Recruiter Hot Seat We ask Rebellion’s Claire Timpany how job seekers can better their chances of finding employment at the studio
What makes Rebellion different from other companies? We’re an independent, privately owned developer, so we don’t rely on any one particular publisher and can publish our own IP. With our own in- house multi-platform engine we’re technologically independent too. Both these main factors contribute
to our worldwide reputation for innovative products and general success – at the end of 2012 we will be 20 years old; not bad for an independent studio. We make games that range in scale,
from Sniper Elite V2, a triple-A title on multiple platforms, to smaller games made with smaller budgets, but with just as much innovation in them, like Judge Dredd vs Zombies, a free-to-play title available on the App store. Of course Oxford’s a pretty nice place to have our headquarters too and it doesn’t hurt that our IP includes sci-fi comic 2000AD.
As an already large studio, how many staff are you looking to take on? We’re looking for the right combination of skills amongst our teams rather than filling a set number of places. This always varies according to our current project needs. However, mobile and social games are now our fastest expanding areas since branching out from PC and consoles to other formats. It’s nice to be doing something new. We’re also always willing to look at speculative CVs from direct applicants. We’ve picked up a lot of new talent that way and you never know what’s
coming up in the near future that we’re not yet advertising for. For specific roles we’ve recently revamped our website to include all the information needed.
What disciplines are you currently looking to recruit in? With our diverse portfolio of projects and formats we usually have quite a wide variety of roles available, but in particular we’ve recently increased our needs in web technology.
GET THAT JOB
HR specialists offer advice on how you can score that promotion
THIS MONTH: ANIMATOR
“When we’re recruiting for someone to join our animation team the show reel is crucial in getting beyond the first stage. It is not unusual for us to look at over 100 show reels for one position, so it is important that yours does its job. “We only want to see what you think is your
best work in your show reel. 30 seconds of impressive work is far better than four minutes of work that dips in quality. “It’s also important to remember that
we’re judging your animation; to us it really isn’t important how it is rendered out. Show off that you understand the basics of animation and remember that we’re making video games. It’s important we see body mechanics, in particular walk and run cycles.” Kelly-Ann Hogger,
HR Advisor, Ninja Theory 66 | MAY 2012
This is a newer area for us so while
it’s been a great opportunity for some of our staff to try something new we also want to bring in more skills from outside. It also means we have an additional focus on GUI at the moment. Strong C++ coders are always desirable too, as our engine is ever-evolving.
Who is the best interviewee you have had and why? My favourites are usually confident and honest about their abilities, and
able to demonstrate these and talk about them. Of course, the best interviewees are those who reveal skills we didn’t even know we needed, where during the interview it becomes clear that as well as being a great fit for the job spec, the person will bring many other benefits to their team and Rebellion overall. It’s hard to define but if someone spends a lot of the interview explaining how they could improve quality and efficiency and so on then
SIX-SECOND STUDIO SPOTLIGHT
Kwalee was formed last year in Leamington by Codemasters co-founder David Darling
The app specialist has since been joined by David’s father Jim Darling as the studio’s chairman
The studio focuses on mobile games development, releasing titles such as GoBang Social for iOS
The developer currently employs 15 staff, but is looking to rapidly increase its size in the near future to work on multiple titles
Kwalee is looking to take experienced console programmers who know C++ and then teach them to code for mobile
The studio has ‘creative Wednesdays’ each week where staff are encouraged to work on their own projects