We spoke to 3 different artists in Streamline studios, Flavian Joska, Verista Alicia, and Thomas Ongo to find out what it's like working with Streamline as well as talk about their roles and responsibilities as an artist.
- Hi Flavian, Verista and Thomas, can you introduce yourselves and your roles at Streamline Studios Indonesia?
F: My name’s Flavian, I currently work at Streamline Studios as a 3D Character Artist, making characters and various assets for video games from the sculpting stage all the way until either the texturing or engine implementation stage
V: I’m Verista Joan Alicia, a 3D Character Artist at Streamline Studios. I create 3D characters for video games together with the rest of the Character Artist team, our Lead Artist and Project Manager.
T: Hi, my name is Thomas Julian Ongo, I am a level artist at Streamline Studios. My role is to handle level work, from art to performance in engine, and I report to Lead Level Artist. - How did each of you first get involved in video games?
F: I first got into video games as a hobby and a way to pass time. For as long as I can remember, I've always been interested in video games and this interest naturally turned into something that I wanted to pursue. It just so happens that I've also always enjoyed creating stuff, whether it’s Lego, Gunpla, drawing (more like doodles to be honest), etc. Then it was in 2020 when I graduated and finally broke into the industry as a professional.
V: Strangely enough, I did not grow up playing games. But I have enjoyed drawing and making art in general since I was a child. I first got into digital art when I was in high school because my parents got me my first Wacom tablet. Then, I heard about the video games industry from a workshop held in my school when I was 16. From that point on, I decided that I wanted to become a digital artist. I enrolled in 3dsense Media School, Singapore in 2018 and fell in love with 3D Modeling. I graduated in 2020 and took my first step into the industry with Streamline Studios.
T: I love games and have already been playing since I was a child. When I was 13, my brother introduced me to RPG Maker and I learned how to make my first RPG game. I then chose to study 3D in an art school and got my first job in the video game industry as a professional in 2019. - What are your go-to software tools and reference materials when working on a project and what skillset do you think is pivotal for someone in your position?
F: As a 3D Character Artist, I'd say generally ZBrush and Maya is our bread and butter. It is always the first software we go to as it is where you would usually start the entire workflow of creating 3D Assets. As for references, ArtStation is always a great option, and also just the fact that I've played so many other games also helps with building a visual library. But at the end of the day, doesn’t matter how much references or softwares you know about, it still doesn’t beat learning the fundamentals of 3DSculpting like the knowledge of human and animal anatomy, forms, shapes, volumes, because at the end of the day softwares always change but these fundamental things don’t, I suppose until the day humans grow a third arm or something.
V: Since a 3D Character Artist is usually responsible for the whole modeling pipeline from creating the highpoly all the way to texturing, we need to have the fundamental skills like anatomy, understanding of topology for game workflow, artistic sense and being detail oriented when it comes to texturing. The software I use also depends on the project, but mostly I use ZbBrush, Maya and Adobe Substance 3D Painter. For references, in each project we usually get a style-guide from the client, and from then on, we can find similar types of works (usually on ArtsStation or from other existing games) and build our reference library in the style required for that specific project.
T: Since I started learning with Maya, it has been my go-to 3D software but I am also constantly learning new platforms and alternative workflows. For any image references, I always rely on ArtSstation, and real-life photos . As a Level Artist, we need to have strong story telling in our work, so knowing how to create an immersive environment is pivotal, while also maintaining the level tech performance. - How do you keep things fresh and make sure you are up to date with the latest technologies and trends?
F: Being into video games helps with keeping up to date because they always try to push the tech on latest games, and with that, I also dive into how they’re made. I also follow multiple artists on various social media platforms which helps as well.
V: Thankfully in Streamline we have a town-hall every few weeks where our team leaders would update us regarding the latest industry news and trends, as well as internal updates. As for the latest technologies, the artist team would usually discuss them and geek out together. I try to keep up to date by watching videos and tutorials during my personal time.
T: I keep myself up to date by reading news related to the game development industry, and if I find something new and interesting related to my skill set, I will implement that into my next personal project. I also take short courses or tutorials to leverage my art skills with the latest tech/workflow. - What are some of the main challenges you face while working on a project and how do you overcome them?
F: Honestly, it’s most challenging in the early stages of a project where you’re getting used to how the client works, what they like and dislike, and just the general workflow. This is one of those things that requires a lot of communication between team members to keep each other in the loop on what’s going on. Also, using a group chat for most of these discussions makes things a lot easier and transparent.
