So you need to build a portfolio, huh?
You’ve come to the right place! Building a portfolio to apply for a creative job takes quite a bit more thought than writing up a resume or CV of past work experience. For a creative, they have to clearly show that they can 100% deliver the content that is being requested and do so in a timely manner.
But how can one show that they’re the right fit for the job, when the market is so saturated with so many other creatives throwing their hat in the ring? The first step is to build a portfolio. Wait, though, as that’s not very specific! If you apply to three different jobs, one that wants to see your story-boarding, another that wants to see illustrations, and another that needs a comic artist, many creatives will submit the same general “all-purpose” portfolio for all three. This portfolio has a mix of those three things, and possibly some other things that person has done either through work or just for recreation. This is a HUGE mistake!
A good portfolio is perfectly tailored to whatever position one is applying to. Do you want to apply to an animation position? Build a portfolio that shows off your stellar animations! This could include brief animations in either 2D or 3D animation, whichever is applicable to the job, a demo reel that showcases a longer animation (such as a full story that you did entirely on your own) and, almost the most important aspect, proof that the clients you have produced work for in the past were satisfied.
While this page doesn’t aim to fully explore each and every type of portfolio a creative might need to make, we hope that this small primer has inspired you to make a portfolio that can get you hired by your dream employer.
As for working with the Zyrkthraan Chronicles team, the rest of this page will detail what specifics we will be looking for in a portfolio based on each type of job posted on the Bounty Board.
There are many similarities between the different items. As always, please pay attention to the specifics of each job posting before building your portfolio. There may be additional types of opportunities in the future, so this page will be updated accordingly.
The Zyrkthraan Chronicles team reserves the right to deny an application based on a creative’s prior interaction history with the community. We seek to only hire creatives who embody the spirit of Zyrkthraan and who practice understanding and compassion on their platform. Applicants will NEVER be denied due to factors covered under Title IX.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at naitomeatori@zyrkthraanchronicles.com!
| Lorebook |
| When we look for someone to help us develop our lorebooks, we are primarily concerned with the creative’s ability to mesh their work into the larger body of work. We need to see a few things: 1. Prior written works in the realm of fantasy (typically fan-fiction) 2. General word count metrics, such as how many words-per-day on average can be produced (relevant for time constraints) 3. Ability to take constructive criticism (in case something needs to be altered) 4. General dedication to the universe of Zyrkthraan, including the existing characters/entities and the stories within What we look for, more than anything, is that a creative has a passion for the universe and the ability to stick with the existing lore. When it comes to showcasing your writing, we especially want to see any works you have already created for this universe. While applicants will not be denied outright for not having made works within this universe already, it is definitely a bonus if you have! |
| Character Art |
| When we look for someone to illustrate our characters, we are primarily concerned with the creative’s ability to stick with the official depiction of the character. We need to see a few things: 1. Prior illustration work (style dependent on the specific job) 2. General timeline metrics, such as how long it takes to produce an individual illustration (relevant for time constraints) 3. Ability to take constructive criticism (in case something needs to be altered) 4. General dedication to the universe of Zyrkthraan, *especially* concerning the specific character(s) requested for the job. What we look for, more than anything, is that a creative has a passion for the characters and the ability to faithfully recreate them in the style requested. When it comes to showcasing your art, we especially want to see any works you have already created for this universe. While applicants will not be denied outright for not having made art of the selected character already, it is definitely a bonus if you have! |
| General Art |
| When we look for someone to illustrate general things, we are primarily concerned with the creative’s ability to stick to an internal design document. We need to see a few things: 1. Prior illustration work (style dependent on the specific job) 2. General timeline metrics, such as how long it takes to produce an individual illustration (relevant for time constraints) 3. Ability to take constructive criticism (in case something needs to be altered) 4. General dedication to the universe of Zyrkthraan, *especially* concerning locations, objects, foods, and various other non-character related things (dependent on the specific job). What we look for, more than anything, is that a creative has a passion for the overall world of Zyrkthraan and the ability to take descriptive text and turn it into an illustration. When it comes to showcasing your art, we especially want to see any works you have already created for this universe. While applicants will not be denied outright for not having made art of the specific subject already, it is definitely a bonus if you have! |