Starting a game development studio - Daily Schedule

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🖌️ - Become a MEMBER to communicate directly with Trent and get exclusive videos and sneak peeks at new art. :
/ @trentkaniuga
Starting a game development studio - Daily Schedule
A look at the day to day operation of running a game studio, and the differences between managing a team for an indie game project and just doing art.
Games I've worked on -
CURRENTLY WORKING ON- Twilight Monk Metroidvania
Fortnite (Environment concept art)
Overwatch (Environment concept art + Sprays artwork)
League of Legends (Character design + Environment concept art, UI + Icons)
Diablo 3 (Character design + Environment concept art)
Hearthstone (Illustration)
Burning Crusade(Character design + Environment concept art)
Wrath of the Lich King (Character design + Environment concept art)
Indivisible (Environment concept art)
Final Fight Streetwise (Voice Acting + Character Design + World Design + Cutscene Direction + Co writer on script)
He Man GBA (Pixel Art)
Terminator 3 GBA (Art Direction + Pixel Art)
CannonBallers (Character + World design)
Ikeda: The Scrap Hunter (Programming + Art + Design)
Goblins and Gnomes (Concept Art)
Books available-
CreeD Re:Imaginary (2021) - 2 part Comic series
Twilight Monk - Return of the Ancients (2021) - Illustrated Novel
Twilight Monk Secrets of Kung Fulio (2020) - Illustrated Novel
Escape from Giants Crown (2019) - Illustrated Novella
World Of Twilight Monk Vol 1 (2019) Art Book
The Man and the Moonken (2019) - Illustrated Novella
The Beast of Tuksa (2018) - Illustrated Novella
Twilight Monk (2012) - 2 Graphic Novels
Nova Colony (2009) - 1 Graphic Novel
CreeD (1993-2007) - Comic Book Series
Ghost Rider (2000) - Comic Book Series
The Fuzz (1997) - Comic Book

[@davidloucano1727]

I wanna see fish sprites and bridges design, with sketchs and all the messy stuff arround it's even better

[@dezzdinn]

Trent as an artist who’s followed you for years and purchased your gum roads I can tell you that yes sprite content is good content on KZbin. I follow many sprite artists because I’m working on my own game. Simple search …

[@lewiscoulter8473]

I would really enjoy some videos of you making random assets. It would be interesting to see how you figure out how to complete artworks like I saw in this video. It's nice to see you complete a complete piece but I enjoy seeing the process a lot more.

[@pamelafornwalt9729]

It’s nice to watch you discuss the process of kinda moving from an artist to a full on developer. I had been feeling a similar vibe since choosing to work on my own indie game and I found that I draw much less than I used to. I think it’s kinda nice though. It’s like I’m evolving from one niche creative space to a whole other toolset. Feels good! Maybe being an artist isn’t always about drawing things, it’s about creating. ^_^

[@TrentKaniuga]

Exactly. Yes. And it’s actually nice. But art was my identity for so long. It feels like a dramatic shift in my mind.

[@oversalt4713]

Man I'd love to work with you guys sometime, you know exactly what you want but you also give your team enough space to use their brain cell and get creative, perfect client balance in my books. Bringing your creatures to life through 3d animation would be a ton of fun 😅

[@ochavezart]

This has humbled me, and my respect has gotten deeper for game making, any game making; pixel, realistic, low-poly, etc. My identity has been "artist" since a kid. To sustain myself I had to do jobs that were not "artistic." but I found out, than even when I was working in shipping, I was still an "artist." Because I was still going to be me, while on the job or off the clock. And I was still going to make something, wheter a drawing or a painting.

[@crrowchild9239]

Thank you so much Trent! I am currently studying Game Development and my project group and I are planning on founding a studio after we finished our degree. Currently we are working on uni projects while reading into legalities etc. These types of videos make the reality of it more clear and I enjoy your insight. Have a great weekend!

[@winkil1]

I'm really happy for you Trent, you never cease to be an inspiration to me! Looking forward to hear more from your game!

[@mr.babichslessons7279]

Brother, I tune in for your take on art, industry and life. If you were drawing a set of bridges while dropping the Trent Wisdom I’d LOVE it. To be honest man I really miss having you on my headset while I draw. Please post ANYTHING with your thoughts. Man I’m into big time and I will be buying your games brother. Much love man. Thank you!

[@KarleeHankin]

Definitely sprites and assets would be amazing content. Just getting them ready for processing and passing along the line would be great content!

[@nekofish9824]

Man it's awesome to get the insight of this process and journey form you Trent. Really appreciate how transparent and authentic you are about the things that go into this field. I am curious though, I know Unreal isn't exactly catered to 2D development. Are there any unique challenges you've encountered utilizing the engine for this project?

