Jessica Budin

The World is Not Enough

Knock Out Kings: 2001

Current project:
The World is Not Enough, Knock Out Kings, March Madness. I handle all the non-technical assets. All production related materials - film, stock, motion capture shooting, casting, voice-overs, music, effects. I am also the Executive. Assistant to the president and his two partners.

Academic Info

College: University of Miami, Florida
Degree: BA, BAC in Film and Television

Were there any particular projects or areas of study that you pursued?
Film and TV producing.

Did you do any internships?
Many for film, TV and commercial companies.

Career Info

Tell us about your first job in the industry. How did you get the job? What was it like? What were your responsibilities?
My first job was as a production assistant, a does-all kind of job -- everything from personal errands to coordination of crews and equipment.

What jobs have you held in the games industry thus far? Briefly describe the career path you took to get where you are today.
I started managing production for films and met my current employer while I was in-between movies. He liked the fact that I had live action shooting experience and felt that would integrate very well into the new game platforms that were coming up. We have moved into a realm of combining live action with digital animation to create the highest character resolutions you will now see on PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Advice

What fields of study, specific courses, or life experiences would you recommend to students interested in your field?
Production - any aspects of it. Especially people skills. Learn as much about the positions and equipment and computer art packages as best you can.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you got into the games industry? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Just to get as much hands on experience as you can: do an internship or even work for free. Whatever you can to offer your services, to get your hands wet.

As games increase in complexity, what are the various kinds of jobs that you foresee development companies needing in the next five years?
Live action production/producers, digital animation, sound and development design.

Do you have any other advice or recommendations to share with students who are interested in doing what you do?
It is an industry for the future. It is more and more becoming an integration of film, TV and gaming…. Go for it. It's fun.