Unity Game Developers @ Immersive VR Education, Waterford.

Immersive VR Education are looking for Unity Game Developers to join their Waterford based studio. The successful candidates must have 4+ years of experience and will get to work with an award winning VR development studio.

Duties and Responsibilities:

● Plan, design and implement features that focus on user interactions using Unity as a primary development
tool.
● Translate business requirements to technical concepts.
● Breaking down problems, documenting problem statements and estimating efforts.
● Develop high quality, scalable and robust code.
● Develop technical documentation for internal use.
● Contribute in all phases of the development lifecycle – architecture discussions, design reviews, and code
reviews.
● Quickly create and iterate on prototypes showcasing new designs and interaction patterns.
● Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to align to changing priorities.
● Constantly improve skills and knowledge through self-learning and share with the team to help achieve
overall goals.

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

● 4+ years industry experience working with Unity or other game frameworks.
● Computer Science, related degree, or equivalent work experience.
● Strong C# object-oriented programming (Mandatory requirement) & scripting language skills.
● Strong 3D math skills.
● Experience working with game assets (meshes, animations, materials etc).
● Experience profiling and optimizing game and render performance (GPU and CPU).
● Experience working on a physics-based game project.
● Understanding UX design process and experience working with UX design team.
● Excellent problem solving, troubleshooting, and debugging skills.
● Experience with shipped applications on an embedded product or have published applications on an app.
● Experience of working in an Agile SCRUM development environment.
● Excellent Teamwork ethic with the ability to work collaboratively with others (technical and non-technical).
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Desirable:

● Experience with Photon Unity Networking (PUN).
● Experience developing applications using RESTful APIs.
● Experience with delivering code for multiplayer games, having shipped at least 1 complete multiplayer game.
● Knowledge of professional software engineering practices including unit testing, code reviews, source.
control management, build processes, continuous integration, and operations.
● Worked as a gameplay programmer on an established team.
● Experience in any XR platforms such as Google Daydream, Oculus Rift, Gear VR, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, or
● Machine learning or experience with algorithm development.
● Experience using JIRA (or other defect tracking tools).

Additional Information:

● Full-time position.
● Salary to be defined depending on experience.
● 20 days Annual Leave,10 public holidays and closed for Christmas holiday period (which doesn’t affect
your Annual Leave).
● Working 40 hours a week with flexitime.
● No weekend work or overtime.
● Relocation financial assistance available for new hires moving to Ireland.
● Employee medical scheme.
● Employee assistance programme.
● Employee Training & Development Scheme.
● Employee bike to work scheme.
● Employee Referral Program.
● Free snacks, fruit, coffee and tea.
● Waterford City low cost of living and a short commute to work.

NOTE: This position is not suitable for Graduate, Junior or remote workers and having an EU work permit is desirable.

To apply email your CV to: careers@immersivevreducation.com

Senior Concept Artist @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a Senior Concept Artist. You will work on multiple AAA console game projects in a high productivity studio. As a Senior Concept Artist, you will work closely with the Art Director, Lead Artist and overall art team in order to create realistic and engaging game environments and characters.

What you will be doing:

● Produce illustrations, key art and other assets which communicate the vision of the game levels.
● Create high quality concept art for AAA game assets, environment art and set pieces.
● Collaborate with level artists to enhance playable spaces and visual fidelity.
● Collaborate with Art Director, Creative Director, and Leads to create inspirational artwork to define artistic vision and support game design.
● Although primarily supporting environment creation, you will also be expected to support character, prop and vfx design.
● Provide mentorship, art feedback and training to less-experienced concept artists.

What you Should Have:

● Previous experience on AAA game production.
● 5+ years of experience as a professional Concept Artist.
● Strong traditional artistic skills with expertise in composition, rendering, color theory, lighting, architecture and anatomy.
● Proactive, creative person with a coherent artistic vision.
● Have certain knowledge of 3D production process, game production experience is preferred.
● An outstanding portfolio of work demonstrating the expertise in creating concept art for environments.
● Excellent communication, time-management, and organizational skills.
● Ability to quickly iterate on design ideas and feedback.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Available as soon as possible.
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Senior Software Engineer C++ @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build technology and tools for internal and external games. You will create SDKs, efficient APIs, work on architectural design, implementation and debugging on multiple platforms — collaborate on complex problems with Designers, Artists and other Engineers in multiple domains including Rendering, Gameplay, Audio, User Interface, Networking, Physics, Cloud, Databases and Tools.

What you will be doing:

● Design, maintain, implement, test, document and debug code.
● Code tools and optimize gaming pipelines.
● Distinguish, analyse and report risks and problems – proposing mitigations.
● Profile code in order to optimize software components.
● Research cutting-edge algorithms and techniques.
● Create tools, features and engine components to the required coding standards.

What you Should Have:

● Proficient in C++.
● Knowledge of game Design Patterns.
● More than 5 years of relevant work experience, preferably in the gaming industry.
● Good coordination and communication skills.
● A problem-solving attitude.
● Basic knowledge of cloud services and solutions desirable.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Available as soon as possible.
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Senior Unreal Programmer @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for an experienced programmer to help them with a variety of projects coming down their pipeline in the next few months. They are seeking a pragmatic and efficient coder familiar with the aspects of game development that will be a key addition to their Dublin based team.

What you will be doing:

● Develop and implement features and systems related to video game development like gameplay, AI, Audio, Networking, Physics/Motion etc.
● Work independently on one or several modules of the game.
● Action RPG based on a famous IP – Core gamer.
● Identify missing details in feature requests and can break down the tasks into parts that can be implemented and tested.
● Helps to enforce best coding practices in the team.
● Take critical technical decisions during the development process.
● Work closely with Game Designers, Artists and Project Manager.
● Deliver high performance, high-quality code.
● Prioritize and execute tasks.
● Anticipate production technical needs.

What you Should Have:

● Strong C, C++, and object-oriented programming skills (Mandatory).
● At least 3 years experience in the games industry as a Game Programmer.
● Must have shipped at least one game on console (Mandatory).
● High aptitude and strong analytical skills.
● Strong optimization skills on both memory and performance fronts.
● Strong debugging skills.
● Has knowledge of 3d mathematics.
● Great knowledge of the technological and organizational aspects involved in developing successful state of the art AAA games.
● Ability to work both within a team and independently as per requirements from time to time.
● Knowledge of low-level system architecture.
● Console development background is a plus.
● Agile development experience is a plus.
● Good organizational and communication skills (English).
● Passionate about Gaming.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Available as soon as possible.
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Senior Level Artist @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a Senior Level Artist to be part of their creative team and to work on ambitious Playstation4, Xbox One and PC games. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical understanding of environment asset and level creation, can easily communicate with other disciplines within the development team and will be able to take creative direction from the Art Director and Creative Director.

