InternationalGamesArchitecture&Design

YourApplication

ARRANGINGANINTERVIEW

Thestagesyoumustcompleteforaninterview:
1.CompletetheStudySkillTests(KiesActief)
2.CompletethequiztoselectyourPath
(or2ifanIndieapplicant)
3.Payforyourinterview

Youwillthenreceiveascheduledinterviewtime.

PREPARINGFORTHEINTERVIEW

Fortheinterview,ifyouhavelittleornoexperiencetoshow,youwillneedtocomplete:
-VisualArts-ArtAssignment.
-Programming-ProgrammingAssignment.
-Design&Production-DesignAssignmentandProductionAssignment.
-Indie-Select2fromabove.

Youwillneedtobringalongyourcompletedassignment/salongwithallportfolio
evidenceofyourrelevantexperience.

ForInternationalStudentsthiswillallbedoneviaavideoconferenceoverSkype.

INTERVIEWDAY

EarlyIntakeInterviews:27th,29thand30thJanuary2015
FinalIntakeInterviews:TBA

Ontheinterviewdaythereare2parts:

1.Examination

Everyonewillsitacommonentryexamtoseewhereyourmath,problemsolvingandscripting
levelsareat.

Then,dependingtheoneortwopathsyouselected,youwillneedtocomplete:

-VisualArts-DrawingChallenge
-Programming-C++BasicsTest
-Design&Production-100WordGamePitch
-Indie-Select2fromabove

2.Interview

Intheinterviewyouwillpresentaportfoliotosupportyourstrength/sof:
-VisualArts
-Programming
-Design&Production
-Indie-Evidenceof2fromtheabove

Intheinterviewyouwillneedtopresentportfolioevidenceforyourselectedstrength/s
ofeitherVisualArts/Programming/Design&Production.Bringyourown
laptop/computerifyouneedtoshowanythingelectronic.

VISUALARTSPORTFOLIOANDASSIGNMENT

Pleasebringaportfoliotobereviewedbyourstaff.Itcancontainexamplesof2Dor3D
artworkmadebyyouinanymedium.Wehaveastrongpreferenceforrepresentational
artmadefromreferenceorindustrialandarchitecturaldesign.Pleasedonotbringfan
artorfantasysubjects.

Youmaybringoriginalordigitalartasaportfolio.Wewillhavealaptopavailablefor
viewingdigitalart(savedasPDForJPG)deliveredonaUSBdevice.Asanalternative,
youmaybringyourownlaptoportablet.TherewillbenoInternetaccessattheevent.

VisualArtsAssignments

Inadditiontobringingaportfoliowehighlyrecommendyoutodothefollowing
assignments(ifyouhavenoportfoliotheseassignmentsaremandatory):

Self-portrait
Landscapewithbuildings
Cleanlinedrawingofavehicle
3Dmodelofabicycle.

Theseassignmentswillgiveusagoodideaofartskillsoutsideofyourcomfortzone.By
doingtheseassignmentsandbringingthemtotheintakeinterviewitwillhighlyimprove
yourchanceofasuccessfulapplication.

Pleasetakecareofthefollowing:

Thedrawingsmustbebasedonthesubjectitself,drawwhatyousee.Donotuse
photos,donotdrawfromimagination,andmakesuretoavoidstylization.Makesureto
practice,trydifferenttakesonthesamesubjectbeforedelivering.Pleaselookforways
toshowdepthinthedrawing.Itmayhelptouseastraightedgelikeasmalltriangleor
rulerforpartsofthedrawingtomakestraightlines,thisisallowed.

Forthe3Dbicyclemodel,makesuretoworkfromactualreference(usingphotosis
allowed)andpaycloseattentiontoproportionsanddetail.Keepyourmodelcleanand

simple,onlyaddgeometrydetailwhereneeded,avoidexcessivepolycounts.The
wireframewillshowthis.

Youcanuseany3Dsoftwareyoulike(pleasecheck:http://www.autodesk.com/fora
free/trialeditionofAutodeskMaya).Makesuretobring3screenshots(savedasJPG)
ofthemodelingviewport,showingyour3Dmodelincludingwireframesinside,
perspectiveandclose-upforreview.

DESIGN&PRODUCTIONPORTFOLIOANDASSIGNMENT
YourDesign&Productionportfolioshouldhaveexamplesofmechanicsandgame
structuresaswellasexamplesofanygameprojectsyouveworkedon,any
documentationexamplesyouvedevelopedandanyprojectmanagementyouvedone.
Constructyourportfolioinalogicalorder,ifyourportfoliorequiresalaptoptoviewa
componentyoumustprovideyourown,pleaseensurethislaptopischarged,awake
andhasallportfoliopiecesloadedbeforecomingintotheinterviewroom.Wherever
possibleprovidevideoand.exeversionsofyourworkratherthanrunningfrom
applications,inordertosavetimeandreducethepressureonyoutopresentthework
andplayatthesametime.
Wecannotextendaninterviewslottowaitforapplicationsandfilestoload.