V: One of the main challenges when working on a new project would be adapting to the different workflow that every project needs. But this gets easier as the documentation and guide for every project is slowly built and detailed. Adapting to the different art style needed for every project is a bigger challenge for me personally, switching between styles for the different projects that we work on can be a daunting task.
T: One of the biggest challenges I face is the art fundamentals itself. While working on large-scale environments, I often consider a variety of aspects like assets, lighting, set dressing, foliage, etc. The multiple aspects often cause tunnel vision which leads me to lose sight of the big picture. To overcome this, I remind myself to periodically look back at my own work from a different perspective. I also get the opinions of my colleagues, which help tremendously. - Do you have any personal projects that you’re working on currently and would you be able to share them?
F: For my personal work, I've been branching out and learning new things that I've always wanted to. One of those things is 3D Printing and painting toys and miniatures. Here are some pictures of what I've printed and painted.
V: Unfortunately, there aren’t any personal projects that I am able to share at the moment, but here are some side projects that I have completed in my first year of working in Streamline.
T: I do not have personal projects that I can share right now, but I can share a finished personal project from 3 months ago. I made a string of fan art pieces from the anime series Attack On Titan in Unreal Engine 5. Complete image, video, and process are in this link.
- Since joining Streamline Studios, what has it been like integrating with the team and what do you think of the projects and tasks that you’ve been assigned to?
F: It has honestly been a breeze working together with the team, and this might come off as me getting paid to say pleasant things, but it really has been easy to talk to everyone both about work and non-work-related topics. As for the projects I have been in, it has been vastly different from project to project. I have worked on some cool and exciting stuff, but on the flip side, I've also worked on some of the less exciting ones. But that’s just how it is in this industry, as exciting and insane as some projects can be, other projects might not be as exciting, but they all need to be done for the final product to be shipped.
V: I have been working in Streamline for 2 years now and it has been WFH since the start. At first, I was intimidated because I went in not knowing anyone and I had not even met most of the people I work with. But I found out that communicating with the team is the easiest part of the job, everyone is extremely helpful and friendly. We have discussions regarding the project and sometimes even help each other with personal projects. But to be fair, because we work online and not face to face, it is harder to reach out and make friends with people who are not in the same project as us.
T: Integrating with the team has been a breeze. I did not find talking and coordinating with the team a difficult task and almost all our discussions are open. People are always willing to help each other and suggest ways it can be done better. I am often encouraged to look at my tasks as a medium for learning and so far, I have almost always learned something new on every project that was assigned to me. - What do you think are some of the most fun aspects of your role here at Streamline Studios?
F: I feel the most fun aspect of working at Streamline is getting the opportunity to work on cool and interesting assets for different clients. However, working with the team plays a huge role in why it is so fun because when we have our games night, we get to forget about work for a while and just enjoy playing the games that we spend our entire day working on.
V: For me, it is achieving our goal together as a team. It is also very cool to know that you are involved in character creation. We no longer have to imagine what happens during the making of video games as we are now involved in it as artists.
T: Being involved in level creation has to be one of the most fun aspects of my role. It gives me a sense of pride knowing that a player will explore and interact with every aspect of the level that me and the team worked on.
- In recent years, we’ve witnessed video game technology being applied to various other non-video game sectors. What are your thoughts on this progression, and how do you see it benefiting everyone?
F: I absolutely am all for it, I love the fact that people see the value of video games and video game technology. People are beginning to see the application of video game technology in various other industries, and this has opened different opportunities for so many people across the globe.
V: The video game industry is still a relatively new industry that is not recognized and understood by the general public. With the application of video game technology to non-video game related sectors, I believe it will open more avenues of opportunities and provide deeper support in further developing the technology we have today so that it will be beneficial to an even wider audience.
T: I would support this growth. I believe video game technology is able to further expand and develop other industries as well. The production and accessibility of more advanced hardware will also benefit multiple industries and sectors. - What are your next steps? What are you most looking forward to in your career growth?
F: I want to learn more as an artist and become much more proficient and efficient at doing what I do so I can tackle much more challenging tasks and projects and get to a higher position in Streamline.
V: I want to keep learning and evolving through my projects, and I want to keep growing as an artist too. In terms of career growth, I would like to progress to either Senior or Lead positions next, but I would also have to determine if its something that I will enjoy and be comfortable taking on. As for right now, I just want to keep learning and growing through my experiences.
T: I do not see myself as a 3D/Level Artist forever because I know this industry moves and evolves at an extremely fast pace. And with that, many different trajectories in terms of career growth and progression will present themselves. I am open to all the different opportunities that this industry may present, but for now, I just want to be a creative and talented artist.
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