Senior Concept Visualiser, £ Dependant on experience.

Working primarily in the project acquisition and pre-production phase of new projects you will be required to digitally illustrate any given combination of game assets, associated game development imagery and speculative ‘pitch' materials to a high standard and on schedule under the art direction of the Creative Director, Art Manager or Creative Manager.

Concept art is about communicating and developing ideas in a visually inspiring manner.

DUTIES:

Visually develop and represent game concept visual elements under the direction of designers and high concept planners including but not limited to the following:
· Inspirational, mood and atmospheric imagery
· Design prototyping and analysis
· Art style variation and development
· Specific game elements such as environments, vehicles, characters, visual effects, HUDS etc.
· Game play functionality
· ‘Screenshot' mock-ups
· Point of sale, marketing and PR materials

Temporary secondment to game development teams and other company departments may also be involved.

Art Director, €Excellent

My client are one of the World's leading developers who after recent expansion now have studio's in five European countries. They create exceptionally high quality video games for all platforms and have forged an excellent reputation for the development of cutting edge engine and technical development.

They are nw seeking a highly skilled Art Director to work at their newest studio in Budapest.
Requirements:

• Credited Art Director on a minimum of 2 shipped titles on a major platform.

• +3 years of gaming industry experience.

• Demonstrated ability to be proactive and self motivated, work without direct supervision, and present the work of the team and the project in a professional manner.

• Capable of balancing a project’s creative and visual requirements within schedule and staff limitations.

• Demonstrated ability to integrate the creative and technical design processes while ensuring that high production values are never compromised. Balance impacts of deadlines and resources against quality requirements of a title and quality of life for staff.

• Passion for making games.

Excellent understanding of:

• Art direction as it relates to games development.

• Strategic allocation of resources for maximum effect.

• Color, light, form and function.

• Console and PC development processes.

• Technology and pipelines.

• Potential impact of production-phase change requests on quality, stability and schedule.

• Storytelling and game play.

Responsibilities:

• Champion exceptionally high but achievable production values.

• Direct and inspire an art team in the creation of a unified vision.

• In coordination with the Producer and Development Director ensure game ready assets adhere to the product vision.

• Facilitate communication and focus with artists.

• Coordinate with internal technology groups as it relates to pipeline and process.

• Along with the Art Leads ensure the timely delivery of art assets.

• Review levels, scenes, lighting effects etc. for maximum impact.

• Provide creative input, direction and mentoring / support to Art Leads and Artists.

• Work with studio executives and department leads for continual process improvement.

• Contribute innovative and original ideas towards all aspects of game production and development.

• Report to Executive Management.

More details are available by contacting Dan Sheil on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Lead Artist, £DOE

My client requires a Lead Artist to guide the visual style for its future projects. This is a great opportunity to become part of a growing studio with a bright future.

As Lead Artist you should be capable of creating Art assets in keeping with the existing visual style. As well as guiding other artists to the same end.

You should be highly creative and will be required to take art from concept stage to the finished asset. Experience in both 2D & 3D is preferable.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

FX Artist - AAA Studio, £DOE - competitive

My London based client are currently looking to hire a an exceptionally talented FX Artist to work on latest next-gen AAA title.

The candidate must have the following experience:

• Real time effects utilizing particle sprites

• Creation of textures needed for effects in Photoshop

• Creation of elements and props for effects in 3ds max (and/or Zbrush)

• Unreal experience is a plus

• At least 1 Published games title

• Understanding of real time next-gen game techniques such as shaders, normal mapping.

The candidate will ideally have the following qualities:

• Strong communication skills

• Able to work as part of a team

• Be a keen gamer

Additional to this all applicants must have a strong portfolio with examples of:

• In-game visual effects (explosions, bullet hits, environmental FX…)

• In-game sequences involving visual effects and destructible/animated FX orientated props.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Concept Artist, £DOE

Our client, a successful independent developer in the UK are seeking a Concept Artist on a permanent basis.

Description:

The role requires a talented concept artist to create realistic, atmospheric game worlds in-house. Candidates should have a strong portfolio of compelling environment and character designs.

Ideally portfolios should range from realistic work to highly imaginative pieces and demonstrate skills from fast thumbnail sketches through to detailed finished work.

