Bigyama [UK] - Environmental Artist / Modeller

[Bigyama]

Hello,

We’re looking for an environmental artist in the UK (we’re based in Nottingham, this isn’t fixed forever but it’s where we’ll be starting-up) who would like to come work with us and help start-up a company. You can either go all in with us and own a part of the company, or we can pay you a fixed wage or something in-between, give it read, see what you think and if you’re interested get in contact and we can talk about it.

We’re two guys who’ve worked in the games industry quite a while now and we’ve spotted a good opportunity to start-up on our own. There’s great potential for financial reward and more creative freedom but it will require some hard work. We’re currently being assessed for our suitability for a grant, which we’d receive about the time we intend to quit our current jobs and go it alone. The platform we’ll be developing for initially is extremely friendly to rapid prototyping, most projects take from 4 - 6 months to go from concept to totally finished. The work will be varied and the project turn over quite high. We’ve a lot of experience on the platform and we’re got good contacts with the publishers. Initially we’ll being doing third party work to build up a reserve of money which we can then use to move on to other platforms (spreading our risk) or invest in our own projects / IPs.

This type of thing is a little risky and it’s not for everyone. We need someone who could see themselves as a company owner and someone who’s reasonably flexible in terms of skills (we don’t want someone who sees themselves having a narrowly defined role - I’m the block out artist, I don’t do texturing or I’m a lighting artist that’s all I do. As a start-up we need someone who’s willing to pitch in anywhere -- and that’s what you’ll get from us). The core skills would be modelling / texturing and a good knowledge of Maya or Max. A little animation knowledge would be nice but isn’t essential. Technical ability would also be nice but again isn’t essential (but a certain willingness to learn is). You also need to be someone we get on with. Personality is going to be as important as art skills. If we’re going to run a company together we have to make an awesome team!

The risk is a little higher but so are the rewards:

• Own your company, look at the director of your current company, could you do that? Sure you could and this is your chance!
• Lots of projects with small development times, don’t get caught up in a never ending crunch to bring out the next triple-A whatever after 5 or so years
• Creative freedom, want to try out a game idea - this is your chance
• Perhaps unlike some games companies we’re a little more pragmatic and money focused. Yes we want make great games but we also want to take this opportunity to get some financial security.
• Help grow the company. Are there some people you wish your company never hired? Well you’ll be in charge of hiring, so don’t hire them!
• We’re nice awesome people who are great to work with. If you were going to start a company with anyone, we should really be your first choice.
• Maybe you’re currently unemployed - then you have nothing to lose! Or perhaps your company is looking a little unsteady (we’ve all seen what happened to Real Time Worlds, Bizarre Creations, Sony Online Entertainment, the losses at Frontier, Black Rock etc) get in contact!
• Finally be working for yourself - your effort is directly proportionate to your reward as a part owner.

It’s a start-up and we want an artist to come in with us as part owner and drive the art direction for the company. If you’re currently employed but are still interested - great! Contact us, we can reduce your risk - only jump on board when we’re got the guaranteed work. The third party work is well paid, so much so, that even with one contract we’d cover our costs and more for the entire year.

In a public post like this we don’t want to get into too many details as we’re both still working for games companies and we’d like to keep things quiet until we leave.

If this sounds like it might interest you then please get in touch at contact@bigyama.net and we’ll let you know what’s going on. Send us an email saying Hi and some details, if you have a CV you want to send to us, that’s cool too.

Hope to hear from you soon!