Gaming and films are two of the most popular industries to work in. Some career paths in gaming are tied to coding and optimization, while others are directly transferable into the entertainment industry.
If you love pop culture, if you love being a storyteller, or want to stay close to both gaming and film, here are some roles that work well in both industries, so you don’t have to worry about being limited to just one.
1. VFX & Animation Artist
Visual effects and animation are an integral part of gaming. The 3D characters we see in games are created by animation artists who specialize in 3D modeling. Similarly, the dynamic simulations, fluid systems, lighting, and effects in a game are created by visual effects experts.
Ironically, all of this applies to cinema as well. Thanos is the creation of dozens of animation artists who brought the comic book supervillain to life. The way he moves and his facial expressions are all animated using computer software.
In addition, the amazing special effects in a movie are the work of a VFX artist.
How to Become a VFX/Animation Artist?
To become an animation and VFX artist, you need to specialize in industry-ready software, Blender, and Houdini. Blender and Houdini are both industry standards, and a user can go a step further and learn Maya, another software used for animation.
Moreover, you will also need technical knowledge alongside high creative skills, since you’re working in a creative environment. Keep in mind that animation is a vast profession, so focus on choosing the right specialization, it can be 2D or 3D, based on your liking.
2. Sound Designer and Music Composer
Music and sound are two of the longstanding careers in both of these billion-dollar industries. And the good thing about this career path is that you don’t have to pick one; you can work on a film one day and a game the next. As a musician and sound designer, you’re a free agent with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
Game Insider’s mentor Levi Considine has experience in both. He has worked on games like Asphalt 9 and The Outer Worlds 2, and was a sound designer for the Netflix series Unicorn Academy and Mighty Express.
How to Become a Sound Designer/Musician?
Sound and music aren’t easy to learn; you need to genuinely love music because becoming a musician isn’t something that can be taught; it’s simply passion and dedication. That said, you can sharpen your craft by becoming proficient with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), including Pro Tools and Logic Pro.
Beyond the technical skills, you also need the ability to understand what a scene needs. As a sound designer, you’re the person giving the game its identity through music and sound.
3. Game Programmer, a.k.a. Unreal Technical Director
Some of you might be wondering what a game programmer has to do with film. That’s a fair question, but game programmers who excel in game engines, especially Unreal Engine, are more connected to film than you’d think.
Unreal Engine is currently the most-used game engine in the film and television industry, as studios use virtual production to shoot nearly all of their big-budget films. They need someone who specializes in the engine to make real-time adjustments on set, changing the environment, fixing lighting, and more.
In the film industry, the “game programmer” role becomes the “technical director.”
How to Become a Game Programmer/Technical Director?
The skills you need are a solid understanding of Unreal Engine, from Blueprints to scripting languages like C++ and Python. In addition, you’ll need supporting skills in VFX software like Houdini and Maya to work in film.
4. Game Narrative Designer and Screenwriter
If you love writing, this role is for you. Screenwriters write screenplays for film and television, and almost all narrative designers and game writers have experience writing for film and TV as well.
For example, Paul Dini wrote Batman: The Animated Series and worked on the Arkham Trilogy as one of the narrative designers. He was the primary writer of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. He didn’t have any prior experience as a narrative designer prior to these, but I don’t think he had any issue creating these two masterpieces.
How to Become a Narrative Designer/Screenwriter?
To become a screenwriter, you need a solid grasp of structure and the reps that come from actually writing full scripts, not just outlines. Paul Dini said in an interview that writing for games is like writing the same movie 12 times. He said that because, unlike films, gaming is an interactive medium, whereas film is a linear medium.
You follow a character and his journey, but in games, you are that character, you go on the journey, and can interact with anyone, and anything can happen to you. In the Arkham games, when a villain defeats the hero, players see him say three to four different lines just for beating you.
The writers could have kept one dialogue, but they didn’t, because it would have become boring. That’s the reason narrative design is similar to screenwriting, but a little harder; you have to write a lot more than just the story.
Gaming and film aren’t as separate as they used to be. The same skills that bring a game character to life can bring a blockbuster villain to life; the same score that hits hard in a boss battle can hit just as hard in a movie’s climax.
Which of these four roles would you want to break into: VFX, sound, tech, or story? Drop it in the comments, and if you know someone chasing a career at the intersection of gaming and film, send this their way.
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