WORK EXP

Professional Projects

Here are the 10 professional projects I have worked on thus far.

I wanted to talk about my experience on these projects because often the human element of looking at someone's work is lost in LinkedIns and resumes.

This list is ordered from latest project to oldest.

Infinifactory (2015)

Engine Used: Unity

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Zbrush
• Topogun
• Headus UV Editor
• Graphics Gale (Sprite Editing)

Project Roles:

• Model (Props, Environments, Minor Characters)
• Unwrap
• Texture
• Simple Rigging
• Skinning
• Simple Animation (Props and Minor Characters)
• Cinematic Animator (Simple Animations of Props and Characters)
• Character Animation Manager (Helped Integrate/Organize Animation Pipeline)
• Animation Contractor Manager
• Outsourcer Feedback

This is my current project!

I came on this project somewhere in the middle of the production, and a lot of 3D work had been completed by the time I jumped on, but I was excited to help get this game out of the door for Early Access!

My main strength in this project was my knowledge of 3D as a generalist, and I handled such tasks as making new art, cleaning outsourced assets, making simple rigs and animations, getting character animations integrated, optimizing the modeling pipeline, and providing feedback and guidance to our off-site artists.

What I learned: Indie games are fun and super fun to work on!

Dino Hunter (2014)

Engine Used: Unity

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Zbrush
• Topogun
• Headus UV Editor

Project Roles: 

• Model (Weapons and Animals)
• Unwrap
• Texture
• Outsourcer Feedback

I made a lot of cool guns from concept for this project and learned a shitload about making detailed and organized texture structures. I also got to work directly with a bunch of great artists in a variety of positions (modelers, UI artists, concept artists, art leads, outsourcers).

Even dinosaurs like Santa hats.

What I learned: More about hard-surface modeling, a ton about all types of guns, and that research is super fun. (Did you know that penguins are super friendly?)

Big Dig

Engine Used: Unity

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Vertex Chameleon
• Graphics Gale (Sprite Editing)

Project Roles: 

• Art Directing
• Concept Artist
• Modeling (Everything from Characters to Environments to Props, Weapons, ect).
• Unwrap
• Texturing
• Simple Rigging
• Skinning
• Simple Animation
• Backgrounds
• UI

This is one of my favorite projects because I was given full artistic freedom to concept, model, texture and animate the characters and backdrops for my first independent game.

I learned a lot about modularity for characters and texture swaps, about effects and how to trick transparent materials into doing what you want, how to create simple skeletons, how to model simple characters, and lots of other stuff.

Though this project was de-funded and did not make it to release, I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge in every aspect of game creation and how to work on a small team.

I'm not UI artist, but it was very interesting to make a mockup for this game.

What I learned: Production and scheduling is a vital part of projection completion. Being your own boss is fun and empowering.

Enchant U (2012)

Engine Used: Unity

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Vertex Chameleon

Project Roles:

• Concept
• Modeling (Environments and Props)
• Unwrapping
• Texturing
• Lighting/Lightmapping
• Mentoring Interns

I learned so many tricks and ideas and generated so many of the processes I use today during this short project. This was the first time I was able to work on 3D backgrounds from the ground up. This was also my first time being a mentor and I honed my skills of pimped out PDF tutorial generation.

It was my second time working in Unity and it was here I learned how to use lightmaps, quickly generate props without concept, avoid errors with Unity’s meta file-system, and work efficiently.

Sexy lady in the background: Check.

What I learned: Doing backgrounds and environment work is cool. Documentation of new processes is essential for sharing knowledge.

Tavern Quest (2012)

Engine Used: Unity

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Vertex Chameleon

Project Roles:

• Concept
• Modeling (Props and Tiles)
• Unwrapping
• Texturing

This was my first Unity project, which I worked on back in 2012.

This was a fun project that I had a specific style that was right up my art alley.

I was given a rough idea of what to do for the prop (given a name, like “Ghastly Pale Ale”) and went from there to completion, often doing a quick and dirty sketch, quick model, a block out of colors with Vertex Chameleon and color bake.

I really stretched the powers of what can be done with vertex color and generated a lot of cool workflow ideas in the process. .

Vertex colors can go a looong way to cartoony styles or to preview base textures.

What I learned: A little autonomy is very fun.

“Battleboats” (Cancelled, 2012)

Engine Used: Proprietary

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop
• Vertex Chameleon

Project Roles:

• Modeling (Environment Tiles and Props)
• Unwrap
• Texturing
• Outsourced Art Cleanup

Cancelled project. :(

We don’t talk about this project. No, we don’t.

This cancelled project involved a lot of tilesets. A. LOT. Also, this was the first time I worked with outsourcers and learned the horrors and joys of outsourced art.

What I learned: This was my first cancelled project, and though it sucked that it was cancelled, I learned a lot about tilesets and the power of Vertex Color!

Sesame Street: Elmo’s Musical Masterpiece (2012)

Engine Used: Proprietary

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop

Project Roles:

• Modeling (Environment and Props)
• Unwrap
• Texturing
• Lighting/Lightmapping

This was my first Wii game.

On this project I did a lot of editing of a background environment’s wall and floor tile set and made a few props. This is where I first learned how to work with things like tiling textures and how to integrate custom props and geometry into tiled areas. I also learned about lightmapping in Maya on this project.

Another thing I learned was to look for existing art in the game and study and use it in my levels where needed. Hubris often makes us want to have utter and complete ownership of something we’ve made; but often times you can dig into existing art assets and use them to efficiently pad your scene. 

Don’t be afraid to share, artists!

Assets should be appropriated where necessary. Organ and armor done by another artist and integrated into scene.

What I learned: Appropriate art from project where necessary!

Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns! (2011)

Engine Used: Proprietary

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop

Project Roles:

• Modeling (Props)
• Unwrap
• Texturing

I was on this project for a single week and made three small props.

I think their total poly count combined was probably under 300 polys.

Side note: Making a 30 tri teddy bear is really hard. (Mostly because it was actually supposed to be 30 polys).

30-tri Teddy bear was lost in time.

What I learned: DS games use crushingly small art assets, texture and poly-wise, and one should always elucidate their tri/poly count with their art lead. :)

uDraw Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat (2011)

Engine Used: Proprietary

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop

Project Roles:

• Modeling (Hero Props)
• Unwrap
• Texturing
• Simple Prop Animations
• Simple FX Animations

Working on this project was great because I was allowed to make a lot of cool small props that animated in simple ways. I also got to work for the first time with a lot of new people which was exciting because I’d never been on such a large team before.

This was also the first time I was able to work with a professional-grade Art Design document, and since then I’ve found ADDs to be super useful and important. From shape theory, to color scripts, a good ADD can rock your world.

What I learned: Animations are dope. Art Design Documents are cool. UV animation is double cool.

Marvel Super Hero Squad: Infinity Gauntlet 3DS (2010)

Engine Used: Proprietary

Software Used: 

• Maya
• Photoshop

Project Roles:

• Modeling (Props)
• Unwrap
• Texturing

This was my very first professional game project.

It was super exciting to finally work on a Nintendo project after having spent 5 years working at Nintendo. (I actually was still working at Nintendo on the phones while working on this project, which was weird and interesting. Took a couple of calls that had to do with the games I made at Griptonite on the phones at Nintendo.)

I tried to hit the ground running and it was a neat experience to work in stereoscopic 3D for the first time.

Gotta admit--had a lot of fun making these.

What I learned: It was an introduction to speed, vertex colors, low poly art, UV animation, and vetting objects to the screen size. Always take screenshots of your work.