Responsibilities:

• Help define and illustrate the consistent look and feel of an entire game to a high standard

• Develop specific visual game asset concepts for construction and use in our titles

• Communicate complex concepts and designs, from high level pitches to the smallest production details

• Continue to support the vision and style of current games in development

• Creatively contribute to develop projects and their assets to the next level

Skills:

• Outstanding use of Photoshop

• Ability to produce exciting, realistic, inspirational, imaginative and atmospheric work

• Strong traditional fine art skills such as composition, perspective, lighting, anatomy, architecture, texture, painting, etc

• Ability to adapt to different styles and subject matter

• Strong teamwork, able to collaborate and accept direction

• Ability to accurately estimate timescales and manage multiple projects and deadlines

• Flexible and self-motivated, with a passion for games

• Knowledge of 3D art programs (eg. 3DSMax, Z-Brush) would be an advantage

Experience:

Experience within the games industry with published titles under your belt IS required.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Cinematic Artist, £130 - £200 per day

Our client, a multi award winning developer based in Surrey, has a hugely exciting opportunity for a Cinematic Artist.

They are looking for experienced game artists / animators who have worked in games teams or animation studios.

You should have:

• Training and experience of creating cinematic sequences for video games.

• Experience using Maya and in house tools for cut scene creation.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Lead Artist, £DOE

My client has an exciting position for an experienced Lead Artist.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Lead Artist is responsible for the day to day management of their respective Art Team, leading the team to create a fun to play and highly polished game, delivered within the constraints of the deliverables schedule.

MAIN TASKS AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Manage and mentor a team of internal and external artists

• Maintain the art asset production schedule on time and within budget

• Ensure all art produced meets the required quality and consistency standards

• Requires strong skills in visual design to manage a cohesive look and feel for each Relentless title

• Work closely with Design and Programming Teams on each title

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Key Skills & Abilities

• Strong traditional art skills, demonstrated by the ability to draw well

• Ability to do concept illustrations

• Ability to demonstrate flexibility in style

• Experience across disciplines in cinematics, animation, character, dialogue driven action is an advantage.

• Develop and maintain distinctive visual identity and branding for a franchise.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of 3ds Max and Photoshop

Experience:

• Previous experience of managing an art team on at least one shipped title.

Personal Attribute:

• Strong interpersonal and management skills

FIRST SIX MONTHS EXPECTATIONS

• Lead Art Team on successful completion of specified project

• Carry out Performance Reviews on team members as part of the Relentless Performance Review process.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Lead Artist, £competitive

My client requires a Lead Artist to manage a small team of Artists and inspire the visual style of their games.

Description
Reporting to the Executive Producer, the Art Lead will supervise both internal and outsourced art team members, leading the team to on-time completion of projects in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate should have strong management skills and substantial prior experience developing games with strong visual appeal, for console, PC or web platforms. Your experience must include Art Direction for titles which have sold well and were developed through leading game developers. You must also have experience developing games for licensed properties.

You will work with the producer, designer, and development team within production. Your responsibilities will include leadership of overall design quality and concepts, and building and maintaining an art team (whether direct or outsourced) which optimizes creative output while meeting tight deadlines and budgets. You must have superior artistic skills and background, and an ability to create conceptual art which speaks to a diverse audience. You must have strong team building skills and the ability to communicate and collaborate with other core studio disciplines and executive management. You must ensure consistency and quality with the look and feel of the game design.

Responsibilities

• Is responsible for creating and driving the “look and feel” vision of the game design
• Define the game’s graphic style and mood in collaboration with the creative director
• Will produce concept art of the highest standard for all art assets
• Provide quality visual references for the team
• Ensure that visual elements are consistent with one another and with the vision of the game
• Direct and mentor the art team to ensure overall look and feel is of the highest quality
• Validate the game content for aforementioned objectives within the game itself
• To specify content creation guidelines for art production
• Work closely with the Producer to ensure that the defined goals are manageable within the context of the overall project schedule and budget
• Deliver performance evaluations of the art department
• Deliver on the game’s quality standard with a player centric approach
• Know the platforms limits and engine limits in order to maximize quality and manage risks

