Blender – Making something out of nothing!

During my second semester of 2nd year I had a Computer Graphics module that introduced us to a new software programme called Blender. Blender is a free open-source 3D computer graphics software that can be used to create animated films, visual effects, 3D objects, interactive 3D applications or video games. Blender includes some amazing features for a free software package, some of which include 3D modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging and skinning, and much much more.

Our first project for Computer Graphics included an individual project designing and skinning a 3D object of our own choice. I found Blender very easy and fun to use, and found designing 3D objects and graphics to be a lot of fun. When I first started playing around with all the effects in Blender my project kind of just came together in an hour, I designed a demon head without really meaning too. It’s something I’m very proud of since it was the first ever 3D object I created in Blender. Note that the image below is not the skinned version, it’s the basic version that I first designed before I tidied it up.

The first 3D object I created in Blender

After using Blender in Computer Graphics I found myself using is more and more in my spare time because I enjoyed challenging myself to create even more complex objects. Another example of my work would be the chess pieces and chess board I created. It took a while to do but the end result was worth it.

Chess Board and Pieces

After working with Blender in my own time and in class I found that my interests lay with designing and creating graphical objects. It showed me that games design is the path I want to take in the gaming industry and where I want to be in the future, designing characters and lanscapes for high end games. Some other projects I did in Blender can be found here, on my online portfolio.

My Dream Job!

If I was to be perfectly honest, my dream job would be being a super hero, saving the world with super human powers and cool costumes, but sadly we don’t live in world where that’s possible. So I guess my realistic dream job would be a game designer for Naughty Dog or Ubisoft, two of my favourite game developers in world today.

A game designer is another aspect of game development. A game designer designs the content of a game and the rules along with the characters, storyline, level design, environment, and gameplay during, and many other aspects of the game during pre-production. Game designers are required to be artistic and technically competent as well as having good writing skills, a good people person is also a plus. Because I find my programming skills aren’t very strong I believe this area of game development would suit me best because I believe I am artistic and I like to write fiction and non-fiction, which are the requirements of a game designer. I also believe the design process of a game is the most fun and interesting part of the development process. To show my love for art and design I have created an online portfolio that showcases my creative skills.

The reason for my choice to work for Naughty Dog and Ubisoft specifically is simple, they have designed and developed my all time favourite games which include the Uncharted series (Naughty Dog), the Assassins Creed series (Ubisoft), and the Prince of Persia series (Ubisoft), and an all time classic game that reminds me of my childhood (and I’m sure many others), Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog). Ubisoft and Naughty Dog have developed some of the highest grossing and most popular games in todays gaming industry, and are continually pushing the boundaries of next generation gaming. Their next titles include The Last of Us (Naughty Dog) and Assassins Creed 3 (Ubisoft) which are two of the most anticipated games of 2012/2013.

Naughty Dog

An influence of mine would have to be the co-founder of Naughty Dog, Andy Gavin. Along with Jason Rubin, Andy established Naughty Dog in 1989, and in 1996 Andy and Jason designed and developed one of the most popular games of the 90’s for the Play Station platform, the game, of course, being Crash Bandicoot. After stepping down from his role at Naughty Dog, Andy has become a fictional novelist which is something I also aspire to. As well as my love for video games I also love to write, which makes Andy a perfect role model for me. Something I am also very proud of is the fact that Andy Gavin is following me on Twitter. 🙂

My dream of being a game designer falls on my love to design and write. In my free time I write FanFiction, and I also practice graphic design and video designing, all of which can be found on my online portfolio.

An example of my portfolio work!

So there you have it, my dream job after college would be to be a game designer in such game developers as Naughty Dog or Ubisoft. I know it’s bit of a long shot and highly unlikely I’ll get a job with them after I graduate, but getting a job with either of those companies is an achievement I hope to accomplish in hopefully the next 5-10 years. Heres hoping! 🙂