Art King

The job of Art Director certainly appeals to me, as I'm sure it does to anyone in the field of visual creativity. They get to be in charge of all the aesthetic aspects of the game, that's all of them, every single object, backdrop and character. Now they may not have a direct connection with every little thing, but they certainly take responsibility for it- that's kind of a scary prospect. Saying this they get to have the most fun (in my opinion), they craft the style, the very essence of the game, or as much as the gamers get to see anyway.

Now the Art Director does have to answer to people, he does not own the game that is being made and has positions of authority to kowtow to even in the art field. Art managers set the budget limits and the deadlines (writing that word made me go cold for a second). Also the developers of the game command a certain amount of influence as the idea of the game is theirs, they can pull out if the game strays too far from their initial concept.

You might like to relate this to the job of Film Art Director, but I wouldn't, that'd be stupid. The Film Art Director sets up a basis, but has a completely different level of control, while the founding idea's of film art are important, after that the job seems to spin out to various other areas, whereas in games, the Art Director acts as a constant overseer of the project.

The level of qualification and commitment needed for this job is intense, years of experience and a wealth of talent in a variety of areas. Excellent communication is inexplicably important and the ability to take a leading roll of an extremely pressured group.

Here's the qualifications needed for this roll on a new game in the industry currently (the game is Star Trek Online);

QUALIFICATIONS

• A BFA is strongly preferred.

• Previous Lead Artist/Concept experience on at least 1 full-cycle shipped game title.

• 5 or more years experience in the gaming industry with a minimum of 2 games making it to market, related experience in film or TV is a plus.

• Passion for games, MMOs in particular.

• Portfolio required demonstrating strong traditional art skills and a strong command of the use of lighting, color, perspective, scale, and composition.

• Strong technical aptitude related to 3D modeling tools and game engine technologies

• Expertise working in Photoshop.

• Proven leadership skills: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively; ability to create a stimulating team environment that encourages the ideas of all artists on the project.

• Must be a skilled decision maker, problem solver, and an exceptional communicator.

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.

• Ability to share techniques and mentor less-experienced artists.