What you will be doing:

● Create gorgeous realistic 3D environments for AAA projects.
● Ensure all environments are optimised and built in accordance with the platforms technical limitations.
● Review and deliver work in accordance with the project’s artistic direction, and ensure unified look and consistent quality across all game environments.
● Develop knowledge and expertise within their team while furthering their own performance and skill base.
● Provide mentorship, feedback, and training to others on the team.
● Help set up level art best practices and streamline production processes.
● Identify project risks and problems and suggest relevant solutions.
● Prioritise, plan and organise tasks for themselves and their team in conjunction with the Producer.
● Delegate and assign work to team members using tracking tools such as Jira, Hansoft and Basecamp.

What you Should Have:

● At least 5 years of experience as Level Artist or 3D Artist (shipped at least 1 AAA console title).
● An outstanding portfolio demonstrating your environment work.
● Thorough understanding of the game creation process, from concept to launch.
● An in-depth understanding of effective asset creation and optimisation.
● Expert knowledge in a 3D modeling software such as Maya, 3DSMax and Blender and sculpting software such as ZBrush and Mudbox.
● Excellent knowledge in material and texture creation such as Substance Painter and Photoshop and a comprehensive understanding of PBR pipelines.
● Strong sense of scene composition and visual storytelling, with a strong eye for lighting, colour and detail.
● Passion for pushing the state of the art in asset fidelity and production techniques.
● Be proactive and self-motivated, work without direct supervision.
● Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
● Leadership, team and people management skills.
● International travel may be required as part of the role.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Available as soon as possible.
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Junior Unreal / C ++ Developer @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a Junior Unreal Engine programmer to join them in designing and shaping some new projects within the business. They are seeking a pragmatic and efficient coder that will take part during every aspect of game development.

What you will be doing:

● Develop and implement features and systems related to video game development like gameplay, AI, Audio, Networking, Physics/Motion etc.
● Work independently on one or several modules of the game.
● Use UE4’s framework to create game systems and features in C++, factoring external direction and team feedback into design decisions.
● Deliver high performance, high-quality code.
● Produce well-documented code and keep the wiki updated.
● Use source control to protect the code, and use bug reporting software to manage issues that need to be fixed.
● Prioritize and execute tasks.

What you Should Have:

● Strong C, C++, and object-oriented programming skills (Mandatory).
● Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in computer science required.
● Experience with Unreal Engine is mandatory.
● Knowledge of 3d mathematics.
● Ability to work both within a team and independently as per requirements from time to time.
● Console development background is a plus.
● Agile development experience is a plus.
● Great organizational and communication skills (English).
● Passionate about Gaming.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position
● Central Dublin location
● Available as soon as possible
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Video Game Assistant Producer @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a highly organised Video Game Producer with strong communication, and project management skills. Self-direction and follow-up skills are a must, as well as the ability to anticipate production issues, and find effective solutions. The candidate must enjoy seeing a project from inception to completion and delivering features on time and with the highest quality possible.

What you will be doing:

● Work with department leads to define feature requirements, determine resource needs, and establish task schedules.
● Coordinate and track the activities of personnel to ensure that project tasks are well-defined and completed on time.
● Facilitate discussion and record-keeping for team and department meetings.
● Assisting Engine team producers or leads with planning and tracking.
● Assisting Engine team producers or leads with data entry, follow-ups, and list management.
● Collaborating with development teams to remove blocks in production.
● Representing task status to other producers and leads.
● JIRA task/bug entry and maintenance.

What you Should Have:

● A minimum of 1 year of experience in a production/development role.
● Track record of delivering products on time.
● Ability to communicate effectively and frequently with developers, leadership and external groups.
● Knowledge of software development processes, project management, and risk mitigation.
● Calm and deliberate within a highly dynamic, energized, and fast-paced environment.
● Strong interpersonal skills, utilizing both oral and written communication.
● Positive, “can do” attitude with the willingness to take on any task – no matter how small – to support the team.
● Interest in the game industry/Unreal Engine, enthusiasm for working with our team.
● Ability to work independently, to meet tight deadlines under pressure and to handle multiple duties at once while staying organized.
● Passion for Video games.

Additional Information:

● Full-time position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Spacious modern offices.
● Free refreshments and fresh fruit.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Tool Engineer @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for an experienced tool engineer to help them in developing new and exciting projects within the gaming industry. The role requires someone who can work independently and liaise with designers, technical artists, UI/UX experts and programmers across the business, to deliver to both external and internal stakeholders.

What you will be doing:

● Build and Maintain the tool chain / pipeline used in gaming and technology projects.
● Liaising with other teams and departments to capture tools specs, provide feedback, and implement effective solutions.
● Coding and designing user interfaces to match the specs provided.
● Design scalable GUIs for different platforms.
● Create standalone tools and plugins for proprietary and commercial Game Engine Editors (UE, Unity), 2D/3D content creation suites (Maya).
● Write documentation for the tools you have created.

What you Should Have:

● At least 3-5 years of experience ideally in the gaming or digital entertainment industries
● Familiarity with extending Core Game Development Framework Editors such as Unreal Engine or Unity
● Good knowledge and experience of C/C++ and / or C#
● Experienced with at least one GUI Framework (QT, WPF, WinForms, etc..)
● Familiar with Scripting languages (Python, LUA)
● A knowledge of Havok or similar tools / middleware would be an advantage
● A working knowledge of Git, Perforce or similar Version Control Systems
● Flexible working attitude

Additional Information:

● Full-time position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Spacious modern offices.
● Healthcare Plan for all employees.
● Free refreshments and fresh fruit.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

Senior Lighting Artist @ Black Shamrock, Dublin.

Black Shamrock game development studio are looking for a senior lighting artist to join their team to “help us create a kick-ass action RPG based on a famous IP”. They are seeking a motivated and efficient artist familiar with environment pipelines, all aspects of asset creation, lighting and composition to join their studio based in Dublin.

What you will be doing:

● Produce high quality lighting throughout all stages of the production process in respect of the project’s technical and artistic constraints.
● Implement and incorporate feedback from Art Director and other Leads into the project.
● Placing special effects relating to the lighting and atmosphere of the game, such as fog, volumetrics, flares and camera effects.
● Applying post process effects such as bloom, tone mapping, exposure etc.
● Develop an understanding of best practices, production pipelines and workflows.
● Work closely with the Art Director to achieve the desired lighting and mood required
for the game.
● Work with the Level Designers and Environment Artists to establish lighting and enhance gameplay.
● Apply lighting and shadowing principles in respect of technical constraints.
● Optimise work and maintain balance between quality and performance.
● Reference design documents to develop an understanding of the environments, objectives, atmospheres, story and style of the project.
● Provide mentorship, feedback, and training to others on the team.
● Support the Lead Artist and Art Director in any ad hoc tasks and duties.

