Resume -

 

   Video games aren’t just an occupation or a hobby, they’re both a lifestyle and an experience. What I try to do each time I work on one, is bring the collective ideas, imaginations and experiences of everyone working on the title together to produce the best possible and sustained experience possible. It’s a challenge, but anything worth putting your name to is anymore.

   Professionally as a Graphic & Texture Artist, I’ve textured or skinned everything from soldiers of the past, to soldiers of the future, and the worlds they’ve walked, driven, sailed or flown on or with and the boxes some of them are packed in. As a Game Designer, I’ve helped my teams create some of the most entertaining multiplayer experiences found in front of a PC in the last decade, and given the opportunity, I‘ll do it all again.

   My personal background consists of being involved with military organizations, to a hobby culinary aficionado, social media community developer, web designer, and graphic artist for the film, tv and print industries in addition to working in video game development.

   I enjoy Saturday morning cartoons such as Ben10, and Justice League Unlimited, to anime series such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Gundam, Macross, and the “oldies-but-goodies”, the Looney Tunes. I enjoy both American and European Football, and have been known to play a little myself on occasion.

overview

» Intellectual Property Law - Principles and Practice - 6 Months – Univ. of Houston, 2001.

» Marketing Communications – 4 months – Univ. of Toronto, 1998.

» Business Development – 4 months – Univ. of Toronto, 1998.

» Graphic & Web Design Instructor - Toronto Institute of Design, 1997-1998.

» Graphic Design - 2 Years – Mohawk College, 1997.

» McGreggor Secondary – High School Diploma - 1990

experience

• Game Designer / Graphic Art Director / Operations Assistant

Brainstem Games** – Holiday Island, AR [Aug 1 2007 – Sept 29 2008**]

- Oringinal IP *

Duties:

- Design and Develop all visual marketing assets for the company's first title "Obscura Nomen"

- Promotional materials, marketing materials, company clothing, etc

- Represent and act as the main liaison between the art department and studio management

- Inspire those around you to create art content, tools and techniques that are above and beyond their current abilities

- Assist in all areas of game development and enjoy brainstorming content, conceptualizing projects and suggesting solutions for team members

- Manage the recruiting, hiring, mentoring and performance reviews of graphic / texture artists

- Work directly with Art Leads and Designers to iterate on and produce final art assets

- Work with technical artist and engineers to optimize assets for memory and speed considerations

- Effectively problem solves and consistently presents sound solutions to technical issues related to art creation and implementation into the game engine

- Work directly with Art Leads and engineers to iterate on and produce final UI.

- Work closely with the management and other departmental directors to define and ensure the artistic and stylistic goals for the game

- Work directly with Design Team and Management to develop game scope and design documentation

- Assist President with day-to-day operations

- Write technical documentation / legal documentation

- Analyse and recommend solutions for issues regarding company operations

Achievements:

- Wrote the business prospectus for current title for publisher interest

- Wrote all technical / legal documentation for company use

- Wrote the Game Design Doc

** Company closed September 29th, 2008 due to company's inability to secure final developmental and publication funding prior to initial investment fund depletion.

 

 

• Graphic Designer / Internet Specialist

Empower Life International - Dallas, TX. [2005 – 2007]

Duties:

- Analyse new and current web technologies to redesign the company's web presence.

- Analyse current marketing strategies and redevelop new methods to increase both exposure and sales.

Achievements:

- Designed an award winning web presence.

- Worked with the President to re-develop the company's affiliate program and remuneration structures.

- Assisted in the re-development of the company's business practices, and consulted in the securing of new investments.

- Developed a relationship with the company president to oversee complete company operations.

- Provided intermediary legal advice on matters pertaining to Intellectual Property and Investor Relations.

 

 

 

• Executive Online Editor / Director

Thebestcasescenario.com. [2004 – 2005]

Duties:

- As the Executive Online Editor, I was responsible for providing editorial support, oversee the website development and maintenance, analyse trends and web traffic, and develop new marketing strategies to attract and build a larger online community. As this company was designed as a 'Virtual Company', I performed my duties from my in-house office.

Achievements:

- Successfully implemented an article exchange program which added over 30 new information affiliates.

- Redesigned the complete online presence which included an affiliate program and content management / publication system.

- Successfully redesigned and organized the website article system layout and editing tools to allow for better information layout and article publication.

- Successfully increased the traffic flow from 1-3 million visitors each month to between 20 and 40 million worldwide.

 

 

• Corporate Consultant / Art Director

Vibrant Films - Miami, FL. [2003 – 2004]

Duties:

- Design and Develop company brand.

- Design and Develop all company marketing materials.

- Design and Develop the company's web presence, including all the web presence for all company assets.

- Provide market analysis for the company's products, and collaborate on the development of new marketing strategies.

- Provide creative direction assistance in the post-production elements for the company's projects.

- Work with the Vice-President of Marketing and Distribution to re-develop the company's marketing elements, and to build on new client relationships.

Achievements:

- Designed and Developed an international company brand.