Requirements

• Strong proven artistic skill
• Experience as an art director in the video game industry or in another media combined with experience as an artist in the video game industry
• In depth knowledge of the graphical aspects involved in game development (modelling, environment art, special effects, lighting, texturing, etc)
• Knows how to create an artistic document and apply it
• Knowledge of 2D and 3D computer graphics software
• Drawing talent is essential
• Knowledge of anatomy/object design/architecture is highly desirable
 
More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Graphics Artist, £Neg DOE + benefits

Our client is one of the world’s largest gaming and casino software companies. They have a reputation for innovative game design and development. They aspire to create the most entertaining products in the world and service their customers with an uncompromising passion for quality

The graphic artist will have the responsibility of a mixture of 2D (pixel & UI) & 3D (low-polygon) artwork for my client’s latest titles in a wide variety of art styles.

Previous experience in gaming or video games, particularly mobile or handheld platforms would be of great benefit.

Requirements:

• Minimum 2 years of experience in games or gaming industry

• Strong knowledge of 3DS Max

• Experience of dealing with Photoshop & Illustrator

• Flash & After Effects skills would be beneficial

The candidate must have at least a competent understanding of the following software packages.

Knowledge of Z Brush would prove useful:

More details of this role are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Senior Artist, £Excellent + Benefits

My client is currently in the midst of a recruitment drive as they begin work on a number of new projects.

As part of this they are seeking to recruit two Lead Artistss to oversee two of their development teams.

They are looking for candidates who have very strong Games art skills with a track record of published games (ideally next gen and online).

As Senior Artist you may be asked to work on a variety of platforms and styles.

You should have the ability to manage and motivate a team whilst still being active in the creation of Art assets and styles.

You should have experience of mentoring and monitoring junior staff members and be able to work with minimal supervision.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to liaise efficiently with other departments is essential.

In return the company offers an excellent salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Art Manager, £Excellent Salary + Benefits

This is an independent game development company producing highly playable, imaginative games across virtually all platforms. They have developed over 50 successful titles and are recognised as one of the major players in the industry.

They are currently seeking an Art Manager to join the team making a PS3 and Xbox 360 title.

The Art Manager is responsible for unifying the artistic vision of their project. They are in charge of both the games visual appearance and quality, directing this vision and communicating it to the project team, client and Studio. They are also responsible for the day to day management of the project's art team ensuring they are working at an optimum level and within the specified art style and technical guidelines at all times.

Team Management

• To lead and manage an effective and efficient art team, promoting good team morale in an open, creative environment.

• To effectively train and mentor an Assistant Art Manager (when one is assigned), both supporting and empowering them through their development to becoming an Art Manager

• Work with the projects managers and leads to define and communicate technical limitations and guidelines, ensuring these are adhered to whilst ensuring all technical, visual and game-play requirements are met.

• To define and oversee an efficient asset creation pipeline keeping a high level of communication with both Tech Team and Art R&D.

Art Direction

• To establish, define and develop the visual style of the project. To translate the visual expectations of both the client and Studio, incorporating these into a single, consistent vision whilst respecting relevant brands, industry benchmarks and the overall direction of the Studio.

• Create, maintain and publish effective and relevant documentation to communicate the visual style and technical guidelines of the project.

• In adherence to the overall Studio direction, Art Managers are expected to fully communicate the intended visual style for their project to the Studio Art Director. Any relevant documentation (Art Design Document) will require sign off to ensure quality, clarity and that the needs and expectations of the Studio are met as well as the client's.

• Studio & Art Department

• Together with the Project Director, manage a high level of quality communications with the Studio Art Director during all stages of the projects development. This should, at a minimum, include the following;

• Art kick-off meetings at the start of pre-development to ensure all aspects of art and art technology adhere to the proposed deliverables, are within the scope of budget and stay in line with the Studio's strategic goals.

Essentials
Art Skills

• Appreciation and ability to make good artistic judgements on form, colour and composition.

• A good understanding of the basic principles of lighting.

• A basic working knowledge and general understanding of human anatomy.

• Good natural artistic ability and flair.

• Ability to develop and communicate ideas and concepts in a visual manner - both digitally and using traditional media.

• A good understanding and working knowledge of the relevant 2D and 3D software packages being used in development.