What you Should Have:

● At least 5 years of experience in the gaming industry, and as a real-time lighting artist on a AAA project.
● Solid understanding of CG lighting, both in real-time engines and software rendering.
● Exceptional eye for colour and composition, and light and shadow.
● Ability to work with different disciplines to deliver lighting which follows the concept and art direction whilst also acknowledging and enhancing the game design.
● Excellent understanding of in-game lighting techniques, atmospheric effects and subsequent systems.
● Working knowledge of relevant 3D software (e.g. Maya, 3DS Max etc.).
● Superb problem solving skills, both creative and technical.
● Experience of different game engines and production pipelines is desirable.
● Good interpersonal and communication skills.
● A strong portfolio focused on lighting work.

Additional Information:

● Full-time in-house position.
● Central Dublin location.
● Available as soon as possible.
● Salary to be defined depending on your profile.

To apply, go to the Black Shamrock website or email job@black-shamrock.com

Posted: 18th Sept, 2019.

‘My pathway to being a 3D artist in games’ – James Brady

Background

My dad worked at a graphic design company in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 90’s. The company he worked at had Apple Macintosh computers loaded with Bungie’s classic hit “Marathon” and Bullfrog’s legendary title “Syndicate”. After hours, he would sneak me in to play these games along with a quick shop run for orange juice and cookies. This was the start of my pathway into the games industry as an artist.

Many years down the line when the Microsoft Xbox was released, my parents bought me the collector’s edition of Halo 2, the sequel to Bungie’s next generation title ‘Halo’. The collector’s edition came with a ’making of’ DVD which showcased the production of Halo 2. Not only did I watch this on repeat, but it reinforced my longing to become a 3D artist within the video games industry. During secondary school, I started to learn the tools required to becoming a 3D artist. Not owning a computer at this time, I would borrow my Mum’s laptop in the evenings to practice 3D modelling.

College/Training

After secondary school, I decided to pursue a 1 year Game Design course. I taught myself a lot in the evenings after completing assignments. Once I graduated, I decided to pursue a HND in Game Development at North West Regional College in Derry. During my time in the HND course, I stumbled upon a website called Polycount ‘https://polycount.com/’.

Polycount is an online community solely focused on the design/art spectrum of game development. The community consists of seasoned grizzlies to budding grunts trying to land their first job in the games industry. After contributing to several on-going threads within the community, I felt at home. I decided to drop out of the HND course, much to my parent’s dismay, and focus my time on honing my abilities and creating a game art portfolio. There has been a huge growth of globally accessible online educational content for newcomers wanting to learn their desired craft.

Three really useful ones are: 3DMotive, Eat3D, Udemy

First Project

My first project within the games Industry was as a QA tester at Creative Assembly in Horsham, West Sussex in the UK. I worked on ‘Total War: Warhammer’ along with a few DLC releases. My tasks in this role included testing for game bugs and reporting them to the correct development team. Once the art team got a whiff that I knew 3D art, I was then embedded into the environment art team to report back with environment art bugs/problems. The skills required for this position was a passion for video games and general computer knowledge.

On-going Projects

Over the last year and half as a freelancer, I have been very lucky to have contributed to more games than I can count on my two hands. I contributed environment art, asset creation, weapon creation for these projects as a seasoned artist.

My work has been featured in multiple magazines such as 3DArtist, Develop Magazine, and ImagineFX.

Several of the games I have worked on to date include:

*****Red Dead Redemption 2

*****PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
*****Insurgency Sandstorm
*****The Forest
*****Hitman 2
*****Halo Infinite

Advice For Survival

Everybody’s path into the games industry is different, be it indie developers, AAA developers and even some who want to go into teaching. We all share the same passion, to make video games. As a student, or budding self-taught artist like myself, your biggest challenge will be deciding which aspect of the industry you would like to dive into i.e.: Animation, Character Art, Rigging, Weapon Art, Vehicle Art, Environment Art and even Lighting Art. It’s very important that in doing this, you focus your skills in one area and develop them to the best of your ability.

One way of finding your ‘niche’ would be to work on small projects with peers or even join a mod community at ModDB ‘https://www.moddb.com/’. Another great way would be to attend local game-jams. It’s very important to be visible in this industry, this can be easily done by joining websites such as Polycount ‘https://polycount.com/’, Artstation ‘https://www.artstation.com/’ and Mapcore ‘https://www.mapcore.org/’. Not only will this allow you to be inspired by other’s work and make friends, it will also allow you to get professional critique on your work. By posting your ‘Work In Progress’ shots, you may also become visible to those who are hiring. People will be able to see how passionate you are about your craft and you will also find yourself getting better at a faster pace.

Always be friendly, humble and respectful. The game’s industry is very small especially in the art/animation section and word travels. You certainly don’t want a heat of the moment ‘comment’ to hinder your chances of securing employment in a studio. When it comes to your portfolio, quality is more important than quantity. A portfolio with fewer pieces that really show your strengths would stand out better than a portfolio with a lot of incomplete pieces.

What’s happening in the industry? Where will it be in the next five years?

Many exciting projects were announced at this year’s E3. We certainly live in the most vibrant time of gaming due to graphic fidelity. I really admire what Nintendo have done with the Nintendo Switch and I would love to see more Playstation 4 and Xbox One games being released on it also. There has also been a huge influx of ‘Battle Royale’ games since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. A lot of game studios are either releasing battle royal games or shipping battle royal game modes for their current projects.

In the next five years, I can see games migrating to a cloud service rather than being released for purchase on PC or console. I feel there will be companies who release software that allows gamers to play PC games like DOOM and Battlefield on their mobile phone for a monthly membership.

Bio: Video game artist from Ireland. Drinks copious amounts of tea.

Portfolio: https://bradyart.xyz

Resources Mentioned

*Polycount – https://polycount.com/
*Artstation – https://www.artstation.com/
*Mapcore – https://www.mapcore.org/
*ModDB – https://www.moddb.com
*3DMotive – http://3dmotive.com/
*Eat3D – http://eat3d.com/
*Udemy – https://www.udemy.com/game-art/

Animation Skillnet September/October Workshops & Classes (Dublin)

Animation Skillnet have a number of courses and workshops running in the months of September/October.