[@MacnivenFantasyArt]

I am so getting a copy of this on my Switch! Hell, I may just get multiple copies on every platform just to get some pennies to you for all your hard work and advice throughout the years

[@kejaris949]

Bravo man. Very good peeling back the curtains on game dev. I definitely want to see more on the subject.

[@andrepounds7134]

This is soooo cool. Loved the insight and the gameplay at the end just proves how much all the hours you're putting in are paying off.

[@arkraga5155]

i love this, just you rambling on and drawing...i would watch this for hours. how you paint characters baffles me and is something i wanna get into. but please more of this! ( trying to learn how to paint characters so my 3d texture painting gets better )

[@danieljamiesonillustrates]

wow such an amazing video. I enjoy your chat. Yes whichever direction you go like you creating your own studio, It comes with a lot of new challenges. it's great to have some insight into what it is really like. I love your creatures and would enjoy creating them myself for a game.

[@Dalimink]

i'll replay the video for that intro music , i missed this so much !

[@alexandremattos6182]

I hope to make some simple RPG Maker stuff to start me up into game dev, your videos help a lot about art and game dev.

[@nosferdox]

I have to add also 2 children to the equation and room problems, so I can not work behind my computer in the evening xD I uninstalled all games for now because I need to get the time from somewhere. It ain't ez always but let's keep going and create amazing projects! :)

[@jullcepts8780]

Yoooo' the og intro is back!

[@alejandroac5600]

I wish you would stream man! This was an amazing video and I feel like very topic that you touched on could've been it's own video. Keep pushing your vision!

[@Riste.R]

Always love to see behind the scene fluff other that highly rendered stuff. To me its fundamental to understand how something great comes together and why it works.

[@magnusrexus]

Yes that stuff if interesting please share everything

[@hackareslacksbruh430]

What you said of how Social media is all about clicks, it's unfortunate. But it's really great to have a down to earth guy like you giving us the reality of what it's been like in your experience and how it is in the industry. So thank you Trent. Is it possible for you to talk on what a good schedule can be for getting better at drawing. Because I have a hard time getting an idea for how many hours or minutes or days I should put into getting better at drawing hands. Then moving onto something else like drawing feet. And in the end I become indecisive.

[@TrentKaniuga]

Check out my 15 minute artist workouts, or my “Easy Art Lessons” www.gumroad.com/trentk

[@danielcalencar]

I will love to see this kind or content in your channel. I'll start teaching a gamedev course at the uni I work and knowing your personal experience will be very enriching. Also, I'll definitely buy your game. It will be so intetesting to play a game which I could follow the development process through a youtube channel

[@amerjohan]

Boss death reaction can provide a sense of accomplishment and excitement. Don’t forget!

[@thescribblemedia]

Wishlisted the game a while back, and I'm excited for it! I am also developing my own comic-style Metroidvania using Unreal engine. The problem is I'm a comic book artist/2D animator, and I don't know how to program lol. I'm still learning the basics of programming in Unreal here in YT, lol

[@brianmitchellart]

Inspiring stuff! I'd love to see more behind the scenes streams, long form KZbin content, etc. on the game development process and all the day-to-day nitty gritty things that go into it. Tilesets, sprites, level and puzzle design, narrative, it's all art. Just different, inter-disciplinary art and it's been really cool to get a glimpse into what that process has been like for you.

[@dustyyyyyyyy7]

I'll tell ya, I see Trent upload a new video and I click on it, just like that lol I love the hype videos of course, but I learn something from every video that you post, thank you so much!

[@saronite5236]

I would love to see some of the animations. Would you consider doing a video to show some of them off?

[@lunarfifthstudios]

I have been telling everyone I know about TM trying to up those wishlists my duuude... so pumped!

[@TrentKaniuga]

Thanks for spreading the word!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Awesome insight, Trent! Can’t tell you how excited I am for this game. I stumbled upon your work years ago via the Twilight Monk comic. Shortly after you were showing off concepts for a TM adventure game. It’s incredible to see TM coming to life after all these years. I’m getting it on Steam AND Switch!

[@ilsh9929]

i watch fzd videos a lot, and i enjoy listenung to experienced passionate people talking about art related things or game development:D 1 hours long wouldn't be a problem to me at all:D

[@TrentKaniuga]

Feng is a very insightful guy.

[@stevenrogers2310]

Your work ethic is inspiring, Thank you for sharing!

