The current wave of layoffs puts the industry in a state of perplexity. Artists that have had secure positions for years, find themselves in the position of restarting their job hunt. Aspiring artists struggle even more to have their break-through on the job market. Other creatives might be tempted to go back to unfair payments and unhealthy work environments, out of the fear of losing their job.
But it is important not to let these aspects paralyse you. Host Spiridon Giannakis together with Dani Diez, Bianca Nazari and Inka Schulz have several ideas that could be of help!
A mostly self-taught artist who has worked for names like Dreamworks, Disney, Square-Enix and Nickelodeon, Dani Diez is a Spanish art director with a bold, unique and colorful style. He self-published several art books. Among them: ‘Inktover’ – a book that’s shaped as an accordion and includes a 5m drawing. He recently collaborated on an indie game for Playdate.
Bianca Nazari is a renowned Brazilian illustrator and senior recruiter for Envar Entertainment – an outsource studio based out of Stockholm, Sweden. Their close-knit team of world-class artists has been the driving force behind the success of the biggest games and entertainment IP’s of this generation such as Valorant, Runeterra and League of Legends, among others. In addition, Bianca brings a wealth of experience, having collaborated with Wacom, Faber Castell and Harper Collins Kids among others.
Inka Schulz is a Concept Artist and Illustrator with a deep passion for all things gothic and mysterious. Before joining Blizzard, she freelanced on various projects while also beginning to develop her own series of art books and novels. She has collaborated with clients such as Blizzard Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast, Volta, Creative Assembly, and Darrington Press. For Blizzard she covers the roles of senior concept artist and outsource supervisor.
The discussion is going to be moderated by longtime Playgrounds friend, creative consultant, art book designer and publisher Spiridon Giannakis. He has been working in print media since 2006. Starting in 2017 he has helped artists, like Even Mehl Amundsen, Abigail Larson, Bjorn Hurri, Bastien Deharme, and many more, to publish their art books managing their crowdfunding campaigns. His latest project is Convoloot, a platform entirely focused on conversations and interviews with industry professionals and community leaders.