• A good understanding of most art creation processes including modelling, UV layout, texturing, rigging, skinning, animation, performance capture, lighting and surfacing.

• Game development

• Full understanding and experience of the entire game production cycle and associated issues.

• Managing and supporting client expectations

• Working within a ‘shifting goals' features, timescales and budgetary environment.

• Full understanding and experience of a game's art and animation pipeline and how it connects and crosses over with a game's design and functionality. Also including all the major technical limitations associated with the intended target hardware.

• Management & Leadership

• Be able to keep team motivation high at all times and also, when required, to action effective performance management.

• Ability to communicate clearly, and concisely.

• Attention to detail and a commitment to quality are essential ensuring that all tasks are carried out to the highest possible standard.

• High levels of initiative and co-ordination skills.

A full job description is available upon request.
In return the company offers an excellent salary and Benefits.

3D Artists, £Excellent + Benefits + Bonus

Our client is a well established developed based in the North West, who offer great stability, benefits and bonuses.

They are currently looking for a 3D Artists of all levels to join their already established Art Team. The successful candidate will have:

• A passion for games at all levels.

• A creative spark, and strong natural artistic ability.

*Knowledge of poly-modeling/Texturing,

• A strong understanding of advanced shaders, and a high level of creative and artist ability.

*Maya/industry experience would be desirable, but is not essential.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Senior/Lead Technical Artist, £Excellent + Benefits

My client is a successful developer/publisher who require Senior/Lead Technical Artists to work on the multiple AAA titles they have in development.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate a high artistic level in an art discipline such as (Environment, Animation, Character, Vehicles, VFX etc) as well as have a very strong technical ability.

Candidates must have:

Scripting – knowledge of Max script or Mel script ( Max script is preferable but not essential).

Good knowledge of HLSL Shaders, be able to create new Shaders from scratch and have a good understanding of the cost implications of all operations.

Knowledge and experience in creating art pipelines and in defining working practices and standards.

Desirable skills include:

Experience in programming in C# or Python scripting desirable.

Experience with animation pipelines and rigging and skinning techniques.

Knowledge of lighting techniques and different rendering techniques.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Environment Artist, £DOE + Benefits

My client is looking for environment artists with a great eye for detail and superb sculpting skills.

Successful candidates will have a strong interest in gaming, a good working knowledge of 3DS Max, good knowledge in and of low and high poly modelling, UV mapping, texturing and advanced map generation (e.g. normal, specular & parallax). Experience in Photoshop and traditional art skills are highly advantageous.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Character Artist, £Excellent Salary + Benefits

Our client is now firmly established as one of the key studios in the UK. They produced an award winning, smash-hit AAA title in 2009, which was both a commercial and a critical success.

They are looking to add to a Character Artist to their staff. They are looking for an exceptionally talented Character Artist who is ready for the challenge of producing a AAA title on the next generation platforms.

Strong Portfolio with examples of:

• High-resolution modelling in 3ds Max

• High quality texture creation

• Normal mapped game assets

The candidate must have the following experience:

• 3ds Max Photoshop at expert level

• Z-brush / Mudbox experience

• At least 1 published games title

• Proven experience with realistic human characters and anatomy

• Proven experience to produce character from concepts

The candidate will ideally have the following qualities:

• Strong communication skills.

• ‘Unreal Engine’ Game experience.

• Good eye for details.

• Able to work as part of a team.

• Be a keen gamer.

More details are available by contacting Dan 01709 876877 or via email: dan@aswift.com

3D Promo Artist, £Excellent Salary + Benefits

Our client is now firmly established as one of the key studios in the UK. They produced an award winning, smash-hit AAA title in 2009, which was both a commercial and a critical success.

They are looking to add to a promo artist to it’s staff. They are looking for an exceptionally talented Promo Artist who is ready for the challenge of producing promotional material / trailers for our upcoming AAA title on the next generation platforms.
The candidate must have the following qualities:

• Excellent video editing skills using Adobe Premier and Adobe After Effects, encompassing all aspects of video editing.

• Ability to produce fantastic video edits by capturing and selecting the best raw game footage, and creatively editing them together.

• Excellent framing and composition skills.

• Experience within TV / Films or Games trailer development.

