Bringing Characters To Life
 | Sia Nyuk Fung, 29Diploma in Digital Animation, The One Academy, 2003 Job title : Level artist Employer : Ubisoft Singapore Location : Singapore Has been with this company for 2 years Miyazaki Hayao inspired me to pursue my dream to bring characters to life with beautiful stories. |
At University
At The One Academy, we were allowed to go into different directions of majoring not only in animation but also modelling, texturing, concept drawing, composition etc. It was at TOA that I started to develop my modelling and texturing skills which built my experience in those and now, I am an experienced level artist.
At TOA we were taught to build our art foundation − art senses, skills used to execute ideas and basic necessities for an artist. Most importantly TOA helped me develop my art sense from traditional art right up to training with the latest technologies. Having a strong art foundation makes you aware of the details in making great 3D environments. For the technical skills, we were taught to be bold in learning and adapting because it is part of the working world’s requirements.
My Background
My first job was as a 3D artist for a TV series project doing digital layout, lighting, compositing and rendering. I then joined the animation industry in Singapore and was a lead compositor for an international TV series. Although animation is a new thing in Singapore, I was lucky to be involved in an Australian TV series called Bottle Top Bill that required combining 2D and 3D stop-motion.
I expanded my knowledge in 3D modelling by practising with different software, which led me to join a computer game company in 2005. My career in UK Codemasters as a game environment artist allowed me to learn from other experienced industry artists. Among my projects was the closing stage of the GRID racing game. In 2009, I joined Ubisoft as a level artist and am now involved in big gaming projects such as Assassin’s Creed 2, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
My Company And Job
Ubisoft Singapore is the 18th Ubisoft internal development studio whose main objective is to be the largest and biggest studio in Southeast Asia.
I work closely with other level designers visualising maps they have designed. Our task is to justify the environment by creating believable gameplay design. It is necessary to enhance every detail in the game’s map, eg background, architecture and vegetation.
Usually when working on a level, I begin with researching references. I then do a first pass of the art, keeping things as simple as possible and then create an overall architecture and silhouette of the level. Afterwards I check that the changes don’t affect gameplay, followed by enhancement and testing.
The Best And Worst Bits
There isn’t a worst − it’s just the best! The best bit is that it requires me to play a lot of video games and watch a lot of movies as part of my research and inspiration.
My Happiest Moment At Work
My happiest moment is being able to work on different types of games while advancing myself. Working on big titles like Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia allowed me to learn many new skills, even challenging ones.
Getting The Job
You have to express yourself skillfully with confidence, be humble to accept advice and explore ideas and possibilities too. Being able to communicate well during an interview is very important; it’s the first impression that you need to make to be a team player.
Be Prepared For
Be open-minded and adapt to changes because the game industry is constantly moving at a fast pace.
Some Advice
The basic requirements to be a game artist are good basic art knowledge and skills. Interest is also very important and necessary.
Paper qualifications are necessary too because you need to apply what you’ve learned. Working experience is very important because it shows that you know how to demonstrate your skills as a team player as well as proving your communication and leadership skills.
As individuals, we need to identify our journey to success, encourage ourselves to work hard and always give 100% in what we are doing. The best way to motivate ourselves is to always ask this question: ‘What do I want to learn from this and how can I be good at this?’ This way, we are able to improve ourselves continuously.
* Photo courtesy of Ubisoft Singapore Pte Ltd
