Accidental Coder Part 2: Shattered dreams

Read Part 1 here!

It was May 2007, senior high school year. I wanted to become a digital concept artist but failed to take any steps to making that a reality.

It turned out my above-average drawing skills were still far from good enough to enroll in any respectable art institute such as Emily Carr or VanArts. Time was ticking and I grew desperate. A gap year would be humiliating. And sitting at home? I'd end up Dota'ing all the time away.

A family friend recommended the Digital Animation program at Capilano College (now University) which required a combination of tech and art skills. After doing a bit more research, it looked like their program was extremely competitive as it had a solid post-graduation employment rate and was publicly funded. I didn't put any hope into it.

Still, my dad dragged me to meet their head of program, Craig. After a small tour and chat, by some dumb luck, it turned out they needed to fill one spot because someone had dropped out. I couldn't believe it - I was back in the race.

The Digital Animation program in '08 was an 8-month intensive with a final project to present at a job fair. Half of my class already had industry experience working in animation, games, and visual effects. Some of them even took the 2-year, 2D animation program at Capilano in the past. There was no shortage of talent. I knew I had to apply myself more than usual to keep up.

I was learning a lot about tools for creating computer graphics such as Maya and XSI. Design, modeling, texturing, animation. These ought to be the right skills needed on my path towards becoming a concept artist. Things were progressing. Then I had a conversation with J., the only professional concept artist in our class. Naturally I picked his brain on career advice. And naturally, I asked to see his portfolio. That was when reality hit. His work wasn't just better than mine, it was in a completely different league. The gap between us? Years, a decade, maybe I'd never reach that level. I consulted my teachers, hoping for comfort. They didn't sugarcoat it - concept art is one of the most competitive roles in the industry. Most studios only need one or two. After all, who doesn't want to draw imaginary worlds for a living? It would be years of practice and waiting tables until I could break into the role. Count me out. Dream, dead.

The north star was gone. Maybe I could still find work in the industry, not as a concept artist, but something creative enough.

Four months into the program. It was time to start the final project that will be presented at the year-end job fair. The daily, long commutes on the bus provided ample time to imagine all kinds of cool characters, environments, and scenes. Another month passed, and I still hadn't made a decision on the project concept - my teachers raised concern. Then I saw the trailer for Final Fantasy 13 Versus, which would later become 15. It felt like another discovery-of-Craig-Mullins moment. Everything about it, including the main character, special FX, action sequences, and music were all jammed into this dark, post-modern fantasy world, diverging from previous entries. But in particular, the main character, Noctis, was impossibly cool.

So I decided to model Noctis. I spent way too long iterating on the face and head, and the other components took a back seat. I knew the hair was going to be a challenge and I kept putting it off. With only one month left before the job fair, I finally consulted my teacher on how to approach it. I wanted his hair to subtly move in the wind. My teacher, A. pulled up the Maya graph editor and explained how to connect up nodes in a way to simulate curves which in turn deformed polygonal hair strips. It was my first real exposure to the technical underbelly of computer graphics. It wasn't just about making things look good, but also making things work in a way that can be defined and repeated. I didn't realize at the time, but something clicked.

It was the day of the job fair. Many of us were sleep deprived, having spent the last few nights doing last-minute renders and polish. It was nerve-wracking to watch for the folks from the industry walk past your booth - many of them important looking - and just hope they stop and take interest. By the end, I'd received a few comments of "Oh cool Final Fantasy!" and "How'd you do the hair?", but no concrete job leads. Noctis would be disappointed.

At the very least I graduated - it felt good to complete something - but it was now time to job hunt. I applied everywhere, and there was radio silence for about 4 months. A couple of my classmates had already secured work. But one morning, after an intense late-night Dota session, my mom hurried into my room with a phone at hand. It was a recruiter from Nerd Corps Entertainment, a small but respectable studio in Vancouver. They needed a Render Wrangler - not that it mattered - I just needed a job. One interview later, I landed my first full-time job. Another lucky break.