[@akeemmorrison2589]

Babe wake up Trent uploaded again

[@watcher1109]

Thank you so much, finnaly get this type of content

[@pachecolos_group]

Much Love Trent! I've following you since 2016, and this may be a long comment but I'm very grateful to have you on the internet as a mentor, teacher, and friend. You have been giving us so much content, advice, tutorials, stories, and great moments. And I'm very thankful for that. I started watching you as a normal student in school and now I'm finishing my degree in software development and my final project will be a game, I'll try to do it on pixel art, using Unity, I have the story some ideas for characters, and you said something that hit me very hard, because we as an artist, we don't expect that maybe our journey will change in a minor direction but aiming to the original goal, be a creator. And what You said, you give more confidence, and more encouragement to go all in. Thank, you so much as I said before, and I hope that you find more ways to let us be part of your journey now as a Game Developer, show us tips and tricks on how to program, how to create more stories, how to speak to future sponsors, how to get in the mood even though something we feel tired, I'm really happy and I send you all the love and energy from Colombia! Much respect and I hope to work with you on something!

[@magnusrexus]

Have you ever thought about using 3d models to get the initial animation done then painting over the flat renders

[@TrentKaniuga]

That would be a very slow process. Our animator Amy, does about 4-6 animations per week! If we had to model, then animate, just trace over, that would take too long

[@sorinvladan5662]

sprites for a fish, gimme gimme gimme ... pls that's the juicy stuff🥴

[@halidramzan2803]

Missed the OG intro song! ❤️‍🔥

[@dubble_cuppachino]

Just as I need it, as always. Thanks Trent.

[@ilsh9929]

woahh i relize i didnt know anything about game development! nice video trent!

[@TrentKaniuga]

Most people don’t want to know! And perhaps that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s better if I don’t talk about it, and keep game dev looking glamorous and shiny, so no one gets discouraged. Hah.

[@ogcide]

My dog passed a couple months back too. Not sure ur exact situation but personally it helps me knowing he was suffering and was finally relieved of the pain naturally. Still look for him at certain times but it’s a part of life. Idk what I’m trying to say by this but ur not alone n the games gonna be great. It’s going to worth it. It’s definitely hard but isn’t that why we do it? To not live with regret and knowing we could of tried harder. Knowing we gave it our all. Make sure u take care of ur health. Sleep well n yea ramble over

[@TrentKaniuga]

Yeah. I was very close with my dog. So it feels weird. Like there’s some place in the world where he’s still alive, and I need to find him. But he’s just gone, for good. If you know this pain… you are not alone.

[@franciscofeest6691]

This guy is my professional example.

[@karamzing]

Sounds like a step into management. Instead of just thinking "What am I doing today?", it's more like "What are we trying to accomplish today? What's everyone doing today? What am I doing today?" I've seen it go sideways when the new manager hasn't expanded their perspective but instead kept doing the art/programming and left the rest of the team to manage themselves. If your comfort zone and sense of self-worth is tied to your skills, it can sometimes be challenging to become a bit of a newbie in a new discipline. It can also be humbling to zoom out and see your previous job as just a small (and not necessarily always the most important) piece of a bigger whole.

[@TrentKaniuga]

True. TBH I was self employed and running an art team since my first published work. So being an employee was hard for me. And, it got me into a lot of trouble, doing my managers job for them. So this is more of my comfort zone- running a business and managing a team. I just have far less workplace politics to deal with.

[@getsemani_rar]

it looks so cool!!!!

[@mattywolf8287]

what a cool project. Good stuff

[@DigitalinDaniel]

Do the snorthogs have a bullrush/charge attack? I imagine him hitting his head on those spikes or a wall and becoming vulnerable or something... What do you mean fish sprites sound boring!? Fish sprites are life!! Flora, Fauna, Weapons, Props... hit me with all them designs! Yeah I noticed you haven't been drawing much, I get your boxsets and this years seems really late? What about a more in depth video/tutorial on doing those keyframes and gestures for animation? September for TGS feels forever away... Trent's gonna go do the Tokyo Drift :^)

[@andrewalvarez7389]

Awesome video! Thank You!

[@parisulki729]

Yeah, many of my friends on Newgrounds said that hardest thing in gamedev for artists is that art is thing in matter of importance, so you would need a lot of other skills, that got no relation to art. I am happy to see that coming is making a steady proccess. From demo it got a vibe of game like Hollow knight

[@parisulki729]

It is really a miracle that we are getting a youtube video with schedule like this, so thank for sharing. I am happy to see that game is coming together, every game is like a baby, and time before it comes could be a tough one. So i am wishing you all the luck and strength to make your vision into a reality

[@valkorey]

Loved the video! I also really like the colors in the game so far. Please do not worry too much about making content for the clicks. I do think that a dev log would be awesome to see! Noticed that they are quite popular... But very time consuming to put together. I gotta ask though: these 12 hours of work per day... Staying up till 2 AM, is there something that you do to keep your energy levels up? Not talking about the burning passion for the game, but like... Coffee???

