GRAND / Funcom Games Initiative

I am really excited today with the announcement of our summer project in conjunction with GRAND. This is something we have been working on for a while, and is something of a personal drive of mine. As you move into more management roles over the years, you get to do less and less of the day to day creative work, and instead become the one that helps builds the teams, and creates the structure, atmosphere and environment within which creative people can thrive and succeed. I get my much of my proverbial kicks these days from the success of those we train, and from the successes of the projects they complete. (as those who read the blog regularly know, I am invariably a really 'proud father' type as it were. I love the teams that we have built up here.)

Part of that focus is a commitment to building new teams, and reaching out to students and those embarking upon their careers. Back in Oslo we worked closely with a local university on projects where the students came into the studio and did project work. When the opportunity arose to co-operate on a similar opportunity here in Canada we jumped at the chance.

To give the project it's official description, the 2012 GRAND/Funcom Games Initiative, is a hands-on, ten week industry-focused project in Montreal. Students will produce a working prototype of a game concept and design. 

A team of up to ten incredibly talented students will be tasked with applying their technical skills and creativity to an original Funcom concept and producing a high-quality prototype inspired by the original design. 

The ten week project will present an interesting challenge that will test students’ organization, co-operation, prioritization and technical skills. Working on-site at Funcom's Montreal studio, and assisted and mentored by senior designers from Funcom, the team will learn the processes, team dynamics, and workflows that go into adapting a creative concept to a working prototype in a professional setting.

A non-commercial project, the 2012 GRAND/Funcom Games Initiative is an educational experience. This is an unpaid postion where students will work with professional game developers. It’s a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in game development first hand and add industry-experience to their resumes.

GRAND is a federally-funded Network of Centres of Excellence in graphics, animation and new media. Through developing technology solutions, training the next generation of talent and encouraging a robust policy environment, GRAND plays a pivotal role in supporting Canada’s National Digital Economy Strategy, and you can find out more about them here.  

Applications are now open for all eligible students. Details can be found here

If you have connections with students or universities in Canada, please spread the link and get the news out there. I'm really looking forward to this one, and it's a great opportunity for those students who get to take part.