作者：Dave Vasquez（EA动画师）

当你求职于一个游戏工作室时，你会想：“我到底要在演示作品里放什么呢？”动画与电影有区别吗？呃，可以说有也可以说没有。与电影相比，游戏对动画师确实有不同的要求。然而，说到制作演示作品，游戏业与电影业并没有什么不同。底线就是：面试官仍然想看到扎实的动画技术。

现在，游戏工作室多得就像正在制作的游戏。所以没有唯一的标准公式。就像电影，不同的工作室有不同的风格、要求等。在本文中，我总结了几条建议，帮助你制作一份应聘游戏工作室的动画演示作品。

animation(from animationarena)

1、为你应聘的工作室量身定制作品集

这一点超级重要。游戏业的爆炸式发展，涌现出许许多多不同的工作室、不同的游戏类型和不同的游戏动画风格。所以在应聘前你得做足工作，比如研究一下你的目标工作室和他们的作品。这并不是说你必须为各个工作室定制崭新的作品。但是，如果你要应聘的工作是动作向、打斗类的游戏，那么就要在动画中放入更多与之相关的动作。如果是角色养成类的游戏，那么演示作品中就要出现更多手势和动作向的动画。

2、循环还是不循环？

这个问题我经常被问到。所有游戏中都有循环，特别是像角色移动或打斗动作这类动画。但是，现在的游戏动画要求远远超过循环。我的第一个建议是，再看看第一条建议。如果有必要，那就加入一两段好的循环，以显示你有这个制作能力。不过，没必要强调这个部分。人们还是希望看到展现了扎实的物理活动、动作、性能和叙述技巧的好动画。如果你可以做到，面试官就不会怀疑你会不会制作循环，即使你的作品中并没有出现循环。

3、动画基础原理要扎实

这一点很明显，但我还是要强调。就游戏的属性来说，游戏动画中往往掺杂着大量物理活动，所以你要理解其中的原理，这是关键。另一个重要的方面是，在游戏中，玩家可以从各个角度观察动画（游戏邦注：这与电影不同，因为电影的视角是固定的）。因此，动画的基础原理一定要过关。如果某人的作品中出现基础原理的偏差，面试官绝对会很快就淘汰这个人。质量、时间、空间、弧线、重叠等等。这可能是制作动画演示作品时最需要好好考虑的东西。让你的朋友或同事等看看你的作品，收集他们的反馈，看看你是否确实理解如何执行动画的基础原理。若干动画书中提到这一点，非常简单但是执行得非常好的东西与非常复杂但执行很差的东西相比，前者的效果更好。

4、动画不要太长

超过2分钟可能就太长了。不要把所有东西都填塞进去，只要最好的、最体面的部分。面试官的时间有限，所以你要掐好时间，不要做得太长。

5、总是先出现最好的作品

你希望从一开始就抓住别人的注意力，对吧？如果你把精华留在最后，可能面试官就永远不会看到了。

6、专家还是杂家？

我应该把模型、装备、材质等也放进去吗？还是那句话，返回去看第一条建议，搞清楚目标工作室的期待是什么。虽然有些工作室可能希望找一个杂家（如既会动画又懂装备），但现在大多数工作室（特别是规模比较大的）找的是专家。这意味着你是应聘一种动画职位，你的动画作品中应该有专注点。

7、DVD、CD、VHS、Web？

现在，提交作品最常用的格式是DVD。但是，你的作品最好也能在线观看。这样公司就可以更快看到你的作品，特别是面试你的人还没有收到你的DVD时。如果你的作品可以在线观看，那么它们应该有观看的通用格式，否则你的作品可能就有被跳过的风险。一般来说，QuickTime影片是最流行的格式。

8、总是附带拍摄清单

如果你的作品中包含团队作品，这一点就格外重要了。要让面试官清楚地看到你动画的是哪一部分。

好吧，我觉得是时候总结了！希望这些建议对你有帮助，祝你们好运！（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Tips for Creating a Game Animator’s Demo Reel

By Dave Vasquez

So you want to apply to a game studio but you’re wondering, “What exactly do I need to put on my demo reel?” Is it different from film? Well, yes and no. Games do present some different requirements to an animator than what might be experienced in film. However, when it comes to putting together a demo reel, the game industry is not that different from the film industry. The bottom line: reviewers still want to see solid animation.