Workshops and Events:

1) One day workshop in Character Design for Animation with Ernie Gilbert with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 15th September).

2) Character Performance, Acting, and Storytelling for Animation with Myrna Gawryn with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 22nd September).

3) Schoolism Live – Dublin with support from Screen Training Ireland (Sat 20th & Sun 21st October).

Evening Classes:

4) Storytelling and Screenwriting with John Dawson (5 Monday evenings)

5) Production Management for Animation (5 Tuesday evenings)

6) English Language for Animation and Other Creative Studios with Everest Language School (5 Wednesday evenings)

7) Essence of the Pose – Gesture Drawing (5 Thursday Evenings)

For further information on available courses and workshops visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/category/courses/

Animation, VFX, & Games Graduate Traineeship 2018/19

Screen Training Ireland and Animation Skillnet are currently seeking applicants for a graduate Traineeship Programme for Animation, VFX and Games.

The programme has been running since 2016 and has had a very successful track-record with over 90% of graduate trainees going on to gain further work in the industry.

Last years programme had 12 graduates placed in animation, games and VFX studios for up to 6 months. The participants received targeted and intensive training in specific skills areas throughout the training period. Off the job training included courses in storyboarding, production management and visual storytelling. The participating studios last year included Brown Bag Films, JAM Media, Cartoon Saloon, Boulder Media, Windmill Lane VFX, Screen Scene VFX, Piranha Bar, HMH and Immersive VR Education.

The 2018/19 programme will take place over a 6-month period, with a short intensive period of upfront training, followed by a mixture of on-the-job and classroom based training over the following months. Selected participants for the 2018/19 programme will once again be matched with leading animation, VFX and games studios and participate in tailored training through Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland.

The VFX, Animation & Games Graduate Traineeship is a full-time programme for which a training allowance/bursary will be made available to selected participants.

Start Date: Monday 22nd October 2018

End Date: Friday 5th April 2019

Interested applicants should upload a CV Link or LinkedIn link and showreel/portfolio link to:
http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=219

Deadline for applications: Wednesday 12th September 2018.

Interviews will be in late September/early October with the Final Selection on Friday 5th October 2018.

GamerFest 2018 October 28th – 29th (Galway)

Image result for gamerfest

GamerFest 2018 takes place on October 28-29 at the Galmont Hotel (previously Radisson Blu) in Galway City.

The gamer and YouTuber festival is one of Ireland’s largest, this years event contains a Player Zone where gamers can play the newest releases, a Live Stage with interviews and VR challenges, a Virtual Reality Zone with the latest VR experiences, a Retro Gaming Zone and an Indie Zone to play original consoles and independently developed indie games.

Early-Bird Admission – 14.95e

General Admission – 19.95e

Student Admission – 14.95e

For a full list of events visit the GamerFest website at – http://gamerfest.ie/

Schoolism Dublin Workshop 20th – 21st of October

Schoolism – Dublin are running a workshop in association with Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland on October 20th – 21st at the Morrison Hotel, Dublin 1.

The workshop program is as follows:

Day 1: October 20th

Creating and Art Directing Compelling and Unique Visions for Games with Stephan Martiniere (9:00am to 12:00pm)

Sculpting with Paper with Megan Brain (1:00pm to 3:00pm)

Sharing Your Stories: From Notepad to Script with Shannon Tindle (3:30pm to 6:30pm)

Day 2: October 21st

Visual Development & Art Direction As A Freelancer with Sylvain Marc (9:00am to 12:00pm)

Designing With Colour & Light with Nathan Fowkes (1:00pm to 4:00pm)

Procr(e)astination: The Art of Perpetual Production with The Black Frog (4:30pm to 6:30pm)

For further details on Schoolism Dublin visit – https://www.schoolism.com/workshop-dublin/

Tickets are available at a reduced rate for registered members of Animation Skillnet, for ticket prices and information on how to register visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=184

Immersive VR Education Launch BBC-Commissioned ‘1943:Berlin Blitz’

Immersive VR Education have released their teaser trailer for the ‘1943: Berlin Blitz’ VR experience.

The Waterford based company, and its founders Sandra and David Whelan successfully won a commission from the BBC Northern Ireland’s ‘Rewind’ archive innovation team, in conjunction with the BBC’s central VR Hub, to work on a Lancaster Bomber VR experience.

‘1943: Berlin Blitz’ puts viewers in the shoes of BBC war correspondent Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, and allows them to retrace his journey on a genuine bombing raid to Berlin at the height of the Second World War.

Commenting about the project, Sandra Whelan, Co-founder of Immersive VR Education said,

“The Berlin Blitz was an exciting project for us and working with BBC Northern Ireland’s ‘Rewind’ archive innovation team, and the BBC’s central VR Hub has been a fantastic experience. Initiatives like this really allow us to move forward on our primary goal, which is to bring immersive technologies such as AR & VR to distance learning, and to transform the ways in which people all over the world learn about and experience events, both past and present.”

Pre IPO, Immersive VR Education had successfully raised €1.3m from a number of private investors, including Suir Valley Ventures, Kernel Capital Venture Funds and Enterprise Ireland. Immersive VR Education is now a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange AIM and Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin) ESM with a market cap £37 million and has grown its team from 4 to 34.

For more information about Immersive VR Education and possible job opportunities visit – http://immersivevreducation.com/

Back-End Developer, Warducks VR/AR Studio, Dublin.

Warducks VR and AR development studio are looking for an experienced back-end developer to join their dev team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the server side of their games and apps. Warducks studio is located in Dublin, Ireland. Previous work from the studio includes RollerCoaster Legends, RollerCoaster Legends II: Thor’s Hammer, Sneaky Bears, Sneaky Bears VR.

The position requires excellent programming skills and a passion for developing games or improving existing ones. As a back-end developer, you’ll work closely with the studios engineers to ensure system consistency and improve user experience.

