meet the team series:
Claire McClaughry
Meet Claire, our Head of Art based in the UK. She’s been with us for 3 years, 9 months and 25 days (to be exact)…
Hi Claire! To get started, tell us how you got into the gaming industry?
Well, I’ve played video games for as long as I can remember, starting way back when I was around 3, playing on my dads Spectrum and Commadore. I’ve also always been creative, forever painting or drawing in my childhood.
I studied art and graphic design at college and initially thought I would go into something like web design. However after visiting Portmouth Uni on an open day and seeing their 3D Computer Animation course, I changed my mind.
I think there were only 2 or 3 3D courses back then, more than 20 years ago, and they focussed on 3D Art and Animation as a whole, not games in particular. I initially thought I might like to be a character artist in tv or movies, but evolved to really enjoying environmental art.
A year after graduating I got my first role in the industry as a junior environment artist at Rebellion in Derby. It combined my love of art with games and I was lucky enough to work on The Simpson’s Game as my very first project.
Looking back on your two decades in the industry, what’s one moment that really defined your career?
It’s tricky to pick one, but I would probably say being made Lead Artist at Exient 10 years ago, I really enjoyed the combination of team management and hands on art and carried on in that path for a long time, before moving to more of a purely management role in the art department.
You’ve worked across 7 studios and multiple roles – what’s been the biggest challenge from moving between teams and positions?
It’s always a challenge starting at a new studio, figuring out the vibe of the studio, how the teams work together, how they manage projects, areas you can add value and make an impact, and that translates across all roles and seniorities I think. Also just learning everyone’s names and faces…as I am terrible at that!
Out of the 18 games you’ve worked on, is there one that feels special to you and why?
Oddly often the largest and most successful games haven’t made the biggest impact on me.
Strictly Come Dancing on mobile was the first game I was a lead artist on, so that was a big deal, plus I got to go and see the tv show being filmed, which was great.
How has the art side of the industry changed since you started?
In some ways it’s changed massively, from a technical point of view, tools available, expectations on art quality, the areas of specialisation available now. It was much simpler 20 years ago! However I don’t think the reason people become artists has changed, it’s still ultimately full of creative passionate people who want to make an impact through their work.
How has your experience as a woman in the games industry evolved over the past 20 years?
Thankfully for me it has improved, there are a lot more women in the industry than when I started and in a much wider variety of roles. I have also noticed a huge increase in women going into Uni education related to the games industry, which can only be a good thing.
What advice would you give to women looking to build a career in game art today?
Keep at it, it’s a competitive career and the industry is having a really tough time at the moment. But learn everything you can, find an area you are strong in and take opportunities and chances as they come. Also reach out to fellow games industry women at groups like Women in Games for advice and mentorship and attend events where you can.
Have there been any challenges you’ve faced that shaped how you lead today?
How long have you got! Difficult projects, difficult clients, difficult teams, many redundancies, both on the making and receiving side, a pandemic making everyone work from home, and having to deal with a new dynamic, general instability of the industry, and then being a first time mum 5 years ago throwing some child based chaos in to the mix! Ultimately though I remember good managers I’ve worked with and the less good managers and try to learn from both sides. I always lean on my leads group, they are the expects in their areas, and I am there to enable them to be able to do their best.
What makes MPG different from other studios you’ve worked at?
Outside of the pandemic, MPG are the first fully remote studio I’ve worked for, with team mates all over the world and I was impressed when I first started how well oiled the machine was. We’re also just a very nice bunch of people, the heart emoji gets used a lot!
What has got you through the two decades? – what’s your go to order?
Lots of vanilla lattes! That and far too many Domino’s pizzas in the old days of crunching. Thankfully the pizza has gone but the coffee has stayed. That and a passion for the industry, despite its many many ups and downs, I’m not sure I could ever really consider getting a ‘proper’ job… they don’t sound anywhere near as fun!
