icould - Careers Advice, Choices & Ideas

18 year old A-level students, Bethan Mure, from Mansfield, and George Hyde from Bath, were chosen as the lucky winners of a unique competition to spend a day at Jagex Games Studio, with the creators of Runescape, the world the world’s most popular free massively multiplayer online game.

icould, in partnership with computer games giants, Jagex, ran the competition to find young talent in the area of musical composition and graphic design. The quest was to develop a concept piece of artwork, such as a new character, or a short piece of music which would fit behind a game such as Runescape.

Keen artist Bethan Mure won the artwork category thanks to her mum spotting the competition on icould.com, “I entered because there’s nothing I like more than drawing (especially drawing with prizes) and then that sort of, “Well, why not!” feeling that kicks in. I was totally shocked to find out that I’d won!”

George spotted the competition and thought he might put his musical talents to the test. “I was reading the icould website for information on possible future careers when I saw the music composition category in the competition. I had some music that seemed to fit the description so I decided to submit it! I’ve enjoyed playing Runsecape in the past, so I was doubly thrilled to find out that I was a winner and that I’d actually get to spend a day with the creator of the game!”

What the Jagex judges said:

“George’s composition was very impressive, showing varied styles, mature use of instrumentation, and great emotion. He really impressed everyone in the audio team and we enjoyed giving him a peak into our world here at Jagex! Listen to George’s entry

“Bethan’s entry was really strong and we could tell that she has a keen interest in concept art. She has real potential in this area and it was a pleasure to spend a day with her. She has the enthusiasm and energy that’s needed to work in the games industry!”

Laura Watton, Graphic Artist, Jagex Games Studio

There are lots of opportunities for a career in the games industry and we hope that Bethan and George will continue to pursue their interest in this sector. If you want to know more take a look at some of the articles here on icould.com.