The candidate will ideally have the following qualities:

• ‘Unreal’ Game Engine experience.

• Ability to come up with numerous ideas for selected scenes.

• Ability to work alongside Artist and Animators to create dynamic scenes.

• Good eye for detail.

• Able to work as part of a team.

• Be a keen gamer.

More details are available by contacting Dan 01709 876877 or via email: dan@aswift.com

Multi media UI Artist, DOE

My client is the world’s leading independent video game developer specialising in racing games. Headquartered in the UK, the company also has studios in Hong Kong, Chengdu (China) and North America.
They have developed best-selling titles for industry-leading publishers Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Namco Bandai, Nintendo and more, working with some of the biggest licenses in the world, including MTV’s Pimp My Ride, The Fast and the Furious and Ferrari.

Description / Job Role:
They are looking for creative individuals to join a very successful team to create 'in game' interfaces and Flash animations for our next generation consoles and online video games.

Responsibilities / Profile:

• Excellent visual design skills.

• Highly creative, motivated and passionate about graphic/interaction design and Games.

• A strong portfolio demonstrating creative interaction design across various media.

• Good interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.

• Team focused and detail orientated problem solver.

• Diploma or Degree in Multimedia or related subject matter.

• Thorough technical knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite software. 3D knowledge a plus.

• Strong animation capabilities.

• Good knowledge of layout, typography and colour theory.

• Up to date with the latest web/design trends and cultures.

Lighting Artist, £DOE

Our client is a reputable London based developer, they are keen to recruit exceptional talent for their latest unannounced project.

They are currently 55 strong and are looking to hire several new staff members due to expansion. They are looking for an exceptionally talented Senior Lighting Artist who is ready for the challenge of producing a AAA title on the next generation platforms.

The candidate must have Lighting experience within the games industry, preferably working on AAA titles.

If you would like to apply or find out more, please contact Dan Shiel on dan@aswift.com.

After Effects Artists, £Excellent Daily Rates

Our client is a leading International publisher/developer of video games based in the South-East of England.

Our client has an opening for highly experienced After Effects Artists to work within our internal video team and alongside our internal development team on two new original projects.
The contracts start early August 2010 for 3-5 weeks plus future contract may also be available.
The successful candidate must have excellent video editing and effects skills with a good knowledge of graphic design.
They should be able to demonstrate experience in all aspects of video editing and cinematic production.

Skills and software packages needed:

• Strong, demonstrable Final Cut editing skills

• Strong, demonstrable After Effects skills to expert level with extensive experience

• Ability to work to strict art style using reference material, while able to innovate the technology and tools available

• Excellent communication and organisational skills

• Experience in working in videogames, TV and film supported by a professional showreel

• Good command of the English language

• Knowledge of art direction, sound editing and experience with localised materials advantageous

• Awareness of current videogame culture and style advantageous

Excellent Daily rates are available dependent upon experience and knowledge.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Art Manager, £45 - £55,000 + Bonus + Benefits

My client is a successful developer with some excellent relationships with big name publishers and an impressive catalogue of games.

They are currently seeking an Art Manager to join their team and help them take things to the next level, and assist the creation of Brand New IP's.

This is a very exciting opportunity and allows the successful candidate to sit on the board, and have a huge say in the visual direction the company takes on their games.

The candidate should have skills in:

• Concept Art

• 3D Modelling

• An enthusuastic and creative attitude

• An ability to motivate and inspire people

In return you will receive an excellent benefits package including bonuses, 25 days holiday, Bupa and a pension.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Lead Artists, £Excellent + Benefits

My client is currently in the midst of a recruitment drive as they begin work on a number of new projects.

As part of this they are seeking to recruit two Lead Artistss to oversee two of their development teams.

They are looking for candidates who have very strong Games art skills with a track record of published games (ideally next gen and online).

You should have the ability to manage and motivate a team whilst still being active in the creation of Art assets and styles.

They are particularly interested in candidates who have had experience of managing teams to short deadlines.

You should have experience of mentoring and monitoring junior staff members.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to liaise efficiently with other departments is essential.

In return the company offers an excellent salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Senior Lighting Artist, £Excellent + Benefits

My client specialises in graphics software to the games industry. As part of their continued growth are now looking to appoint a Senior Lighting Artist.

