How Do I Plan Around the Uncertainty of Employment?

by Eliott Lilly | Nov 25, 2015 | Questions

Question submitted by Joe z

I’ve been working consistently as a remote contractor on a console game for about 7 months now… But when it comes time to sign my next apartment lease or make any big commitments I keep questioning whether my job/income will still be there. I feel that I should just work hard and go with the flow but how should I in factor all this “uncertainty of employment” when I am making decisions about the future?

Hey Joe, that is a great question! Here is my answer:

Since job security within the video game industry can be very unstable due to canceled projects, studio closings, and whatnot, your continued employment (even if you are working in house) is always uncertain. Therefore, when working in the industry (especially remotely/ freelance) it is always best to keep your expenses, bills and amount of possessions down to a minimum. I would refrain from making any large purchases for a long as possible (don’t buy a house or spend your check on rubbish) because you may have to relocate to your next job. This can be a hassle if you ever have to experience it. One of the best pieces of advice a friend gave me, was to look at car transporting services, like those provided by Cars Arrive Auto Relocation for example. This makes it easier to move your vehicle over to another state because you’ll have one less thing to worry about. Job relocations can be stressful, but sometimes they’re for the best. If you do need to make a big purchase then make sure you have a good credit score to make it easier to pay back what you owe as quickly as possible. If you don’t have any credit history then check out articles that talk about getting a credit card without credit history then start building your history from there. Sometimes making a big purchase is needed but at least make sure you pay off your debt as quickly as possible.

Here’s what you should do when planing around the uncertainty of employment:

Always keep in mind that your job is never secure. and therefore live modestly, below your means. Ideally, your rent should not be more than 1/3 of your paycheck AFTER TAXES. (More than that means your apartment is eating into the money needed to pay bills, student loans, deposit into your savings, etc.). You can sign a yearly lease, although month to month would be better. If you ever have to break your lease, (to relocate to a new job) then you should negotiate with the company who is hiring you, to pay the fees involved. Depending on how you pay for your energy bills, you might also want to do some research into switching energy providers to a more affordable plan, as quite often you can save money in this way. For example, one of my friends managed to make a huge saving on his utility bills by switching providers after he read several Champion Energy reviews online that seemed highly positive.

While the money is coming in, DON’T SPEND IT. SAVE IT. Build yourself a “nest egg”. Ideally you will want to start saving enough money to cover AT LEAST 6 months of your living expenses.

This buys you some time if an emergency ever comes up, or if you lose your job. If you have monies left over, then set up/ add funds to your retirement fund (401k, or Roth IRA) Since you are young, investing aggressively now will yield you A LOT of profit, down the road. It also means you pay less on taxes. If you DO want to treat yourself to the occasional video game or toy, that’s fine, but just remember that you will have to carry all of that stuff to whatever town/ state/ or country your next gig will be at.

I hope that helps.

If anyone has their own questions, please feel free to send an email to me@eliottlillyart.com, and I will do my best to answer them. Thanks.

How Do I Transition from a QA Tester to Concept Artist?

by Eliott Lilly | Nov 11, 2015 | Questions

Question submitted by  Jeff V.

I HAVE JUST RECENTLY GOTTEN A JOB IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY AS A QA TESTER. SO FAR IT’S BEEN AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE AND I WAS PLACED ON A AAA TITLE FOR MY FIRST TESTING PROJECT EVER. PRETTY COOL, BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD PLANNED FOR MY POST-COLLEGE JOB. I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAD ANY ADVICE ON WHAT STEPS AN ARTIST CAN TAKE TO TRANSITION FROM A QA TESTER TO CONCEPT ARTIST WITHIN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY?  I BELIEVE I HAVE AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY PLACED IN FRONT OF ME AND I’D LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A FOOT IN THE DOOR.

Hey Jeff; You are in a very unique position where you can interact with professionals in your field of interest.  If you wanted to transition from a QA Tester to Concept artist, then I would suggest you do the following:

First: get to know the concept artists on the team.  

On your own time, you should do some research on each concept artist who works at the studio

• Look up their portfolios, familiarize yourself with their artwork/ style/ interest’s, etc
• Find out their education background, etc.
• Find out their job history

Second: Interview them (In a casual and friendly way)

Take them out to lunch and pick their brain (one, or all of them… and YES, you have to pay for it.  Consider it an investment in your future).  Now that you are knowledgeable of who they are, you can be sure to ask them the RIGHT questions.

In addition to your own, be sure to ask these questions:

• “If I  wanted to do what you do, what do I need in my portfolio?”
• If they have worked at a studio you want to work at, then ask: “What will my portfolio need to have in it to be attractive to a particular studio?”

Finally: Explain your situation

Bring examples of your work to the lunch so you can show it to them. During your conversation with them, explain your desires and goals, and then ask for their advice and feedback. Be sure to ask:

• “If you were in my predicament, what would you do?”
• “What is the first thing you think I should do next?”
• Ask if you can show them your work from time to time.

The point of all this is to establish a report with these artists who will hopefully be willing to nurture your ambitions.  If they are willing to look at your work, offer advice, or do paint-overs on your work, etc, then that will be a huuuge learning experience for you. Even standing behind them and watching them paint, will help in your learning process. Get creative here and don’t take “No” for an answer.  Even if u have to buy them lunch every day for a month, it will be worth it in the long run.

Then go home and practice, practice, practice, practice! The goal is to build a new body of work that reflects your interests and aspirations. The more time you put into this goal the sooner you can start realizing your dream of becoming a professional concept artist.

 

If I were that artist who you interviewed, I would advise you to do the following to transition from a QA Tester to Concept artist:

First: Do your research and make sure that you want to dedicate yourself to this career path.   There are other options in video game art besides concept art that you may want to explore.  You can be a 3D modeler, world/ environment builder, prop artist,  designer,  etc. Look these careers up if you are not familiar with them.

Once you are certain that this you are on the right path, you will need to figure out your areas of interest (characters?)  and your long term plans  (what kind of studios you want to work for, projects you want to work on, etc.) Establish a goal. Say to yourself something like: “I want to become a senior character concept artist working at Blizzard studios on games like Warcraft.”  Then, let that dream job be the target that you aspire to.

With a clear goal in mind, you will have a tangible target to aim for. You can then begin steering your new body of work in that direction. You have a very nice illustration portfolio, but not a video game portfolio.   You will need to have images in there that look like they belong to a video game that (in this example) Blizzard would find appealing.  The goal here is to market your skill set to a company that needs your skills.

Its time to level up.

I would purchase tutorials, instructional videos, etc. to see how the professionals make concept art. If you are up fro going back to school, then I would consider taking some online classes as well.  Checkout the recommended resources page for your options.

If you keep at it, over several months, you will improve.  And when your work shows that your are ready to do this professionally, hopefully you will be bale to capitalize on your relationships with the artists on your team and ask them to put in a good word for you.  With a bit of luck you might get the next concept art job opening at that studio.

If anyone has their own questions, please feel free to send an email to me@eliottlillyart.com, and I will do my best to answer them. Thanks.

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www.eliottlillyart.com

How do I secure future employment?

by Eliott Lilly | Nov 9, 2015 | Questions

Quesion submitted by Joe z

I’VE BEEN WORKING CONSISTENTLY AS A REMOTE CONTRACTOR ON A CONSOLE GAME FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS NOW… WHAT KIND OF STEPS SHOULD I TAKE TO SECURE FUTURE EMPLOYMENT WHILE I AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PROJECT?

If you are working on one project, and want to secure future employment on another, then here is what you should do:

4-6  months before the project is scheduled to end:

3 months before the project is scheduled to end:

2 months out: