Score a Video Game Career


Book Description

Love video games and dream of a career as a professional game developer but unsure where to begin? Already working in games but want to learn more about the good and bad of a career in the games industry from an experienced developer? Video games are more popular than ever but the industry is small and notoriously difficult to break into. This book will cover the complete process from job application to landing a job as well as give an honest look at life as a professional video game developer. In an ultra-competitive industry, you need every advantage possible to stand out from the crowd. By reading this book you will receive Power-Ups and Bonus XP for your journey in game development. Some of the topics covered in this book include: Different career paths inside professional video game development. Deciding whether to enroll in a school or program in order to get a job. Tips on writing your cover letter, resume, and creating a high-quality portfolio or demo reel. Using networking and social media to become a better job candidate. Proven methods of searching for game development jobs. A look behind the scenes at the typical job application process inside video game studios. A breakdown of the full interview process. What to expect during an on-site interview and how to have a successful one. Information about money such as salary, relocation, benefits and at-will employment. Some of the perils of working in video games such as layoffs and working overtime. Reasons why a career game development might not be right for you. If you are interested in a career working in video games or just curious about how game studios work from an insiders perspective, this book will shine a light on all these topics and more. Whether you dream of a successful career in video games or are simply curious, this book will provide knowledge and insight about the game industry written by a professional game developer. Buy this book today and journey to a career making video games!




Start Your Video Game Career


Book Description

Learn how to start your career making video games from game industry expert Jason W. Bay! This practical "question and answer" book offers insider advice, information, and inspiration on how to get a job and grow your career making video games.




Careers in Focus


Book Description

For each position, the authors include a brief overview and its history. Discussions of education, certifications, or licensing required; a detailed job description; salary; and the future outlook are also supplied.




How to Score Your First Game Job


Book Description

Have you ever dreamed of making videogames for a living? Believe it or not, it's possible - and this guide can tell you how to do it. Written by a 10-year veteran of the game industry, you'll learn what it takes to get your foot in the door, how to put together a killer portfolio, and how to network with game developers like a pro. "I really wish I'd had this resource when I was starting out." -Caitlin L. Conner, Lead Narrative Designer at Gameloft In Chapter 1: Before You Begin, you'll uncover your true motivations for wanting to make games for a living, and how to pick the right game development discipline for you. In Chapter 2: Breaking In, you'll learn the eight key steps to getting into games, and how to master each one. In Chapter 3: Rites of Passage, you'll discover fundamental growing experiences that bind most professional game developers together, and how to make the most out of them. Finally, in Chapter 4: You're In - Now What? you'll learn how to leverage your first game job into a true career, and how to weather the stormy times.




Composing Music for Games


Book Description

Composing Music for Games is a guidebook for launching and maintaining a successful career as a video game composer. It offers a pragmatic approach to learning, intensified through challenging project assignments and simulations. Author Chance Thomas begins with the foundation of scoring principles applicable to all media, and then progresses serially through core methodologies specific to video game music. This book offers a powerful blend of aesthetic, technique, technology and business, which are all necessary components for a successful career as a video game composer.




How to Become a Video Game Artist


Book Description

Become a Player in the Business of Video Game Art Every year video games generate billions of dollars and some of the most dynamic and engaging artwork today. It’s an ever-growing field that holds great professional opportunity, but you need the right skills and savvy if you want to stake your claim. In How to Become a Video Game Artist, veteran video game designer Sam R. Kennedy provides the inside track on everything you need to forge a career in the world of video game art. Starting with the basics of game creation and a look at the artistic skills necessary to get started, Kennedy spotlights specific, key roles for creators—from concept artists to character animators to marketing artists and beyond. Each chapter features screenshots from popular video games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and World of Warcraft; interviews with video game art professionals who’ve worked for top gaming companies like BioWare, Blizzard, and Ubisoft; step-by-step examples of actual game art; and detailed breakdowns of the training and portfolio samples you’ll need to make these jobs your own. For anyone who wants to go from gamer to game designer, this book contains all the secrets you’ll need to rise to the top of one of the most exciting industries of our time.




