Game Art
Career Opportunities and Resources
SAMPLE LIST OF CAREER POSSIBILITIES FOR GAME ART GRADUATES:
3D Character Modeler Digital Designer
Graphic Designer Interactive Media Designer
Art Technician Motion Graphics
Production Assistant Audio/ Video Engineer
Asset Manager Art Director
Environmental Artist Compositor
FX Artist/ Lighting Artist Game Designer
Concept Artist Producer
Technical Artist Video Game Tester
Flash Engineer UI Artist
Software Engineer 3D Modeler Designer
2D/ 3D Animator Environment Artist
Cartoon Artist Rigger Animator
Audio Programmer
RELATED SKILLS:
Discuss the full game development lifecycle of the art and design process
Build upon a strong foundation in traditional drawing skills
Produce 3D animation according to traditional animation theory
Describe the key elements for 3D character modeling
Create textures for use in a 3D environment
Design characters
Execute a production timeline
Design, develop, test, and deploy a game or interactive software product
Communicate professionally as thinkers, readers, writers, speakers, and listeners
Perform requirement roles on game and interactive software
Creating and manipulating 3D characters (and other assets)
Real-time & pre-rendered 3D environments
Character personality, fluid motion, organic movement, and storytelling
CONFERENCES:
Game Developers Conference—The GDC is the world's largest professionals-only event in the game industry.
http://www.gdconf.com/
Women In Games Conference—The Women In Games conference encourages research and seeks to promote
careers in the games industry for women. http://www.womeningames.com/
Independent Game Conference—Brings independent game designers minds together and provide an
experience that is focused on what game developers want to talk about.
http://eventsforgamers.com/eventpage/igc
SIGGRAPH –A leading conference on the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques
http://www.siggraph.org/
EMPLOYMENT:
Gamasutra— Gamasutra is the leading website for discussing the art and business of video games.
http://www.gamasutra.com/jobs/
AWN—Animation World Network, provides the latest news and job resources in the animation industry
www.awn.com
Creative Heads—comprehensive job site for those in the animation, games, TV, films, and 3D technology fields
of work www.creativeheads.net
CG Society—community of 3D and 2D computer generated images artists, includes a job resource tab
www.cgsociety.org
Coroflot—A fast, easy way to get your creative projects online and in front of the right people
The only job board that gives you access to the full creative spectrum http://www.coroflot.com/
CareerShift—Job and contact search management tool provided free to RMCAD students and alumni by the
Office of Career + Alumni Services
Government Jobs—Federal and state governments do hire artists and designers. http://www.usajobs.gov/
http://www.studentjobs.gov/ Government Internships at http://www.makingthedifference.org/
AIGA Design Jobs—Professional jobs in the design field http://designjobs.aiga.org/public/jobs_browse.asp
Game Jobs—Employment site serving the entertainment industry http://www.gamejobs.com/
Gamasutra Job Seeker--http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobseekerx/
Colorado Companies (many also have additional locations in the US):
o Data Incorporated http://3d.datausa.com/
o Mighty Fudge Studios http://www.mightyfudgestudios.com/home.html
o Net Devil http://www.netdevil.com/
o Sony Online Entertainment http://corporate.station.sony.com/en/denver-studio.vm
“Get in the Game! Careers in the Game Industry” a gaming career guide by Marc Mencher
Jobs in Art—A paid subscription service that RMCAD Career + Alumni Services sponsors for you. See posting
under ‘Careers’ in the student portal, or on the Alumni Portal under Current Jobs in Art List.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
IGDA—The International Game Developers Association is the largest non-profit membership organization
serving individuals that create video games. http://www.igda.org/about/ Colorado Chapter.
http://www.igda.org/colorado
CG Society-Society of Digital Artists-- The CGS supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to
connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of
digital art http://www.cgsociety.org/
GameArtisans.org—Gaming forums and competition gallery
National Association of Independent Artist— http://www.naia-artist.org
Artists Rights Society—Provides visual artists with support for copyright clearance and monitors the use and
potential abuse of artists' rights. http://www.arsny.com
Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists—ASFA is a non-profit educational association, which is run by
a staff of volunteers who give generously of their own time and resources. http://www.asfa-art.org
New York Society of Renderers—Local 800 is comprised of Art Directors, Graphic Artists, Illustrators, Matte
Artists, Model Makers, Scenic Artists, Set Designers and Title Artists. http://www.artdirectors.org
Animation Film Association—AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the
recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. http:// www.asifa.net
Big Cartoon Database— http://www.bcdb.com
Rocky Mountain College Art + Design • Career + Alumni Services Office
1600 Pierce St. • Denver • CO • 80214 • P: 303.753.6046 • F: 303.225.8610
careerservices@rmcad.edu • www.rmcad.edu
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
AWN Forums—Animation World Network Forum, home to the AWN.com and VFXWorld.com discussion forums
http://forums.awn.com/
Gamasutra—Gaming industry resource http://www.gamasutra.com/
Game Developers Map—Websites and locations of game studios http://www.gamedevmap.com/ Map of Denver
Game Studios http://www.gamedevmap.com/index.php?tool=location&query=Denver
GameDaily—Game industry news website with free newsletter http://www.gamedaily.com/news/biz/
LinkedIn—Professional networking site. Can join industry groups and connect with other professionals.
