Quick fire interview with professional games tutor Simon Fenton
I finished 'Half-Life 2 episode 2' at the end of 2008 so that should count! This is my favourite game of all time and Valve are my favourite developer.
Tell us a little about your background...
I studied Fine Art at Norwich before making the move into 3D. Soon after, I started running for a post production company called VTR and then got a full time job at a company called Bits Studios, which was great, hard work, but great. After moving on to work at Sony for 10 years on projects such as Kinetic and Home I decided that I wanted to put what I’d learned to good use and started teaching here at Escape Studios.
Which games artists or artists in general inspire you?
Most recently, the game ‘Dead Space’ which artistically, is really impressive. You can take inspiration from anywhere as I do, from painting through to architecture, illustration and film.
What was the main aim when creating the Games course?
This course is designed to get you a job in the industry; it’s as simple as that. We'll teach you the skills that are required by industry, the tips and tricks, work ethic and practice which they will expect. It's important that you become proficient in the technicalities - knowing which buttons to press and when - whilst being confident using software packages which come as standard.. Maya, ZBrush and CrazyBump. Artistic development is equally important, there are set principles which never change and these make up the foundation of our art practice. This is what I love about the games industry, it’s really democratic and if you have a good grasp on what’s required, there’s lots of scope to move around.
What kind of person do you need to be to study on this games course?
Creative and dedicated. You really don’t need to have any prior knowledge about 3D - just the passion for learning it.
What’s so good about being a games artist? What do you need to be prepared for?
It’s inspirational - when you’re working on next gen games you feel part of something important, plus you get paid to be creative doing the thing that you love most. Like any job there are downsides, you need to be prepared for long hours and staying late - I spent many evenings, during my career staying late to debate which shade of blue to use! Its tough - but - if you get to work on the latest games projects out there - it’s the best thing ever.
What video game are you most excited to see in 2009?
'Half-Life 3' - please Valve please! Or 'BioShock 2', 'Ghostbusters' and 'Dead Space' on the Wii...
Which game do you wish you’d thought of?
I like defending the world against aliens and zombies so it has to be 'Resident Evil'.
What advice would you give to someone wanting a career in games?
You first need to decide whether a career in games is really for you. If you’re still unsure about that then speak to someone about what it’s like to work in the industry - and get them to be honest - the highs and the lows. Nothing like first hand experience. If you decide it’s what you want, enrol on a course that’s going to get you where you want to be - as quickly as possible. If you want to be an artist in games then you need to educate yourself in proportion, colour and light and absorb as much information from film, painting and sculpture as you can.
