[Hawkswift]

It occured to me recently that it might be a good idea to try becoming an art intern at some game company. It further occured that I don't know exactly what aspect of game art I want to be doing, and I don't even know if this type of position exists.

So I figured I'd ask here.

Has anyone tried this? If so, where, and how did it turn out? What kind of jobs did you/would you do in this position? Do art internships even exist in this field?

[YVerloc]

All the companies where I have worked, and all the (reputable) companies where I have friends working generally avoid hiring interns. At least it seems so to me. And the reason is pretty simple: building a good art team for a game project is hard. Really hard. If a new art team member fits well into the existing team, then why not hire the artist full time instead? And if the new artist doesn't fit well into the existing art team, why carry the dead wood? Any new team member comes with a lot of risk. Not many art leads I know will bear that risk for the sake of having an intern to babysit.

Souds harsh, I know. But most game companies really struggle to make the most of their limited budgets and schedules.

That's not to say that internships can't be found. But IMO, the internships you can get, you probably don't want anyhow. Internships are likely to be available at Very Large Companies, where you will be used as a monkey to do incredibly menial labor, or at companies in financial distress who want to cut costs by mercilessly exploiting eager youngsters.

What can I say? Its a rough business.

One way to get into the game industry that is becoming more popular these days is to participate in a Mod team. I think that lately, Mod experience is being looked upon favorably as a good source of experience.

Aside from that, try to narrow your focus. You don't need an internship to figure out whether or not you want to animate, sculpt, texture paint or build levels. All you have to do is ask around and gather some information. Then build your skill up in the area of interest, and try your luck with an full application.

Best of luck
YV

[DeathJester]

I have to agree with Yverloc in some aspects.. but there are still worthwhile internships out there.. even at small companies. They only pop up in rare occasions.. So always keep your eye open, and ear to the ground, and in the meantime work your ass off on your skills.. Yverloc said work on a MOD.. that is the best way to get your name and art out there.. If it shows you can work hard for no pay, and produce bad ass stuff.. then they will be willing to take you on as an intern... Also post your work here on Sijun and some of the other forums, if your work is good, people will see it. Lots of professionals cruise these forums..

I recomend if you want to get into the art aspect of games, start with working on textures.. Do charecter, prop, scenerey, etc. textures.. Also work on doing concept sketchs and designs for monster, vehicles, charecter, scenerey, levels, whatever.. just bust your ass off.. A company can really tell your motivation when they look at your work, so don't half ass it.. Spend the extra couple hours even when you think a piece is done, post them on forums, and get crits to help you fix your errors..

I don't know how well you are at art, so if you haven't taken classes and all you have is a wacom tablet and photoshop, get your butt outside and draw from life, and sign up at a local JC for classes.. Read through the numerous threads on tutorials and lessons... get together with friends and start an art group... The more you spend working on your art the better your chance is you will find work or an internship..

sorry for being so long, its 4am and I just started to rant..

Good Luck man

peace.

DJ
_________________
-Death Jester
"Live each day like you will die tomorrow, and dream like you will live forever."

dethjester.com

[MadSamoan]

Internships are worth pursuing and most game developers I've worked at use interns and they do pan out on occasion. Usually when we take on an art intern, it's because their draftsmanship shows promise, they have unlimited enthusiasm, and know their way around a computer, even if they don't have 3D experience. They're paid very little, if even at all and we give them three months to ramp up and find out what they show an aptitude for like character modeling, texturing, animation or background environments. I've seen plenty of artists that started out as interns who found their niche quickly. The trick of course, is to find a company with people that are willing and have the patience and temperment to work with inexperienced people. You're just going to have to network and make contacts that have access to internship programs. It's hard, but it's worth it. Good luck.