Making a Mark
OA: You've worked for numerous studios, creating characters and designs for assorted media, from movies to video games. What was the most challenging job you ever had and why? What was the most fun you had on a job and why? Where are you currently working?
WB: I'm working in San Francisco full-time with Massive Black, and have been working with the company for over six years. We work as an outsourcing concept art/design and illustration house for various video game developers, movie production houses, and advertising agencies primarily. So, it's sort of like working freelance, but just with a small team of other guys that we've assembled over the years. It's really great to be able to work on new things every week or so and switch it up all the time. Things never really get boring that way. I'm not really sure what would be the most challenging job – that would probably just be whatever most recent job had the tightest deadline. We've worked on a couple hundred projects at the point, so it's pretty hard to surprise us now and we can usually take the jobs we want to work on and can provide the best results for.
I've recently worked on the Transformers movie series and other Hasbro properties, various video games such as Infamous, Red Faction: Guerilla, Silent Hill : Shattered Memories, the Army of Two series, and, more recently, a really cool side project with Marc Webb, director of 500 Days of Summer. I'd say the most fun jobs are the ones that usually have to do with a more general feel among the team here and our rapport with the art director we're working with. The best part of my job is being able to work with a bunch of other like-minded artists and talk about anything and everything all day and glean new things from each other.
OA: The economic downturn has been especially tough on creative industries. What advice do you have for aspiring artists and struggling artists?
WB: I'd just have to stay to stick with it. The ones that are doing it because they really love it will continue to no matter what. There's always a way out there to succeed if you have the drive and dedication
For more a gallery feature more than 20 of Wesley Burt's work, including sketches, concepts and project designs, click here.
