Name: Iki IkramJob title: Senior VFX Artist, Killzone 2Location: London Studio

How and when did you join the company?

I joined Psygnosis in 1996 which later became Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

What does your role involve?

My role is an unusual one as I work across most projects in the studio and some externally. My main role is to create the visual effects in the game. Things such as dust, smoke, fire, explosions, weather effects, sparkles etc. The polish in the game if you like.

What skills did you need to get started in this industry?

Well I started a long time ago when you needed to be an all round artist that was able to model, Texture, Animate and even work on the design of the game. However, today you need to specialise in a particular field. A VFX artist should have a knowledge of scripting, be able to use an industry standard package such as Maya, Softimage or 3DS Max. Be able to work in a team with tight deadlines, problem solve and they must be able to understand and produce work for many different styles, be adaptable.

What tips do you have for anyone wanting to enter your area of the business?

With any form of CG work I would strongly advise that they set themselves small projects and show that they fully understand that particular skill and how to execute it. You've got to bring a bit of yourself into your work. If you're going to show some Fire and Smoke then go beyond the average fire and smoke demo and do something extraordinary to show off your style. I guess what I'm trying to say is that always go that bit further.

Describe your gaming prowess in three words

Cheat Cheat Cheat

What would be your 'desert island' game?

Killzone2, cause I worked on it :o)

Source: http://www.worldwidestudios.net/page/2618/jobs/career-guidance/employees-q26a/iki-ikram-qa

Bungie – 3D character Artist

Responsibilities

Translate concepts and reference material into next-gen models of characters and creatures.

Collaborate with art director, designers, programmers and animators on character specifications, movement, style, limitations, etc.

Paint realistic and futuristic textures for multiple shader functions such as diffuse maps, height maps, specular masks, detail maps, displacement maps and reflection maps.

Ensure that the high-quality bar established by the Art Director and Lead Character Artist is maintained.

Required Skills

University or equivalent art-related degree focusing on traditional skills such as sketching, illustration, and painting.

Two or more years of professional game industry experience.

At least one shipped title as 3D character artist.

A portfolio or demo reel that demonstrates an exceptional understanding of human anatomy and a creative imagination with a keen eye towards form, shape, structure, and silhouette in regards to modeling.

Be fluent in 3D Max or Maya, Photoshop, Zbrush and/or mudbox.

Experience creating high-poly models for normal ripping purposes.

Good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team environment.

Passion and desire to create great games.

Naughty Dog – Character Artists

Character Artist

Responsibilities

This digital sculptor will be responsible for making million poly models game ready, and support highest-res characters for renderings

This individual will create clean, deformable and efficient models, extract normal maps from high-res version and sculpt morph targets for use within a Maya/ZBrush pipeline

Requirements & Skills

Prior professional experience with normal map extraction of human models for next-gen games

An advanced knowledge of human anatomy is required

This position is best suited for modelers who prefer to sculpt and paint texture for their models as well

Candidates should be able to work with minimal input and be comfortable working in a team environment

Candidates could expect to take an offsite test