pouët.net

Looking for shader artist for short-term contract... where to advertise?

category: general [glöplog]
Hi,

I’m a game developer working on a small-to-medium-sized independent game project in Unity3D. I’m searching for a shader artist to help create the “look and feel” of the game. Where would be the best places to advertise (ie if you were looking for a contract job, what website would you go to?). I know this probably _isn't_ the place ;-P

Thanks!
BB Image
added on the 2014-06-09 19:43:00 by havoc havoc
burningmime,

This thread would have similar questions and responses. Apart from that, this isn't the board you're looking for.

People have asked the same question before and look how it turned out: FPS looking for Shader artist to pimp our rendering

You would have better luck if if your game was demo related and to be released at a party instead of commercial goal.

Just out of curiosity can you post a screenshot of your game WIP here?
Those two were "portfolio building/revenue share" ie companies looking for people willing to work for free. Those reactions were completely justified.

I know this isn't the right place, which is why I didn't post the job ad here. I'm curious as to what _is_ the right place for shader artists that are passionate and interested in computer graphics as an art form. To be clear, this is a paying contract.

If you were looking to make a few thousand dollars/euros for a 2-month work-from-home contract developing shaders, where would you look?
assuming you're actually looking to hire someone on a contract.. - just put up a link to your site, a contact address, some more detailed idea of what you're after and perhaps some ballpark day rate expectation. you could find someone here, or try gamedev.net.

.. if not, and this is one of those "do it for a cut of the profit / portfolio / the love of it / because you have infinite free time" things, best cut you off here
added on the 2014-06-09 20:35:45 by smash smash
The previous thread suggested posting it to https://www.scene.org/jobs.php which may not net you anything but can't hurt, I should think. No idea who actually checks that page.
OK, here's the full job description. gamedev.net sounds like I good idea, so I'll post it there, too. Thanks!

-----

I’m a game developer working on a small-to-medium-sized independent game project in Unity3D. I’m searching for a shader artist to help create the “look and feel” of the game

Specifically, the game involves both a real world, which looks somewhat realistic (budget permitting) and uses the default Unity shaders, and a “spirit world,” represented visually by using screen-space shaders, particle effects, procedural effects, etc, to make the same geometry/maps look and feel different. The player is able to move between these two worlds at any time.

Your job will be to create this spirit world. The initial contract would involve creating 3 different effect prototypes in Unity3D, each of which takes the idea in a separate artistic direction. You will have a great deal of artistic freedom in the realization of these prototypes. There is an opportunity to extend the contract if the idea works out, but you will be paid for initial prototypes on delivery even if none of them end up being used.

These prototypes will be more than simple screen filters; they may include procedurally generated geometry, particle effects, modified render systems, etc. The general idea is that these need to be able to applied to a scene dynamically, so that an environment artist can create the world/geometry/textures with whatever tools they feel comfortable with, and the spirit world version can be automatically generated.

A perfect candidate:
- Has an understanding of the graphics pipeline in general
- Is familiar with GLSL and C# or C/C++
- Is imaginative and willing to take artistic risks
- Ideally, is involved or interested in the demoscene, or otherwise shows passion for computer art

Pay: $1750 US for the completion of the three prototypes. Future employment negotiable.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please contact jobs@burningmime.com for additional details. Please include samples of previous work, links to ShaderToy profile, etc.
Quote:
Specifically, the game involves both a real world, which looks somewhat realistic (budget permitting) and uses the default Unity shaders, and a “spirit world,” represented visually by using screen-space shaders, particle effects, procedural effects, etc, to make the same geometry/maps look and feel different. The player is able to move between these two worlds at any time.


So basically what you're making is Soul Reaver :-)

Also quite some referential requirements for 1750 bucks. So - someone, set the man up with a few fancy morph shaders? :)
added on the 2014-06-09 23:27:32 by superplek superplek
OK, seems you're serious about this stuff, so I did some digging in the clue shoppe warehouse and came up with this:

- Flipping burgers makes you $2k US/month over here (yay for minimum wages)
- Decent shader coder can expect to earn $4-5k US/month
- $1750 after local income taxes (etc) leaves about $700 spendable for someone who already has some other job

Perhaps the offer could work for a student looking for an internship but that would probably cost you a bunch of hours on paperwork besides the $1750.