This hands-on role is an excellent opportunity for the right person to expand their own skills as the company grows and meets new challenges.

Candidates should have the following:

• Senior Lighting Artist skills

• Ability to Mentor Art Development

• Communication to customers

• Enthusiastic about Lighting, Radiosity

• Ability to proxy customers at visits and events

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Senior Technical Artist, £DOE - fantastic benefits!

My client, a highly successful developer, requires a Senior Technical Artist to join their small team of skilled Artists.

The person we are looking for will need to have the have solid technical knowledge required to work with the Art Director and Programmers & figure out how to deliver innovative looks and the necessary pipelines for the art team.

Having an understanding of the requirements of shipping console games is a must.

In addition to relevant experience the successful person must have;

• A breadth of artistic styles

• An ability to think in 3D

• Drawings/sketches that display their skills as well as any modeling and texture work.

• Excellent sense of form, weight (mass), and volume

• Good use of light and shadow

• An understanding of optimization

• Excellent sense of scale and level of finish

• A background in architecture is an advantage.

Candidates must have 3 years experience working within a games team in this or a similar role.

In return you will receive a truly amazing benefits package, and the opportunity to work within a fantastic team.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Environment Artist, £DOE

Our client requires an Environment Artist to join a highly experienced team, and assist in the development of a truly AAA project.

The successful candidate should have either a Degree or 3 years relevant experience in creating digital art.

Demonstrated history of:

• Actively supporting Art Direction.

• Working as part of a team to produce a single goal.

• Demonstrate a strong ability to create outstanding photorealistic environments within a games engine.

• Have hap experience of the full production process from conception through to beta and mastering of a product.

All 3d Artists must demonstrate in their portfolio:

• Keen eye on detail and realism

• Creation of highpoly assets and then their conversion to an in game resolution.

• A clear understanding of the normal mapping process.

• A strong understanding UV layout and how to get the best of your textures.

• Perspective for the overall scene and the bigger picture for the current task.

• Well structured composition within work shown.

• Basic examples of lighting and how to make the most of the assets you create.

Responsibilities:

• Takes initiative and is willing to expand own horizon.

• Passion for making games.

• Works together with other Level Artists on defining and creating environments and assets for the game.

Knowledge and skills:

• Ability to contribute innovative and original ideas towards all aspects of game production and development.

• Expertise with 3d software, Autodesk Max, Maya preferred.

• Expert with Photoshop.

More details are available by contacting Dan on 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswift.com

Junior/Regular Visual Effects Artist, £Excellent + Benefits

Established in 1991, this is an independent game development company producing highly playable, imaginative games across virtually all platforms. They have developed over 50 successful titles and are recognised as one of the major players in the industry.

They are currently looking to recruit an experienced Visual Effects Artist - Explosions, particles, severe weather and full screen effects are an essential part of unifying a project’s artistic vision and ensuring that we add all the polish and excitement that we need in our games.

The visual effects artist is primarily concerned with the pre-visualisation, creation, implementation and optimisation of visual effects assets into the game. These effects include, but are not limited to, particle, geometry, full screen, rendered and shader effects.
Working exclusively with a game team, you will be responsible for creating these innovative and stunning effects, liaising with other artists and programmers whilst working with our in-house technology to ensure that our titles stay at the cutting edge.

DUTIES:

Particle Effects – The main focus and majority of time will be spent creating, implementing and optimising particle visual effects. Examples include fire, smoke, explosion trails and sparkle bursts.

Geometry Effects– Many effects include textured and animated 3D geometry. Examples include shockwaves and explosion debris.

Full Screen Effects – 2D ‘screen space' effects require special attention and specialist texture treatments. Examples include blur, vignettes and screen impact effects.

Surface Shader Effects – The ability to envision and implement special effects at the surface shader level is vital. The ability to create and control surface materials and their associated textures as well as a willingness to further learn these skills is crucial to the role.

Create and iteratively develop game assets from inception to final review on the target hardware within the game engine using appropriate tools.

ESSENTIALS:

Reference Sourcing – The visual effects artist is expected to have the ability and willingness to source and retain visual reference materials for use in the production of visual effects.

