Chapter 2: Writing Callouts & Case Notes that Show Thinking

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Writing Callouts & Case Notes That Show Thinking — Portfolio, Careers & Ethics (Character Concept)

Introduction: From Pretty Pictures to Operational Proof

Good callouts and case notes turn art into operational proof. They explain intent, constraints, and the reasoning behind choices so that reviewers, recruiters, and downstream teammates can trust the work. For character concept artists on the concepting side, callouts reveal how you explore options, test hypotheses, and converge. For production‑side artists, they de‑risk handoff by documenting measurements, material logic, articulation ranges, and implementation notes. In hiring and contracting, clear writing communicates professionalism; it becomes the difference between “nice visuals” and “this person ships.”

What Reviewers Actually Read For

Reviewers do not scan for adjectives; they scan for decisions. They look for constraints honored, trade‑offs made, and evidence that the design fits a shipped game’s voice. They also look for production literacy: scale discipline, rigging awareness, shader plausibility, and UI/VFX interfaces. Your captions, callouts, and case notes should answer four silent questions fast: What problem did you solve? Which constraints governed the solution? What alternatives were considered and why were they cut? How will this flow downstream without friction?

The Anatomy of a Callout

A strong callout pairs a micro diagram with a terse, decision‑forward sentence. Lead with function (“Gauntlet hinge clears 35° elbow flex; chamfer protects cloth”), then cite the constraint (“based on shipped rig X shoulder range”), and finish with an implication (“allows reload pose without collision fixes”). Keep one idea per arrow. If you need to describe multiple states (closed, mid, open), duplicate the diagram at small scale rather than stacking paragraphs. Use numbers generously—angles, clearances, lengths, radius values—so the modeler and rigger can verify intent.

Tone and Language: Verbs Over Vibes

Write in verbs, not vibes. Replace “aggressive, heroic gauntlet” with “triangular knuckle guards extend base width for tank read; edges softened to 2 mm to avoid specular chatter.” Avoid tool‑worship (“ZBrush pass, Substance magic”) and subjective filler (“cool, gritty, badass”). Prefer constraint‑decision pairs: “Palette limited to two values beyond skin for distance readability,” “Emissive area capped at 6% of body surface to control bloom,” “Cape length trimmed to mid‑calf to reduce stair‑climb collisions.” This tone reads as production‑mature and recruiter‑friendly.

Hierarchy and Legibility: Designing the Page

Callouts are graphic design. Maintain consistent arrow styles, label sizes, and margin gutters. Cluster related notes around sub‑assemblies—headgear, torso, hands—so the eye can scan in sections. Use a simple numbering system and a legend if counts exceed eight. Keep backgrounds neutral and values parked so text remains readable at 50% zoom on mobile. A clean page communicates that your handoff will scale inside a larger documentation ecosystem.

Measurements, Units, and Scale Discipline

State your scale of record and stick to a unit system. If the mannequin is 180 cm tall, label that once and annotate key spans: shoulder width, hip stack distance, hand length, boot height, cape drop. When giving tolerances, prefer ranges (“2–3 mm chamfer,” “15–20 mm seam allowance”) to single numbers unless a strict fit is required. Note attachment bolt spacing, tether lengths, or strap laybacks if they affect rig or simulation. Scale discipline is a trust multiplier in both portfolios and contracts.

Materials, Trims, and Shader Intent

Call out materials as systems, not colors. Specify base material (anodized aluminum, soft‑shell knit, oil‑tanned leather), micro‑detail (brushed vs. cast), and roughness/specular intent. If your studio uses trim sheets, identify trim IDs and profile widths; if not, specify repeat logic (“herringbone at 1.5×”.) Include a small material‑ID view that flattens the piece into metal, polymer, cloth, leather, skin, and emissive categories. Mention shader features you rely on and confirm they exist in the target engine; if they do not, propose alternatives.

Rigging, Cloth, and Collision Notes

If it moves, explain how. Mark joint centers, rotation ranges, and clearance gaps. Show cape weights, panel splits, and seam paths that fence cloth simulation. For belts, holsters, and harnesses, illustrate attach/detach choreography and rest states. Indicate areas where deformation will crush decals and propose placements that avoid them. On footwear, show tread depth and toe spring for believable motion. These notes prevent expensive rework and become portfolio signals that you design with pipelines in mind.

Gameplay Reads and UI/VFX Interfaces

Encode role language in your writing. Clarify how silhouette, base width, and landmark accents telegraph class at camera distance. Identify VFX origin points, emissive clusters, and icon logic that UI will reuse. If abilities have cooldowns, show stateful geometry that animates (vents open, reservoirs drain) rather than arbitrary glows. A sentence like “Ribs stay dark to avoid hit‑flash conflict; heals emit from forearm vents at ribcage height for readability” tells reviewers you collaborate across departments.

