Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer 2019: Advice from Industry Artists

In this 2019 GDC presentation, artists Greg Foertsch, Moby Francke, Gavin Goulden, Claire Hummel, Wyeth Johnson and Alison Kelly expose portfolio pitfalls, how to avoid them, and provide real world examples of how to hold an art director's attention.
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[@johncliffalvarez6513]

“I had a friend from college that got me into Valve, and that was my first job in the industry...” Secret of how to break into the industry, “it’s all about who you know,” kids.

[@Ubreakable-lr2dk]

WoW cant believe that

[@h3rpad3rpacifilis]

​@@Ubreakable-lr2dk I hope this isn't sarcastic. As simple as it sounds, talent usually gets pushed behind connection in pretty much any job. You could be the best fit, but because the current person in charge knows one or two people who do the same thing no matter the quality, you get pushed down the list.

[@Igorooooleynikov]

Tbh it is literally how it works. I got into anime industry this way.

[@None38389]

Or who knows you. Which is why it's so important to share your work online. I got into game development because an art director saw my work on artstation.

[@johncliffalvarez6513]

@@None38389 Well that’s a no brainer if you’re pursuing a career in anything. I have my stuff plastered everywhere, that’s not the problem.

[@hibryd7481]

"Hey, this guy worked on TF2...dunno if anyone's heard about it." - _Awkward Silence._ "I worked on Neopets." "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NEOPETS." Jesus Christ, am I old or is something else horriblely wrong going on here?

[@deinhien7296]

sarcasm

[@janewinters3574]

I think maybe the crowd misunderstood "Team fort 2" because I had to think twice about it first time listening to this

[@Eclectimaniac]

google says neopets is older than tf2 by 8 years so maybe you are young my friend

[@paperclip9558]

That ''spiky mountains, little people with staff on the foreground and city in the distance'' comment is hilariously accurate. That cliche is in the same position with "military guy with guns" and "cyberpunk chick wears hotpants on a motorcycle" :p

[@Underqualified_Gunman]

now i'm strangely possessed by the idea of having stereotypes like you mentioned clash in intriguing ways.

[@helloofthebeach]

39:10 The audience reaction to the art thief is _amazing_

[@-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-]

Basically Mii Sport's crowd

[@coraxcrowe7525]

Noone likes like Gaston, or subscribes like Gaston, noone comments a cool timestamp like Gaston.

[@thomasperkins4895]

Had the pleasure of meeting Moby for coffee at Riot in Santa Monica a few years ago. A friend of mine was a producer there, and asked him if he'd meet up with an artist + fan of his. He turned out to be incredibly cordial, super engaging and energizing to talk to, and taught me a lot about his values and how they translated into his work. Inspiring artist, great person

[@jellycore1316]

Aww, that's awesome!

[@MrCorruptex]

The sound of heartbreak when they told her to make a whole new portfolio for film

[@AmericasComic]

I don't work in gaming, but been watching GDC vids for a while and I’m wary on these videos on portfolios and similar stuff on “breaking in” the industry. Considering stuff from the past couple of years that showed how hostile the industry is to the worker - like those reports on Riot Games’ toxic work environment and the wage-fixing collusion of Apple/Google/Pixar/others...if I was a young artist and wanted to get into gaming, I would take what employers say with a grain of salt; they want to hire you, but there is a lot of reasons why the people in the panel's interests would conflict with the people in the audience's. Especially when people talk about things in meritocracy terms, because I think that just creates a culture where your success is entirely up to you and not outside forces, which isn’t always the case...for example, when you have ten tech giants colluding to drive down engineers wages through no-call practices; in a case like that, you can be literally the most talented engineer in not only your company but the world and you'll still be exploited because there are bigger forces messing with the ceiling of the pay. That's where transparency and working with other workers becomes more helpful for you as opposed to just being "the best."

[@GraphicJon]

Pay is determined by HR and those running the studios and they will still have some of the top talent around for their standards. You still should value their advice because frankly, they have to make the best products possible and will only pick the most creative. If you're hired by them, they're your team. There not the same people fixing wages.

[@AmericasComic]

@GraphicJon I think what I'm saying here is that these panels do have value, but if you're seeking work in the industry, it's worth taking what they say with a grain of salt; take in the advice they give but weigh it against, say, the Glassdoor reviews or statements from the peers in the industry in order to get a full picture because the people in these panels might have biases that work against your interests. Often times they're not the same people in the department making decisions that goes against the workers, but they do come from the same systemic organizations/businesses that do harm the worker - I think of companies with flat hierarchical structures like Valve and Riot...reports from them that I've seen, the flat structure means that there's lots of power vacuums and so navigating those work and hiring environments depend on a lot of "unspoken rules" that really wouldn't be acknowledged by the people inside of them As a worker, it pays to be talented but talent isn't necessarily a shield from exploitation; in the case of the High-Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation case I mentioned above (the google/apple/Pixar/adobe/intel case), these companies...who you would expect to want the "top talent around"...actively did not seek top talent as a part of their collusion. Ultimately, my argument is that a worker who is talented brings more to the bargaining table and is able to successfully navigate the work environment if they divorce themselves from the idea that any work environment is fully a meritocracy. If you're a talented person and understand that talent isn't a shield, then it makes you stronger in the job search And I it's relevant for this video, because a lot of these talks and panels will bring up either explicitly or implicitly merit/meritocracy (they launch into a shade of that instantly with the first question) as being an important part of the industry.

