Interviews and portfolio walk-throughs

By the time a studio invites you to interview, your portfolio has done its first job. The interview checks the things a portfolio can't show: how you think, how you talk about your work, and whether you will be good to work with. In a 2012 Polycount thread on environment art interviews, Mcejn put it plainly: the interviewer "has most likely already seen your work", so the goal is to gauge how you would fit the team (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist).

This page covers the stages, the portfolio walk-through, common questions and the questions you should ask. For the steps before it, see CVs and applications and portfolios; for take-home tasks, see art tests.

#The stages

Studios differ, but Riot Games' guide for interns describes a common sequence (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…):

Many art roles also involve an art test. If you did one, prepare to discuss it like any other portfolio piece.

#The portfolio walk-through

In most art interviews you will be asked to talk through your own work, often with it on screen. Riot's coaches note that "whatever you showcase opens the invitation to talk more deeply about the piece and process", and that the work "should demonstrate your ideation and thought process" (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…).

What to prepare for each piece, from Kwramm's advice in the Polycount thread: "how you approached modeling, what difficulties you encountered", the methods you used, and how long it took (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist). The recruiter Alejandro Rodriguez adds a warning about that last point: "DO be honest when asked how long an artwork took to create", because studios use the answer to estimate how long your work will take for them (ArtStation Magazine: 10 Do's and Don'ts for Landing a Job at a…).

#Credit and honesty

If a piece was made on a team, say exactly what you did. Blizzard's article on portfolios reports that colleagues call taking credit for others' work an "unforgivable sin" (Activision Blizzard Newsroom: Land a Job in Video Games with More Portfolio…). The same applies to bought or free assets in a scene: name them before you are asked.

#Questions to expect

From the sources on this page:

• Your process and timing for each piece (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist).
• "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" and "Do you work on personal art?", two examples Rodriguez gives (ArtStation Magazine: 10 Do's and Don'ts for Landing a Job at a…).
• Pressure questions. "Sometimes studios will try to throw questions that will raise the pressure and back you into a corner" (ArtStation Magazine: 10 Do's and Don'ts for Landing a Job at a…). They want to see how you handle it, not a perfect answer.
• Behavioural questions that review "how you align with our values", in Riot's words (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…). Answer them with real examples from your own projects.
• Craft questions specific to the role (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…). For an environment artist, expect topics such as modular kits, texel density, trim sheets and polygon and triangle budgets.

#The STAR method

For behavioural questions, Riot recommends the STAR method: Situation (the context), Task (the problem), Action (what you did) and Results (the impact) (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…). It keeps answers short and concrete.

#Questions to ask

Every source agrees that you should ask questions. "DO ask questions," says Rodriguez, because interviews go both ways: "Write down questions they are curious about, research the studio, their games, anything" (ArtStation Magazine: 10 Do's and Don'ts for Landing a Job at a…). In the Polycount thread glottis8 wrote: "ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS! You gotta show interest", and ZacD that "you should be asking just as many questions" (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist). Riot suggests asking interviewers about their own experiences and what brought them to the studio (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…).

Kwramm's suggestions for an environment art role (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist):

• How would a typical day look for me?
• Who would I report to, and how do art reviews work?
• Which software and engine does the team use?
• How is crunch handled?
• Does the role include world building and lighting, or modeling only?

#Preparing

• Research the studio. Its games, its website and the role (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist). pixelpatron's advice in a 2020 Polycount review: "the less unknown questions you can answer for a potential employer the better" (Polycount: Portfolio Review).
• Use the job description. Riot suggests reviewing its responsibilities, identifying examples you can talk about, and even keeping it open on your computer during a video call (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…).
• Practise out loud with a friend, giving each other feedback (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…).
• For video calls, find "a quiet, well-lit location with stable internet connectivity" (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…).
• Take your time. "Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat the question, pause to think about your answer" (Riot Games Internship Study Guide Vol. 2…); glottis8's version is "think before you answer a question" (Polycount: Interview for Environment Artist).

#Further reading and watching

• CVs and applications, art tests and portfolio advice from industry professionals: the steps around the interview.