Creative Development Week02:Blitz Games Studios (Blitz Academy)

Blitz Academy is a section the Blitz Games Studio which covers anyone wanting to get into the games industry and really are there to guide and encourage people to create games in ways of an academy format or even having competitions. The resources that they provide as well as the general information into getting into the the industry, paths to strengthening your skills and much more but i found the sections of their games design on the art direction pretty interesting as they also provide links to webstes that will help to further develop my skills but also to see the competitions work through the http://www.blitzgamesstudios.com/blitz_academy/resources/#art website i found http://www.3dtotal.com/index_tutorial.php?catDisplay=2&p=1&sort=date&order=1&detailsoff=0&roPos=1 which 3D Total provide sample tutorials as well as some free full tutorials which straight away i clicked on one of the tutorials and found something which i was unsure if you were able to pass off actually using refrence images for your concept art. Where you could place images into areas and actually take those bits of details to develop your own interpretation so thats why i feel Blitz Games Academy not only gives you their own known information and provides you with the right type of choices but also points you to the right resources in which they weren't able to cover but also the academy itself is part of  games studio which in essence can give you a really good insight into a studios expectations.

There was also a job role and needs part of the website in which was useful for an insight on the expectations as i mentioned and i came across not an exact role of which i will be going for but close enough under the games design section:

"Game Designer

Skills Required

This is one of the most difficult areas to define a skillset for. In many respects it comes down to game knowledge - you need to have played games from every genre and every era. But a willingness to branch out and the self-confidence to create is essential - the world does not need any more game designers who actually just want to remake their favourite game.

You'll have to be a resilient character who can withstand a lot of criticism, but who also knows when to listen to differing opinions and take on board other peoples' suggestions. Communication skills are vital: those fantastic ideas of yours are worthless unless you can present them in an exciting and clearly comprehensible manner.

Experience is essential in this field. It is very unlikely that you will be hired as a game designer if you have no previous form or professional experience. At the end of the day, it is personal skills that will allow you to flourish as a game designer. Imagination. Creativity. Confidence.

Best Tip

As with all roles that carry a large degree of authorship over public-destined artwork, the most important thing to do is to balance the amount of novel and radical concepts (which some players might find confusing or alienating) with some more traditional and familiar elements. Getting this balance right should enable most people to gain a foothold, a degree of understanding of your games, yet be constantly surprised and entertained."



Also there was some information at the bottom really covering the point of sending and bringing together your work for potential employers:

"SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

This following list is a guide to the sort of samples you should try to assemble when applying for a design role. Whatever you do, remember to be selective and send only your best work. Swamping a prospective employer with large quantities of old and new work can make your submission look inconsistent and patchy if the older stuff is of a lower quality. Don't worry if you don't have all of this stuff, just provide a few good items from this list.

• CV - in the standard format.
• Professional work (if you are industry experienced).
• Practical examples - level designs for existing games (for example, FPS games).
• Sample models/artwork.
• Sample documents.

Professional work can be provided as screenshots and supporting material (with obvious respect to legal and confidentiality issues). This support material could be documentation, maps and plan drawings or actual models. Professional work should always be accompanied by a detailed description of what you actually did on the work in question. It is anticipated that most areas of a finished game will be collaborative, so highlighting key sections and areas of your responsibility is vital.

Practical examples could be your homemade levels for published games. Ideally, work of this kind will include the playable level (obviously you'll need to hope that the actual game is available to the person reviewing the application), as well as some brief documentation illustrating the key design features and decisions behind the level. For example, the original concept and how it changed and evolved during its creation, what things you discovered didn't work and what actions you undertook to rectify those problems.

Sample models and artwork are not expected to be of the quality required by an Artist applicant, but examples of your level modelling could be extremely useful. These could be presented as actual model files (for example Max or Maya) or via a good series of still images and screenshots that illustrate the layout and views within the level. Initial maps and diagrams can help us judge how well you plan and present your work.

Sample documentation can take many forms; below you can find a few examples. The most important thing to remember is that quality, not quantity, is the most important factor. Keep each sample document short - 3-4 pages at most, and be selective with your work. Just a few of your best items will show your abilities in the best light.

• A short design overview for a new, original game. This could be anything from a small, free download arcade or puzzle type game to an epic fantasy adventure. The important thing is to get only the most critical information across in a short space (3-4 pages).
• A critical analysis of an existing game - this is not a review, this is a far more sophisticated and observant appraisal of why a game works very well, or why it falls flat on its face. You can assess the entire game in broad strokes, or choose a single section or level to cover in detail.
• A level design for an existing game, presented as a map and walkthrough. Be sure to capture the atmosphere and play style of the chosen game. Try to stay within the size limit of 3-4 pages. Stick to the point: long descriptive passages explaining the emotional state of the player are unnecessary.

Do not send a full game design document. It is very unlikely to be read in its entirety and it can be extremely difficult to find the crucial information that the employer will be looking for. Therefore it is likely to be ignored.

Finally, be a designer!

A trap that a great number of people fall into is confusing game design with script writing. We often receive a so-called game design that is, in fact, nothing more than page after page of often confusing and hackneyed narrative. While it is important to be able to contextualise your game designs within a narrative framework, you must allow the game-play itself to play the most prominent part!

If you are particularly keen on storytelling, then consider creating a specific game narrative work sample of 2 or 3 pages. Explain how the narrative will relate to the gameplay and theme of the design. Unless you are applying for a specific scriptwriting role, remember to ensure that your full application achieves a balance of game design and narrative design.

Good luck!"

http://www.blitzgamesstudios.com/blitz_academy/