Nick Wozniak (most people call him Woz) has been an artist with Yacht Club Games since its founding in 2013. He’s been doing pixel art for nearly 10 years, forsaking all other forms of art production. We were lucky enough to convince him to answer some of our questions about building an indie studio and what they look for in new artists. 

How did Yacht Club Games begin? Where did it all start?

We started as a group of game developers wanting to set our own pace for making games. We wanted more autonomy and the place we were at resisted, so we left!

As a smaller, independent studio do artists wear multiple hats or do they generally stay in their department?

When it was just 5 of us, yes, definitely. As an artist I was also in charge of finding health insurance for the crew and I spent a lot of time during the kickstarter doing community management stuff (responding to all 2000 comments on the comments page.). Now that we are bigger, I still do some things that aren’t strictly art related but for the most part I can focus on art nowadays.

What does the dynamic of the studio look like?

We all care about everything and if you care about something and I disagree, we have to talk about it. It can take a while but eventually we believe this results in the best product.

Where did Shovel Knight come from? Did you know it would be a big hit?

Shovel Knight came from a lunch conversation where we talked about making a game like an NES game. Something where the gameplay stems from one core mechanic. We talked about everything from mega man jumps to zelda 2 downthrusts. In the end we landed on a shovel wielding knight. Did we always know Shovel Knight would be a big hit? No, but we hoped it would!

What was your biggest obstacle during its creation?

Doing everything! The game’s scale grew as time went on but our money ran out. So completing the game at the end was very challenging for us as developers.

What is your biggest obstacle now?

Doing everything! Now it’s not about if we are going to run out of money but making sure everything is done to a level we can be proud of without burning everyone out.

How do you decide when it’s time to bring in a new team member?

A new team member usually comes on when we find ourselves in great need of something. In between major projects is usually a good time to evaluate this kind of thing. For example, we hired our second pixel artist right before starting Shovel Knight: King of Cards.

Are there things you’re looking for in new candidates that could help them stand out? Anything in a portfolio that specifically catches your eye?

When reviewing animation portfolios, I look for these things:

• Easy to access site that ONLY has your best animations. School work is fine to include but I can tell when something was an assignment vs. when something was done as a showcase.
• I’m looking for animation that demonstrates punchy action and clear poses. I don’t really care about voice acting. Acting that happens during an action is the best.
• I want to see animation cycles as well as one off things
• Pixel experience is a plus but animation fundamentals are universal across 3d 2d and pixel.
• A portfolio should clearly demonstrate that you are ready to be given assignments on day one. Even if you aren’t an artist, you should be able to demonstrate what you bring to the table.

Is your goal to keep a small intimate team or grow into something much bigger?

I think around 25-30 is the biggest we’d let ourselves get.

What does your on-boarding process look like for new employees?

After learning the company methods of task tracking, communication and where we keep the soda, we talk about the context and do a run through of where the project is at. Usually this means playing the game in its current state. After all that, things start ramping up and real assignments are assigned.

Take us through a day working at Yacht Club Games.

We have a task tracking program called YouTrack where we keep all of our assignments and discussions tracked. Usually a meeting or two happens throughout the day that are all opt-in (I don’t have to participate if I don’t want to). Mondays are the exception as we spend the first part of the day plotting out the next week’s worth of tasks and get a good feel for where everyone is at. Throughout the day we are also talking about whatever game news is happening or a game that we played that we enjoyed or hated. Lots of dumb slack messages are sent to each other. It’s a fun balance of burning through the task list and distracting everyone around you with random stuff.

Any exciting projects you can share details about?

Shovel Knight King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown are nearly complete and we’ll be sending those off for certification soon. That means we’ll have a real solid release date and know when the final chapter to Shovel Knight 1 lands.

We always ask what advice companies have for ambitious artists out there- what would yours be?

Be product oriented. Finish things and show that the details of what you are making are as important as your aesthetic. If you are getting into games, make sure you play a lot of games and know how to talk about the industry you are in. Be enthusiastic, passionate, and opinionated! Being able to defend your ideas and talk around both sides of something is invaluable to a small company. Know your art and practice it constantly!

Check out Yacht Club Games

and

Catch Woz on his Twitch channel or Twitter and admire his scruffy beard and amiibo collection looming behind him.