[@kingyachan]

You are making some pretty big assumptions and painting with a very broad brush, and also the caution you are talking about should be applied to entering any industry. Your take on this is a little niave sorry.

[@AmericasComic]

@@kingyachan Well, yes, it can be applied to entering any industry. That's the experience I'm speaking from - I am not in the video game industry but I recognize the pitfalls and dangers that are in my own line of work as being present in what we're talking about. It's worth talking about in my industry and it's worth talking about in the video game industry. To put things in practical terms; hearing that one woman in this video say that they're looking for "unique voices" so emphasize that, I'd just be mindful that she's talking about "unique voices" in her perspective - basically don't let employers fully control the narrative on how to get employment or you'll get a lot of false signals...like, on an emotional level you hear "just make good art and you'll succeed" over and over again and then you don't succeed, it creates this sort of vacuum where you start to associate value with quality and vice-versa, which isn't healthy and isn't the best approach to finding a job, or getting a job, or navigating a competitive work environment. The worst employers out there (not all employers are bad) will use that to manipulate their employees. Or, I used to work in film and went to a panel like the one in the video. In it, there was an executive from Fox who justified using unpaid interns and asking them to fill cups of coffee and not do much else....like menial work. She made a point of saying that we, as new people in the market, doing have any value so we have to "pay our dues" before we started getting the "dream jobs"...a couple of years after the fact, Fox was hit with a VERY LARGE lawsuit over the matter because what they were doing was patently illegal, against labor guidelines of internships, and was displacing paid labor. She was wrong and speaking directly against the worker's interests. And meanwhile, I ended up getting work in spite of her advice - I didn't need to work an unpaid internship or do menial grunt work...I just got normal livable wage in the industry I wanted through my peer system. I'm not saying that's easy, just that my experience goes against the picture the woman was giving. what I'm talking about is knowing your own value. Like, understand what you're worth in the industry, and be mindful of who out there defines the measures of "worth" and what impression it has on you - an employer's definition of worth at times can be different from your own. Understand that you're entitled to respect and safety. Know, for example, what the industry standard for pay is and how to negotiate for it. Or learning how to network and be sociable and make connections with people in the industry. Read Glassdoor reviews. And, again, understand things at work aren't fully about how "good" of a worker you are - if you understand that, it makes it harder for you to be manipulated or jerked around.

[@NJoint]

@@AmericasComic You may some good points, specially in the comment immediately above this one, but you shouldn't judge an industry based on the big scandals. Those make the news. The dozens of companies that respect their employers don't make the news because of that. I do work in gaming. Cheers

[@Schmockbubi]

"we hire you if you can do work like a senior". Giving newcomers a chance based on potential, not just the beautiful image, is rare. very rare. That one reason why this industry is so hard to get into but also why so many skip art fundamentals and sharpen their technical skills

[@mq8858]

Gavin Goulden seems like a very encouraging, thoughtful person, at least from watching this. It may be a little bit of "sucking up," but I hardly see that as a bad thing. Praising people makes them feel good, especially when it is specific to them and appears genuine. I'm guessing his rise from *failure* came not only from his skill in the industry, but also that refreshing kindness.

[@ThomasChen-ur2gt]

33:53 What you expect to see in a tech art portfolio?

[@ukvideogamesrecruiter8480]

This is why recruiting for artists is so hard, taste is so hard to judge.

[@bhavinb.artstation]

I mean they all want kinda good artist like similarly to Gnomon or comparable campuses like Gnomon other than they don't hire at all so they use to go indie themes thts why it's jst fked up

[@BraveAbandon]

an artist needs to prove first and foremost is that they have mastered the fundamentals, that they have original ideas with (mass) appeal, and that they understand the differences between commercial and private works. Then they also need to prove they are reliable, meeting their deadlines with high quality work, and that they are friendly and cooperative, open to edits and changes as needed and nice to work with, and will take direction from the art director

[@AllisonGhost]

Extremely useful, this advice speaks to me and inspires me. Loved the anecdote about Stalenhag, it's incredibly spot-on of an observation.

[@danielj6417]

Love how they didnt cheer for TF2 but they did for neopets lmao

[@Musiclover6404]

16:56 that is confusing, so stand out from the rest but don't stand out too much? I've always wondered how a portfolio from a guy like the one who made "Fez" would do at a studio he want to work at? He's made his own game and has made a lot of money but what if he wanted to work at Blizzard or 343?

[@shaokhan4421]

Be okay with two conflicting ideas... don’t make sense of them. Just let them both go. Your subconscious will solve the rest; otherwise you confuse yourself and overthink...

[@Musiclover6404]

@@shaokhan4421 So your saying just do it....?

