The rookies: pro advice
Rookies judge Justin Mohlman shares his tips for creating the perfect portfolio
Improve your portfolios and reels
With the deadline for entering new international awards scheme The Rookies (29 May) fast approaching, we caught up with game artist and educator Justin Mohlman to find out what else you can do to raise your profile as a creative. Justin is a judge at The Rookies – dubbed the ‘Oscars for creative students’ – and believes when it comes to self-promotion, creatives have it easier than when he was at school. “Tools like Youtube, Vimeo and Google, along with forums like Polycount, allow for easy sharing of content and learning,” Justin says. “But the best way, in my opinion, is to have a well designed, easy-to-navigate portfolio that loads quickly and is straight to the point. It should identify your primary and secondary skill set and showcase them with a few samples of quality work.”
So when it comes to creating a killer portfolio or showreel, Justin recommends keeping the narrative short and sweet. “The people reviewing your reels and portfolios are busy working professionals, with tasks outside of searching for applicants. This means that at times they need to be drawn in quickly to your work, and when they see poorly designed websites that fail to load or reels with long intros, they can be turned off from them.” Framestore’s crewing and talent development manager Anna Swift, agrees. She suggests that reels from job applicants should last for around a minute and include breakdowns. “We like to see that you can create the work, and that you understand the process behind it,” she explains. “Your best shot should be the first thing we see and we prefer quality over quantity.” To keep your portfolio and showreel focused, take time out to clearly identify your primary skill set and secondary skills – or those requested by a prospective employer, if you’re applying for a job – and showcase your best work in those areas.
Justin advises showing three to four quality pieces, pointing out that if you’re looking for a position at a studio, you need to fully research that studio and the requirements for the position. “Make sure your portfolio is tailored to the specific studio, that you meet all of the requirements, and that your portfolio and demo reel showcase them in a pleasing manner,” he explains.
“Often students will make a generic portfolio and cast a large net out and apply to every studio. All I can say is that studios can tell when that happens, and if they have the option between a generic application and someone who took to the time to focus their portfolio on their studio and a specific position, they will take the more focused applicant. Of course, that’s also assuming the quality is on point to that studio’s standards.”
According to Justin, it also pays to research your competition: “Go on forums, and Google portfolios and Rookies judge Justin Mohlman wants students to submit work showing technical ambition reels to see what other people are submitting and getting jobs with. It’s called job hunting for a reason – you need to prepare for it and hunt for that job.”
Flex your creative muscles
Another good tip is to make sure you’ve linked any social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram – and other portfolio platforms to your website. “Vimeo is a good place to start,” advises Anna.
This can help greatly, adds Justin, in increasing the reach of your portfolio. “It’s all about presenting yourself in a professional manner, while staying active on forums and events, and showing progression in skill sets,” he says. “I’ve seen people on forums get work just simply from showing progression and growth in the work they do, and the industry pros who visit those sites taking notice.”
As a judge for The Rookies, Justin wants to see submissions from students who have taken the time to flex their creative and technical muscles on focused projects. He’s looking for entries to be displayed in a cohesive way, demonstrating
Often students will make a generic portfolio and cast a large net out and apply to every studio… studios can tell when that happens Justin Mohlman, judge, The Rookies
basic design principles alongside outstanding attention to detail.
The awards scheme is free to enter, and there are 12 categories to choose from: Architecture & Visualisation, Fashion Design, Game Design & Development, Graphic Design, Illustration & Concept Art, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Photography, Virtual Reality, Visual effects & Animation, and Web & Application Design. “The Rookies has categories from traditional to tomorrow. This means that people can submit illustration and concept art, all the way up to virtual reality and even robotics,” explains co-founder of the awards, Alwyn Hunt. “Our winners get propelled into the industry, they get strewn all over the internet and get a red carpet introduction into their career of choice. Aside from all the prizes and internships, the bottom line is that the winners get some serious recognition at an industry level. They instantly get some street credibility and take a few massive steps up the career ladder.”