Responsibilities include:

Participate in the entire application lifecycle, focusing on coding and debugging
Write clean code to develop functional web applications
Troubleshoot and debug applications
Perform UI tests to optimize performance
Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate user-facing elements with server side logic
Gather and address technical and design requirements
Build reusable code and libraries for future use
Liaise with developers, designers and system administrators to identify new features
Follow emerging technologies
Optimization of the application for maximum speed and scalability
Implementation of security and data protection
Design and implementation of data storage solutions

Requirements include:

Proven work experience as a back-end developer (5 years+)
In-depth understanding of the entire web connected game development process (design, development and deployment)
Hands on experience with programming languages like Java, Ruby, PHP, Python and C#
Working knowledge of CMS framework
Working knowledge of back-end services (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure etc)
Familiarity with front-end languages (e.g. HTML, JavaScript and CSS)
Familiarity with Unity game engine and mobile platforms (iOS and Android)
Familiarity with back-end platforms (GameSparks, PlayFab, Firebase etc)
Excellent analytical and time management skills
Teamwork skills with a problem-solving attitude
Management of hosting environment, including database administration and scaling an application to support load changes
Setup and administration of backups
BSc degree in Computer Science or relevant field

Email info@warducks.com with your CV to apply

For more information about Warducks visit – https://www.warducks.com/

For further details on the job listing see – https://www.warducks.com/careers/

Programmer (Mobile Games) at Simteractive, Dublin (Permanent)

Simteractive are looking to hire a mobile games programmer on a permanent basis. The candidate will work on Eden Isle and future mobile games.

Responsibilities include:

****Implementation of new gameplay systems.
****Programming tasks across all areas of the game including AI, UI, GameSparks integration, Facebook integration, saving and loading systems, in-app purchases and in-game adverts.
****Implementation of character animations, effects and art assets.
****Optimisation, refactoring and bug fixing of existing game systems.
****Maintain a high level of code quality.
****Co-operate in the overall planning of projects.
****Evaluation of third-party tools.
****Technical design of new projects.

Requirements include:

****3+ years of relevant professional experience in a programming role including at least two shipped commercial titles, ideally for mobile or tablet.
****Excellent programming skills including knowledge of Unity3D and C#.
****Strong understanding of the challenges presented by mobile platforms.
****Confidence and experience with third-party tools such as GameSparks, Facebook API, NGUI, advertising, analytics and plugins.
****Great communication skills and ability to work well with all disciplines.
****Hard-working, focused, high degree of self-motivation and ability to solve problems independently.
****A strong personal interest in creating fantastic simulation games for mobile devices.
****A degree in computer science, game development or equivalent.
****Must be able to work in Ireland.

Job Title – Programmer – Mobile Games

Job Location – Dublin, Ireland

Job Type – Permanent

Job Salary – Negotiable depending on experience

To apply, email a cover letter, CV and your availability to hello@simteractive.com. The closing date for applications is 9th August.

Animator/Artist Part-Time Contract at MADE IMAGE Films (Remote)

MADE IMAGE Films are looking for a Unity artist/animator to work on a new short-film production. The ideal candidate will be experienced in using Unity software, with some knowledge of Maya and 3Ds Max desirable but not a requirement. This is a part-time short-term position spanning the length of the production, the wage will be paid at Film Board daily-crew rates.

To apply for this position contact Linhong Yang of Madeimage films ltd. – madeimagefilms@gmail.com

For further information about Film Board pay rates visit – https://www.screenireland.ie/funding/short-film-schemes/short-stories

For more details on MADE IMAGE Films visit – https://www.facebook.com/madeimagefilms

Masterclass in Dublin with Animator, Writer and Director, David Feiss (Cow and Chicken, I am Weasel, The Ren and Stimpy Show)

Animation Skillnet with support from Screen Training Ireland are hosting a masterclass in Dublin with Animator, Writer and Director, David Feiss (Cow and Chicken, I am Weasel, The Ren and Stimpy Show).

The half day masterclass will take place between 1pm- 5:30pm at Bow Street on Tuesday July 24th.

Some of the topics covered include:

****Story Boarding for Features and Television: David will show his process of breaking down a script, thumb nailing a sequence, and boarding.
****The Writing and Design process: David will present episodes of Cow and Chicken and I am Weasel, and discuss the writing and design process that was involved in developing these hit TV series.
****Developing and Selling an Idea: David will discuss the process of developing, selling an idea to a network, and producing a show.

For further details on the masterclass and bookings visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/24-07-18-half-day-masterclass-with-david-feiss-in-dublin-cow-and-chicken-i-am-weasel-the-ren-and-stimpy-show-the-jetsons/

International Conference for Interactive Digital Storytelling (CfP Deadline 25th July) (TCD, Dublin)

The International Conference for Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) 2018 will take place between the 5th – 8th of December at Trinity College Dublin.

ICIDS is a conference for researchers and practitioners concerned with studying digital interactive forms of narrative from a variety of perspectives, including theoretical, technological, and applied design lenses. There are currently open calls for papers/posters, demos/workshops, and a doctoral consortium.

The calls for papers and posters has been extended to July 25th. For further information on the CfP see – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/ICIDS2018-CFP.pdf

The calls for demos/workshops closes on July 31st. See – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/demos-workshops.html

The calls for the doctoral consortium closes on July 29th. See – https://icids2018.scss.tcd.ie/doctoral-consortium.html

Imirt welcomes recommendations to develop Irish games sector

Report on Economic Impact of the Irish Screen Sectors highlights need for extending section 481 to games and improving access to finance, markets and co-working spaces.

Imirt has welcomed the recommendations made in the Audiovisual Action Plan to develop the Irish games industry and further audiovisual sub-sectors.

The Audiovisual Action Plan was published on June 27th by Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, along with a report on the Economic Analysis of the Audiovisual Sector in the Republic of Ireland. The report covers all Irish audiovisual sectors – film, TV, animation, video games, commercial advertising and radio. It analyses the economic impact of these sectors along with identifying strategic issues and making recommendations in areas such as funding, skills development, regulatory reform and marketing.

Imirt has announced its support for the recommendations made in the report to extend section 481 (Tax Relief) to the games sector, to provide funding for an “Irish Games” stand at international games events, to develop a prototype fund for games and to attract a large games studio to Ireland. Section 481 is Ireland’s fiscal incentive for film and TV production. Imirt board member Elaine Reynolds, who also runs mobile game studio Simteractive, said “In order to remain competitive, Ireland should extend section 481 to games. This could have a huge impact on international companies setting up studios in Ireland, which would create jobs, develop skills and bolster the future of the Irish games industry.”

The Audiovisual Action Plan states that a Steering Committee will be formed with the task of overseeing and implementing the plan. Imirt have offered to be a part of the committee to consult on the various issues and plans concerning the games sector such as the creation of a games prototype fund and opportunities for co-working spaces to alleviate the pressures of finding affordable business premises. Imirt board member Colm Larkin, who also runs Dublin-based game studio Gambrinous, said “I strongly back these recommendations and look forward to their implementation by government. In particular I believe setting up a games prototype fund will help create new game jobs and grow the number of games and IP created in Ireland that succeed in the global market.” Imirt chairperson Brenda Romero also strongly supports the creation of co-working spaces, stating that: “To have a co-working space where developers with different areas of expertise could work together would elevate skill levels, offer space for community events and provide a common destination for potential partners to meet with Irish game developers.”

