Not Your Typical Designer
While most companies in the game industry are looking for someone with a single specialized focus, I can offer more. I am a designer who was "formally" a artist. I have been referred to as the “double threat” by programmers for good reason. Having these multiple skill sets helps me create better art and functionality for the player. I was responsible for all aspects of the proton pack (see my Ghostbusters page) which resulted in having only one person for the entire conception and execution of it instead of 4 different people in different positions having to coordinate. If something needed to change, it didn’t have that rippling over flow that can affect others. This same skill also makes me a perfect candidate to help programmers create tools and prototyping of new technologies, for example I was the primary artist and designer on both our current effects system and node based material shader system. I understand what needs to be done, and because the information doesn’t have to get relayed around, I can get art assets in for testing in no time.
I love design as much as art and effects. I am an asset to any company because I can stay focused and productive throughout all stages of development. I have a deep understanding of processes, which allows me to work better in delivering what the team may need. Because we all know, at the end of any project, when time is of the utmost importance, there is no one you would you want more than a specialist who can wear multiple hats and get the job done.
I love design as much as art and effects. I am an asset to any company because I can stay focused and productive throughout all stages of development. I have a deep understanding of processes, which allows me to work better in delivering what the team may need. Because we all know, at the end of any project, when time is of the utmost importance, there is no one you would you want more than a specialist who can wear multiple hats and get the job done.
Skills
Design
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Other
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Programs
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Who Am I?
I started in the game industry over ten years ago when I graduating with highest honors from the Art Institute of Phoenix with a Bachelor's Degree of Game Art and Design. It didn’t take me long to go from free lance contract to getting hired at a studio. Though I was hired for the BloodRayne team, I quickly found myself helping to finish the last few month of what became my first game Blowout. The company had a shortage of artist at the time and I was tasked to work on creating the games weapons from concept to modeling them. I guess it was because I made them that I also found myself helping our effect programmer in making the effects for them as well.
Eventually things settled down and I was doing environmental art, but still always helped with effects. Often due to the turnaround time needed on the projects I was put on, I kind of became the company’s unofficial weapons guy, since I could do everything related to them and only really needed a programmer to code them up. This was most prevalent with my work on Ghostbusters when I got to design all aspects of the proton pack including the on pack UI. Throughout the first year of production I was heavily involved in the design and combat of Ghostbusters which helped to shape the game into what it became. Before a deadline, I was asked to step up to environmental lead which is when I took over running the environmental department of twelve artists for a majority of that project.
Up till then, I had always found myself doing design as it was asked of me, but with Star Wars, I was asked to be an integral part of the design team. During this time, I trained another effects artist to assist me in handling effects for set dressing, allowing me time to do system effects relating to my corresponding design tasks.
Two projects after Star Wars, I found myself as product owner of one of my design docs from years before which had been picked up for a prototype and publication. Being asked to be the creative vision holder for the game was a huge honor. Strangely, looking back, almost everything I have done in my career has prepared me step up to this position.
Eventually things settled down and I was doing environmental art, but still always helped with effects. Often due to the turnaround time needed on the projects I was put on, I kind of became the company’s unofficial weapons guy, since I could do everything related to them and only really needed a programmer to code them up. This was most prevalent with my work on Ghostbusters when I got to design all aspects of the proton pack including the on pack UI. Throughout the first year of production I was heavily involved in the design and combat of Ghostbusters which helped to shape the game into what it became. Before a deadline, I was asked to step up to environmental lead which is when I took over running the environmental department of twelve artists for a majority of that project.
Up till then, I had always found myself doing design as it was asked of me, but with Star Wars, I was asked to be an integral part of the design team. During this time, I trained another effects artist to assist me in handling effects for set dressing, allowing me time to do system effects relating to my corresponding design tasks.
Two projects after Star Wars, I found myself as product owner of one of my design docs from years before which had been picked up for a prototype and publication. Being asked to be the creative vision holder for the game was a huge honor. Strangely, looking back, almost everything I have done in my career has prepared me step up to this position.