- Provided added research that allowed the company to expand its interests into new markets.

- Successfully redesigned the entire company's visual presence to allow it to become more competitive and to attract new investment interest.

- Applied new post-production techniques which allowed one of the company's products to become more marketable.

- Redesigned the DVD menu system to better represent the product to the target demographic.

- Successfully re-oriented contract negotiations to secure a high-profile celebrity spokesperson.

 

 

• Junior Designer / Texture Artist - Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries

FASA Studios [2002]

Duties:

- Assisted the Game Designer in the development of the design process, features, technical design, testing plan and QA schedule.

- Worked with Senior Designer and Department Leads to ensure quality and consistency in overall design and flow of game.

- Assisted in the drafting of the game design document.

- Worked with the Department Leads to implement game features and assisted Senior Designer in the solution to design or production problems.

- Work with design team to develop consistency in textures for both established and new Mech designs.

- Worked with Art Team to ensure visual consistency among game assets including visual style, storyline application, and feature implementation.

- Worked with Senior Designer and Department Leads to analyze problem issues, and assisted in the development of solutions to those issues.

- Worked with design team to assist in design and creation of game UI.

- Worked with Internal and External testing teams to assure consistency in design and application of all visual elements in game

Achievements:

- Successfully completed all original designs based on universe lore, and product was published.

- Successfully completed multiple drafts of the design document, and feature implementation as dictated by the design document.

 

 

• Graphic & Texture Artist - Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight

FASA Studios [2001]

Duties:

- Work with design team to develop consistency in textures for established and new Mech designs

- Design unique textures to represent different Mech classes, including battle damage and unit affiliations.

- Design unit crests for different Mech units and vehicles to represent military associations for these units as dictated by lore.

- Worked with design team to assist in design and creation of game UI.

- Worked with Internal and External testing teams to assure consistency in design and application of all visual elements in game

Achievements:

- Successfully completed all original designs based on universe lore, and product was published.

 

 

• Contributory Texture Artist - Tribes 2

Sierra Games [2001]

Duties:

- Work with design team to develop concept textures for player classes and associations

- Finalize character texture designs, and associated matching assets

- Design terrain textures and work with design and art team to develop consistent and interesting terrains for map levels.

- Worked with Internal and External testing teams to assure consistency in design and application of all visual elements in game

Achievements:

- Successfully completed all original designs based on universe, and product was published.

 

 

• Graphic & Texture Artist - Mechwarrior 4: Vengence

FASA Studios [2000]

Duties:

- Work with design team to develop consistency in textures for approved Mech designs

- Design unique textures to represent different Mech classes, including battle damage.

- Design unit crests for different Mech units and vehicles to represent military associations for these units as dictated by lore.

- Worked with Internal and External testing teams to assure consistency in design and application of all visual elements in game

Achievements:

- Successfully completed all original designs based on universe lore, and product was published.

• Graphic & Texture Artist / QA Testing - Heavy Gear 2

Activision [1999]

Duties:

- Work with design team to develop consistency in textures for approved “Gear” designs

- Design unique textures to represent different “Gear” classes

- Design unit crests for different “Gear” units and vehicles to represent military associations for these units.

- Worked with Internal and External testing teams to assure consistency in design and application of all visual elements in game

 

 

• Creative Consultant - San Francisco, CA

SEGA.net [1998 – 1999]

Duties:

- Work with a team to analyse and assess the company's level of involvement in the online PC game market.

- Work with a team to analyse and assess the company's prospected plans to introduce themselves to the online PC gaming market as an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

- Investigate and recommend the appropriate web software solution for both content and member management.

- Work with current Development team to develop new visual assets for the game 10six and test those assets in-game.

Achievements:

- Successfully suggested that launching the new ISP paired with certain Dreamcast gaming console titles, and their newest online multiplayer game would lead to increased initial registrations.

- Successfully implemented a plan for the company to remove themselves from the gaming console market and further penetrate their competitor's game production market share.

 

 

• Project Manager / Freelance & Remote Graphic Designer

Terrystern.com. 1994 - 1998.

Duties:

- Assess, Analyse, and Re-Develop the online marketing strategies and graphic presence for a variety of companies, in a variety of marketplaces.

- Develop new means of integrating the company's web presence into their current visual marketing plan, or to design and develop a new visual marketing plan based on current research and trends.

- Assess, Analyse, Design and Develop new web presences for a variety of companies using appropriate technologies.

 

Achievements:

- Built a network of over 30 coders, software designers, and graphic artists

- Achieved over 200 International Web Design awards.

- Achieved International Recognition as an Industry Leader in the fields of Web Design, Visual Marketing, and Graphic Design.

- Successfully worked with a number of development teams to produce and publish 4 platinum and 1 gold gaming titles.

computer skills

• • Multiple Windows Operating Systems: Highly proficient

• • System Design: Highly proficient

• • System Assembly: Highly proficient

• • Computer Problem Diagnosis: Highly proficient

• • Internet Based Applications: Highly proficient