[@TrentKaniuga]

Hm… Mountain Dew? It’s still 7 hours of sleep. But now I’m trying to switch my schedule to early mornings again as it’s changing seasons.

[@jeremyrandall8282]

How did you know what video I needed!

[@regular_hellspawn]

I'm always inspired by your videos. Idk what it is - but u just make me happy and motivated. I'm currently working on a big project myself (not as big as twilight monk, haha, i'm still a baby - but for me it's big), and it's so reassuring to hear you talk about your project. I'm v much looking forward to play your game! The only question i'd have is: How do i overcome artblock in a stressful situation like this? Like it is basically all or nothing and that's what i'm struggling with the most: trying to balance artblock, creativity boosts and procrastonation with my deadline always in mind... and i don't think i'm good at it tbh x'D Thanks for making these videos take care! :) (yea... and sorry if my english is off - not my first language >\\\

[@subterranean327]

Sorry about your dog man. Your videos are great

[@gbsartworks4963]

Oh yeah the OG intro music is baaack!! Thanks for this video, also if you don't mind me asking, what game engine you use on your game development? Since I'm planning to learn some game engine as well.

[@TrentKaniuga]

Unreal 4

[@officialgrimwaregamesllc]

"There's no time" - Yep...

[@eddyalvaross2195]

How do you even pay all the employees or skills you hire for your game? Where does the money come from and is it not expensive to pay them? Are they paid through monthly salary or by number of deliverable provided?

[@vividfox8287]

If you came to me and said we need drawbridge illustrations, I wouldn't be able to resist saying "Yes, me draw bridge for you. Draw good bridge," like Tarzan.

[@EldenLore]

Hey Trent, thank you for another super interesting video. I was just wondering, how big is this game going to be? Sounds like it's a much more ambitious project than I first thought, which is really exciting!

[@TrentKaniuga]

Yes! It turned into 6 chapters. Roughly 12 hours to get 100%

[@momchilbalev6062]

Any chance to create Kaniuga Game Jam ? :)

[@NavidZamzami]

Yayy i missed the old intro music ❤ i love it!!!

[@TrentKaniuga]

I brought it back for you!

[@NavidZamzami]

@TrentKaniuga thank you sir :)

[@ratans2]

hey Trent, do you need a 3D artist for your game studio? I would love to join in!

[@TrentKaniuga]

We have some low poly 3D. But very little in this first game.

[@mizubiart6230]

Where do you go to find jobs like these? Where do you ask for these services? Sounds super cool. I’m good at inventing environments, vehicles, or tools. And creatures, lots of creatures. Not sure if im more the concept or illustrator type, but I love troubleshooting instead designing a beautiful picture necessarily.

[@TrentKaniuga]

In my case, I started my own business. No one would hire someone to do this job without them having experience doing it.

[@mizubiart6230]

@@TrentKaniuga hm. I was thinking more which websites or social medias people like indie game developers would go to find artists for their crew. Sorry if I wasn’t too clear.

[@GabrielFranklin-ej2it]

hi

[@MrZerolix]

Hey my dude, I watched a video recently saying you have videos teaching how to draw, which playlist is that under? Thanks man

[@TrentKaniuga]

Check out my daily workouts, or just search for “Trent Kaniuga how to draw “. Or you could pick up my Easy Art Lessons on www.gumroad.com/trentk

[@plegianscum]

I would be interested in you talking about your video game design philosophies.

[@Signor_Mao]

I have a question: in which size do you work for your game assets? I mean, the game can be played at different resolutions, so I have to make the characters and all scaled at different sizes?

[@frankligas2249]

I'm hurt! "Your wife and your dog are your only family???" What about us???

[@Harounu_35Dz]

hi mister trent , do you do programming by yourself ? is it hard to be artist and programmer in the same time .

[@TrentKaniuga]

I did programming on my first solo indie game called “Ikeda” which you can get free on Steam. Yes. It’s hard. Hah hah.

[@Harounu_35Dz]

@@TrentKaniuga thank you

[@user-hr9tk6py1r]

I have 5+ years exp with spine as an animaitor. And I have no Idea why spine is bad in your case

[@TrentKaniuga]

I wanted a more hand drawn look with more dynamic movement. The spine tests that we did distorted the art too much and would’ve required tons of work rendering new highly detailed frames for the level of dynamic movement we are doing

[@user-hr9tk6py1r]

@@TrentKaniuga do you have any link on those tests? I would like to see it if you don`t mind.

[@CastleClique]

Why are you using unreal for a 2d game?

[@TrentKaniuga]

3D camera and easy to use