Mattia Giannuario is a Material Artist for a game development studio in Edinburgh, Scotland. Rainbow Academy alumnus, Mattia, sits down with us to today give his advice for other aspiring Artists looking to join the Games industry.
Mattia Giannuario is a Material Artist for a game development studio in Edinburgh, Scotland. Rainbow Academy alumnus, Mattia, sits down with us to today give his advice for other aspiring Artists looking to join the Games industry.
Currently, I work as an Associate Material Artist, so I'm in charge of creating photorealistic textures and materials and assisting art teams with specific tasks.
I have the pleasure to work for a game development studio, responsible for creating and publishing some of the most popular and critically-acclaimed games in the world.
I discovered that working in the industry could be an achievable goal after my first 3D modeling class, it was as if my whole life suddenly had sense, a classic love at first sight. I was amazed by the possibility of creating whatever I had in mind in such a fun way! In that moment I decided that working in the CGI world would be my goal (for this I want to thank all my friends, teachers, and tutors of ITS Apulia Digital Maker for always being incredible with me and supporting me).
My first big break was at the end of my Master's Degree at Rainbow Academy, when I had the opportunity to work for a few months as 3D artist on games (like VR experiences) and TV shows. This allowed me to meet many incredible people; they made me grow both as an artist and person. Having had experience in such different aspects of the CGI world, helped me focus on what I wanted to become and what I needed to learn to achieve it.
I have had a lot of fun on my journey! Just after I finished my Masters, I spent almost 1 year in Rainbow CGI as a 3D Artist. Unfortunately, the covid-19 compromised my work experience, and it ended early.
I decided to use my new free time to study new workflows and software. Unexpectedly, I was contacted by Gucci’s HR office, they offered me an unprecedented challenge for me as Digital Material Artist and R&D staff.
I immediately accepted, and after moving to one of the most beautiful cities in Italy - Florence, I spent almost 2 years working with wonderful people, I learned so much; having access to an incredible archive of leathers and fabrics was amazing. I discovered that the productive and artistic processes are extremely complex, but necessary because they can create clothes and accessories to excite millions of people.
When my current studio contacted me, I was very excited, because their games were a big part of my childhood and meant so much to me and my family, so I couldn't turn down this opportunity.
I believe that their classes are of a very high level. They have a vast educational offering that includes different aspects of the world of CGI, for example, Concept Art classes, or classes focused more on soft skills like creating a good portfolio. During the year you'll have the opportunity to meet recruiters from the most important companies (Ubisoft Milan, for example, is one of them), and at the end of your Masters, you might be selected for an internship for one of the leading 3D animation studios in Italy: Rainbow CGI.
At Rainbow Academy, I met fantastic people who continue to be an integral part of my life. My journey there provided a holistic 360-degree experience, placing equal emphasis on both academic growth and nurturing the human spirit.
After graduation the school stay connect and helped me with things like relocating when I found my first job. The most important thing is that Rainbow Academy always helped me and listened if necessary; they managed to make this experience truly unforgettable.
Rainbow Academy has been very important in this as teachers are from the industry. Thanks to their experience it was very easy to keep up with the times in terms of workflow and software.
The software I use the most on my personal projects is contained in the Adobe Suite (such as Photoshop or Substance 3D), based on the need, I can also use 3D modeling or sculpting software.
My personal workflow when I create textures always starts by looking for as many references as I can (I always make sure not to pick "useless references", they can lose you a lot of time during the initial design/layout). When I'm satisfied, I'll organise everything in folders (so as to avoid file loss!)
After that, my favourite moment comes for me: creating textures!
Each digital material requires different approaches (and love too!) My favourite is to use Photoshop to create a "reference texture" using standard parameters, necessary for a correct PBR rendering (physically based rendering), this resource allows me to always be focused during my experiments in Substance 3D. Substance 3D Designer is my favourite so far because I’m able to create interesting results in a short time.
When I'm satisfied with the result, I can save and start all over with new materials!
I am very active with socials media and it’s an incredible source of ideas, I like to experiment a bit with everything. My role is not static and requires some flexibility, I'm very intrigued by simulations in Houdini or Unreal Engine to create sprite sheets or atlas and in animated textures for example.
