My name is
Alexander Winkler I’m a Junior illustration major. And I’m currently interning
at the local video game company Sparkypants Studios. Breaking into the video
game industry is extremely difficult and I spent most of last semester
searching for some sort of concept artist/ 2d artist internship position within the video game industry and
was unable to find solid ground for that. I was applying to many different
companies as well as trying to talk to HR and art directors within the
industry. Most of my efforts left me with no real progress. To my surprise David Inscore of my
advanced concept art class contacted me asking for work for the spring
semester. I jumped at the opportunity to work at a studio that is not only
close to MICA but also run by some big names in the videogame industry. It
happened so fast, I went from tirelessly looking for any art job I could find
to doing an internship within the industry I’ve spent a quarter of my life
trying to get into.
The process
of becoming an intern at Sparkypants was very fast. It was the last week of
winter break. I was able to have an early start working from my house in MA.
Once I got back to Maryland I went to the studio to work on creating in game
visuals for their latest IP that is yet to be announced. Twice a week I would
go to the studio to work on assignments working with other interns and various
individuals responsible for creating the look and feel of the game.
I worked
around with many UI elements within the game as well as worked around with 3d
assets and texturing 3d assets. All of these tasks I have never done before
working at Sparkypants so it was really a very intense learning experience. It
wasn’t just that It was a variety of things that I needed to learn and become
familiar with. All of the work I did for the most part was out of my comfort
zone. I learned to work faster and become more productive within the field of
2d design. On top of this I have discovered a great passion towards graphic
design and it is now another avenue I would like to explore as a visual
designer.
I now have
another year to work on getting better and honing my craft in this industry and
I feel like I have been given a bit of a head start. By reaching out into various
areas of concept art for videogames I believe that I am significantly more
likely to be able to get a job within the industry now. This
experience has only reinforced my desire to pursue a design career within he
video game industry. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity and I am so
grateful to have worked for Sparkypants.
