to develop my modeling skillset. Admittedly, there are still many unknowns within my understanding of this industry, and I think working in AAA will help prepare me for other endeavors in the future. I prefer mid-sized to smaller teams. I feel that being able to develop good relationships between the people I work with is important, and ultimately more productive. This also would make it easier to approach others for advice or communication regarding tasks.

2. If you could project out into starting your career, what sounds the most appealing to you?

I would like to be a creature/character artist. I find creature design more interesting to me, but would like to have a good understanding of human anatomy as a base for more inhumane models. Since I am unfamiliar with where exactly these areas diverge, this is something I plan to look into further.

Another area I am interested in is hard surface character armor, and mechanical designs. While I have very limited experience with this, I think it would be an extremely valuable skillset that could be applied to both of the above specializations.

3. What are some of the top companies that you are interested in working for?

The top company I would like to work for would be Sony Santa Monica. God of War 4 was a title that inspired my entry into modeling. It was a combination of the creatures within this game and that of the Monster Hunter series that prompted me to start sculpting. The team at Santa Monica Studios seem extremely passionate about the story they are presenting, and I think that level of connection is what made the overall experience so compelling.

Capcom is another big influence in my interests as an artist. While the logistics of working for them is another barrier I do not know how I would approach- given it is a foreign company, I would be remiss not to mention them. No other franchise holds such a high influence on the type of modeling I would like to do than the Monster Hunter Series. The creatures within that world are extremely compelling; they place a high emphasis on ensuring they belong within the game environment, and pull a lot of reference from real world anatomy and ecology. The armor and weapon designs are also extremely interesting, given each set is linked to an in game creature.