The subject of this week's Broken In, Dave Dunn, wants you to help him, help you find your way into Bungie, ultimately succeeding him in his role as the studio's Art Department Manager. That is, if you have the passion, the education, and the talent to get the job done. Considering Dunn's instrumental work on Oni and the Halo Trilogy, that's going to be a tall order.
Still interested? Snag some advice from the man himself to help guide you along the Bungie path.
Q. Who are you and what do you do for Bungie?
A. I’m Dave Dunn and I’m the Art Department Manager.
Q. How long have you been making games and what did you do in your past life?
A. I joined Bungie in 1997. It was my first job in the games industry. Before that I worked for three years at the architecture firm Perkins & Will in Chicago.
Q. What are some of the distinct differences between working for Bungie and working for an architecture firm?
A. The most striking differences to me when leaving the architecture industry and joining Bungie were the youthful exuberance, the overwhelming passion for creativity and innovation, and the rapidly changing technologies.
Q. In the midst of that exuberance, passion, and those rapid changes, which moment stands out to you as the defining experience?
A. I think the period when we were working to get the first playable space for Halo up and running was a defining moment. I had already experienced shipping Oni, but this was something different because this was the first time I remember seeing a studio-wide focus on one specific proof of experience. So much work went into one thing, but it really set the tone for the overall game and is a process that we’ve relied upon and improved upon over the years.
A. I can’t say I consciously work to maintain the drive and passion for what I do; it happens naturally due to the ever-changing challenges that present themselves to me as my career progresses. Also being surrounded by such amazingly passionate and creative people makes it hard not to get wound up into that feeling.
Would I have done anything differently? No, but I wish I knew what I know now when I started…I would have been a much better artist.
Q. If you could ominously warn applicants looking to eventually worm their way into your seat and take on the role of Art Department Manager, what would you say?
A. I wouldn’t warn off anyone; I’m always looking to find the person that will eventually succeed me. Now advice is whole other topic. If I could offer one bit of advice for aspiring artists it would be to invest in a good education that teaches the fundamentals of art as well as the principles of good design.
Q. Experience, Work Ethic, or Talent? If you had to choose in some kind of bizarre and meaningless hypothetical scenario, which quality would you go with and why is it so integral?
A. Different situations call for different approaches and as a hiring manager sometimes I will look for someone with lots of experience, and I love to see good work ethics, but I will say that talent is the most important thing I look for. You can teach work ethic and you can share experience, but you can’t teach talent.
That's not the first time we've heard that. Thanks for dropping in and giving us a few inside tips and tricks, Dave. They're much appreciated. And of course, as we note when all of our Broken In interviews come to a close, if you've just read over this brief question and answer and think you'd like to stake your claim at Bungie, feel free to check out our
Jobs page for openings. It's constantly being updated, and If you have experience, work ethic, and talent,
we're hiring.