Olsberg SPI was the creative industries strategy consultancy hired to configure the report on the economic analysis of Irelands audiovisual sector.

For the full text of the Olsberg SPI report “Economic Analysis of the Audiovisual Sector in the Republic of Ireland”, see this link: https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2018/06/economic-analysis-of-the-audiovisual-sector-in-the-republic-of-ireland.pdf.

For the full Audiovisual Action Plan report see: https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2018/06/audiovisual-action-plan.pdf

Story and Macro Design Masterclass July 7th (Galway)

The Galway Film Centre are organising a Story and Macro Design Masterclass (1 day) with Brian Allgeier and Screen Training Ireland in the Galway Film Centre on July 7th.

This course is open to, game writers, game designers and narrative designers from gaming industry, as well as writers/storyliners from film & TV with an interest in gaming.

Brian Allgeier is the long-time director of the ‘Ratchet & Clank’ series and was part of the original team that created the franchise at Insomniac Games. He has worked in the games industry as an artist, designer, and director for over 26 years. Brian led the design and creative direction on a wide range of titles from the light-hearted ‘Ratchet & Clank’ games to the virtual reality horror adventure ‘Edge of Nowhere’. He is the author of the book, ‘Directing Video Games: 101 Tips for Creative Leaders’ where he shares his directing experience and the universal principles followed by veteran creative directors. As the Director of Experience at Insomniac Games, Brian focuses on how the science of user research and the art of creative collaboration can be applied to develop better games—like the highly anticipated ‘Spider-Man’ for the Playstation 4.

The masterclass will focus on the process of developing an overarching game design and story structure. For game design, participants will develop a list of mechanics and use them in a core game loop. They’ll see how branching paths are gated, non-linear storytelling elements are designed, and the integration of progression systems. In terms of story, the class will study the anatomy of a strong plot and how to break it down further into key emotional beats. As the story and design are developed, participants will discover how the two tracks can influence one another and work in harmony to deliver a cohesive and compelling experience.

Participants will learn how to:

****Use macro documents to communicate story and game structure.
****Develop core statements for pitching a game concept and defining a vision.
****Define characters, settings, and game mechanics.
****Align character motivations with gameplay actions.
****Identify the conscious and unconscious desires of the hero
****Create antagonists and the obstacles the hero faces.
****Write major story beats that center around a controlling idea
****Build game pillars and a core game loop
****Plan an overarching macro design

To apply visit www.screentrainingireland.ie

Closing date for application is June 27th.

For queries email education@galwayfilmcentre.ie

Gaming for Peace Conference January 10 – 11, 2019 (Call for Papers)

Gaming for Peace (GAP) is an EU H2020 funded project which is developing a curriculum of soft skills derived from interviews with experienced military, police and civilian peacekeeping personnel, and the state of the art in peacekeeping relevant soft skills and serious games. GAP is embedding a selection of peacekeeping relevant soft skills in a digital role-playing game with in-game assessment. The key soft skills are: gender awareness, cultural competency, communication, cooperation, decision-making and stress management.

The GAP module (curriculum and game) provides an inexpensive, accessible to all, standardized training in soft skills for peacekeeping and is at the cutting edge of State of the Art in the domains of training for peacekeeping, curriculum development, soft skills, assessment, game design and soft skills standardization.

Call for papers:

They have an open call for submissions of academic/research/policy papers from researchers from academic institutions, international organizations, military training institutes, police and civilian humanitarian workers, policy institutes, and game designers, in each of the following topics:

****training for peacekeeping

****curriculum development

****soft skills

****assessment

****serious games design

****soft skills standardisation

****training for military, police, NGOs

****peace education

The deadline for the submission of abstracts (400 words max) is July 31st. Successful authors will be notified on September 1st.

Further submission details can be found here – https://gap-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/gap_flyer_A5_april_2018_final.pdf

For more information about the the Gaming for Peace (GAP) project visit – https://gap-project.eu/conferences/gap_gaming-for-peace_conference/

Technical Game Internship at Simteractive, Dublin (4-12 months)

Simteractive are looking for a technical game design intern to join their team and work on Eden Isle: Resort Paradise.

They are looking for someone with an aptitude for spreadsheets, analytics, game balance and game scripting and a strong interest in developing skills in these areas. The successful candidate will work closely with the existing team and will receive hands on training.

This is a great opportunity for an aspiring technical game designer or game analyst to get games industry experience, to advance their skills, to get a credit on a mobile game, and to work alongside an experienced team.

Job Title: Technical Game Design Internship

Job Type: 4-12 month full-time internship

Location: Dublin

Salary: Expenses paid

Responsibilities:

****Carry out scripting and config file changes (e.g. change the prerequisites for when a goal triggers).

****Keep a record of changes made in each update of the game (e.g. create a flowchart showing the latest level flow for each update so we can clearly see what happens in each level and when each goal triggers).

****Prepare analytics reports in Excel (e.g. prepare a chart showing the percentage of players who drop off at each level of the game and how it compares to previous versions).

****Analyse data to identify areas that can be improved (e.g. identify any drop-offs that are larger than expected and analyse the percentage of players who completed each goal in that level).

****Propose improvements to the game based on patterns seen in the data (e.g. suggest changing the requirements for completing a goal).

****Review and play-test the game.

****Help with other game development tasks that arise.

Candidate Requirements:

****Ideally suited to a graduate or student in game design or related area, such as data analysis, with excellent academic record

****Comfortable with spreadsheets, such as Excel

****Strong analytical and numerical skills and ability to deal with large amounts of numerical data

****Solid understanding of mathematics, statistics and probability

****Excellent attention to detail

****Smart, conscientious individual who is committed and motivated to achieve high standards

****Eager to gain a wide variety of game development experience and open to feedback

****Ability to understand game balance and game systems and the impact changing variables can have on the gameplay experience

****Interest and experience in game development

****Good knowledge of current mobile games market, free-to-play monetisation and social games

****Experience with a range of software tools and ability to learn quickly e.g. Excel, OmniGraffle, Unity

****Outstanding communication skills – written, listening and presentation

****High degree of self-motivation and ability to multi-task, prioritise and manage personal workflow

To apply for the position email hello@simteractive.com with a cover letter, CV, details of previous game development experience, when you would be available to start, what your most-used Excel command is and how long you an internship you would be available for.

For more information about the company visit – https://simteractive.com/

Creative Gaming Award 2018

Initiative Creative Gaming have opened the call for submissions for the Creative Gaming Festival – PLAY 2018 which will take place in Hamburg from November 1st – 4th.

