Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How do you go from an accidental click on a grad school application to leading the Visual Effects team on major Triple-A titles like Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands?
In this episode, we sit down with Ashley Lyons, VFX Lead at Gearbox Software and instructor for our upcoming Advanced Shader class. Ashley pulls back the curtain on the realities of the modern game industry job hunt, how he overcame a massive software gap (learning Unreal Engine from scratch), and why your soft skills can make or break your career.
If you are a student, junior artist, or indie dev trying to break into the video game industry, this interview is packed with actionable strategies for your portfolio, interviews, and networking.
🎨 Learn from Ashley Lyons: Check out our upcoming Advanced Shader class here: vfxapprentice.com/advanced-shader-workshop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social
Key Takeaways from This Video:
- Skills get you the interview; personality gets you the job. Studios would rather work with an authentic, collaborative junior than a "rock star" talent.
- Embrace your awkwardness. Authenticity builds trust. Game developers spend hours in front of screens - being your genuine self is better than trying too hard.
- Control your input. You cannot control the job market, but you can control how many hours you put into mastering tools like Unreal Engine or Unity.
- Treat the job hunt like a job. Consistency and persistence eventually override the sting of rejection.
0:00 - Introduction: The Game Dev Puzzle
0:37 - The Accidental VFX Artist: From Sculpture to 3D
2:56 - Film vs. Real-Time Games: Why Feedback Loops Matter
5:08 - The Reality of the Job Hunt & Dealing with Rejection
7:50 - Overcoming the Software Gap (Learning Unreal Engine)
9:37 - What Managers Actually Look For: Rock Stars vs. Team Players
12:45 - The Art of the First Impression & Advice for Neurodivergent Creators
16:36 - Collaboration Over Competition in Triple-A Studios
19:29 - "Looking for a Job is a Job": Final Advice & Networking Tips
🔗 Helpful Links and References:
🔥🌊🎇💥💨💫🎆 Learn to make magic.
VFX Courses
💥 VFX-A All Access - bit.ly/4fHQkG5
🥾 VFX Bootcamps - bit.ly/45mGQuX
💸 Free VFX Training - bit.ly/4m5bro1
Follow VFX Apprentice:
Twitter (X) - bit.ly/39bes5R
LinkedIn - bit.ly/3xkib9i
TikTok - bit.ly/46Ihj1J
Bluesky - bit.ly/455sUXs
How do you go from an accidental click on a grad school application to leading the Visual Effects team on major Triple-A titles like Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands?
In this episode, we sit down with Ashley Lyons, VFX Lead at Gearbox Software and instructor for our upcoming Advanced Shader class. Ashley pulls back the curtain on the realities of the modern game industry job hunt, how he overcame a massive software gap (learning Unreal Engine from scratch), and why your soft skills can make or break your career.
If you are a student, junior artist, or indie dev trying to break into the video game industry, this interview is packed with actionable strategies for your portfolio, interviews, and networking.
🎨 Learn from Ashley Lyons: Check out our upcoming Advanced Shader class here: vfxapprentice.com/advanced-shader-workshop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social
Key Takeaways from This Video:
- Skills get you the interview; personality gets you the job. Studios would rather work with an authentic, collaborative junior than a "rock star" talent.
- Embrace your awkwardness. Authenticity builds trust. Game developers spend hours in front of screens - being your genuine self is better than trying too hard.
- Control your input. You cannot control the job market, but you can control how many hours you put into mastering tools like Unreal Engine or Unity.
- Treat the job hunt like a job. Consistency and persistence eventually override the sting of rejection.
0:00 - Introduction: The Game Dev Puzzle
0:37 - The Accidental VFX Artist: From Sculpture to 3D
2:56 - Film vs. Real-Time Games: Why Feedback Loops Matter
5:08 - The Reality of the Job Hunt & Dealing with Rejection
7:50 - Overcoming the Software Gap (Learning Unreal Engine)
9:37 - What Managers Actually Look For: Rock Stars vs. Team Players
12:45 - The Art of the First Impression & Advice for Neurodivergent Creators
16:36 - Collaboration Over Competition in Triple-A Studios
19:29 - "Looking for a Job is a Job": Final Advice & Networking Tips
🔗 Helpful Links and References:
🔥🌊🎇💥💨💫🎆 Learn to make magic.
VFX Courses
💥 VFX-A All Access - bit.ly/4fHQkG5
🥾 VFX Bootcamps - bit.ly/45mGQuX
💸 Free VFX Training - bit.ly/4m5bro1
Follow VFX Apprentice:
Twitter (X) - bit.ly/39bes5R
LinkedIn - bit.ly/3xkib9i
TikTok - bit.ly/46Ihj1J
Bluesky - bit.ly/455sUXs