A Composer's Guide to Game Music


Book Description

A comprehensive, practical guide to composing video game music, from acquiring the necessary skills to finding work in the field. Music in video games is often a sophisticated, complex composition that serves to engage the player, set the pace of play, and aid interactivity. Composers of video game music must master an array of specialized skills not taught in the conservatory, including the creation of linear loops, music chunks for horizontal resequencing, and compositional fragments for use within a generative framework. In A Composer's Guide to Game Music, Winifred Phillips—herself an award-winning composer of video game music—provides a comprehensive, practical guide that leads an aspiring video game composer from acquiring the necessary creative skills to understanding the function of music in games to finding work in the field. Musicians and composers may be drawn to game music composition because the game industry is a multibillion-dollar, employment-generating economic powerhouse, but, Phillips writes, the most important qualification for a musician who wants to become a game music composer is a love of video games. Phillips offers detailed coverage of essential topics, including musicianship and composition experience; immersion; musical themes; music and game genres; workflow; working with a development team; linear music; interactive music, both rendered and generative; audio technology, from mixers and preamps to software; and running a business. A Composer's Guide to Game Music offers indispensable guidance for musicians and composers who want to deploy their creativity in a dynamic and growing industry, protect their musical identities while working in a highly technical field, and create great music within the constraints of a new medium.




The Crazy Careers of Video Game Designers


Book Description

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! You might think that working in the video game industry is all fun and, well...games. Jobs like combat designer and animator sound pretty exciting. But do you know what it really takes to do one of these jobs? Do you have the skills? The knowledge? Are you ready to work hard? Game designers create the images, sounds, and action that gamers enjoy. Find out if you can handle a job in this fast-paced industry.




Writing Interactive Music for Video Games


Book Description

“This book is a must read for newcomers and experienced composers wanting to learn more about the art of video game composition.” —Chuck Doud, Director of Music, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios All You Need to Know to Create Great Video Game Music Written by the developer of Berklee School of Music’s pioneering game scoring program, this guide covers everything professional composers and music students need to know about composing interactive music for video games, and contains exclusive tools for interactive scoring—tools that were previously available only at Berklee. Drawing on twenty years of professional experience in the game industry, Michael Sweet helps you master the unique language of music storytelling in games. Next, he walks you through the entire music composition process, from initial conceptualization and creative direction through implementation. Inside, you’ll find dozens of examples that illustrate adaptive compositional techniques, from small downloadable games to multimillion dollar console titles. In addition, this guide covers the business side of video game composition, sharing crucial advice about contracts, pricing, sales, and marketing. Coverage includes Overcoming the unique challenges of writing for games Composing music that can adapt in real time to player actions Developing thematic ideas Using audio middleware to create advanced interactive scores Working effectively with game development teams Understanding the life of a video game composer Managing contracts, rights, estimating, and negotiation Finding work The companion website contains software tools to help you master interactive music concepts explored in this book, with additional resources and links to learn more about scoring for games. See Appendix A for details.




Guerrilla Film Scoring


Book Description

As the movie and music industries have changed, film scoring has become an overwhelmingly independent process. Film composers have more responsibilities than ever before, and they must fulfill them with smaller budgets and shorter schedules. As a result, composers are increasingly becoming armies of one. In Guerrilla Film Scoring: Practical Advice from Hollywood Composers,Jeremy Borum provides valuable guidance on how to make a good film score both quickly and inexpensively. This handbook encompasses the entire film scoring process including education, preparation, writing and recording a score, editing, mixing and mastering, finding work, career development, and sample contracts. Offering strategic tools and techniques, this insider’s guide draws on the expertise from a number of prominent composers in movies, television, and video gaming, including Stewart Copeland, Bruce Broughton, and Jack Wall. A straightforward do-it-yourself manual, this book will help composers at all levels create the best-sounding scores quickly and cost effectively—without jeopardizing their art. With access to rare and extremely useful input from the best in the business, Guerrilla Film Scoring will benefit not only students but also professionals looking to update their game.