The festival accepts game submissions from developers throughout Europe and enters them into the Creative Gaming Awards under three categories – Most Creative Game, Most Innovative Newcomer, and Audience Award.

The nominated games will be presented to a large audience in an exhibition at PLAY 2018 where three winners will be selected for the prizes which range from 500e – 1500e. The competition focuses on creative games and playful media with novel and innovative interactivity.

Submissions are free and close on July 31st

Awarding ceremony takes place on November 3rd

More information about submitting and the PLAY festival can be found at – https://playfestival.de/en/

Reddit AMA with Game Developers and Producers

The creators of the video game documentary Moleman 4 – Longplay have organised a ‘ask me anything’ series on Reddit.com with renowned game developers and producers.

The AMA is intended for developers and fans and the line-up of guests consists of:

****Chris Taylor, Founder of Gas Powered Games and Lead Designer of games like Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and Supreme Commander.

****Robert Stein, Founder of Andromeda Software.

****Dominic Wheatley, Founder of Domark Software (Eidos plc).

****David Bishop, Designer and Producers on games such as Jungle Book, Disney’s Aladdin, Bombuzal, and Dune.

Registration for the AMA is free and can be done through the following link – https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/

For the links to the Reddit posts and for more information visit https://moleman4.com/ama

8th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning 28th – 29th June (Cork)

The 8th Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning (iGBL) will take place at the Clayton hotel in Cork City from June 28th – 29th.

iGBL provides a forum for all stakeholders interested in exchanging ideas, projects, and best practice on the use of games and game-based approaches to support motivation, learning, and change. The conference includes a mix of academic presentations, practical workshops, and digital and non-digital games demos.

****Researchers will be able to present and share their latest findings.
****Students will have an opportunity to present their work, showcase their games, meet specialists in this field and obtain feedback.
****Instructors will have the opportunity to discover new ideas and learn and share new game-based skills that they can integrate in their teaching.
****Companies will be able to showcase their products and explain how these can be used in the context of learning and motivation.

The conference programme contains over 42 authors (teachers, researchers, professionals, and students) who will be presenting their work and developments on games and learning through 29 presentations (e.g., workshops, game demos, and research and practitioners’ presentations).

Standard tickets are priced at E99

Student tickets are priced at E55

To register and purchase tickets visit… http://www.igbl-conference.com/registration/

For more information about iGBL visit… http://www.igbl-conference.com/

Irish Interfirms Gaming League Community

The Irish Interfirms Gaming League (IIGL) is an Irish video-gaming community and league where companies can compete in various different eSports games. The community is run by volunteers and aims to promote gaming.

The initiative is in the early stages of development and organisers are actively looking for interested parties and participants to join the community. The IIGL will use the Battlefy eSports tournament platform to organise and implement the gaming league.

For more information about the Irish Interfirms Gaming League visit – https://irishinterfirmsgaming.ie

Assistant Lecturers in Game Design and Quest Design, DIT (Dublin)

The School of Media at the Dublin Institute of Technology have announced two Assistant Lecturer posts.

**** Assistant Lecturer in Game Design (Permanent Wholetime)

This role will involve delivering education in game conception, design, and development as well as undertaking research activities in Game Design.

A masters degree or above and a minimum of three years experience subsequent to obtaining a primary honours degree in a relevant discipline are required.

**** Assistant Lecturer in Quest Design (5 hours per week/ 3-year post)

This role will involve working within the School of Media to design, develop, and implement the games courses offered at DIT. The candidate will also be expected to contribute to research activities within the institute.

A masters degree or above and a minimum of three years experience subsequent to obtaining a primary honours degree in a relevant discipline are required. Substantial relevant industry/professional experience with a track record in quest design and strong fantasy and science fiction writing skills are desired.

For more information about the two positions visit… http://www.dit.ie/hr/resourcing/resourcingandrecruitment/vacancies/

Animation Skillnet Toon Boom Harmony Bootcamp June 18th-22nd

Animation Skillnet, in association with Boulder Media, are running an animation bootcamp (using Toon Boom Harmony) from Monday 18th of June to Friday 22nd of June.

The week-long bootcamp will take place from 9:00am – 5:00pm and will be delivered by Graham Tormey, Animation Supervisor at Boulder Media.

The bootcamp will include practical work and portfolio advice, each participant will finish the week with new work to add to their portfolio. For those who complete the bootcamp, there will be an opportunity to submit an animation test to Boulder Media who are offering an internal internship for the successful completion of the test.

Boulder Media have also noted that they are currently recruiting animators so this could be a good opportunity to gain some valuable experience which may lead to work.

The cost for the bootcamp is E100 and places are limited to 16. For further information visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/animation-bootcamp-2018-toonboom-harmony-with-boulder-media/

The closing date for application is Wednesday June 6th.

To apply for the bootcamp visit – http://animationskillnet.ie/event-registration/?ee=210

Futurescope 2018 May 31st (Dublin)

Futurescope 2018 will take place at the Convention Centre in Dublin on Thursday May 31st.

The event is designed around four themed stages – Insights, Collaboration, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, breakout sessions, and a creativity meets tech session.

Animation Ireland and Animation Skillnet have organised the creativity meets tech programme which focuses on the future of content creation and production for games, animation, VFX, and AR/VR. Some of the companies involved include Pink Kong Studios, Epic Games, Unreal, JAM Media, Utility AR, Boulder Media, Brown Bag Films, StoryToys, and Black Shamrock Games.

Tickets are priced at E170 – see…http://www.futurescope.ie/tickets/

For more information about the event programme visit – http://www.futurescope.ie/2018-programme/#anc_creativity

Writers Game 2018 November 17-18 (Dublin)

Writers Game is an event aiming to bring writers together to collaborate from gaming, film, publishing, and virtual reality. The event will take place at ODEON Point Village on November 17th and 18th.

The two day conference will be organised around a series of masterclasses by successful writers and storytellers such as Jessica Sliwinski (Lead narrative designer and writer at Disruptor Beam), Jeff Miller (Film maker and Founder of Interrogate.com), Glenn Meade (NY Times Best Selling Author), and Toiya Kristen Finley (Game writer, author and editor, Co-founder of Game Writing tutorial at GDC).

A Writers Game pitch competition has been organised in which novelists can enter draft narratives. The winner of the contest will receive mentoring from author Glenn Meade, who will assist in the development of the winners draft story.

For the event schedule see...https://writersgame.media/schedule/

Event ticket prices are TBD

Pitch-competition entry fee: E52.69 (closing date July 1st)

State of Play 2018 May 4th (DIT Aungier St.)

