On this show
we usually talk about how to make great games
but all the time
We also get asked
how to put together a good portfolio
So today
in order to prevent that mountain of mail from growing any larger.
We're going to answer that very question
And
We're going to do that
thanks to Wix
because a little while ago
they came to us and said they wanted to sponsor a video
but they knew we really
didn't do much topically that ties in with websites
then as we peek through our above-mentioned email pile.
We were like wait
hold the phone
portfolios
use
websites
*pfou*
Right, then
a beautiful informational YouTube video was born.
So thanks once again to Wix
for kicking us into finally putting this episode out
So let's get to it
if you want to get a job in the games industry
or most any creative industry for that matter then
You're going to need a portfolio
Why?
Because
they're the second step
toward getting you an interview
Step 1,
of course is your resume
which is meant to get people to take a closer look at who you are
and what you can do.
Whereas your portfolio
is meant to wow them in such a spectacular way
that they say to themselves
we have to get this person in for an interview.
So how do we make a portfolio?
That's gonna make someone do that.
Well
design it
just like you design a game
first off
ask yourself
Who's your target audience
people who are both high enough up in whatever company that you're applying to
that they're called in for hiring decisions
And also
have the skills to actually assess your portfolio.
And what's the one thing that's almost certainly going to be true
of anyone who meets
both of those criteria in the game industry
they're
busy
like crazy busy
often by the time someone's looking at your portfolio
your resumes pass through the HR screening
and now your work is in the hands of
Somebody whose actual job
is making a game
and they've got dozens of these to look at
and they're acutely aware of
every minute that they're going through them
they could be,
you know
actually
making a game.
So how do you grab your viewers interest?
Well first and foremost,
you need a hook
ask yourself
when someone clicks on that portfolio link
What's the first thing they're going to see
what's going to make them stop and say
I need
to see more?
this should be your most impressive work
the thing which really says that you've got something special
and it absolutely positively
should come the very top of your page
Don't just put your stuff on there chronologically
and definitely
don't just upload a bunch of your work and leave it at that
Make sure you grab them with the first thing they see
Next
we have to talk about what a portfolio
is not
It's not a giant record of every piece of work you've ever done
you probably already know this but
take off your older work
the work you're less proud of
or the work that doesn't show your full potential
a small amount of good stuff is powerful.
So don't dilute it
also
know your audience
if you're applying for a design position that I'm hiring for
I really don't want to have to sift through a bunch of audio files to find examples of your design work
And I know that there are many of you out there who are multi-talented
and want to show that you can draw
script
and do game design
but
your resume
should tell me that
when you build your portfolio
If you're really thinking about applying to several different disciplines within this field
make portfolio sites for each one
or at the very least
Make sure each one has its own page
Because the last thing you want is to apply for a position
say as a texture artist
and then someone looking at your portfolio thinks
ah
Kind of looks like they really want to be a sound designer
Okay,
so we've got our audience
and we've got our guiding principles
Now
let's talk about the nuts and bolts of actually making a portfolio
We'll start with some general pointers
and then move to specific tips for each discipline at a game studio
First
keep your portfolio clean and simple
as a designer or an artist
No one's going to hire you
if your portfolio page is ugly or poorly laid out
and honestly
if your page looks amateurish
People are going to be less likely to look at it
even if you're applying for a sound design or a programming gig
but if graphic design isn't your thing
use a template
if only we knew of where we could find some of those.
Ah
Seriously, though.
They're a great starting point
and no one's going to fault you for that
especially if it's not in your field
Next
focus on the work
you don't need to post a full bio about you
And in fact
text should be kept to a minimum
Use it to explain your thought process
or use it to point out really interesting things about your work
That might not be immediately obvious at first glance
But
think of words as expensive here
only use them if you're going to get a great return
Because remember
the person looking at this
is probably in a hurry
Also
be sure not to intermix your portfolio with your non-professional life now
I know I shouldn't even have to say this,
but I have seen people send over their personal Instagram as their portfolio
and if someone's looking at your work
and thinking
oh
great piece,
ah, that's awesome
Oh and that
is them chillin with their giant bong and anime love pillow
It's not gonna do you any favors
and it doesn't even have to be that extreme
Look
I of all people
know that your cat is awesome
But it's just not what people are looking for
when they're trying to figure out if they should hire you
Sure, you will but
then there's the most common question we get
how much stuff
should be in my portfolio
and to that I say
Well, how much stuff do you have that's great?
and of course this is a pretty subjective area
because artists
will want to show more things to demonstrate the consistency of their work
or that they can work in multiple styles
while designers
will probably want to be a little more focused
and add some more detail about their work
When you're starting out,
it can feel hard to have enough,
but that doesn't mean
you should add bad or broken work
Trust me
quality wins over quantity every time
and the person reviewing your portfolio
is probably looking to eliminate candidates
So don't give them a reason
Lastly
and this might sound silly that I have to say it.
Be sure to put your contact information on there somewhere
It doesn't have to be big or bold
But if one of your friends gets hired somewhere
and passes your portfolio off to their boss
Or if someone you sent a resume to
decides that you're not right for them at that moment
but man
They were just talking to one of their buddies
who seems like they're looking for exactly what you have to offer
you want these people to be able to contact you as easily as possible.
Oh and on that subject
Please make it a professional email address
Because people will take you a lot less seriously
if they have to write out
pone master lamb tapper
at aol.com
Okay. So now that all the generalities are out of the way
Let's rapid-fire some advice on specific disciplines
if you're a coder
and your sample code is uncommented
It's going to go straight to that great recycle bin in the sky.
Don't do this
If you're a designer,
don't just upload your finished games
as no one's really going to have time to play through the full thing
So in addition
put together some video clips
of the most interesting parts of the games you have
from a design perspective
and then talk over them
explaining your decisions
and showing off how you think is a designer
sound folks
Sometimes it's hard to come up with a reel when you're just starting out
So
if you need to
don't hesitate to take a trailer
remove all the audio
and then replace it with your own
actually fun fact
I did with a few TV and radio commercials for an early VO reel
But
and there's a big but
make sure you're clear about what it is you're exactly doing and why
so no one thinks you're trying to take credit
for doing the audio on a Final Fantasy
Artists
focus on the area you're most interested in
James has seen a lot of portfolios from people coming out of game schools
where they try to prove that they can rig
animate skin
and do some effects work
But once you're out of school
nobody is going to be hiring you to do all of those things
You can put an imager to somewhere lower in your portfolio
to show that you understand them
but really try to have your portfolio focus
on what you're passionate about
basically
build the portfolio for the position you want and
Finally
the last piece of portfolio advice I'll give you
is that your portfolio alone
is not enough
if you build this awesome thing
and just wait
they will not come
the only way to get eyes on your portfolio
is by putting yourself out there
go Network
go send your resume
and go out for
The jobs you'll know you'll be great at
so good luck
Good hunting,
and we hope to see you all at GDC in a few years
once again
Thanks so much to Wix for sponsoring this episode
And making it possible for us
to share these portfolio tips with all of you
Once you're ready to create your own online portfolio
Which can really make the whole process a breeze
Their creation tools like Wix stories
Wix video and Wix booking
makes crafting unique in personal pages
super straightforward
no matter what your medium
and that lets you focus
on sharing your craft with the world
Well, they do all the heavy lifting
So if you'd like to start your new portfolio
Business site
or even just upgrade your suite but aging EC fan fiction page
just a thought
Click the link in the description below and create your professional website today
You