We’ve got back to back opportunities for the month of May!

Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts we are happy to announce the Super Jam. Open to any artist across Canada, the Super Jam is a collaborative jam between a game artist and an artist of another discipline. The Super Jam is open to any Canadian artist to apply!

Submission Deadline June 3 11:59PM ET

Selected artists will receive a $2000 honorarium for participating in the jam.

 

So what’s the jam like? Artists will be paired together over the course of several months, with the final showcase of the games at Super FESTival on October 15/16 2022. Unless you specify otherwise, Hand Eye Society will pair you with another artist, with a meet-and-greet period to get to know your partner. Over the course of the jam there will be mentors available to help answer questions, offer guidance, and provide playtesting feedback. There will be regular check ins to help folks keep on track, so even if you’ve never made a game before you’ll have support every step of the way! Everything will be run online on Discord so no matter where you are in the country you can take part.

How much of a time commitment is this?

That’s entirely up to you! In the call for artists you can select how much time you have to commit to the jam. We want to make sure that we’re pairing folks up who have similar expectations of their time and commitment. That way we know that pairs will be able to sync their expectations better. While we put no minimum time commitment to this program we want to make sure that at the end of the program your team has made a game.

What can I expect as a jammer?

You’ll be joining us on the Hand Eye Society Discord in a designated channel for the Super Jam where you’ll ask questions, post progress of your work, discuss and brainstorm solutions with other jammers and mentors, co-work, or post memes. There will be regularly scheduled check-ins and playtesting. While you aren’t required to attend every one we encourage it to keep up with what other people are making and get as much feedback for your project as possible. A brief overview of jam expectations is:

• Join the designated channel on the Hand Eye Society Discord
• Work with your jam partner on a self determined schedule independently
• Regularly check in and communicate with Hand Eye Society and mentors needs or concerns so they may be addressed as early as possible
• Attend playtesting and feedback sessions regularly
• Commit to completing the program and create a game

Let us know in the application what type of outcome you’re looking for from the jam be that a portfolio piece, a change in careers, an experiment, and we’ll do our best to match folks with similar desired outcomes for the jam!

What type of artist are you looking for?

We’re interest in artists of any medium joining in for the jam. We are looking for folks who have a strong body of work and folks who can work independently as while you’ll have the support of Hand Eye Staff and mentors, you will be working independently. We’re happy to check in, give support and advice, and problem solve but ultimately you’ll be working under self-imposed deadlines and at your own pace. If you’re confident you can work under these conditions, we’d love for you to apply!

How are you paying me?

To avoid fees, we will pay by cheque and mailing it to you. Payments are split up into 4 installments of $500, one at the end of July, August, and September, and then the final one being withheld until all required metrics are met (build of game, screenshots and description, and a feedback survey completed).

Who owns what?

You do! Hand Eye Society maintains no ownership over whatever it is you create; no rights to sales, merch, or anything you choose to do with your game. All we ask is that you put an acknowledgement of support in the game (to Hand Eye Society and the Canada Council for the Arts), and you allow us to promote images of your game on social media and promotional material. For transparency you can look over the default contract for a jammer here.

What happens if I don’t finish my game?

While we can’t make you finish a game, we do ask that you produce something playable. Sometimes we have a lot of plans when making something, and some of it can’t be finished in time for a deadline. We’re happy to help you in every way that we can throughout the program to get you what you need to finish your game, even if it’s not ‘done’. This program is just as much about the process as it is the product. So worry less about completing something that is ‘finished’ and make something cool!

Can I apply if I’m not a Canadian citizen?

Yes! All we ask is you are currently residing in Canada as this program is supported by the Canadian Council of the Arts.

Meet The Mentors

 

Adam Robinson-Yu
Website

Adam is an indie game developer from Toronto. He has a background in computer science and has participated in many game jams – including TOJam, Global Game Jam, and Ludum Dare. He helped created Pitfall Planet in 2016 and released A Short Hike in 2019. He’s experienced with the Unity game engine and is also familiar with 3D modeling in Blender. He’s excited to support other developers throughout Super Jam!

 

Benjamin Langerak

I’ve been making games and various interactive apps in Unity3D for nearly a decade with experience in mobile, VR, and AR. Currently I work at Unity on one of their SDK teams as a UX software engineer. I’ve always been a huge fan of game jams and I can’t wait to see what kinds of games come out of this process!

Alexander Martin (he/him), droqen (none)

Website

Writes about games at letterclub.games; founded Paradise and watched enthusiastically as it turned into @paradise_collab; currently designing exactly one game @ messhof as a Real Game Designer; and has been an independent maker of probably hundreds of games since 199X.

We are still looking for art mentors, both 2D and 3D art. If you know anyone who might fit the bill, send us an email at info@handeyesociety.com!

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.