[@commenturthegreat2915]

@@shaokhan4421 I have to be honest, this is absolutely terrible advice. When you have conflicting ideas, it's EXTREMELY important that you make sense of them. Do your research and come up with a good solution. Your subconscious isn't some miracle genius that will solve anything free of charge, otherwise you'd be better off spending your whole life drunk. I have no clue how you could literally be against the idea of thinking.

[@11equalsfish]

@@commenturthegreat2915 By subconscious, maybe they meant to relax? If you're stuck, being more focused makes you less creative, and a conflict should demand a break from your routine. I don't think they want to rip out their brain, but maybe embrace the bigger picture. If you are actually trapped in a perfect conflict you'd best give up, but I get what you mean about thinking. They insinuated anything about their miracle genius.

[@peterino2]

simple answer is indie game dev is a different skillset than being a world class artist. blizzard wants world class artists indies would prefer mid-range artists that can also program and market and design,

[@syahkeiko1251]

There's been a few times this has been mentioned. "Make a little choice and go from there" I was just wondering... is this making that little choice of.. making something translucent that should not be, make a scratch or a chip there, brush some dirt into this corner.... Is this to get some sort of Feature Creep going that you can ride and rely on to give your creations a bit more character?

[@eliomiro7855]

"I DONT HAVE FOREVER"? Really dude? These are the L0sers who reply back rejecting work they havent even reviewed? They look absolutely unpresentable. And call me a hater, IDGAF. They havent said anything of value. What you read between the lines is: "If I don't like you based on a first impression, you're not getting in the industry."

[@NeoAnguiano]

pikachu.Jpg Intensifies

[@hglankshear]

Does anyone else wish that this was a weekly podcast with this group together?

[@felipefrango]

1:53 Did the dude just say Team Fort 2? lol

[@igorigor3960]

oh man this BOOMER makes me CRINGEEEEEE

[@martinzachary6632]

Bruh its a joke

[@davidtran6322]

Hey guys I’m a high school student looking to apply to collages for game programming. Some of the schools require portfolios so I have been looking on KZbin for references and saw all sorts of good looking games made in unity and it had made me self conscious about my skills. I have only used java and python and am in the middle of self learning c++. I know I can make games in python and java but it’s not going to look as nice. Should I try and cram c++ or should I stick with what I know?

[@DB-pt6zj]

Unity uses C# as a scripting language. Unreal Engine uses C++. If you can make games in python and/or java, you can do some small projects in that. They can just be very simple. Making nice art for that or anything else is difficult and requires time. You will still have to make the same type of art in Unity or Unreal, unless you buy stuff on the asset store. I'd also recommend going for a more generic CS degree instead of game development. You can still make games if you are a web developer somewhere. There is a lot of demand for CS professionals in everything from IT to web dev to software dev to embedded systems. You can learn to make games on your own with all of the free resources out there, especially if you have a CS background.

[@lucassoares4084]

I can't get the name at 44:50

[@roym1142]

Rory Alderson I believe

[@SoultrailStudio]

32:00 ! When making a whole game, what is the strengh? Well, kinda everything 🤔 Yet, nothing really. Should it showcase the programming? UI? The environment design? The character design? Well, the LORE? Basically a cool game trailer showing all of it hoping the game is (looks) fun? 😦

[@Ugo_Goglu]

11:10

[@NedTheUndead]

24:15 you can hear someone's garbage Motorola/Lenovo phone restart itself unexpectedly in the background

[@petarpehchevski3d338]

55

[@CattoShark]

What's the name at 15:28?

[@allit.164]

Simon Stålenhag

[@allit.164]

(Who, since I just searched for his name's spelling, I now know is who half the 3d artists I know are mimicking. It is weird how much more charming his work is than the things that clearly were color sampled from it.)

[@M3lldryck]

se hace eterno de ver...

[@sat.chid.ananda]

y si capo, es una charla de la GDC, que esperabas?

[@santiagogonzalez7291]

@@sat.chid.ananda Hay algunas que son bien al punto pero tiene razón, están meta boludear y no dicen nada jaja

[@sat.chid.ananda]

@@santiagogonzalez7291 como que no man!? Tenes a capos de la industria que te estan diciendo como armar tu portfolio para que no termine en la basura, no se hace eterno de ver si te ayuda a conseguir un laburo en la industria

[@luciopcamp5367]

@@sat.chid.ananda dan mucha vuelta y son bastante redundantes. Pero supongo que es por no estar ensayado de antemano. Otras charlas por lo general es algo estructurado y ensayado. Igual hay informacion util no lo dudo.

[@gothicdragonwarriorqueen5819]

Kick-ass scary, cool!!!☻🖤☠💀👻⚰🦇🕷🕸

[@4thot]

Won't cheer for TF2 but the crowd goes nuts for Neopets. As it should be.

[@Dinhjason]

Neopets had yet to crash their in-game economy

[@CharlesVanNoland]

I was a bit confused when he said "Team Fort" instead of "Team Fortress" as I'm sure the audience was too.

[@SuperWeedPower]

wow sounds like a fun job, lol