How To Survive Working At An Indie Studio
summary
Creative lead at Kipi Interactive with 11 years’ experience explains concrete indie realities: a first job worked off a tennis table before the studio grows to 12 people, shipped concept art for Cry War, and learns basic level design and Unreal Blueprints to cover gaps. Indie projects face higher cancellation risk so artists diversify into 3D, lighting and engines. Burnout example: 80‑hour weeks tracked by screenshot apps. Practical takeaway: get multiple marketable skills and expect fast context switching.
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chapters (19)
- 0:00Surviving indie studios
- 1:25Speaker’s career journey
- 4:14Indie vs AAA studios
- 8:26Small team management
- 11:56Job risks in gaming
- 14:26Surviving indie studios
- 19:00Wearing multiple hats
- 22:08Teamwork and communication
- 24:40Team dynamics changes
- 26:25Preventing burnout
- 32:47Why indie studios matter
- 33:51Q&A: Leaving gaming
- 35:18Q&A: Context switching
- 36:44Q&A: Burnout signs
- 38:54Q&A: Funding indies
- 41:02Q&A: Skill gaps
- 44:20Q&A: Work-life balance
- 46:52Q&A: Career drivers
- 48:18Q&A: Unpaid work
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