State of Play 2018 is an Irish Independent Game Maker event hosted by the School of Media in the Dublin Institute of Technology, in association with the Irish Game Makers Association – IMIRT.

The event will take place on Friday, May 4th at DIT Aungier St and will be primarily organised around an open expo, game-based learning seminar, and keynote talks by national and international speakers.

The expo is an excellent opportunity for developers, students, researchers, garage or aspiring game developers to showcase their work to their peers and to industry professionals. The game-based learning seminar is new to the 2018 programme and will take place at 11AM in room 4-027, the seminar will provide a forum for interested parties in exchanging their methods, projects, and best practice in the area of the use of games for educational purposes in an Irish Context.

Some of the 2018 speakers include Jean-François (Jeff) Gagné (Senior Game Designer with DICE), Tyler Sigman (Co-founder and design director at Red Hook Studios), Vikki Ruttle (Feature Owner & ScrumMaster at DIGIT game studio), Llaura McGee (Founder of Dreamfeel studio, artist, designer, and game maker), Dave McCabe (Freelance Writer and Games Designer), and Dr. Bryan Duggan (Computer Science Lecturer at DIT and VR enthusiast).

The event will be followed by an after party in Alfie Byrne’s on Earlsford terrace, Dublin 2 (map).

For more information on this year’s line-up visit...https://www.stateofplay.ie/

ADAPT Ethics in Research & Innovation Workshop 5th-6th July (TCD)

The ADAPT Research Centre is a digital innovation and research organisation developing next generation digital technologies and research.

On July 5th and 6th, the centre will hold a two-day interactive workshop entitled “Ethics in Research and Innovation: Methods and Practice”.

The ADAPT website provides information on their latest research initiatives – https://www.adaptcentre.ie/

Animation Skillnet ‘Creativity Meets Technology’ @ Futurescope 2018

Animation Skillnet, in collaboration with Animation Ireland, will be organising a room on the theme of “Creativity Meets Technology” at Futurescope 2018, which takes place at the Convention Centre on the 31st May.

Irish and international industry experts will be presenting on the day, including Epic Games (Unreal Engine), The Foundry, JAM Media, Cartoon Saloon, Warducks, 3D4 Medical, Brown Bag Films, StoryToys/TouchPress, Artomatix, Boulder Media, Black Shamrock Games and many more…There will also be a keynote address from Intellectual Property specialist, Rob Hudnut, who was formally the Head of Mattel’s entertainment division.

Other topics to be explored on the day include:

***IP development for a changing distribution and consumer landscape
***The future of interactive medical education
***Creative AI for virtual worlds
***Closing the content gap for VR and AR
***Real-time production and changing production pipelines

The event will also host an Animation and AR/VR showcase area featuring exhibitions, demos and targeted networking for attendees.

For further information on the services Animation Skillnet have to offer see… http://animationskillnet.ie/

Lots of other interesting presentations, demos and panels will also take place at FutureScope 2018. So keep an eye on http://www.futurescope.ie/ over the coming weeks for updates on the schedule and speaker announcements.

Dublin Games Summit 19th July

AeonSpark Events have organised a new gaming industry conference – Dublin Games Summit.

The event has been designed as an industry expo and networking opportunity, primarily aimed at developers, publishers, and retailers.

DGS will host a number of industry experts and speakers such as Steven Collins (Co-Founder at Havok), Jen Carey (Board member of IMIRT and founder of fickle games), Sam Watts (Director of Immersive Technologies at Make Real), Travis George (Previous producer on League of Legends), David Yarnton (Co-Chair at Ukie), Sophie Sampson (Director of Matheson Marcault) and more.

The summit will consist of 2 rooms holding over 12 different topics from industry professionals. The schedule will be organised into keynotes, panels, 1-1 meetups, a networking lunch and evening event, and more.

Early-bird tickets – 120e

Standard tickets – 185e

For ticket sales see… https://dublingamessummit.ie/tickets/

For further info on DGS visit… https://dublingamessummit.ie/

For more gaming events from AeonSpark visit… https://aeonspark.com/

StoryToys release new ‘Hungry Caterpillar Play School’ app

StoryToys have released a new app in the Hungry Caterpillar series inspired by Eric Carle’s classic children’s picture book.

Following the success of the ‘My Very Hungry Caterpillar App’ in 2015 when it was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Digital Award for excellence in children’s digital publishing, StoryToys have developed an educational app for preschool children.

The ‘Hungry Caterpillar Play School’ app uses internationally recognised early-learning goals designed to help children develop skills in math, spelling, reading, writing, science, and nature whilst practicing creative arts and interactive crafts.

The app is available for download from the app store

**Note: the app offers a free trial but is a subscription app that requires the user to sign up

Download QR-Code

‎Hungry Caterpillar Play School

Developer: StoryToys Limited

Price: Free⁺

ARVR Innovate Conference 2018 to host a ‘Startup Zone’

The 5th annual ARVR Innovate conference will take place on May 10th between 8:30 am – 5:30 pm at the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

The event is one of Europe’s most recognised augmented reality and virtual reality conferences, hosting over 40 national and international speakers, and an expo of 30 AR and VR exhibitions featuring the latest technologies.

Industry speakers will provide case studies of the varying ways in which the technologies are being incorporated into industries such as gaming, tourism, and marketing. This years speakers and exhibitors include Dutch/Irish entrepreneur and author Ron Immink, Alibaba’s Jian Gu, Dave Lorenzini of youAR and formerly of Keyhole which became Google Earth, Audi’s Jan Pfluger, Philip Nagele of Wikitude, and a showreel of the award winning Pink Kong Studios’ Aurora.

ARVR Innovate showcases the work of startup business’ in the AR and VR sectors. This years conference will host a new ‘Startup Zone’, an entirely new section of the exhibition area to highlight startups from Ireland, the UK, Europe, USA, and Russia. The Startup Zone will allow business’ to display their work to guests and speakers.

10 of the startup companies will be given the opportunity to present their business, technology, and aims to the crowd on the ‘Startup Stage’. The presentations will take place during the main stage intervals and will be assessed by the ARVR Innovate judges who will decide which startup will be awarded the ARVR Innovate Startup Award 2018.

For more information about the 2018 line-up see – http://arvrinnovate.com/#speakers

For more information about the Startup Zone see – http://arvrinnovate.com/startup-zone-to-feature-at-arvr-innovate/

Early-bird tickets – 195e [until the 3rd of May]

Academic tickets – 95e

See Eventbrite for tickets – https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/arvr-innovate-conference-and-expo-2018-tickets-44867107727