Accessibility and Internationalization

Proactively address accessibility. Call out palette separations verified under deuteranopia/protanopia simulators. Mention font pairing or icon simplification if you provide UI badges. If patterns risk moiré, state the chosen scale and why. For international releases, annotate alternatives for sensitive motifs (skulls, religious symbols) and show how identity survives decal swaps. Ethical foresight here elevates your candidacy and avoids awkward contract clauses later.

Cultural Research and Respectful Referencing

When drawing from real cultures, cite your research responsibly in case notes: sources, interviews (if any), and the principle guiding adaptation. Replace “inspired by X culture” with specifics: “Waist wrap construction follows double‑panel samfu logic; motif is abstracted geometric, not sacred symbol.” Demonstrate what you didn’t do and why. This transparency protects you and shows recruiters you can ship globally without trope risk.

Sourcing, Photobash Ethics, and IP Hygiene

Document reference practices succinctly. If you photobashed exploration, note that sources were legal and transformative and that final paint is original. Never include studio‑internal references from prior jobs. For fan remasters or spec pieces, add a clear disclaimer: “Unofficial; created for portfolio study.” Recruiters notice IP hygiene; it correlates with contract safety and NDA compliance.

Risks, Assumptions, and Open Questions

Strong case notes include a small risk register. List assumptions you made where the brief was ambiguous and propose mitigations. Examples: “Risk: antenna occludes shoulder arc at 70°. Mitigation: shorten 10 mm or convert to flexible whip.” “Assumption: hair system supports grooms up to 80k strands; if not, fallback uses card strips indicated in blue.” Owning risks signals leadership.

Versioning, File Names, and Source of Truth

Portfolios rarely show file trees, but recruiters will infer your hygiene from your writing. Mention version control in a footer: “Source of truth: /characters/medic_v04/; orthos at consistent 2100 px height; units: cm.” When contracting, match naming conventions to the client’s scheme and include short READMEs that restate scale, units, and export settings. It takes one line to prove you are integration‑ready.

Before/After: Turning Fluff into Evidence

Weak: “Detailed utility belt inspired by paramedics; lots of cool pouches.” Strong: “Belt reorganized to left‑dominant workflow; med‑injector holster clears thigh at walk cycle; pouch count reduced from 7→3 to reduce micro‑noise; buckle centered to avoid stomach deformation at crunch; strap layback 12° to keep silhouette clean in 3/4 camera.” The second example names function, constraint, and outcome. Apply this transformation throughout your portfolio.

Structuring Case Notes for Portfolio Pieces

Treat case notes as mini postmortems. Start with a one‑sentence problem statement and constraint set (“Stylized sci‑fi healer readable at 15 m; emissive budget 6%; cape mid‑calf”). Present three options you tried and why two were cut. Document the final’s production viability with orthos and materials. Close with quantified outcomes (“class read improved under 128 px crop; cape collisions reduced per animation minute”). This rhythm shows principled decision‑making and helps during panel interviews when you are asked to explain trade‑offs.

Communicating Scope and Boundaries in Outreach

When you send a portfolio link or respond to a test, mirror the callout style in your email: concise constraints and decisions. Offer a scope statement that uses the same nouns your pages use—exploration sheets, orthos, material IDs, attach/detach states. If negotiating a contract, describe deliverables in these terms and tie acceptance criteria to them. This keeps conversations concrete and avoids scope creep.

Contracts and Documentation: Writing That Protects You

Your writing becomes part of your professional record. In contracts, align deliverable language with your case‑note vocabulary and define what “done” means: number of exploration pages, which orthos, what level of annotation. Specify review gates and feedback rounds. Include confidentiality clauses that still allow portfolio use after ship or after a defined embargo, with de‑identified process where necessary. Ethical credits belong in your portfolio captions; match them to contract permissions.

Common Failure Modes and How to Avoid Them

Common pitfalls include adjective‑heavy labels, unlabeled scale, missing articulation notes, callouts that argue taste instead of function, and case notes that read like diary entries. Avoid them by checking: does every callout name a function and a constraint? Are units consistent? Do pages read on mobile? Are sensitive motifs justified and alternatives offered? Is IP provenance clean? A final pass for tone—verbs, numbers, decisions—catches most issues.

Building a Reusable Callout System

Create a personal template for arrows, labels, and legends. Standardize type sizes and margins. Keep a library of phrasing snippets for frequent patterns: “base width,” “negative space,” “articulation clearance,” “emissive cluster,” “seam logic,” “trim profile.” Reuse this system across pieces so your portfolio feels cohesive and your clients immediately recognize structure. Consistency shortens reviews and strengthens brand.

Closing: Show How You Think, So Others Can Ship

Great callouts and case notes are acts of service. They respect the reviewer’s time, empower downstream teams, and demonstrate that you design with constraints, ethics, and outcomes in mind. Write like a teammate who ships: lead with function, cite constraints, quantify when possible, and keep the page navigable. When your writing shows your thinking, your portfolio stops being a gallery and becomes a hiring decision waiting to happen.