GIM – Now every other week
Hey everyone! A bit of bummer news - I am going to be releasing Games Industry Mentor episodes every other week now (on Tuesdays as usual). I was really hoping I could sustain a "once a week" release schedule, but that is proving to be more difficult than I originally thought. The good news is it should help the overall quality of the episodes, provide more time for editing, and it will be much easier to schedule guests on a fortnight basis.
Also, I can't say "thank you" enough to those who have supported this podcast by donating. I recently ordered an audio mixer and an extra microphone all paid for by the generous donations people provided! Because of the new equipment, I'm in the process of setting up episodes where 3 people can sit down together without recording someone remotely, so that should help things feel a bit more personal. I'm really looking forward to the continued improvements with the podcast - thank you all so much for helping me out with that.
-Aaron
Episode 9: Character Art
On this weeks episode, we sit down with two great Senior Character Artists: BioWare's Pedro Toledo and Blizzard's Vitaliy Naymushin, to talk about what it takes to work in this competitive job. Luckily the episode remained peaceful and no Blizzard / BioWare battles ensued, which hopefully proves we only have the utmost respect for each other. Unfortunately Vitaliy's rabid dog was not on board with the anti-aggression pact, and decided to turn on his owner. Don't miss all the action, adventure, and of course, great information.
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
Episode 8: Technical Design
For those who are into game design, but also into touch with their technical side, this episode is for you! This week I am joined with Will Wallace, Senior Game Designer at BioWare. We discuss what technical design is, the best way to get on that career path, as well as what necessary skills are required. Will is an extremely talented individual in his craft and provides plenty of great information. So don't miss it, or we'll have you hanged, drawn and quartered.
FREEEEEEEDOM!!! (sorry Will, I had to.)
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
Episode 7: Portfolios!
You've been asking for this episode, and it's finally here! Our first dive into the topic that keeps you up at night - your portfolio. This week I am joined with Isaac Oster, Environment Artist at BioWare, and Riki Babington, President of Eat 3D, which provides some great tutorials focused on game art & the Unreal Engine. We discuss what to put in your portfolio, as well as what to leave out, common mistakes, presentation advice, and a lot more! This is our longest episode yet, with plenty of awesome info, so don't miss this one!
We also mention a free portfolio template that you can download and use! Isaac was cool enough to put together a simple, no frills website that shows off your work well. To find that, just head over to Isaac's portfolio site and you can download the source files there!
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
New publishing schedule
I just wanted to send out a quick update to let everyone know that I will no longer be posting episodes on Friday as I have previously done. The new episodes will now be released each Tuesday.
This change is mainly to help with production flexibility. Right now the window of time is very narrow between the recording sessions I have scheduled and publishing the podcast, so it will help to push it out a bit.
Thanks for listening! Look for episode 7 this Tuesday!
Episode 6: Writing
It's all about the story! This week we have Senior Writer at BioWare, Alexander Freed, talk to us about what to expect from writing jobs within the games industry. How hard is it to find a full-time, in-house writing position? What are other types of jobs that include writing? Really great info for you wordsmiths out there.
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
Episode 5: Environment Art
Fresh off the presses. This episode we talk about environment art! I'm joined with my good friend Mike Harnisch, Environment Artist at BioWare, and Adam Bromell, Artist at Relic and Head Administrator at Polycount. We cover quite a bit this episode, including: school advice, illustrative talent, what makes a successful scene, and lots more. So sit down, grab a snack and give it a listen.
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
Episode 4: Design 101
Kicking off our new 101 episodes is special guest and BioWare World Designer, Eric Young. We talk about what to expect from most design departments, common misconceptions, as well as a breakdown of the different types of jobs available. If you have ever had questions about what game designers really do, don't miss this episode.
From now on, whenever we have an overview episode about a particular department, we will label this as a 101 episode. All other episodes will go more in depth about specific job or theme, such as the "tech art" or "gaining experience" episodes.
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
********************
The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.
Episode Hiccup
If you aren't getting the right audio for episode 3 in your podcast aggregator (itunes, ziepod, etc) You will have to unsubscribe, then resubscribe to the podcast to get the proper .mp3 file. Sorry for the hiccup!
Episode 3: Gaining Experience
This time we talk about that classic “catch 22”. How do you get experience when no one will hire without experience? We talk about mods, internships, & contract work and how these are great ways to gain the experience you need for that permanent full-time position. I’m joined this week with special guest Toren Lehrmann, contract environment artist at BioWare.
If you have been enjoying these episodes and would like to support Games Industry Mentor, swing by the donation page! All funds go directly to site hosting and podcast equipment. Thanks!
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The opinions shared during Games Industry Mentor are simply the views of individuals who work within the games industry, and in no way represent opinions of the studio or company that may employ those individuals.
Games Industry Mentor or the individuals who share their opinions, do not guarantee successful placement within the video games industry through following the advice heard on the program.