Good luck :)
added on the 2014-06-10 06:11:52 by havoc havoc
750$ after taxes? wow where do you live?
added on the 2014-06-10 09:23:07 by Navis Navis
Quote:
- $1750 after local income taxes (etc) leaves about $700 spendable for someone who already has some other job

Even for a second job that's a pretty fucking high income tax bracket.
added on the 2014-06-10 10:27:55 by ringofyre ringofyre
Quote:
- Decent shader coder can expect to earn $4-5k US/month


a good shader coder on a contract can get 1000$+ a day.
added on the 2014-06-10 11:29:27 by smash smash
Quote:
Quote:
- Decent shader coder can expect to earn $4-5k US/month

a good shader coder on a contract can get 1000$+ a day.

Dang, maybe i shouldnt have ditched coding after school after all!
added on the 2014-06-10 11:39:18 by wysiwtf wysiwtf
Dunno how much sense it makes, but you might want to add how much time you expect someone to put into this. Doesn't need to be an exact figure, but so people have a clue what they can expect.

Also, does one need prior experience with Unity3D?
added on the 2014-06-10 11:45:22 by Kabuto Kabuto
Quote:
a good shader coder on a contract can get 1000$+ a day.

I know a few structural engineers who sub-contract here in WA (up north) who know their site managers don't even come close to that pay-grade. And we're in a mining boom!

I can imagine in the heyday of the games dev market (pre "apps") you may have had people who were on short term contracts that may have worked out as $365000 p/a *if* they had been salaried staff. But honestly people who earn $1000 a day usually do so by putting their lives on the line (physically) in private security. Not by mashing a keyboard from home.
added on the 2014-06-10 11:52:51 by ringofyre ringofyre
I'm sure with your knowledge of the games and software industry you are a definite authority on this, ringo.

$1750 doesn't sound much for that kind of work, but on the other hand, depending on the amount of work, it could be nice additional income for a student for a fairly little work that can be done at home. I could imagine a student taking the opportunity, for example. A real professional? not so much. That said, this is the *fun* part of game development, why aren't you doing it yourself? :)
added on the 2014-06-10 12:30:51 by Preacher Preacher
ringo: that's salaries, not short term contract day rates. understand the difference?
added on the 2014-06-10 13:07:56 by smash smash
Quote:
750$ after taxes? wow where do you live?


Well Navis, allow me to answer this one: one were way pay taxes in excess. Not in the last place to send sizeable chunks go Greece :-)
added on the 2014-06-10 18:44:08 by superplek superplek
"where we"

God I hate it when that happens.
added on the 2014-06-10 18:44:40 by superplek superplek
I think you would be paying excessive taxes (in Holland I assume) before and after bailing out Greece with a loan of only a few billion euros anyway. A loan with interest that is... anyway maybe the maths are wrong, I cant believe that you pay >60% tax.
added on the 2014-06-10 18:54:02 by Navis Navis
Look no further, I'm the shady artist you're searching for!

BB Image
added on the 2014-06-10 19:13:52 by numtek numtek
Navis: Dutch income tax for anything over 55k/year is 52% at the moment, add other obligatory taxes and 60% is probably a low estimate. It's still an improvement though, until 2001 there was another tariff disc above this one for 60% and until 1990 we even had a 72% top layer :(
added on the 2014-06-10 20:39:58 by havoc havoc
Damn, and I thought Italy was rape @ 40%
added on the 2014-06-10 21:33:50 by dv$ dv$
but it feels good that lazy fucks can smoke cigs and drink cheap beer from your tax money! it's what good citizenship is all about! ;P
added on the 2014-06-10 22:04:46 by maali maali
Havoc: Wow!

I've been reading about your system for about an hour now (and it seems that everybody is interested in mainly finding out how to do the 30% trick).It seems Holland is at the top with Sweden and Denmark.
The numbers really don't make any sense to me. You've got taxes upon taxes (even VAT is a bit steep on certain basic things), then health insurance, then "wealth" taxes for possessions over 21kE which "are assumed to have an annual 4% yield which is taxed at 30%, regardless of the actual annual yield achieved" <- what rubbish!

So, bottom line is, employing somebody in Holland must be very expensive, but you seem to manage ok...
added on the 2014-06-10 22:07:17 by Navis Navis

login