Some advice for a VFX dude with no game experience

[davidjerome]

Hi all,
I'm a VFX pipeline dude and I have been looking into games and game Development for sometime now. I have plenty of cg and cg tool Development experience but no game.

My toolbox:
Maya / Max (model,texture,shade,rig)
Realflow
FumeFX
Python / mel / maxscript (tool development)
Afx / Photoshop

Now I am mostly a pipeline and FX artist. I can see myself as a technical artist. I know that is not an entry level position. Some of the companies and artist's I have talked with it seems like it's too much to bring in someone fresh to the game engine. The cost of teaching is too big.

What would you all suggest I focus on?
Unity or unreal?
Ingame FX?
Suggestions?

Br,
David
More Info about me: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=19776866

[Code]

I would suggest focusing on learning Unity first, since it's quite easy to get in to. Also more and more smaller companies seems to start out with Unity because it is easy to work with.

[jonaz.dk]

Yup in Denmark.. Unity!

Why not put up a Showreel in the thread. Even if VFX focused.

Pure effects driven positions in the local work space are RARE! But if you are pure awesome! You never know.
You could pimp up your portfolio with environment art, props, perhaps characters? Showing a range of art skills. To be on the safe side and show some breadth.

Also do some effects driven stuff in Unity or only focus on that. If that if your strength and focus you live and die for.

[davidjerome]

Here is my FX reel of 2012. I have a good deel more material but I need to wait until it airs on tv.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/63024274[/vimeo]

https://vimeo.com/63024274

I am trying to get some of my "scripts" video captured so I can show them in action. Also I can not share the code as it is my employers..

Br,
David

[Zacker]

The typical issue with CG people coming from elsewhere to the games industry is a lack of technical understanding. Seeing that you have various scripting experience this does however not seem to apply to you. I would spend some time to create a quick Unity scene to demonstrate your understanding of working with realtime engines. If you modelled, textured, shaded and rigged a corner of some environment with good display of fx then you would have all you need to make the jump imo.

If you want examples of the typical game dev portfolio you should check out this list: http://www.mapcore.org/topic/13019-mapc ... lio-index/