Spotlight: Ben Burns, Animator
10th Feb 2022
How did you get your job at d3t?
After freelancing for several years, I decided that I would like to become a permanent part of a great team. There were several opportunities that arose with different studios, however, on my search for the dream job I saw the opportunity at d3t. I’d never really heard of d3t as they were known more for the technical side of gaming. But after some research on the studio, I loved what I saw and thought this would be a fantastic step for my career in animation.
I am a person that goes off gut feeling, and I got a great vibe from the website, plus the ethos looked fantastic and it had a family feeling which is very important to me. The multiple wins for ‘Best Place to Work’ also meant that it was a no brainer.
So, I got my freshly new demo reel hot off the press and sent it their way along with my CV. The lovely Sally (Talent Acquisition Manager) got straight back to me and offered me an interview – I was extremely excited.
Due to what was going on in the world surrounding the Pandemic, I had my interview via video call, which was great as I sat with my upper body dressed in smart interview attire, but the lower half was just boxer shorts, you know the look and if you haven’t already tried it do it, it’s great (just don’t stand up).
There I also met Louise (Head of Art), who again was lovely and extremely welcoming.
After excessively rambling on about myself, Louise told me where her vision was leading for the future of d3t and the Animation team. This was music to my ears, and I REALLY wanted to be a part of it.
Thankfully they gave me the job as their new Animator, and I have loved every moment of it!!
What do you do day-to-day?
Well, that’s the question isn’t it, at the minute I just sit in my dressing gown drinking coffee pretending to be important.
No, life at d3t usually starts for me between 7-8am in which I work on the current project requiring animation, the projects are fantastic (sorry guys no spoilers due to the NDA, but they are fantastic trust me).
At 10.30am we usually have our project stand up which I very much look forward to as the Project Managers make them extremely fun due to the great group of strong and funny characters that we have here at d3t. When we finally get down to business, we discuss the project, and everyone gives an update where they are up to etc.
Being an Animator for me is insane, as I still can’t believe I get paid to do this, bringing characters to life, seeing them in game, it’s fantastic. And to make it all that more special, being able to do it at a great and very talented studio like d3t, makes me extremely happy!
Do you have any tips for people looking to get into the games industry?
It’s that old cliché that people say, practice makes perfect, but it is so true, everyone starts somewhere, I was a terrible animator when I first started, but with hard work and perseverance, my dream job came to fruition.
Another very important aspect where things really turned around for me was getting a mentor!! This is gold, there are so many veteran animators out there willing to teach and share their amazing knowledge on a one-to-one basis!
So, I do highly recommend finding one and absorbing as much as you can.
Happy Animating!
We are hiring
Stay tuned for more spotlight features coming soon. In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired and want to join our team, check out our vacancies page!