Strongpreferenceisgiventoindustryrelevantportfoliopiecesincluding:
GameDesignDocuments
HighLevelConceptDocuments
MechanicPrototypes
ProjectManagementDocumentation
3D&2DLevelDesign
BoardGameDesign

Programmingcodeexamplesand3Dartareaniceadditionbutnotessentialatall.
DesigndoesntcomprisecharacterartthereforepleasedontapplyforD&Pifyouwant
todesigncharacters.

Narrativeasadisciplineisthesmallestgroupofdesignersintheindustry,our
programmerepresentsthiswithonlyasmallnumberofcoursesrelatingtostorytelling
whilefarmorearedevotedtomechanicdesign,leveldesignandproduction.Therefore
portfoliosconsistingonlyofstory,characterandsettingpieceswillnotbesuccessful.

DuringtheinterviewwewillassessyourverbalandwrittenEnglishlanguage
comprehensionandability.
DesignersandProducersoftenactasfacilitatorswithinateamsowewillassessyour
senseofresponsibility,attitude,personalityandcommunicationability.

IfyoudonothaveasufficientDesignportfoliopleaseundertakethefollowing
assignment:
Selectawellknowngamewhichyouhavecompletedandwhichwasreleasedbetween
November2005andNovember2010.Highlightacoremechanicofthatgameand
analysethefollowing:

1. Howthatmechanicwasconveyedtotheplayer.
2. Howthatmechanicinteractedwithothermechanics.
3. Howthatmechanicinteractedwiththeworld.
4. Suggestoneimprovementtothatmechanic.

Theimportantfocusofthisexerciseistoprovideabalancedviewofthemechanic,
highlightingitspositivesandnegatives.Thereforewerecommendselectingagame
whichyoucanremainobjectiveabout.

Theanalysisshouldbearound500wordsandbeformattedinareadableand
understandableway.Pleasespellcheckandproofreadthisworkbeforepresenting.

IfyoudonothaveasufficientProductionportfoliopleaseundertakethefollowing
assignment:
Pleaseassesstheprocessofmakingacupoftea,withmilkand2sugars,inthemost
efficientmannerpossibleandcommunicatethatprocessinaclearandunderstandable
way.Yourassignmentshouldclearlyanswerthefollowing:

1. Whatitemsarerequiredtomakethedrink?
2. Whatstepsgointomakingthedrink?
3. Howlongdoesittaketomakethedrink?

Successfulapplicantswilllookatthebestwaytorepresentthisinformationthat
minimisestheamountofreadingrequiredwhilstnotcompromisingtheendresult.

PROGRAMMINGPORTFOLIOANDASSIGNMENT
Youwillneedtopresentallyourmostrelevantgameprogrammingexperience.C++
gamesprogrammingisthemostdesirable.IfyouhavenotdoneanyC++game
programmingthenitismandatorythatyouatleastattempttheprogramming
assignmentbelowandbringthistopresentattheinterview.

Atthepresentation(youmayuseslides)weexpect,onyourownlaptop/computer,for
youtoshowusyourbestgameprogrammingexamplesalongwithaquickcode
walk-throughofprogrammingyouaremostproudof.

ProgrammingAssignment
(ThisisoptionalifyoualreadyhaveC++gamesprogrammingexamples)

Writeasmall2Dsingle-playergamebasedonthefollowingtheme:Jelly
Observethefollowingrequirements:
1. Thegameshouldbeyourownwork.
2. Ifyouusesource-code,tutorialsand/orartfromothersthenstatethisclearly
3. Graphicsareirrelevant,unlessproducedbyyourcode(e.g.aparticleeffect)
4. Feelfreetousethird-partyartorusesimplelinesandboxes(againreference
whereeverythingcomesfrom)
5. Thefactthatthethemecanbeinterpretedinseveralwaysisintentional.You
musthoweversticktothetheme
6. MustbedoneinC++andmakesuseoffunctionsandoptionallyclasses

7. YoucanmakeuseofexternalC++libraries
8. GamecanbecompiledwithaC++compiler(VisualStudioProorExpress)
9. Thegamehasgraphicalgame-playandrunswithouterror
10. Yourcodeiswellstructuredandcommented

Ifyouhaveneverprogrammedbeforethenwerecommendabookthatwillprepareyou
fortheinterviewandtopicsencounteredinthefirstyearprogrammingisBeginningC++
ThroughGameProgramming(3rdEdition)byMichaelDawson(2006)publishedby
CourseTechnology(ISBN1435457420).Itishighlyrecommendedthatyouwork
throughthisbookbeforebeginningatNHTV.