May 18 Super Jam Call for Artists
Thanks to the Arts Council of Canada, we are delighted to announce Super Jam. Open to any artist across Canada, Super Jam is a collaborative jam between game artists and artists from another discipline. Super Jam is open to applications from any Canadian artist!
Selected artists will receive an honoraria of $2,000.
So what does jam look like? Artists will be paired up over a period of several months and the game’s final reveal will take place at Super FESTival on October 15/16, 2022. Unless you specify otherwise, the Hand Eye Society will pair you with another artist and hold a meet-and-greet time to get to know your partner. During the Jam, there will be mentors to help answer questions, provide guidance, and provide playtest feedback. There will be regular check-ins to help people stay on track, so even if you’ve never made a game, you’ll be supported every step of the way! Everything will work online on Discord So no matter where you are, you can participate.
How long is this a commitment?
It’s totally up to you! During the call for artists, you can choose how much time you have to devote to the competition. We want to make sure we pair people who have similar expectations of their time and commitment. This way we know that the pairing will be able to better synchronize their expectations. While we don’t have a minimum time commitment for this project, we want to make sure that by the end of the project your team has produced a game.
As a jammer, what can I expect?
You will join our Hand Eye Society Discord in a designated channel for Super Jam, where you can ask questions, post the progress of your work, discuss and brainstorm solutions with other disruptors and mentors, collaborate or post memes. Will be regularly Schedule check-ins and playtests. While you don’t need to participate in each one, we encourage it to keep up with what others are making and get as much feedback as possible for your project. A brief overview of jam expectations is:
- Join Hand Eye Association Discord designated channel
- Work independently with your jam buddies on a self-determined schedule
- Regularly check and communicate with the Hand-Eye Association and mentor about needs or concerns for early resolution
- Participate in regular playtests and feedback sessions
- Work on completing the plan and creating the game
Let us know in the app what results you’d like to get from Jam, such as portfolio, career changes, experiments, and we’ll do our best to match Jam to people with similar desired results!
What type of artist are you looking for?
We are interested in adding jams to artists of any medium. We are looking for people with strong working skills and people who can work independently because you will work independently when you are supported by hand and eye staff and mentors. We’re happy to provide you with support and advice and resolve issues, but ultimately you’ll be working at your own pace with deadlines you set yourself. If you’re confident you can work under these conditions, we’d love to apply for you!
How do you pay me?
To avoid fees, we will pay by check and mail it to you. Payments are made in 4 instalments of $500 each, payable at the end of July, August and September, the last payment will be withheld until all required metrics are met (game build, screenshots and descriptions, and completion of feedback surveys).
Who owns what?
you do! Hand Eye Society has no ownership in anything you create; no right to sell, merchandise, or do anything you choose to do with the game. All we ask is your support for the game (to the Hand and Eye Society and Arts Council of Canada) and to allow us to promote your game images on social media and promotional materials.For transparency, you can view the jammer’s default contract here.
What if I don’t finish my game?
While we can’t get you to finish the game, we do ask you to make something playable. Sometimes we have a lot of plans when we are doing something and some cannot be completed in time. We’d love to help you in every way throughout the program, giving you everything you need to finish the game, even if it’s not “finished.” The plan is as important as the product. So don’t worry about getting something “done” done, do something cool!
Can I apply if I am not a Canadian citizen?
yes! We only require that you currently reside in Canada as the program is supported by the Arts Council of Canada.
Adam Robinson – Yu
website
Adam is an independent game developer from Toronto. He has a computer science background and has participated in many game jams including TOJam, Global Game Jam and Ludum Dare. He helped create Pitfall Planet in 2016 and released A Short Hike in 2019. He has extensive experience with the Unity game engine and is familiar with 3D modeling in Blender. He’s excited to support other developers in Super Jam!
Benjamin Langerach
I have been making games and various interactive applications in Unity3D for nearly a decade and have extensive experience in mobile, VR and AR. Currently, I work as a UX software engineer on one of Unity’s SDK teams. I’ve always been a huge fan of Game Jam, and I can’t wait to see what kind of games the process produces!
Alexander Martin (he/he), droqen (none)
website
Writes about games at letterclub.games; founded Paradise and passionately watched it become @paradise_collab; is currently designing a game @messhof as a true game designer; and has been a possible number since 199X Independent maker of hundreds of games.
We are still looking for art tutors, both 2D and 3D art. If you know anyone who might qualify, please email [email protected]!
We thank the Arts Council of Canada for its support.
