I've noticed a few art tests that are massive in scale. Has anyone else noticed this? If so, whats your opinion on the subject?

it seems to me that asking someone, who already has a portfolio, and is looking for jobs in multiple places, to drop everything and do an art test for your company that consists of 4 or 5 world objects in a massive scene, is not only completely ridiculous and unnecessary, but also insensitive to that person's schedule and private life on a level that is completely insulting and disrespectful. I've seen some BIG art tests man.

I mean honestly, if I was looking to hire someone, I'd be tempted to give him the type of art tests that I've seen JUST to see weather or not he has the self respect to tell me to go fuck myself.

Thoughts?

I know a lot of people who have the same feelings.

if i really wanted a job at a certain company, then i wouldnt mind doing a bit art test for them that takes precedence over other things.

but if i was just searching around and found a few companies that were hiring and i wasnt super stoked to work for them (one would be just as good as the other) then i wouldnt bother doing the giant art test.


so it all depends on wether or not youre targeting a specific company you would love to work at or just picking a job from a list of so-so companies.

learn to work faster and more efficient!

/runs away

My impression is that the company doesn't expect the applicant to finish the test, but gauges how much they got done and at what quality to see if they match the company's standards.

I did not mind the Splashdamage one, since I didnt really had a portfolio or a portfolio that's up to date.

I think pangarang is right with this one. They would be very impressed if you got it done in a decent time that looked visually stunning. But I'm sure there just looking to see how efficient you work as well as your style or if you can adapt to their style.

depends on the company.

if it were mythic, i'd laugh at them, if it were Epic, i'd get on it.

I can't stand em. I don't care what the company is, if they give art tests the size of some I've seen they can screw right off. An art test is supposed to be to ensure that a person can do what their 'folio says they can do. It shouldn't take a whole lot to figure that out, just a simple and quick task to see if a person can complete it on time and on spec is enough.

These companies/art directors that give out tests that are more than a weeks worth of full time work need to jump the down off their high horses. All those tests show is that the company or AD is arrogant and feels that the applicant's time is worthless.

do you guys have any examples of giant art tests? or is that stuff supposed to be kept on the down low?

Originally Posted by almighty_gir

depends on the company.

if it were mythic, i'd laugh at them, if it were Epic, i'd get on it.

that's mean

yeah, i think some companies have an attitude that if you really want to get a job there you'll go above and beyond the art test requirements just to impress, i think its cool on your end i mean hey do whatever you want, but for a company to actually EXPECT that is kinda lame.

I dunno, I kinda dig the challenge.

Shouldn't a good interview totally bypass any need for an art test? You have the persons work right in front of you, just ask them how they did it. The only need I can see for an art test is if your the best of best, and you only hire the best in the industry, you better be sure they are the real thing. Some of these other companies handing out these retardly huge art test's with unreasonable limitations, and no one on the art team having taken the test themselves is just stupid. I literally had a company hand me this test for a prop, turn me down in a one line email saying I wasn't good enough, and turn around 2 months later to ask to fly me up for an interview because they saw some new high poly work I did after there test. They aren't around any more. GG.

I could go on about other test's I worked my ass off on, and never even received a reply back at all. If you have to hand out an Art test and aren't the best, then at least send me a thank you email. Serious lack of integrity with some of these places...

/end rant

Originally Posted by Tulkamir

All those tests show is that the company or AD is arrogant and feels that the applicant's time is worthless.

Well put, Mr. Director.

Originally Posted by Em.

I dunno, I kinda dig the challenge.

interesting.

Perhapppppsss it's a matter of values. If they're lookin for someone who is insanely dedicated and wants to work in an environment that challenges them, then I suppose that's a good fit.

personally.. bleeahh. I'd sooner die... and I wonder if you CAN get such an expectant leader who isn't an asshole, and is just looking for people as committed as he is. makes me wonder if that'd be a healthy work/life balance psychology, as well...

Originally Posted by Cojax

I could go on about other test's I worked my ass off on, and never even received a reply back at all. If you have to hand out an Art test and aren't the best, then at least send me a thank you email. Serious lack of integrity with some of these places...

amen. This is the type of shit that I'm talking about. What disrespectful bullshit.

Midways art test was ridiculous when I worked there. I didn't have to do it when I got hired but I had to hand it out to a few people and it was just stupid. Limitations were not realistic for the most part and they had no set standard for what was actually considered a solid turn in.

80% of the people at Midway wouldn't have been able to successfully complete the test to he so called standards that were brought up.

I haven't done an art test in quite some time. I actually got turned off by a few places because they wanted me to do a test but it comes down to what you want in the end I suppose.

I agree with john on this. Big art tests are disrespectful. I've yet to see a company ask a programmer to create an app of their specification "just to see if their folio is legit". Under those circumstances, you're assuming that artists are liars and cheats.

The sheer lack of respect for what artists do really bothers me about this industry. I work with a great programmer who said it best....

"The most ingenious engine technology isn't worth a dime if all it does is render teapots. I'll make the tech, you make humanity love it."

and I gave this very same advice to a journalist once, and I think it applies to any AD who wants good people:

"If You want to work quality people that you can depend on, entrench yourself in the mud with as many as you can. You'll see whose a miner and whose a worm".