Today there are as many game studios as there are games being made. There’s not one standard formula. Just like in film, studios have their own styles, requirements, etc. I’ve tried to summarize some tips below that may help you if you’re looking to put together an animation demo reel for a game studio.

1. Tailor your demo reel to the studio you are applying to.

This is super important. The game industry is exploding and there are so many different studios, different genres of games, and different styles of how games are animated. Do your homework. Research the studio and the work they produce. That doesn’t mean you need to have completely new, customized work for each studio. But, if you know you’re going to apply to work on an action-oriented, sword-fighting game then put more of your animation that has physical action in it. If you’re applying for a job on a people simulation game, then put more pantomime and acting-oriented pieces on your reel.

2. To cycle or not to cycle?

That’s a question I get asked all the time. Cycles are definitely a part of every game, especially for things like a character’s locomotion or fighting actions. However, game animation today has a lot more to it than just cycles. My first advice is to consult tip #1 and if it’s necessary then put 1 or 2 good cycles on your reel to show that you can do them. However, they don’t need to be the focus of your reel. People still want to see good animation that showcases solid physical action, acting, performance, and storytelling skills. If you can show that, the reviewer will have no doubt that you can do a cycle, even if you don’t have one on your reel.

3. Nail the fundamentals in all your animation.

This might seem obvious, but I can’t emphasize it enough. By their nature, games tend to involve a lot of physical action so it’s key that you show a firm understanding of the principles. It’s also important because the animation can be viewed from all different angles in video games (as opposed to film where you’re usually animating to a specific camera). Because of this, the fundamentals need to be working since the animation has to look good from all angles. There’s nothing that will make a reviewer hit the eject button faster than if the fundamentals are not executed properly in someone’s reel. Weight, timing, spacing, arcs, overlap, etc. It’s probably one of the most important things to consider when putting together your reel. Get feedback from your friends and/or colleagues to make sure your reel shows you have a solid understanding of how to execute the fundamentals of animation. It’s been mentioned in several good animation books, but something very simple that is executed very well will make a much bigger impact than something complicated that’s executed in less than stellar fashion.

4. Don’t make the reel too long.

Anything over 2 minutes is probably getting too long. Don’t put everything you’ve ever animated on there. Just the best, most recent work. Reviewers have a very limited space of time to review your work so keep it short and make it count!

5. Always put your best work first.

You want to grab people’s attention from the get go. If your best work is later in the reel, the reviewer may never see it.

6. Specialist or Jack of All Trades?

Should I include models, rigs, textures, etc.? Again, refer to tip #1 to understand what the studio is looking for. While some studios may look for a jack of all trades (i.e. someone who can animate and rig), most studios these days (especially the bigger ones) are looking for specialists. That means if you’re applying for an animation position, make the focus of your reel a showcase of your animation.

7. DVD, CD, VHS, Web?

These days, the most common format to submit your demo reel is on DVD. However, it’s also a very good idea to have your reel available online somewhere. This allows you to furnish a company with your work samples quickly, especially if you’ve been referred by someone and they haven’t received a DVD yet. Make sure if you do have samples online that they are in a common format for people to view, otherwise you run the risk of being passed over. Generally, QuickTime movies are the most popular format.

8. Always Include a Shot list.

This is particularly important if you have group projects on your reel. Be very specific about what you animated so it’s clear to the reviewer. Well, I think that about wraps it up! I hope you find these tips helpful and I hope to see some of your solid reels soon! Good Luck!

About Dave Vasquez – Dave is an animator at Electronic Arts and is currently working on Sims 3. His interest in filmmaking began at an early age with a Super 8 camera given to him by his parents. After attending UCLA Film School and working in the live action film industry for a few years, Dave discovered animation. He initially attended the Academy of Art University (where he first met Bobby Beck, the CEO and co-founder of AnimationMentor.com) and then graduated in the first class of Animation Mentor. When Dave’s not busy animating, you can usually find him surfing a wave or plucking away on a bass guitar. （source：animationarena）