Hi, I'm a professional video editor. I also write and direct my own shorter projects, but my main resume is all video editing.

I am looking to transition into the game industry, and was wondering if anyone has any advice for what kind of jobs (entry level or long term) could make use of my existing skillset?

I don't have a specific game industry specialization in mind, as my priority is try to leverage my existing work and resume into an asset that could help set me apart when applying for a job. I'm very interested in companies that emphasize storytelling in games.

I have come across newer jobs like CInematics Designer or Narrative Designer, but these sound like far from entry level positions. 

When looking at entry level jobs, this is what I've come up with so far -

-I know a little C/C++, but I am not a coder. Just not my specialty.

- I am not an artist.

- Level design sounds interesting, as  I realize in story based games, a level can be a form of storytelling. However, I have read companies tend to hire level designers with an art or architecture background, so I'm not sure my skillset helps me here either. (I haven't made a map for a game since the first DooM!)

I can fully accept that my existing skillset might not translate into a job! I definitely have had a tough time finding a clear answer for myself. However, I figured perhaps someone more well versed in the current industry could lend some more insight into a specialization that might be a good fit for me? I'm also investigating learning Unity so I can create some work samples, once I have a better idea of what I want to focus on. 

The full backstory is that I'm someone who grew up wanting to make games, but was more interested in storytelling than coding or art. I chose my career back in the early 2000s, and today it looks like there are more story-centric games, and more specialized storytelling roles as AAA games get bigger. 

Most of my screenplays are inspired by games, and I've even been told some of my ideas would work better as a game, so I'm basically investigating if I might end up being happier working in the medium I was first passionate about. 

Thanks for reading

Hi Tom,

Thank you for the response and the link! What you wrote seems to confirm that my existing career won’t help me much, as my writing/directing work is more indie/experimental, and (as you noted) traditional video editing just doesn’t seem to translate to any design related role (beyond promos).

So in other words, I should expect to start over, career wise, and not expect my current resume to matter too much (beyond showing I am older!)

It’s still helpful to get that confirmation from you, as from reading your site, you seem to have a lot of industry experience. 

My current plan is still to start learning Unity - potentially in a night class environment where you work in assigned teams - as a way to get a feel for what my strengths could be. Regardless of a career shift, I am very interested in making small story based games in Unity, just as a creative outlet.

Thanks for your feedback!
Re audio - yeah, from what I gather, it seems companies often will have a very low number of dedicated staff handling audio design, so hiring is very competitive and the roles go to people already in the industry.

Re marketing/PR/AV Specialist - I'd be interested in those as entry ways, if it meant a way in to making contacts, but ultimately I'm interested in roles where I am part of the storytelling process of the game itself. As an editor, I'm making choices about how I'm telling the director or producer's story.

I still do wonder about level design, since - like editing - you're taking a number of assets and structuring them together into one cohesive whole. Putting together a level feels somewhat similar to putting together a scene in a film. But, as mentioned, it seems like it still boils down to an 'art' role, where you're still creating some form of 3D art,  so it would most likely be a difficult uphill learning curve for me, as I have no art background. And if I did create some work samples, my existing resume wouldn't help me most likely.