Running Head: CAPSTONE RESEARCH PAPER 1

The Job of a Designer Artist

Capstone Research Paper

Alexandre Juste

Career Life Post Sec 12 BA

Professor Koshman

21/11/2017
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Table of contents

Introduction.3

What do they do? ..3

Software used.3

Skills needed..4

Demand for the job.4

Employment rate4

Different fields...4

The difficulties of this job...5

New ideas...5

Trouble shooting5

Mentally stressful..6

Health issues..6

How to get this job.6

Applying6

Education requirements.7

Conclusion..8

Bibliography9
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Introduction

Game environment design artist do not get the value that they deserve. Often, people

dont think about the work that they do, when someone plays a video game, the player

does not pay attention to the details of the backgrounds. (Be a Game Artist: Requirements

and Information, n.d) In 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed an

annual median salary of $63,970 for multimedia artists and animators. Those working in

software publishing earned $76,920 on average, according to the BLS. Designers work

for very long periods of time to make the look of a portion of a game perfect.

Designer artists work basically on 2d and 3d model or object in order to make a decent

video game. Sometimes, they will also work on the logo conception of a game, the main

menus, they will decide which font to use and they are the one who comes up with a

storyboard. Nowadays games are pleasant and in terms of graphics, it's more than

satisfactory. Many different programs and tools are used to make good games. As the

results of a survey, (Fabien, 2017) the 20 most popular 3d design programs. In order

oftop to bottom, there is Blender, Sketchup, Solidworks, Fusion 360, Inventor, Maya,

AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Zbrush, Tinkercad, Cinema 4d, Rhino, Opemscad, Modo,

Meshmixer, Sculptris, PTC Creo Parametric, Freecad, Solid Edge and Onshape. These

are the best and most used programs for 3d modeling and printing.

Maya, AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Zbrush, Tinkercad, Cinema 4d are mostly used to model

objects or environment. To build characters and animate them, blender would be more

appropriate. A designer wont use only one of these programs, he will have to use at least

five of them to be able to make the environment, the costumes, the characters and the

objects around.
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Being a game environment designer artist will ask for a lot of skills and knowledge.

After an interviewing expert in the game art industry, they learned about the skills needed

for that job. (Jason W. Bay, 2016) This might sound a little bit different than a

standard job posting, but these are some important skills that often get glossed over:

Understanding spatial relationships, and how to apply basic graphic design principles to a

3d space. Technical processes like poly-count optimization, image

compression, batching, and collision systems. Color and light. These two things make or

break a game level. Understanding what pop culture thinks looks good. Dont let your

personal influences become too inbred with other games. Its important to be a problem

solver, to be able to communicate easily, to be patient and to pay attention to little details.

Demand for the job

This is not a job that will quickly lose its value. Video games and animated films have

taken a lot of people's lives, so the employment rate will certainly not fall, to the contrary.

(Michelle Burton, 2015) Employment in this field is expected to grow anywhere from

eight to 14 percent through 2018. For example, 3D artists/modelers working in the

entertainment industry can expect employment growth of 14 percent, while those

working in illustration can expect an increase of nine percent. The employment rate is

less likely to drop in that field because it is the best entertainment in the world for

humans. People need to be entertained, mostly because of the stresses of life, so thats

why the trend of this job is increasing and will probably increase more.

Something interesting about this job is that the designer artist is not constrained to do

his career in games or film. (Michelle Burton, 2015) According to a number of career

websites, the demand for 3D modelers to create models for research and
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development purposes is high. So, career opportunities in the medical, architecture,

engineering, chemistry and geology fields are plentiful. Its great to know that you are

not limited in your job.

The difficulties of this job

One of the biggest challenges in this kind of job is novelty and updates. (Kristine

Tucker, n.d) Since video game consumers are always looking for new challenges, there's

demand to design games that outperform previous releases. This leads to job security as

long as your skills, innovative ideas and technical expertise make you a highly

competitive designer. Being able to come up with an innovative idea for a game or a

movie is great, but then the hard thing to do is to be able to do better than the first time.

As workers, they will always need to have good, creative and innovative ideas or they

will lose their jobs.

One of the major skill needed to do that job is trouble shooting. There will always be

bugs in the software or in your programs. Sometimes it wont look like the team or the

manager imagined it, so being able find the solutions are not always an easy task.