Originally Posted by Peris

learn to work faster and more efficient!

/runs away

so says the man who won unearthly challenge :p

on the flip side, sometimes artists need to let their tattered ego go when asked to do a test, it could be a matter of having a dope folio but nothing in the style of the current project, even your response to being asked to do it can determine some personality stuff.

besides why would a company want to hire someone who applies and doesnt care if they really get the job there because they have applied to 20 other studios. also good especially for college grads to test them on realworld production timelines, you dont get an entire semester to make an environment in the real world :P

if you look at it from the companies perspective, ideally you would want to hire people who have a genuine enthusiasm for your studio......its these people who will be making you rich

I agree there are some excessive tests out there but chances are anyone who busts their ass on it (and does it well) will get the job, thats what happened to me anyways. 5 days of 12-15 hour days, granted I had very little to show beforehand but hey it got me the job at 20 years old without having to go to college, so in my case it was certainly worth it.

either way its debateable and comes down to a case by case situation. there will always be the line of excessive expectations, and i guess its up to the artist to make the judgement call.

i can see where companies are coming from there is always a nagging doubt in the back of your mind as the AD,unless the persons portfolio is uber awesome you kinda wonder whether they can do things in YOUR style to YOUR deadlines.
Especially if you as the AD happen to be feeling the pressure from the suits above and are slightly wary of your own position,the last thing you want to do is be hiring people who aren't what they seem on the tin,or are just complete screw ups.

Agreed though with the initial point,I believe how good someone is and what they can achieve in a set-time can be shown in a simple art test with particular limitations and possibly a loose concept art which can be interpreted in different ways.
Shouldn't need to do wacking great art test to prove myself.....or why the hell do I have a portfolio in the first place?

As for the questions about a persons enthusiasm,that should come across in the interview,if they are enthusiastic about working for you they will know about you,know what projects you have done etc.....if they have one eye on the application they sent to the studio next door then they won't. If you can't tell how enthusiastic,what a person is like or how good they actually are after going through there folio with them...you properly shouldn't even be in the position to hiring.


John

On my personal opinion aside from what everyone else has expressed.

I feel art tests are great for new people breaking into the industry. Yet should be a requirement so new talent that hasn't gotten an opportunity before for a real job. Would be able to get the chance to prove themselves worthy and qualified for that job.

Some companies I see do have a huge ego about themselves due to huge success or past failures.

But for those who have worked in the industry already, and have shipped 1 or 3 titles as a key part. I see no need to provide an art-test to those (That's if I was a company owner, ect). Because it's obvious that, that individual has put his/her time into that project with that previous companies team.

I personally have not obtained an industry job yet, and still am applying to as many companies that I can see myself as a fit to. It's just a shame I cannot be given a test these days to show myself worthy to what that company may be working on, or did previously.

Well, as somebody who just screwed the pooch on an important Art Test because it was too much(for me), too quickly, I have to disagree.

I feel it was totally my fault. I mean, they asked a lot, but I had enough time if I really wanted it bad enough and worked very hard, all day, every day. But I got sick. I had technical & creative problems. I should have persevered through them, rather than accepting them as an excuse for failure.

I think Art Tests, provided they aren't just insane, are a great metric of how the employee will work under hard deadlines, stress, etc. Me personally, I folded like a house of cards this time, because I got so sick. Hard to model 2+ full next gen characters in a under a week when you're also fighting a bout of Mexican Dysentery.

All of the art tests I've taken have been pretty reasonable as far as scale and time limits. I honestly dont mind too much, especially if it's a studio that I REALLY want to work for. Each test I've taken, I've learned a lot along the way so it's almost a catch 22. Yea, it's hard work and bites into your personal time and life...but even if you dont get the big pay off (land the job), you still pick up new tricks and what not along the way. It's frustrating at times...but for me personally, I have to take a step back and put things into perspective. I know if I take on a negative view of the experience, I'm only hurting myself to go along with the "failed" art test.

And this isnt to sound bitter what so ever, but I find it pretty unfair to meet certain expectations when a studio cant even meet those expectations....like Jesse pointed out. We could debate that all day and find reasons for a studio's reasoning behind that...but at the end of the day it's shit. Call it what it is.

I havent seen that many art tests. Out of around 110 game companies in the UK, I've seen around 3 of them giving a public art test and none of them asking for a private art test.

How big are we talking here? The "biggest" one I've seen are the environment ones from Bizarre, which consist of 2-3 pretty big facades and multiple props.

But on the topic of companies treating applicants like crap, it would be nice if they bothered to send out a reply to confirm they got your application. Even an automated reply would be ok... sort of. Well, better than nothing :p
I end up feeling very positive about a company that does reply with what looks like a genuine email that they typed up, and very negative for ones that expect you to either do a art test or fill up a huge form and not even send a reply to acknowledge your application (only 2 companies have done that to me :p)

and if we can do those art tests in half the time and make it 2x awesome than they expect thats a big win.