This week, several of our students who had internships over the summer shared their experiences with us.
Si Yang
Si Yang entered his internship as a way to settle a raging internal dispute: design versus production versus effects artist, movie industry versus game industry, there was no way forward until the struggle within was put to rest. Si Yang applied to Activision, Crystal Dynamics, Infinity Ward, Cryptic Studios, Disney Animation Studios, Dreamworks, and Electronic Arts. In the end, it was EA Redwood Shores that brought him on.
Since Si Yang was already situated within ETC's EA campus, the call to an interview caught him in the middle of the day. Si Yang, in flip flops and t-shirt, didn't consider himself quite ready, so he asked for a bit of time to prepare, study the project he'd be working on, and perhaps iron a shirt. After the interview process, he was put to work as a designer on MySims Kingdom, working on game balance, or "tuning," with regards to the building system that players of the original MySims will be familiar with. Like the original, MySims Kingdom is an RPG aimed at young girls and based in large part on collecting resources and building structures. Si Yang worked to create a fun balance between collecting and constructing, and worked on the game's economy as well.
Finally, the internal debate was settled: Si Yang dedicated himself to games, and game design specifically. Except maybe some producing as well.
Linhan
Linhan comes to us with a Computer Science background, experience in oil painting, and a recently-acquired yen for a Technical Artist position. She applied to Shaba Activision, Dreamworks, and Electronic Arts, and in the end took an internship at EA. Linhan served as a technical artist on MySims 2 (and as an effects artist for a shorter time), working with MEL, Perl, and C++.
Linhan offered some advice for fellow students in her position: Firstly, she would have started earlier, building up her resume, portfolio, and website before the semester began. Starting late forced Linhan out of a few possible options. Linhan also suggests discussing one's application process with alumni, getting a direct line through HR representatives at conferences like GDC, and with HR people at EA. For those of us who don't spend every day at EA, like the ETC-SV students, this may require a cross-country trip, so use your own discretion.
In her exit interview, Linhan was offered a full position upon her graduation. Like the Promotion of Damocles, this decision hangs over her head for the time being.
Youngwook
Youngwook came to the ETC from a computer science background and with industry experience in Nexon and NHN as a programmer. He came to the ETC, he says, to make the kinds of games he loves – he listed too many to reproduce here (okay, only ten, but still too many) and, before the summer began, applied to many of the companies that produced them. It was Disney Online Studios who eventually brought him on. Their interest in him was based on an interview they'd given him when he visited with the ETC, and they hooked him up with an internship and an apartment. Not too shabby.
He worked on Pirates of the Caribbean Online, primarily on the UI. Youngwook originally wanted to be a gameplay programmer, expecting to have designer responsibilities, but found himself drawn to tools and system programming, rather than the AI-heavy work of the gameplay programmer. It was a learning experience in other ways too: Youngwook worked to break down the language barrier between himself and his teammates, studying English – rather than programming – when he went home at night. He insists that it was listening, rather than speaking, that was the most important part of improving his English.
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