Specialist Asset Creation
• Textures – Visual effects artists are expected to create all necessary texture maps for the visual effects needs of a project. The ability to generate textures from scratch or from source images is a minimum requirement, as is a thorough understanding of texture files formats, memory overheads and blend modes. Colour optimisation and animated texture production are core skills.
• Geometry – Visual effects artists are required to model, texture and animate in 3D all necessary models for geometry based visual effects.

Analytical Skills
• Observation – The ability to view visual reference of an effect, deconstruct it and subsequently re-create it in a real-time game engine is essential.
• Optimisation – Strong skills in reducing the processing and memory overhead of the effects whilst maintaining overall visual fidelity is key.

Visual Style – Games are produced in any number of differing visual styles. Visual effects artists must be able to produce effects in keeping with the overall project art style.

Motion Dynamics - The ability to reference, perceive, re-create and embellish the signature movement patterns of visual effect elements is absolutely essential.

Teamwork – Strong communication skills and a willingness to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team environment are vital.

Ingenuity - Visual effects artists are required to use whatever approach is necessary to achieve a good final effect by combining the use of software packages, BlitzTech, great art skills and superior reference.

BENEFICIAL QUALITIES:

Pre-visualisation – The ability to rapidly prototype visual effects using industry standard packages such as After Effects and Real Flow is a distinct advantage.

Hardware – An understanding of, and experience with, hardware accelerated visual effects systems such as GPU driven particle systems.

Attractive salary, benefits and a great career opportunity.

Art Director - Online, DOE

My client is looking for an Art Director to join their team.

General Overview of the position:
Direct the art production of the Studio ensuring that quality is maintained and the studio is prepared for production requirements.
Support the Vice President & General Manager, Internal Studios in the general management and strategic planning of all studio products to a very high quality within agreed schedules and budgets constraints.
Main duties and responsibilities:

• Lead the day to day Guidance of the Leads, Art Directors, Art Managers and VP & GM, Internal Studios.

• Ensure quality of artwork is maintained across all internal art production.

• Assist and maintain the art vision and style across the project with overall responsibility for the final quality of all projects.

• Ensure that the studios have capacity for production in UK and KL.

• Manage departments budgets for UK and KL.

• Responsible for quotation gathering and recommendations for 3rd party suppliers as well as overseeing supplying of materials with the Lead Artists.

• Ensure that the studios are capable of meeting the technical demands of next-generation production.

• Liaise with Executive Producers to balance creative requirements against cost.

• Liaise with VP & GM, Internal Studios and make recommendation for future department strategy.

• To alert the VP & GM, Internal Studios to any issues they have with their teams work or the agreed schedules.

• Liaise with CTO to develop tool set for future development.

• Implement strategy to take the companies development forward.

• Liaise with external service providers as required

• Oversee investigation of new technology to ensure that the group use appropriate tool sets.

• Ensure good communication & coordination between the art resource and other departments (Licensing, Marketing, Marketing Services, 3rd Party suppliers) as well as ensuring optimum communication for the Art resource within the studio itself.

• Liaise with Brand and Design to create support material for the development of new IP

• Overall responsibility for recruitment and selection of staff for the art teams. Liaise with Lead Artist and other suitable personnel in identifying the best suitable candidates and be singularly responsible for candidate recommendations to VP Development.

• Ensure the necessary art training is available to maintain their visual quality targets.

• Responsible for recommending training requirements for all studio Art resource to the Studio Manager/HR department.

• Mentor and coach new Lead Artists where necessary.

• Set standards for staff conduct.

• Regular appraisal, review and objective setting for senior art team members.

• Ensure department managers are effective in their roles.

• Applying lateral thinking and problem solving skills to help develop new development techniques.

Environment Artist, £Excellent+ benefits

Established in 1991, this is an independent game development company producing highly playable, imaginative games across virtually all platforms. They have developed over 50 successful titles and are recognised as one of the major players in the industry.

They are currently seeking a senior Environment Artist.

The Environment Artist is responsible for building the worlds that the player should be immersed within and are a vision holder for the area of the game that they create. They need solid experience of the art pipeline as they are responsible of delivering complex scenes from content creation through to target hardware. They also need a strong understanding of architectural and structural design, set piece environment and/or prop animation, lighting, structural composition and an appreciation of game level design.