Recruiters search this system for potential employment http://www.linkedin.com/
FREELANCE EMPLOYMENT:
iFreelance--Post your profile today and get access to 1000's of buyers in need of your professional services.
Advertise to buyers, bid on projects, and earn money doing what you love to do. Commission-Free!
http://www.ifreelance.com/
The Creative Group—Matching talent with companies http://www.creativegroup.com/
Design Firms—As one of the world's leading directories of web designers, developers, graphic designers, etc.,
your business can reach thousands upon thousands of visitors each month. http://www.designfirms.org/
Go Freelance-- Go Freelance is dedicated to bringing you all the latest freelance jobs and employment
opportunities, with new listings added daily http://www.gofreelance.com/
Guru—Market your skills, find online freelance work, and get paid http://www.guru.com/
Freelance Designers—List your freelance company in the directory to provide quotes on job bids
http://www.freelancedesigners.com/dir/graphicdesign/
Creative Allies—A community for anyone who loves to create. Creative people from anywhere in the world can
upload Creations for their favorite bands and get paid http://www.creativeallies.com/
Elance—Platform for flexible employment helps businesses hire and manage online instead of onsite
www.elance.com
oDesk—With an average job size of $5,000, oDesk is the best place to find meaningful work and top-flight talent
www.odesk.com
Behance—A platform for creative professionals across all industries. Members create multi-media portfolios
that showcase their work within the Network, as well as throughout partner sites and organizations, and the
industry-specific Served Sites. Millions of visitors — including top creative companies, recruiters, editors, and
more — come to the Network to see the incredible work and find talent to hire. http://www.behance.net/
PUBLICATIONS:
CGW: Computer Graphics World—magazine about innovative graphics technology and applications
www.cgw.com
Game Developer Magazine—The magazine contains articles on professional game development topics relating
to programming, art, audio, quality control, design, and production. http://www.gdmag.com/homepage.htm
Game Career Guide—Industry news and game industry careers http://www.gamecareerguide.com/
Animation Arena—A leading animation resource for 3D, 2D, Flash and Concept artist & graphics enthusiasts.
Find #1 rated info about Art Programs, Schools, Jobs, and Tutorials. www.animationarena.com
Game Tester—Website with information on game testing http://www.gamestester.com/
Rocky Mountain College Art + Design • Career + Alumni Services Office
1600 Pierce St. • Denver • CO • 80214 • P: 303.753.6046 • F: 303.225.8610
careerservices@rmcad.edu • www.rmcad.edu
Independent Games Festival—Independent Games Festival, which has awarded hundreds of thousands of
dollars in cash prizes (and brought major exposure and a much higher profile) to a multitude of indie and student
game developers who enter http://www.igf.com/
OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK AND WAGE STATISTICS:
The most effective way to gauge your potential earnings in your field is to conduct an employment search in the
region you want to work and average the wage for 6 jobs that you would be qualified for
US Bureau of Labor Statistics— US Government resource that provides salary information as well as
occupational outlook statistics http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes271014.htm#st
Design Salaries—The AIGA/Aquent Survey of Design Salaries, commissioned annually by AIGA
http://www.designsalaries.com/
Game Career Guide—Information on game career salaries http://www.gamecareerguide.com/ Game Career
Forums discuss gaming careers and other helpful employment topics http://www.gamecareerguide.com/forums/
Salary.com—Free salary calculator that provides average pay rate for professions in different geographic regions
http://www.salary.com
INTERNSHIPS:
Please keep in mind that this list is not a comprehensive list of all available internship opportunities. Use these resources
to assist you with places to begin looking for internships, or volunteer experience. There are many other resources at
your disposal – use them creatively and contact local companies directly. Share your story and desire to gain experience
while you’re still in school or recently graduated, and inquire about serving as an intern or volunteer for them. The
experience you gain will be invaluable!
Check local companies:
o Mighty Fudge Studios http://www.mightyfudgestudios.com/jobs.html
o dePIXion Studios http://depixion.com/
o Colorado Production Resource Guide http://www.cprgonline.com/guide/post-production-graphics-
animation-visual-fx/717/5
Most of the major studios have internships available to students. Check Dreamworks, PDI, Disney, PIXAR, Sony
Pictures Image Works, Rythm and Hues, Cartoon Network, Blue Sky, Nickelodeon, WB, 4 Kids, and others
Interships.com— http://www.internships.com
Search CarerShift using keyword ‘internship’
AIGA Design Internships—Internships in the design field http://designjobs.aiga.org/public/internships.asp
Rocky Mountain College Art + Design • Career + Alumni Services Office
1600 Pierce St. • Denver • CO • 80214 • P: 303.753.6046 • F: 303.225.8610
careerservices@rmcad.edu • www.rmcad.edu