Day in the Life of a Japanese Game Illustrator

Paolo fromTOKYO

25 Nov 202217:04

Summary

TLDRRuby, a 30-year-old game illustrator in Tokyo, shares her daily life in this insightful video. From her spacious 1LDK apartment to the bustling Square Enix headquarters, Ruby's journey showcases her passion for character design, her creative process, and the vibrant world of video game development. With a blend of remote work and office meetings, Ruby's story offers a glimpse into the dynamic life of a Japanese artist, balancing work, creativity, and play.

Takeaways

😀 Ruby is a 30-year-old Japanese game illustrator living in Tokyo.
🏠 She lives in a 1LDK apartment with her pet, which is spacious for a single person in the city.
🎨 Ruby has been working as a video game illustrator for six years and has a passion for drawing since childhood.
🏫 She initially studied a different field in university but later pursued character design at a professional trading college.
🚄 Ruby's commute to work is 20-25 minutes by train, but she moved closer to the office to avoid a longer commute.
🏢 She works at the Square Enix headquarters, a top video game developer known for titles like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.
🔍 Ruby works on multiple projects concurrently, managing her time and collaborating with various team members.
📝 The process of creating an illustration involves concept sketching, feedback, and detailed adjustments to character design.
🍽 Ruby enjoys the company cafeteria benefits, which offer reduced-price set meals.
👥 She is part of the Chocobo GP team, attending meetings to discuss design and development tasks.
🎮 Ruby's job involves not only character illustration but also designing costumes, weapons, and items for game worlds.
🌙 She often works from home due to remote work options but visits the office for meetings and collaborative tasks.

Q & A

Who is the main character of the video?
-The main character of the video is Ruby, a 30-year-old Japanese game illustrator living in Tokyo.
What does Ruby's living situation look like?
-Ruby lives in a 1LDK apartment in the heart of Tokyo, which she finds spacious for a single person and suitable for housing all her work equipment during the pandemic.
What is Ruby's professional background?
-Ruby has been working as a video game illustrator for six years. She initially pursued a different field in university but later studied character designs at a professional trading college, which led to her dream job.
How does Ruby's daily commute to work look like?
-Ruby's commute to work by train takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Initially, she lived in Kanagawa with her parents and had a longer commute, but she moved closer to her office to reduce travel time.
Which company does Ruby work for and what is it known for?
-Ruby works at Square Enix headquarters, one of the top video game developers in Japan, known for creating popular titles such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.
What is Ruby's typical work routine when she is not working remotely?
-When not working remotely, Ruby checks her emails, replies as required, and then quickly gets to work on her current illustration projects. She also has meetings with her team and collaborates with various team members to complete projects.
What is the process for creating an illustration according to Ruby?
-The process starts with a concept sketch that Ruby completes in one day. She then gets feedback, adjusts the characters' poses and facial expressions, and pays close attention to their unique personality and background.
What additional tasks does Ruby perform besides character illustration?
-Besides character illustration, Ruby also designs costumes, weapons, and items found in each specific game world. She creates detailed spreadsheets of each design, including how it moves and functions.
What does Ruby's lunchtime routine look like at the company cafeteria?
-Ruby eats with her co-workers at the company cafeteria, which is part of the staff benefits program offering set meals at reduced prices. In the video, she has a set meal with fried flounder.
How does Ruby handle creative slumps in her work?
-When Ruby hits a creative slump, she continues to draw even more to further develop new ideas instead of stopping.
What does Ruby do after work to unwind?
-After work, Ruby plans to play an online game with her friends, has a drink or two with a light meal, and chats with friends. She usually plays until around 10 PM, then takes a bath and goes to sleep around midnight.

Outlines

00:00

🌆 Day in the Life of a Japanese Game Illustrator

Ruby, a 30-year-old game illustrator living in Tokyo, begins her day in her spacious apartment, which she moved into during the pandemic to accommodate her work equipment. With a background in a different field, Ruby pursued her passion for drawing and studied character design at a professional trading college, leading to her dream job at a renowned company. Her work commute is manageable, and she enjoys the flexibility of remote work. Ruby's daily routine includes checking emails, working on multiple illustration projects, and collaborating with her team. The creative process involves concept sketches, feedback, and adjustments to reflect characters' personalities. Ruby's work environment is dynamic, with the option to work from home or the office, and her day is filled with meetings and creative tasks.

05:05

🎨 Behind the Scenes at a Game Developer's Office

Ruby's work at the Square Enix headquarters involves not only character illustrations but also designing costumes, weapons, and items for video games. She attends meetings with game directors and collaborates with 3D modelers to ensure her designs are accurately implemented. The office environment is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a chocobo-themed meeting room and soundproof recording spaces. Ruby enjoys the company cafeteria's benefits and the camaraderie with her co-workers. The creative atmosphere at the office is palpable, with employees encouraged to freely imagine and bring their ideas to life, making work feel more like play.

