Unity vs. Unreal Engine: Which is Best for Real-Time VFX
Unity vs. Unreal Engine: Which is Best for Real-Time VFX
Sometimes it might seem like there is a secret formula to getting hired in VFX that only a few people know. While there are, in fact, a few gotchas you should be aware of, overall landing a position in the industry is no rocket science. Talent Manager Hannah Killian explains how to make your application stronger and comments on the most common beginner mistakes aspiring artists make when submitting their resume.
There’s no denying that VFX is a competitive industry, but the same could be said for most creative industries. I think the fact that studios have a vast global talent pool to pull from can lead people to view the market as unapproachable, but in my opinion, it provides even more opportunities for aspiring artists.
Without experience in the industry, it’s reasonable to have some trepidation about finding a job, but it’s far from impossible to secure a great VFX position for yourself. Regardless of the industry, job searching is really difficult. It can be exhausting, but it’s important to learn what you can in the process and not lose sight of your goal.
Having connections is never a bad thing, but not a prerequisite to breaking into the industry, and certainly not to making it to higher-level positions. In my opinion, the hierarchy of VFX is based more on merit and skill. The beauty of this world is that your work speaks for itself. If you are skilled in your craft, willing to work hard, and respectful of your colleagues, then the only way to go is up.
When it comes down to it, most people are not going to have every single skill and qualification for a position, so recruiters review candidates with that in mind. Obviously you shouldn’t apply to every VFX job you see, but if your qualifications align closely enough to the crux of the role, I’d say to go for it. Recruiters aren’t reviewing applicants with a fine-tooth comb and comparing their resume to each bullet point on the job listing, but that doesn’t mean you should disregard the position description.
As a general rule of thumb, if you are confident you can perform the duties of a position to the level of standard expected by the studio, then you should apply.
If a position seems like a reach and you’re missing many required skills, then you should wait until the company posts a position you’re better suited to before applying for a role there. Especially when it comes to specialist roles, it’s better to not apply than submit your resume for a job that you can’t perform. When studios are looking for an artist with a specific software knowledge, and you’ve never used it, it’s safe to assume that you won’t be considered seriously.
No matter how much you want to work at a certain studio, if you’re not at all qualified for an open position there, then you should not apply. It’s better to submit a general application or drop your resume for future consideration than to apply for positions that you are not qualified for. Aspiring artists may think that applying to every position at a company will get them noticed. It will, but not in a good way. Recruiters always remember the people who continually apply to positions they’re not qualified for, and not for a good reason. It’s a good way to get your resume sent straight to the trash and remove yourself from consideration for future roles. If you truly want to work for a studio, either now or in the future, never do this! It shows a lack of restraint and inability to follow directions, and is a waste of time for all parties.
For me personally (and I hope everyone else!) I would never throw away a resume because of age or because someone has no academic training in VFX.
It’s important to remember that age and experience are not mutually exclusive. In many studios, you may find a 22-year-old and 60-year-old sitting in the bullpen together, with the same title.
The same goes for academic training. Of course, it’s great to have formal education in VFX, and students may have more opportunities for internships/networking, but there’s no one path to becoming a great artist. I’ve met and worked with countless talented artists and, in my experience, their path to working in VFX has little bearing on their success. Some are self-taught, some have taken a few VFX courses, and some have years of formal education, but all have been great at what they do.
Required skills and resumes aside, it’s important to remember that submitting an application is just one step of the hiring process. Meeting every requirement of an open position is a great start, but unfortunately, it doesn’t guarantee you’re going to be hired. There are so many factors that go into filling a position, and only some that you can control. VFX is a dynamic industry in every sense, so it’s hard to imagine a scenario where one applicant is guaranteed to get a job. Even if the timing doesn’t work out this time around, if you make a good impression on the team, they’re more likely to reach out to you first the next time the position opens up.
Job hunting can be incredibly time-consuming and stressful, but you have to be thorough when choosing roles to apply for. Although it’s frustrating to continually apply for positions without hearing back, throwing caution to the wind is not in your best interest.
If you’re applying to every single position a studio has posted without discretion, you might not even be considered for a position you are a fit for. It’s really important to show employers that you can follow basic directions, and if you’re a Compositor applying to a CG Generalist role, your resume may go straight to the trash.
Resume Do’s:
Resume Don’ts:
It’s crucial to include as much information as possible, in a clear, concise way on your resume. Recruiters review hundreds of resumes a week, so missing information or adding too much fluff can make a bad impression. If you’re applying for artist roles but not including your reel/portfolio, most recruiters will not take the time to try to find it. Make sure that you review everything you’re submitting with your application to ensure that you have all the information you need, that everything is accurate and there aren’t any typos.
