Creative Tech Careers: Breaking into Video Games and Animation

Source: https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/blog/2026/02/26/creative-tech-careers-breaking-into-video-games-and-animation-event-recap/ Parent: https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/channels/expand-your-network/

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Harvard’s Creative Tech panel brought together alumni working in video games and animation to share how they launched their careers—and what today’s students can do to break in. With the industries shifting toward AI‑assisted workflows, indie development, and immersive storytelling, the panelists emphasized curiosity, community, and self‑directed skill‑building as the most reliable paths forward.

Featured Panelists:

\ Jonathan Yuan ’22: Producer at Dark Burn Creative

Anna Gong ’23: Background Paint at Paramount Animation

Austin Grossman ’91: Lead Designer at Windup Minds & Author

Grant Hoescht Jackson ’18: Lead Game Designer at Naughty Dog

Carving Out a Path in Animation & Games

“There’s no single path into creative tech—your skills and curiosity will guide you there.” — Jonathan Yuan AB ‘22

Each panelist entered the field from a different angle—arts, computer science, production, tech theater—which underscored that there is no single route into creative tech.

Jonathan highlighted the importance of identifying where your interests and skills intersect. Production, for him, blended creativity with logistics—something he didn’t even know existed as a career until he started exploring internships.

Anna found animation through freelancing during a gap year, later parlaying her experience and architectural training into background painting. She stressed that animation students often need to seek training outside Harvard through online courses and personal projects.

Austin encouraged aspiring game designers to take advantage of free engines like Unity and Unreal. Building small prototypes, attending game jams, and connecting with peers can quickly elevate a portfolio.

Grant explained how communication, problem solving, and clear design thinking mattered just as much as technical skills when he transitioned from CS and music into AAA game design at Naughty Dog.

A Look Inside the Work

Animation: As a 2D background painter, Anna spends 40–60 hours on a single painting for feature‑quality animation. Her work relies on Photoshop, Blender, and a deep understanding of how environments function in story.

“In 2D animation, you may spend 40‑plus hours on a single background. You really have to love it.” — Anna

Game Design: Grant described design roles as ranging from spatial layout to technical scripting, with day‑to‑day work split between hands‑on implementation and cross‑disciplinary problem‑solving.

“Design is creative problem‑solving—half hands‑on scripting, half collaboration.” –Grant

Production: Jonathan explained that producers get a bird’s‑eye view of the creative pipeline—coordinating teams, adjusting schedules, and helping creative visions become reality.

Building a Portfolio That Works

Panelists agreed: portfolios should be intentional, specific, and clearly attributed.

Tips included:

Tailor your portfolio to the studio and role.
Articulate exactly what you contributed to each project.
Use class projects, personal work, and online coursework to fill skill gaps.
Keep building after graduation—professional work often stays NDA locked for years.

Adobe was mentioned as a preferred portfolio platform, which is available to currently enrolled Harvard students and postdocs. Check out MCS’s Portfolio Tools resource page for other recommendations.

AI’s Role—and Why Human Skills Still Matter

“AI speeds up prototyping, but taste and communication matter more than ever.” – Austin

While AI is changing workflows, panelists emphasized that we’re still in early days. While Austin shared that AI speeds up prototyping, Grant noted that he remains cautious about generative AI for writing or art.

The skills that will matter even more in an AI‑augmented landscape:

Taste– the ability to judge and refine creative output
Communication– articulating vision and aligning teams

Networking as Community‑Building

“Networking is really just making friends who love the same things you do.” – Anna

Rather than formal networking, the panelists encouraged students to think of it as forming creative friendships. Most early jobs come through peer connections, informal conversations, and genuine curiosity. “Network horizontally,” Austin advised—your peers are the ones who may bring you into your first opportunity.

Follow-Up Resources

If you are a Harvard College student and would like to further discuss your interest in these fields, please feel free to schedule a career advising meeting with Amy DiGiovine (creative side) or Meaghan Shea (technical side) in Crimson Careers. \ \ The panelists also shared many helpful resources for skill-building, training, and networking in their industries.

Game Industry:

Join a gamejam: https://globalgamejam.org/
Create with Unity’s game development technology: https://unity.com/
Build with Epic Game’s Unreal Engine: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US
Review the YouTube videos on the: https://gamemakerstoolkit.com/
Check out the AI game development tool studios are using: https://www.bezi.com/

Schools/Training Programs:

By Meaghan Shea

Meaghan Shea Assistant Director, Technology, Data Analytics, Life & Physical Sciences & Entrepreneurship

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