At the recent GDC Canada I had the opportunity talk with lots of soon to be level design grads eager to get advice on getting into the industry. It was great to have the chance to chat with them, as I have been reviewing student reels and portfolios for some time now.

Each year student work continues to impress me. The tools and schooling available today helping students to demonstrate their potential eclipses what I ever had at my disposal when I was getting started in the industry. Though even with all of these great building blocks, all is not rosy in the land of demo reels and portfolio work. Since I have had many a demo go by my desk for consideration, I thought that it would make sense to share some common pitfalls along with some advice.

Are You An Artist?

The problem...

Gorgeous looking textures, lighting, sfx...this looks cool! Wait a second? Where is the design? As I lift the hood up on the reel, I usually find little to no thought put into the actual level design. A lot of flash, but not much substance seems to lure many folks away from hitting up some actual gameplay ideas. A nice presentation to your work is always welcome, but it shouldn't come at the cost of what you are actually being evaluated for (level design!).

What would be better?

Focus on design and gameplay first. Show off a top down map that highlights gameplay decisions around the layout design. A grey block world that plays great beats a weak design that is pretty to look at. Presentation is important, but don't confuse it for great looking artwork. You are applying for level design and not environment art... though it may be at this point that some folks have realized that there is a difference. If so, are you focusing on the right field?

Holy Flying Cameras!

The problem...

Press play... cue title and music... and start the non-stop flying camera action! After two or so minutes of feeling like a drunken bird, getting glimpses of the level, the video ends. What was I just looking at? I suppose that this is a way to show off a level, but as the only means to show your work, it ends up feeling like some sort of teaser trailer.

What would be better?

Introduce the viewer to the level from the ground floor to the finished product. I am reviewing the designs; so don't feel like I need to be sold on going down to my local EB to pre-order your demo reel. Start off with:

• Name of map and total time spent on the piece
• Top down map design, highlighting key aspects
• Grey block POV walk-arounds (non-gameplay walk and looks) as you are iterating on it
• Bonus points if you can reveal any design improvements based on peer feedback
• Finally show off some actual gameplay that demonstrates your ideas in action