I don’t need to see an objective on a resume, ever. If you’re applying for a job, it’s clear that your objective is to find a job. It’s not going to make me throw out your application but it’s really unnecessary.
It depends on the recruiter, but I personally think cover letters are a great way to stand out, especially for artists with no industry experience. It’s not easy to summarize everything you’re good at in a one-page resume. That’s where a cover letter comes in handy. You can use it to highlight what makes you an excellent candidate, especially if you do not have much industry experience. I’m not a huge fan of including relevant coursework on a resume, but if you learned valuable skills for a studio in class, put it in your cover letter! While cover letters can be great, I would rather not receive one at all than get a poorly written one. You should always tailor your cover letters to each role that you apply for. Recruiters can tell when you’re just using the same letter for every role.
Lastly, always submit a cover letter if one is required! If you forgot one of the requirements for an application, 90% of recruiters will not even consider you as a candidate.
General Reel Guidelines:
1) 1-2 minutes is the ideal length. Start with your best work: if you don’t make an impression in the first 15 seconds, many recruiters will stop watching.
2) Quality over quantity: I’ve noticed that artists who are just getting started sometimes don’t know when to stop with their reel. There seems to be this tendency to think, “well I’ve only done 10 things, so I better include all 10 in my reel” but it’s much better to include your best work, even if you’re left with only 3 shots on your reel. Most recruiters would prefer watching a short, good reel, than a longer one with shots of varying quality.
If you are a junior artist, there is no reason your reel should be more than 2 minutes. As you gain more experience, you may want to include more in your reel, and that is fine as long as you remember that quality over quantity is the standard to go by.
3) Separate reels for separate disciplines: if you haven’t had industry experience yet, but you’ve studied two disciplines, it’s okay to make 2 separate reels, even if they’re short! If someone’s applying for a compositing job, then halfway through their reel they put character animation shots, it can be a little confusing. It’s not a bad thing to be skilled in different areas, but it’s best to keep reels relevant to one skill at a time.
If you do end up creating separate reels/portfolios for different disciplines, great! Please make sure to include the appropriate reel and portfolio in your application based on the position. Most recruiters don’t want to dig through your website to see if you’re able to fit the role you’re applying for.
4) Sound doesn’t matter: if you want to put some cool background music on your reel, feel free to do so, but don’t get hung up on the music. Most recruiters don’t listen.
5) Don’t forget about breakdowns/before and afters: ideally the breakdown will be included on the reel itself and if not, it should be in the reel summary or included separately.
Taking ownership over your work is super important. And as you gain studio experience, the need to do so is even more necessary. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the same shot on the reels of multiple different people from the same company. Without some sort of breakdown, it’s impossible to tell who has done what.
This is one of our Barnstorm reels, and company reels are a bit different than what an individual reel will look like, but I’ve included it here because I love the breakdowns the team did. Including before and afters or breakdowns just sheds a lot more light on what you contributed to a project, which is really crucial for recruiters looking to hire.
Check the company website and LinkedIn page, use their job portal, or look on sites like Zerply, Indeed and ZipRecruiter. There’s no “worst way” to apply for a job, but I would advise against cold calling (especially if a company’s job description says no calling!), but cold emailing is a different story entirely.
If the position you’re looking for isn’t on a studios site or job portal, you can always submit your resume to be considered for future open roles, and you should! I can’t tell you how many great candidates we’ve met and hired from cold emails. Many companies have a jobs or recruiter email on their website for general submissions, and others have resume drops on their job portals. Don’t be afraid to ask for an exploratory interview so you can connect with a studio’s recruiting team. It might feel like a shot in the dark, but it never hurts to make an introduction. In fact, I’d suggest trying to do as many exploratory interviews as possible to make connections with recruiters and hiring managers. All companies store candidate resumes and you never know when an urgent hiring need is going to pop up. 9 times out of 10, if we need to hire in a hurry, I’ll reach out to previous candidates to see if they’re available before posting a job anywhere.
If you have a solid portfolio/reel, and know what you’re good at, just continue putting yourself out there and eventually, it will work out.
Much like an application, interviews are another step in the application process that is hard to boil down to “this works” and “this doesn’t.” There are certain steps to take to improve your odds. Aspiring artists and folks hoping to get jobs in the VFX industry should treat interviewing with the same respect that they treat artistic disciplines – it’s a skill that needs to be developed and kept sharp. The best artists in the world have missed out on opportunities because of interviews that didn’t go well. And even flawless interviews don’t guarantee a job, because there are so many elements at play. But with the right combination of elements: the right skill set for a position, a great series of interviews, chemistry with the team, and the right timing, you’ll find yourself in luck.
