The impact of concept art on the character creation pipeline: An interview with Jef Bernaers

What is your educational background before pursuing the Master Game Technology?

Jef: ‘Before enrolling in MGT, I completed my bachelor's degree in Digital Arts and Entertainment at Howest in Belgium. My primary focus during my bachelor's was on Visual Arts. Since there was no master programme available at Howest, I decided to come to BUas to get my master's degree.’ 

Could you provide some details about your research project during the MGT programme? 

Jef: ‘Certainly. My research project aimed to address the character creation pipeline in game development. I initially had a grand idea of examining the entire pipeline for character design, but it proved to be too ambitious. With guidance from my supervisor, Thomas Buijtenweg, I narrowed my focus to identifying the impact of concept art completion on the efficiency and quality of character artists and provide suggestions for improving the character creation pipeline.’ 

'Through a practical test and interviews with character creation students and industry professionals, I found that the amount of concept art in the initial stages of character sculpting does not significantly impact the quality and efficiency of the artists in the first two hours of their work. This discovery highlights a disconnect between current industry pipelines and the research results, suggesting the potential for more flexible character creation processes. Future research could involve confirming these findings with a larger sample and exploring the correlation between usability definitions and company size.' 

‘During the industry showcase day at BUas in July 2023, my work received significant attention, primarily because it approached the process from an analytical, efficiency-oriented perspective, which is somewhat unconventional in the industry. I received positive feedback for my work, and as a result, I was honoured with the "Best Master's Project" award.’ 

For more detailed information, you can find Jef's research on ResearchGate. 

How did you experience the MGT programme? 

Jef: ‘I truly loved my time in the MGT programme. I had hesitations before joining, but I have no regrets. It provided me with a different perspective and valuable soft skills such as critical thinking, analytical mindset, communication, writing, and improved English. These skills are proving to be invaluable in my career. I'm proud to be one of the pioneers to explore the intersection of game development and academia.’ 

‘I would wholeheartedly recommend the programme to those interested in the industry, especially if you want to increase your theoretical knowledge and explore the possibility of becoming a researcher. However, if you're solely interested in becoming an artist, MGT may not be the best fit for you. It's essential to have the right motivation for pursuing a master's degree.’  

Now that you've graduated from MGT, what are you up to these days? 

Jef: ‘I am currently actively seeking a job in the game development industry. I am also teaching programming at a high school. However, it's a bit challenging to find opportunities in Belgium due to the limited number of game development companies. In the future, I might consider starting a company with some friends who share my passion for game development.’  

For those interested in exploring Jef's work further, you can visit his Artstation portfolio or his LinkedIn profile.