In its latest feature,
Dead Rising 2 level design director Josh Bridge offers up top tips to GameCareerGuide's readers on
how to prepare their design reels with quality work and presentation.
Bridge has reviewed a lot of student design reels, and in this feature, discusses potential pitfalls and suggestions for how aspiring level designers can improve their work before showing it off to potential employees, educators, or even their peers.
Problems can range from...
"
I don't know how many student Unreal Tournament portfolio maps I have seen, but they all start to melt into one rivet covered metal corridor. I am a HUGE fan of the UT series (and pretty much anything that comes out of Epic), but my eyes start to gloss over as I sit through another UT DM map using the shipped textures package.
to...:
"Not too sure if folks think that 2D drawings would be frowned upon for their lack of pizzazz, but top down level designs are commonly vague or worse yet, not even demoed. One of the key skills for a level designer is the ability to communicate designs through level maps. Lack of planning or indication of scale with a top down map doesn't instill confidence."
all the way to:
"
As much as I love seeing polished-looking completed work, some folks hand in portfolios that don't reveal how the design was developed. The process, and being able to communicate it, is as important as the result."
For helpful suggestions on how to surmount these problems and many more, check the full feature,
A Guide For Aspiring Level Designers, published today on Gamasutra's education-oriented sister site, GameCareerGuide.