10:13

🚗 Exploring the Creative Side of Game Development

Ruby's role extends beyond illustration as she participates in the Chocobo GP team's meetings, discussing design and development tasks. She faces the challenge of generating new ideas, especially during creative slumps, by drawing even more to develop fresh concepts. Ruby's work also includes motion capture sessions, where she dons a suit to contribute to the animation process. Her designs are brought to life through detailed feedback from art directors, such as the creator of mini Chocobo. The process of creating game assets, like a Chocobo record soundtrack cover, is meticulous and time-consuming, involving a month of work and a rigorous approval process.

15:14

🌙 Wrapping Up the Day with Gaming and Relaxation

After a productive day at work, Ruby looks forward to unwinding by playing online games with friends. She prepares a light meal, such as a peach mozzarella dish, and enjoys a couple of drinks while chatting and gaming. Her evening routine includes a relaxing bath before going to sleep around midnight. The video concludes by highlighting the enjoyable and fulfilling lifestyle of a Japanese game illustrator, inviting viewers to like, subscribe, and explore more content related to Japan and the gaming industry.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Japanese game illustrator

A Japanese game illustrator is a professional artist who creates visual content for video games, often specializing in character designs, environments, and other game assets. In the video, Ruby is a 30-year-old Japanese game illustrator living in Tokyo, showcasing her daily life and work routine in the gaming industry.

💡Remote work

Remote work refers to the practice of working from a location outside the traditional office setting, such as from home. Ruby had to find a bigger apartment during the pandemic to accommodate her work equipment, which allowed her to work remotely and manage her projects from home.

💡Square Enix

Square Enix is a renowned Japanese video game developer and publisher known for creating globally popular titles like 'Final Fantasy' and 'Kingdom Hearts'. Ruby's office is located at the Square Enix headquarters, indicating the high-profile nature of her workplace and the company's significant role in the gaming industry.

💡Character design

Character design is the process of creating the visual appearance and personality of a character in various forms of media, including video games. Ruby's job involves character design, where she sketches and refines characters, paying close attention to their unique traits and backgrounds, as seen in her work process described in the script.

💡Concept sketch

A concept sketch is a preliminary drawing that serves as a rough visual representation of an idea or design. In the video, Ruby creates a concept sketch for an illustration, which she then refines based on feedback, demonstrating the iterative nature of the creative process in game illustration.

💡Illustration project

An illustration project refers to a specific assignment or task that involves creating visual artwork, often for a book, magazine, or in this case, a video game. Ruby is shown working on multiple illustration projects concurrently, highlighting the multitasking and organizational skills required in her role.

💡Motion capture

Motion capture is a technology used to record and digitally reproduce human movements. It is often used in video game development to create realistic character animations. The script mentions Ruby visiting a motion capture studio, indicating the use of this technology in the games she works on.

💡Chocobo

Chocobo is a recurring creature in the 'Final Fantasy' series, known for its distinctive appearance and role as a mount for characters. Ruby is part of the Chocobo GP team and works on designs related to this iconic element of the game, as evidenced by her meeting with the art director about a Chocobo illustration.

💡Creative slump

A creative slump refers to a period of reduced creativity or difficulty in generating new ideas. Ruby mentions that the hardest part of her job is coming up with ideas and that she combats creative slumps by drawing even more to develop new concepts.

💡Online gaming

Online gaming is the act of playing video games over the internet, often with other players. Ruby plans to play an online game with her friends after work, illustrating the social aspect of gaming and how it can be a leisure activity outside of her professional role as a game illustrator.

💡Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy is a highly popular series of role-playing video games developed by Square Enix. The script mentions Ruby working on a 'Final Fantasy' illustration, which is significant as it ties her work directly to one of the most well-known franchises in the gaming world.

Highlights

Ruby, a 30-year-old Japanese game illustrator, lives in Tokyo and has a spacious 1LDK apartment for her and her pet.

During the pandemic, Ruby needed a bigger apartment to accommodate her work equipment for remote work.

Ruby has been working as a video game illustrator for six years, following her childhood passion for drawing.

She studied character designs at a professional trading college after realizing prestigious companies offered illustration jobs.

Ruby's daily commute to the Square Enix headquarters takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Square Enix, known for games like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, is Ruby's workplace.

Ruby often works remotely due to safety measures, but today she has meetings with her team.

Ruby's work involves managing multiple projects concurrently and collaborating with various team members.

The process of creating an illustration includes concept sketching, feedback, and adjusting character details.

Ruby also designs costumes, weapons, and items, creating detailed spreadsheets for each design.

Ruby's designs are brought to life by 3D modelers, and she checks if they match her vision in meetings with game directors.

Ruby enjoys the perk of seeing her designs come to life before the rest of the world.

She has lunch with co-workers in the company cafeteria, part of the staff benefits program.

Ruby is passionate about her work and is often told to stop working due to her dedication.

Ruby is part of the Chocobo GP team, attending meetings to discuss design and development tasks.

When facing a creative slump, Ruby draws more to develop new ideas rather than stopping.

Ruby sometimes performs tasks outside of illustration, such as feedback sessions with art directors.

She is currently working on a Chocobo Record soundtrack cover for the Final Fantasy series.

Ruby's day ends with playing online games with friends, having a drink, and preparing a light meal.