First job as a Multimedia Artist
A little backstory, my parents had me at a young age so they quit their jobs to start their own company, Metamedia. What started out as a video editing business turned into a multi-service operation making interactive experiences for education, advertising, and amusement. They worked almost non-stop and juggled different roles to keep the business running all while taking care of four children. Their hard work motivates me to always do my best and one day, earn enough income so they can take a break.
By the time I reached high school, I knew how to use Photoshop from my dad. This gave me a chance to take some of his workloads after school hours or over the weekend. My tasks were designing layouts for brochures, video editing, animation, and much more. I was treated like a professional and would sometimes go on-site or tag along during the meetings. One of my early projects paved the way for me to design my first user interface which was an interactive application for kids to convert words into different languages.
Getting into College
I've always enjoyed Arts & Design but I had no idea what other courses I could take or what job options I had. There's so much pressure in picking a course and it felt like the choice I made would define my future (but it definitely does not!). I've seen people switch careers or take jobs unrelated to their course because we only discover what we really want until we try things out.
I was inspired by traditional arts and wanted to learn how to paint so I applied for a Fine Arts Painting course at UST (even though my parents didn't think it was a smart decision). There is a stigma that art careers aren't stable or can't provide a livable source of income. It was such a tough battle to defend my choice that I even ran away from home. My parents preferred I take Industrial Design but I was afraid of math and anything too technical that I didn't bother to look into it. It was actually about designing products and manufacturing which was pretty cool.
I managed to pass the exam and got my parent's approval but after a year I shifted courses anyway because I felt I did better in digital arts.
Shifting to Digital Arts & Graphic Design
As I was figuring out what’s next for me, I discovered “concept art”, a form of illustration used in the visual development of games, movies, and animation. Concept artists design characters, creatures, environments and create immersive worlds. It was considered FZD School of Design had the best curriculum to transform your art skills from 0 to 100 in just a year. The problem is it costs one million pesos and is located in Singapore. It was definitely something I couldn’t afford.
Instead, I settled for a graphic design course at CIIT and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. At this new school, you’ll find talent & passionate people everywhere. There is an argument whether it’s necessary to attend college or not in order to get a job. In the creative field, unless you want to go abroad or become a teacher, I don’t think it’s necessary but you’ll be able to get connections, guidance in creating your portfolio, and more opportunities that can help with your career. My favorite part is going to college was when I joined the digital painting club, had my internship, and worked on our thesis.
Thesis & Collaboration
I had my thesis twice because we didn’t complete the first one. Our idea was to reimagine a Filipino-written novel and visualize it using concept art. This way it could be used as inspiration for developers or directors to create a film/game from our designs. When that didn’t work out, I took the class a second time and joined a new team. This time their idea is about creating a board game. Initially, I wanted to take inspiration from Filipino Culture but we decided to aim for an international release and worked on a fantasy-themed game. I know that some students don't take this class seriously but it's a chance to create something interesting with fellow peers.
It will also challenge one’s friendship, discipline, leadership skills, and initiative to contribute to the team. The best part is you can share it as an experience and an addition to your portfolio. I’ve used my thesis constantly as an example of my work when I was just starting my freelance career.
On the Job Training in the Games Industry
There’s one last thing I needed before graduation, an OJT or on-the-job training at any company for 400 hours to experience how it is to actually work. I applied to multiple game companies looking for 2D Artist internships and did various art tests to get in. Coincidentally, the founder of my college institution started the first game studio in the Philippines and that’s where I got accepted to start my internship. Going to Anino really set the standards of my ideal workspace. Their office was unlike the usual corporate setup, it had a game room and nap room to take breaks, free lunch, after-work activities like game nights, and even monthly allowance for interns.
It was a blast staying there and learning from veterans about the different roles and stages of game development. Working in a casino game, it’s important to have high-quality, polished and eye-catching designs. I was assigned to create marketing materials and In-app messages that pop out so that players are encouraged to purchase more in-game items and continue to visit the game. This taught me the importance and influence of the game's UI design on its players.
Freelance & the Gig Economy
After graduation, it was time to send applications to game studios once more. It was difficult to get noticed when you’re competing with hundreds of artists who recently graduated too. I tried my chances on freelancing instead. It does take some time to set up your online portfolio and get accounts approved but once it's ready, all that’s left is to promote your services and apply to available job offers. I got my first freelance gig on a board game forum using my thesis as sample work. The most important thing in getting a gig is to show if you’re able to do what the client is expecting. The downside to forums is the possibility that a client can run off or delay the project. It was much safer on Upwork but they take a huge chunk off the pay.
Working freelance is just like running a business. You have to keep grinding to get paid and work more than usual office hours to cater to international clients and meet deadlines. This was working out for me because I could take care of my family at home and at the same time earn enough to get by. The only problem was it’s not stable enough and I wasn’t learning as much as could in the process.
In my next blog, I'll be sharing how I got my first full-time job in UI/UX design.
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