(Kristine Tucker, n.d) One of the disadvantages video game designers experience is

technical difficulty. Designers must address bugs in their designs, tweak game play

malfunctions, amend story plots and redefine characters. Post-production is often time

consuming, demanding strong problem-solving skills and cutting-edge solutions.

Designing video games is a complicated process that requires editing and re-editing to

make sure game play is fun, challenging and innovative. Most of the times, the

storyboard will change or something in the scene wont work as its supposed too, so this

is one the difficulties of this work.

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The work itself is hard, not physically, but mentally. (Kristine Tucker, n.d) Much of a

designer's time is spent working on computers to create story plots, gaming strategies,

characters and graphics, so heavy computer use can lead to fatigue. Video game

producers have deadlines, so the job often requires long hours and demanding and

stressful workloads. What really makes this job stressful are the deadlines.

Unfortunately for the workers, when the product is due for a precise date, they have to do

everything to be able to deliver the product.

Long period of hard-working in front of a screen is not good for health. (Department

of Health & Human Services, 2015) Back and neck pain, headaches, and shoulder and

arm pain are common computer-related injuries. Such muscle and joint problems can be

caused or made worse by poor workstation (desk) design, bad posture and sitting for long

periods of time. Although sitting requires less muscular effort than standing, it still causes

physical fatigue (tiredness) and you need to hold parts of your body steady for long

periods of time. This reduces circulation of blood to your muscles, bones, tendons and

ligaments, sometimes leading to stiffness and pain. If a workstation is not set up properly,

these steady positions can put even greater stress on your muscles and joints. So, it could

lead to serious muscle and posture-related injuries.

How to get this job

To apply for this job, most of the new workers apply online or they go personally to

one of the companies to apply. Most of the time, diplomas or certificates are not required,

but what is really important is job experience. (Be a Game Artist: Requirements and

Information, n.d) There are usually no minimum education requirements to work as a

game artist; however, most employers prefer those with 3-5 years of experience working
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in game development or game art. Although formal education is not usually required,

some employers do prefer job candidates who have received formal training in art,

graphic design, game design or a related area. Basically, it would be recommended to

get in a Co-op program at University, because it would be hard to have experience if you

are a new worker otherwise.

In terms of education, you might a bachelor's degree to get in a job, some employers

could ask for one. Someone who has a degree might have an advantage over those who

do not have one. (Be a Game Artist: Requirements and Information, n.d) A bachelor's

degree may be required for more advanced positions. Those who choose to complete a

formal education program will likely take courses in 3-dimensional modeling and

animation, color theory, interface design, level design, scene design and illustration.

Students may also be required to complete an internship. Unlike other jobs, to be hired

you must have studied very specific courses.

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Conclusion

Game environment designer artist will always be needed, video games are one of the

biggest entertainment of the world. (Staff Writer, 2015) The global video game industry

has shot past Hollywood to become the fourth biggest entertainment market in the world,

behind gambling, reading and TV. A new report conducted by games market research

group, NewZoo, pegs the global video game market at an estimated $91.5 billion in 2015,

with projections to 2017 hitting $107 billion. It's a developing industry, and its growth is

certainly not going to stop here.

This work has it difficulties, like everything does. Education is not always needed, but

the knowledge and the experience is obviously required. This job does not often get the

value it deserves because it seems childish, but it is not. It is a hard work to do, but the

reward is the product at the end.

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Bibliography

F. (2017, May 11). Top 20: Most Popular 3D Modeling & Design Software for 3D

Printing (2017 Update). Retrieved October 24, 2017, from https://i.materialise.com/blog/

top-25-most-popular-3d-modeling-design-software-for-3d printing/

Bay, J. W. (2016). How To Become A Video Game Environment Artist. Retrieved

September 13, 2017, from http://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/how-to-become-a

video-game-environment-artist/

Burton, M. (2015, January 02). 3D Modeler - Career Profile. Retrieved November

17, 2017, from https://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/3d-modeler-career-

profile

Tucker, K. (n.d.). Advantages & Disadvantages About Video Game Designers.

Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://work.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-

video-game-designers-17286.html

Department of Health & Human Services. (2015, May 31). Computer - related

injuries. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/

health/healthyliving/computer-related-injuries

Be a Game Artist: Requirements and Information. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17,

2017, from http://study.com/articles/Be_a_Game_Artist_Requirements_and_Information

.html

Writer, S. (2015, May 31). The biggest entertainment markets in the world.

Retrieved November 18, 2017, from https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/88472/the-

biggest-entertainment-markets-in-the-world/