People! They are all incredible, a constant source of inspiration.
Nothing for now, every day I discover new things and I'm always encouraged to give 100%, and this is very important to me.
No! Having an artistic education is certainly useful for speeding up the learning process of certain topics like anatomy or colour theory, but thanks to the internet we can access incredible amount of resources useful for our learning path. Personally most of the 3D artists I know don’t have formal art education, but this doesn’t stop them from being incredible pros.
My advice is to use any existing social network or blog that allows you to browse through job offers and carefully search through them (LinkedIn, ArtStation, GamesJobsDirect, etc.) It is a good habit to study job descriptions and responsibilities. In this way, you have important pieces of information (like must-to-know applications or preferred workflows). With this in mind, you can plan in advance what skill needs more study in line with your capabilities. During this process, don't be afraid to ask for feedback! Asking recruiters for clarifications is often overlooked, but it's a good way to network.
Expanding your network has always been underestimated (if possible, try to participate in local or digital networking events via LinkedIn and contests like The Rookie Awards. Try to build a network targeted to your area of interest, in order to always be updated with the latest trends.
The main duty of a material artist is to create materials, textures, or shaders, ensuring all artistic and technical requests.
In the gaming industry, it is very important to know how to recognise and manage the limitations imposed (especially by the game engine). This allows you to find new and creative ways to solve problems, its very fun!
Right now, I don't have the required skills to hire someone, but probably I would look for someone that knows how to work in a group and is a positive input for everyone (especially in large teams).
Probably some people don't know how to properly use social networks like ArtStation, The Rookies or LinkedIn. I think we should always put extra care into published content, and that must be part of a strategy because it is the only tool we have to make the public (and recruiters) understand our skills and what kind of pros we are. Some examples of bad content are “click bait” posts or confusing WIPs (they risk making us look monotonous and, at worst, incompetent at our job).
My advice is to be inspired by people who have what you think is "perfect" for you and your content, and from that (without copying) study a way to make your content unique and incredible.
I really enjoy being precise and methodical, and I achieve this by writing down my major goals for that project, for example trying to always be tidy with files, folders, their names, and structures. Before concluding a project, I make sure there are no mistakes and that my initial goals have been met. For me, not having a mental organisation affects the final result.
I find it easy to study new workflows using recorded conferences made available on Youtube or Twitch (Keynote or GDC Vault for example). It is very convenient for me because I can see them at any time of the day. I also have other sources like Pinterest for collecting references, ArtStation, 80.lv, or The Rookies for tutorials and breakdowns.
Each project has different purposes based on the owner. I believe that for each type of work, particular attention must be paid to the reference collection phase, at this point we really decide the fate of our project. Obviously, things like style or technology (Game engine or software) can be changed during design, but you risk wasting a lot of time.
A common mistake is not writing a correct cover letter. Usually, people use the same CL for different applications and you should avoid this habit, always! Adapt your resume according to the job (because all jobs, even if similar, are not the same). This can easily highlight your skills because it is in line with the offer. This demonstrates that you're seriously interested in the project, I think this is highly appreciated by recruiters.
Keep your resume readable and short! Your CV should be no more than 2 pages, depending on your level of experience. And finally, Save it as PDF, You will then avoid layout problems.
My advice is to invest time and energy in yourself, study lots of tutorials and workshops, and try to not discourage yourself! Each person learns differently and it is useless to compare yourself to others. In the beginning, it is necessary to lay a solid foundation for your learning and skills, so start with small projects and give yourself a deadline, and after you are finished move on to something new and accessible to your current skills. Last, but not least, have fun! Never lose the desire to do and, above all, make mistakes, because only through mistakes can you grow.
I would absolutely advise myself to not waste time trying to compete all the time with myself in a toxic way. In fact, while I was trying to reach unattainable standards (I was still a beginner who didn't know anything about this world) I almost lost sight of the most important thing: the joy you feel in making (3D) art. But is possible to change your point of view, and for this, I have to thank my family and all the people who have been close to me. Thanks to them I have returned to having fun while working and to being more focused on my personal growth.
Reach out to Mattia via LinkedIn and ArtStation.