Even for an exploratory interview, do some research on the company and the types of open roles there (or past open roles) in your discipline to get a better understanding of their expectations. Job descriptions don’t always cover all the ins and outs, and it’s okay to have questions, but it’s much better to have a sense of what they may be looking for rather than go in blind.
Always check the requirements for a position and the day-to-day responsibilities – are these things you can realistically do? And if so, are you prepared to talk about how to accomplish those things? These are important questions to ask yourself before an interview, and if the answer isn’t a resounding yes, then make sure you show up ready to sell your other qualifications and why you’re still a good fit for the company.
No matter what position you’re applying for, you’re going to be asked technical questions and you’ll need to be able to answer them. Take a look at your reel and your portfolio, are you able to confidently talk about everything you’ve done and how you did it? Some interviewers will ask about your favorite shot on your reel, or the hardest thing you’ve ever worked on, and in doing so, they want you to talk about your process. When someone can’t properly articulate how they put a shot together, it raises more questions than answers, and that’s something you never want in an interview.
There are artists who are technical, artists who are creative, and artists who are a blend of both, and no matter what category you fall under, it’s expected that you can clearly explain your work process in an interview. If an artist has an amazing reel but can’t walk hiring managers through the methods used in achieving that, they most likely won’t get a call for a second interview. It’s really easy for recruiters to tell when someone knows their stuff and can speak about it confidently. Not everyone is skilled at this naturally, so it’s definitely something to work on and practice as you start interviewing.
It should go without saying, but do not ever lie about what you can and can’t do in an interview. If you admit that you’re not able to perform one of the main job functions, you might still be considered for the role, but it should be on the basis of what you can do. We’ve all heard the saying “fake it till you make it,” but you should never take that attitude about getting a job in VFX.
Believe me when I say that employers always find out when you are not able to perform to the standard you set by lying about your skill set. If you get the job based on lies, and are unable to perform those skills, it reflects very poorly on you and could result in you being fired and removed from any future consideration at that company. If the interview goes well, and you tell the truth about what you can and can’t do, but don’t get the role, it’s okay! You’ll still be kept in the recruiter’s roster and will likely be considered for future openings.
I always advise against asking what the pay will be in the first interview. Even though some states/provinces list salary ranges, it’s better to wait until you’re further along in the screening process to broach the topic. When I’m initially meeting a candidate, hearing “how much will I get paid?” right away is a bit of a red flag. You should reserve the first interview for letting a recruiter get to know you and show that you’re a good fit for the role. If you are asking about salary right out of the gate, companies may think you’re just chasing a paycheck, or even assuming that you’ll be hired without going through the necessary steps.
I think there’s a tendency for aspiring artists to get discouraged when they can’t find a VFX job quickly, but persistence and patience are key.
Your dream studio isn’t hiring for the role you’re looking for? Reach out anyway. Had a few great interviews with a prospective employer but didn’t get that role? Keep in touch with the recruiters so they think of you for future opportunities.
Job searching without results can be disheartening, but everyone in the VFX industry has felt that way at some point. If you’re not finding a fit despite countless applications, stay diligent and don’t lose sight of your goals. You may find that getting a foot in the door is easier in a different position than you were hoping for, but sometimes you have to take whatever opportunity is presented to you.
Being an assistant or PA might not be your dream job, but it’s a great way to start and secure a position at a great studio. I started at Barnstorm VFX as a Production Assistant and because of the great people I was working with, I was able to work my way up to a position that I really love.
The VFX industry might seem unapproachable, but the people who work in this world are some of the kindest, most hard-working, and smartest that I’ve ever met. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, even if it doesn’t result in the desired outcome immediately. If you make connections along the way, you’ll find helpful folks at every corner and mentors when you least expect it. You may not land your dream position at your favorite studio right away, but if you are passionate about VFX and commit to the journey, you will ultimately find your way.
You can get free course lessons from Water FX in Houdini by simply filling out the box below. Just follow the prompts after you fill out the box.
By filling out this form you agree to receive email communications from Rebelway.
Unity vs. Unreal Engine: Which is Best for Real-Time VFX
Frédérik Barbeau on his experience as a 3D art student in college vs. at Rebelway and landing his first gig as a VFX artist.
See all of the incredible submissions for the Rebelway FX Challenge 2022.
SIDEFX CERTIFIED
TRAINING
TRAINING
PARTNER
AUTODESK CERTIFIED
TRAINING