Combines exceptional management skills with a deep knowledge
of advanced graphic technologies

Dedicated professional with ten+ years game industry experience and five shipped titles. Outstanding knowledge of the entire production process and an ability to communicate clearly and effectively with programmers, designers, marketers and corporate executives. Proven track record of facilitating solutions to challenging production problems and creating processes/tools that increase efficiency and productivity.
Strengths include:
 

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Art Programs

3ds Max, Illusion, Photoshop, Premiere, Character Studio, After Effects, Illustrator,
CorelDRAW!, InDesign, PageMaker, MultiGen, Rhino 3D, Paint Shop Pro

Tools and Technologies

MaxScript, VB.NET, C#, JavaScript, Photoshop Scripting, Perforce,
Tools for Gamebryo 3D engine, MS Project

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Independent video game developer & publisher

    LEAD TECHNICAL ARTIST

Recruited to establish the first technical artist position within the company. Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

    Productivity/Efficiency Enhancements

• Created a streamlined art pipeline for three different projects using MaxScript, JavaScript, VB.NET, and C#. Tools included stand alone editors, Photoshop processing scripts and processing, material, and geometry scripts in 3ds Max.
• Organized the collection and distribution of internal and third party art tools by creating art package installers that contained all of the necessary software. 
• Worked with the 3D engine programmers to design a DX9 based vertex/pixel shader system. Created scripted materials in 3ds max that exposed the shader features to the artists in a familiar way.
• Worked with the 3D engine programmers on the implementation of a real-time particle effect system. Created custom geometry classes in 3ds max to facilitate the creation and addition of particle systems to game art assets.
• Participated in the beta program for 3ds Max 8, representing Mythic’s needs and ensuring the software worked within Mythic’s established pipeline.

    Team Leadership and Management

• Interviewed, vetted, and recommended art outsourcing companies that fit Mythic’s criteria. Worked with the outsourcing companies to develop in house and remote art pipeline and tracking procedures.
• Acted as the outsourcing producer for the Imperator project.

   Data Security Enhancements

• Specified and proposed a cost effective system for the storage and tracking of all digital assets within the company. Worked directly with the software vendor (Autodesk) towards the goal of implementing the tracking system at Mythic.

Independent video game developer

    ART DIRECTOR

Recruited as member of original management team for start-up developer. Established art department and provided leadership to artists while coordinating with programmers and designers to maintain project schedules. Representative accomplishments include:

    Team Leadership and Management

• Hired exceptional art team which produced outstanding work on two prototypes for Sony Online Entertainment – a car combat game and a fantasy RPG title.
• Established the art department’s processes and technologies, including designing tools and overseeing their development; determining software to be used, and creating in-house process and procedure.

    Productivity/Efficiency Enhancements

• Developed inexpensive solution to the problem of tracking art assets. Created scripts that integrated 3DS Max with Perforce (which we already owned).  System saved approx $10,000 in initial costs, in addition to ongoing maintenance savings.
• Created numerous tools that saved time and increased productivity – including a graphical front-end which transformed a complex command line DOS utility into a user-friendly, “push-button” tool.

    Artistic/Design Contributions

• Developed style guides, championed vision and led creation of all art assets for two massively multi-player online games for Sony.
• Hands-on art and design work, including building 3D levels for Driving Force, environment art for Soul Forge and special effects for both titles.
• Managed creation of 2D and 3D art assets for Sony’s massively multi-player online game, Planetside.

World’s leading developer and publisher of video games

    TECHNICAL ART DIRECTOR (1999 – 2001)
    ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR (1995 – 1999)

Hired to assist Art Director, but quickly assumed responsibility for technical aspects of game art to help manager who lacked this knowledge. Promoted to leadership role in 1999. Managed art asset and data formatting for eight SKUs.

    Technical Challenges Overcome

• Transitioned art assets to 3rd party engine, determining where 3rd party plug-ins were needed and then working with programmers on additional in-house tool development.
• Resolved complex technical issue of how to use actual Vietnam radar survey data – an area of approximately 1,000 square miles – to create a completely realistic game environment for Air Warrior: Vietnam.

    Artistic Achievements

• Improved quality and detail of art work by persuading artists to increase polygon count. Educated them about the capabilities of new game engine.
• Worked with programmers to create the tools and technical specifications for the company’s first animations for Multiplayer Battletech.  IGNPC.com said “the mechs are very well detailed, well textured models that exhibit fluid movements and well articulated joints.”
• Designed pre-game interface for Air Warrior III: Millennium Version and edited opening video sequence for Air Warrior II and III.
• Designed and implemented art specifications for models and texture mapping for three games.

PUBLICATIONS

“Implements of Construction – Video for Games,” Interactivity, May 1998

“Mastering 3D Studio – Modeling, Rendering and Animation” MA: PWS Publishing Company, 1996

EDUCATION

BS, Technical Graphics Technology, 1995
AA, Technical Graphics Technology, 1990
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

REFERENCES AND LETTERS OF RECOMENDATION

Letter of Recomendation #1
Microsoft Word | Adobe Acrobat

Letter of Recomendation #2
Microsoft Word | Adobe Acrobat

Letter of Recomendation #3
Microsoft Word | Adobe Acrobat

References upon request.

DOWNLOADABLE VERSION OF RESUME

Microsoft Word | Adobe Acrobat