It has been awhile since I did not write any article so as promised yesterday its is time to post a new one today!How to become a successful 3d artist in a video game company or in 3d studio? Or the question could be how to behave in a video game company? Both question are intimately linked. In fact how you manage yourself regarding your work and your relationship with your colleague is what will decide if you will become successful. If your boss will like you and eventually promote you or gives you a better salary.
I guess everyone who wants to work in the field want to become successful. So let assume it. What you should ask yourself now is: How should I behave? If you read my article about how to behave in a 3d school you already got a good piece of the answer. If you don't have read it just go at this link:
http://the3dblogger.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-behave-in-3d-school.htmlIn this article I talk about how to behave on a personal and relationship level with colleague in class in a wise way. In fact the way you should work at class is about the same that you should do in enterprise. You should develop good aptitude to work in team at the school and use them in enterprise. You got to develop good relationship with your colleague.
Developing good relationship could be done in a lot of ways like in your personal life. However you should always remember that you are in a business and there to work so you should inform yourself about how the things goes in that company. You got to know what is prohibited and what is socially accept as behavior in that specific company. Walk the walk and talk the talk!
It is always fun to become good friend with coworker because it lighten up the mood and the day pass faster. Try to go eat with them, take your break with them but try not to over impose yourself in the groups in a hard ways. People tend to not like people who do to much. So just be cool and relax and you surely do fine. It may seem obvious but it is critical because what will save your butt when you first start in your first job it is the good relationship you will create with the bosses and your coworkers.
It is crucial because at the beginning you will surely not know all that you need to know to work properly. Many company offer a couple of month or weeks in training with a lower salary and pass this period they consider if they want you or not. But don't worry pass three months if your doing fine usually they keep you and your already working for them after just a couple of weeks. If they don't like you, you will know it way before the end of the probation period.
Than in this period of time they teach you how to work properly but at one point you will need help from your coworker because you don't want to always go ask to your lead for some answer or directives. Don't get me wrong it is always better to ask if you don't know beside not telling anyone and do like if everything is alright.
A guy who use to work at the same studio than me have done that. It is bad because he was a good guy and this is because of the good attitude that he have regarding is colleague and his job that they give him a chance. But at one point his mistake lead to a lot a trouble that other may have to correct instead of doing what they was assigned to.
In video games time equal money always remember that! If i got to redo the job of another person that will cost a lot in time and in money. They fired him after a couple of mistakes. He didn't listen well to directives and understand well. I know a lot of youngster these days have trouble of attention,,, you know the kind who got to take Ritalin to keep them focus... In a company you should always well listen to what your boss is asking you. Bring a notepad with you and take notes of things he want you to do and how he want it. Also he may use your notepad to explain you something if you are more a visual person than an auditive which may probably be if you work as a 3d artist!
Again it is crucial you don't want to go ask three times in a row the same question. And you don't want to redo all your work because you didn't understand or do the correct thing the first time. It is okay if you don't catch what your lead need but than take time to understand and ask the right question. Don't do as if you understand all if it is not the case.
But in the case you don't know in example how to blurry a shadow what do you do? I know it may seem simple but actually it happen to me! I was not so good at lighting in 3ds max ... In this case what I should do is to try to find the solution by myself first. But it doesn't work if after 1 hour I didn't succeed to find how to correct the situation.
After having try to find the solution and not being able I should ask to coworker to help me. Now it is where you find that having good relationship is primordial. The guy or the girl sit next to you has no obligation to help you. If they like you they will be glad to help but if your a real pain in the ass chance are that they don't want to...
In resume, try to be as friendly possible with your coworker and try to listen very well at what is ask to you. In this way you will probably do a fine job. If you got question try to answer it by yourself but if your not able ask a colleague before asking to your boss. In doing it that way, if your job is well done and you don't bother your boss at anytime they will begin to like you and maybe after a couple of month you got an increase in your revenues!
Sam the 3d blogger
www.the3dblogger.blogspot.com