DUTIES:

• Modelling - Creating 3D models using Maya and Z-Brush.

• Texturing - Creating and applying textures.

• Surfacing - Creating and applying shaders within BlitzTech.

• Integration - Integrate and test created assets autonomously on the target hardware via BlitzTech, ensuring all scene elements are working correctly and within the preset scene budget.

• To create all aspects of environment artwork where required producing all level models, textures and surfaces within specification and within the allocated time.

• To implement game design elements and special effects when and where applicable.

• Required to produce animated scene elements when required.

• Produce and revise environment paint-overs as and when required.

3D modelling

• Excellent skills in creating 3D models including environments and props to the specification and art style as set by the Art Manager using Maya.

Texturing

• Create and apply texture maps to the specification and art style as set by the Art Manager using Maya and Photoshop / Painter.

• Good UV texture placement and mapping with effective texture page use and a uniform distortion free texel density.

• Sculpting - Creating high resolution sculptures in Z-Brush of architectural and organic elements and extracting (baking) out high resolution topological details to texture maps (where applicable).

• Lighting - Ability to apply good lighting principles to all artistic output by lighting geometry to the required quality and artistic specification within the primary art package.

• Surfacing - Good working practices in the accurate simulation of surfaces using hardware shaders including the following: -

• Texture map creation (normal, specular, diffuse, ambient occlusion, cavity etc.)

• Implementing, parameter adjusting and editing using BlitzTech.

• Testing and iterative improvement on the target platforms.

• Optimisation.

• Genuine passion for creating in game environments and worlds.

• Excellent polygon modelling skills in realistic, fantasy/cartoon and

ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED - REGULAR:
Artists must possess a good grounding in artistic skills and exhibit the ability to make good artistic judgements coupled with robust tool skills and an all round ability to autonomously create high quality game art assets.
Traditional Art Skills

• Appreciation and ability to make good artistic judgements on form, colour and composition.

• An understanding of the basic principles of lighting.

• A basic working knowledge and general understanding of human anatomy.

• Good natural artistic ability and flair.

• Ability to develop and communicate ideas and concepts in a visual manner - both digitally and using traditional media.

A full job description is available upon request.

More details are available by contacting Dan 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswiftt.com

Junior/Regular Technical Artist, £Excellent+ benefits

Established in 1991, this is an independent game development company producing highly playable, imaginative games across virtually all platforms. They have developed over 50 successful titles and are recognised as one of the major players in the industry.

They are currently seeking a technical Artist.

Duties

• Continual evaluation of art creation pipelines to asses it's effectiveness in the projects given development environment. Working with senior art and technical representatives as well as central technology team to ensure adherence to company based procedures and best practice.

• The creation of tools and scripts as well as the design and implementation of processes that improve all applicable areas of the art pipeline in all relevant content creation applications of the project. This can include writing scripts in Python, MEL or Z-Scripts and may extend to full tool creation within an applications API or in some windows based environments.

• The creation of pixel and vertex shaders by either writing them in HLSL, Cg or MetaSL or by using in house shader graph creation applications.

• The design and implementation of new procedures to improve the techniques and pipelines of all areas of development including, lighting, surfacing (shaders and materials), post processing and special effects.

• To effectively document and communicate pipeline and technology updates to relevant parties including management and central tech team.

• Create and iteratively develop game assets from inception to final review on the target hardware within the game engine using appropriate tools (BlitzTech Tools).

Essentials

• An in-depth knowledge of applicable content creation applications such as Maya, Photoshop and Zbrush.

• A good knowledge of game development tools and pipelines in such environments as Unreal Engine, CryEngine, Gamebryo or BlitzTech.

• A full and explicit understanding of techniques to accurately simulate surfaces in game. This includes texture, lighting, shader and material parameter adjustments. This also includes the correct application and any appropriate optimisations required within the BlitzTech approved tool chain and pipeline whilst keeping the highest possible fidelity in game.

• A good overall understanding of the post processing pipeline and the potential hit on fill and frame rates.

More details are available by contacting Dan 01709 876877, or via email: dan@aswiftt.com