Stefan Babadjanov – Student in the Game Dev Program
Stefan Babadjanov is 20 years old, born and raised in Lovech, Bulgaria. He comes from a family of artists and has been surrounded by creativity all his life, so it is no surprise that he has chosen the path of art. He is a big fan of anime and manga, and his hobby is translating subtitles or manga pages. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) lately he doesn’t have much time for this hobby, because he is busy with the final group project for the graduation. This helps him improve his artistic skills and get closer to his colleagues.
If you want to start your career in the game industry, you can apply for the Game Dev programs of ARC Academy. The deadline is June 30.
How did you end up at ARC Academy?
I was at the end of 12th grade and it was time to decide whether to continue my studies or get a job. I was starting to take painting as a career option, so I decided to apply to an institution that specializes in teaching art. Recently, the game industry in Bulgaria is experiencing a boom and with that in mind, I started looking for a place to enroll. It took several months, but in the end, I came across a brochure that advertised a career exhibition in Sofia, attended by various educational institutions. Accordingly, my mother and I bought tickets to Sofia and went. There I met Anthony and Petya from ARC Academy. They told me what they offered their students, and I turned around.
What do you like most about the training so far?
What I like most is that I managed to meet so many amazing people, my colleagues, and lecturers.
What inspires you to create?
The biggest motivation at the moment comes from my colleagues, with whom we are currently completing our graduation project. They are a great source of inspiration and I am glad that I can count on them to help me improve my skills.
What do you think is the most important quality an artist should have?
Be constant and be like a sponge. A big part of the creation process is the desire to challenge yourself, but also to absorb the knowledge of those around you. You learn something useful every day.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced so far in your training?
In the beginning, I had a big problem with demotivation. Anyone who wasn’t me was better than me. This way of thinking stumbled upon me a lot at the beginning of my education, but I was very lucky to come across colleagues who helped me improve. A feature of my group that I would not replace for anything is that we are there for each other.
What advice would you give to someone wondering if they should enroll in ARC?
After all, this is quite a big investment. But I advise you, if you have the chance, to contact some of the alumni students to get a better perspective about the Academy. This short interview is a small part of what is happening at ARC.
