Hi! My name is Miguel Ortiz, I’m 27 and I graduated in Video Game Design and Development in June 2020.
I’m currently working as a special effects artist for Crema, a video game company in Madrid, creating effects for the video game Temtem. It’s an online multiplayer game which mostly revolves around collecting creatures (Temtems) to fight in battles (generally 2v2) against other trainers, while exploring the Airborne Archipelago.
My day-to-day work involves transforming certain ideas or concepts such as “this does a lot of damage” or “this heals” into visual elements that are satisfying for players. In terms of effects, for Temtem we work with techniques used by the various creatures in battles. These techniques might have an effect on just one of the Temtems in the battle, on one of the teams, on both at the same time, etc. Therefore, the player must get that visual reinforcement by using something that does damage or heals to show how it does so. It is not the same to use a nature effect that heals you a little bit, and that be used every turn, as it is to cast a wrestling-inspired move that inflicts a lot of damage on the enemy and can only be used every other turn. Therefore, as a VFX artist, my job is to make sure the player perceives those differences when the different techniques are shown, and that they get a feeling of satisfaction and balance between what the technique does (heal / damage) and what appears on the screen.
I think something majorly attractive about this profession is that, on the one hand, it is multidisciplinary, and on the other, versatile. Multidisciplinary in the sense that you need to have knowledge (to a certain degree) of several of the areas in which video games are usually worked on, which are covered by the degree, such as creating textures, 3D modelling or animation. And versatile because there are lots of different ways of achieving similar results. This allows you to adapt the effects and your way of working according to what is needed at each moment, and it is an exciting challenge to have to face the decision of how to execute something, day in and day out.
These aspects can be considered part of the attractiveness of the Bachelor’s Degree in Video Games at Universidad Europea, since the education given is essentially quite generalised. Having a multidisciplinary foundation from which you can develop yourself is really useful in this industry. Although not strictly necessary, knowing the principles of animation or colour theory, for example, can end up being useful in any profession related to the world of video games. On the one hand, so you can become a more rounded professional with more skills and expertise, and on the other, you can better understand the needs and issues of your work colleagues.
For this reason, I think it is very important to try to do as well as you can in the degree subject areas that involve projects that, within their limitations, help to understand how a development works from its conception as an idea to its final delivery. They also help to highlight where we may have more difficulties, or more directly, what we clearly do not want to do ever again. Also, once you have decided where to specialise, try your best in subject areas related to that topic, even if only slightly related, as they can only help to increase your knowledge of the subject.
In my case, I decided to specialise in special effects after completing a subject area (Visual FX and Special Effects) with Marta del Valle. Although it has little to do with my everyday work, it clearly laid foundations and sparked a strong curiosity that ended up becoming my passion and profession. I think it is important that there are teachers and subjects like this, and I was lucky to have been able to find this at Universidad Europea.
Nevertheless, it’s true that it’s necessary to go beyond this. You need to specialise in the area that, as a student, is most suited to your interests and experiences. This can be done though the master’s degree, courses or of your own accord. In order to have a strong portfolio or reel, it’s really useful to have done work that goes beyond the “strictly necessary” in order to progress in your career. This really helps to make you attractive to different national and international companies, as it shows all that you are capable of doing in a condensed space. Therefore, while some of the work done at university can be perfect for portfolio pieces, having additional work will make your portfolio stand out.
If you have the time and are trying to contact a particular company, it is also useful to create pieces that could work in that company’s game(s). To give an example in the field of effects, if you want to work on a card game such as Hearthstone, Legends of Runeterra, Gwent etc., then creating the type of effects that can work on a board, between cards and with the artistic style specific to the company’s game, gives value to your portfolio. Similarly, and also as an example, if it’s a game based on the Pixel Art style, it is a good idea to have pieces that follow that style.
Finally, I wanted to encourage anyone who is looking for a job in the industry. While there are times when it may feel like you’re sending emails into the void, it’s just a matter of getting better and not losing hope. It’s true that my case is quite particular, as I was extremely lucky to get in contact with Crema very soon after finishing my degree. Since then, they have been guiding me and teaching me (a special thanks to Alejandro Muñoz and Adrián Andrés) on a day-to-day basis. I feel very fortunate, and while I know it’s a case of being in the right place at the right time, that doesn’t remove from the fact that a lot of hard work and desire to improve has gone into it. I believe that in this situation, attitude and individual hard work are the most important things, and this will ensure that, once that bit of luck arrives, you can achieve your goals.
If you want to know more about Miguel, here you can read an interview with him.