Studio Internships during second year: Tom Wykes' Games Art and Design experience

An amazing opportunity that I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in this year is my internship at Treehouse Digital. Interning as an environment artist, my role involved hard surface modelling, texturing and environment layout. This opportunity really helped me grow in technical ability, but also confidence and working in a studio environment. It really helped me learn the structure of how a studio would work in the industry, helping me bridge my knowledge between university and the future.

Throughout my time at the Treehouse Studio, I would partake in dailies in the morning, going through everyone’s work, sharing feedback and getting opinions on the previous day’s work. This was such a great way of focusing our minds on what the task of the day was and keeping more of our ideas connected.

Then through the day, I would work on my 3D models at my own designated desk with the ability to get help from the Studio Lead Environment Artist, Paul Hilton, at any time I needed. We also had a buddy system pairing us with a student within the internship on a different course helping us build bonds between different courses and skillsets. The studio itself was such welcoming, creative environment with different facilities for work and also spaces to help clear your mind and recharge, so our work was the best of our ability.

I was really lucky to take part in an opportunity like this, which I believe has helped me along my creative journey in so many massive ways.

One of my favourite projects I’ve been able to work on was hard surface modelling and implementation into an environment earlier this year. For this, I modelled a steampunk twist on a kitchen whisk, serving to the brief of taking a time period and giving it a fictional spin. I chose 1920s Paris, specifically the cultural movement behind the culinary industry, and Steampunk. After the modelling and texturing were complete, to showcase the object, I put together an environment with various asset packs and texture decals found online.

The most valuable skills I’ve been able to develop within the course is my knowledge and application of Unreal Engine, with atmosphere techniques like lighting and layout. Through opportunities such as the Treehouse Digital internship and my own personal learning, I’ve been able to really build a strength within this program. My favourite aspect of the work pipeline is the lighting and rendering of an environment, applying the finishing touches such as decals to objects.

Studying AUB is amazing as the facilities available to students is vast, always tailored to what you need. Having a library with that vast array of knowledge is so useful for research and development within my projects. Everyone is always so welcoming and willing to collaborate on many projects, and the campus as a whole feels so creative and kind to everyone.

Living in Bournemouth is great. There’s always so much to do from going to the beach with my friends, to going on day trips around in the area. Such a lovely natural environment be in.

Here are some pieces of advice that I would live by:

• Always try something new. You never know, it might be your new favourite thing.
• Always look for the next opportunity. In such a creative environment like AUB, there are always opportunities around the corner – you just have to find them.
• Plan! You might not stick to it completely, but it will make you feel so much more comfortable and confident in what you do.
• Never stop doing what you love. If you don’t love the work you are doing, it will feel like a chore. If you love what you are doing, it won’t feel like work.