GAME INDUSTRY, DESIGN, AND ANIMATION EXPERIENCE:<\/h1>\n
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\u00a0<\/strong>American University Game Lab<\/strong>, Washington, DC\n
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August 2014 \u2013 August 2017<\/li>\n
Game Designer in Residence<\/em><\/li>\n
Responsible for creating artwork for game projects including characters, environments, interface, and other design elements. Coordinate with other staff members on artwork implementation in game projects. Coordinator for industry-relevant events such as the Global Game Jam and Smithsonian American Art Museum indie game arcade. Actively researching connections between game art and traditional art forms through game projects and writing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
George Mason University<\/strong>, Fairfax, VA\n
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July 2012 \u2013 Present<\/li>\n
App designer, artist, and project manager<\/em><\/li>\n
Responsible for creating designs for mobile apps. Create interface wireframes. Manage developers on creating app to client specs. Consult with clients on app requirements and deliverables. Teach classes in mobile game development, game design, and game design history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
E4 Software<\/strong>, Damascus, MD\n
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April 2012 \u2013 Present<\/li>\n
Art director, level designer, 2D and 3D artist for mobile games<\/em><\/li>\n
Responsible for suggestions on the art direction of E4\u2019s game productions, including the mobile tablet game Swarm<\/em>. Help schedule project milestones. Network and recruit artists to meet project demands. Create all art assets including but not limited to concept art, design sketches, level designs, level diagrams, 3D models, character rigs, texture maps, and animations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Pie for Breakfast Studios, <\/em><\/strong>Fairfax, VA\n
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May 2011 \u2013 Present<\/li>\n
Founder, creative director, art director<\/em><\/li>\n
Founded independent game studio for the creation of mobile gaming apps. Responsible for creative and artistic direction on game projects and recruiting of design and development talent. Oversee design meetings and set project deadlines. Draw up and negotiate contracts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
FrostFire Games, <\/em><\/strong>Toronto, ON, Canada\n
Contribute 3D character art to independent game production for the game Redshift: Afterlife<\/em>. Provide guidance on level and game design to fully integrate core mechanics and optimize gameplay experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Westwood College<\/strong>, Arlington, VA\n
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Jan. 2010 \u2013 July 2012<\/li>\n
Professor of Game Art and 3D Animation<\/em><\/li>\n
Teach classes in Game Art, Animation, and Graphic Design programs. Develop course lectures and content and lead design projects to help students reinforce core concepts. Create and lead weekend software workshops on platforms such as Blender, Maia, and 3D Studio Max. Developed the GameTank summer intensive game development program. Participate in development of campus\u2019s design program and sit on faculty councils aimed at improving interdepartmental collaboration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Provided 3D animation in 3D Studio Max for graphic design, logo design, branding creation, web content creation, interactive walkthrough development, film editing, and compositing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
GAMES<\/h1>\n
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Dead Man\u2019s Trail<\/strong>, Pie for Breakfast Studios\n
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Fall 2016 (upcoming)<\/li>\n
Director, producer, art director, 2D\/3D artist, level designer<\/em><\/li>\n
Dead Man\u2019s Trail<\/em> is a horror survival game in the style of The Oregon Trail<\/em> where players must manage the health and status of a traveling party and loot supplies in procedurally generated 3D environments. Developed in Unity over 3 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Addie\u2019s Patchwork Playground<\/strong>, Pie for Breakfast Studios\/American University Game Lab\n
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Spring\/Summer 2016 (upcoming)<\/li>\n
Director, art director, 2D artist, level designer<\/em><\/li>\n
Part of the Atelier Games <\/em>series, where the game art is produced with fine-art production techniques. The game is an experimental platformer where players paint a quilted world through their own play. As players move Addie, an adventure-loving girl in dinosaur pajamas, stamps are left for different actions – running, climbing, and jumping. Players interact with the game by playing with a quilt made of conductive fabric in the real world. Developed in Unity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Assessment Micro Games<\/strong>, American University Game Lab\/ETS\n
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Spring\/Summer 2015<\/li>\n
Art director, 2D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
Created artwork for multiple small-format game projects for the Educational Testing Service. Developed in GameSalad. Delivered to client in 6 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Lissitzky\u2019s Revenge<\/strong>, Pie for Breakfast Studios\/American University Game Lab\n
Part of the Atelier Games <\/em>series, where the game art is produced with fine-art production techniques. Lissitzky\u2019s Revenge<\/em>\u00a0is an action game based on the poster\u00a0Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge<\/em>\u00a0(El Lissitzky, 1920) using paper cut-outs as the art medium. Developed in Construct 2. Developed for independent release on Game Jolt in 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Delivery Drone<\/strong>, American American University Game Lab\n
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Fall 2014<\/li>\n
Art director, 2D artist<\/em><\/li>\n
Retro top-down \u201cbullet hell\u201d newsgame. Players are a drone pilot maneuvering around other drones while trying to pick up and deliver packages while avoiding houses where occupants want privacy. Developed for independent release in 1 month.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Ice Bucket Challenge<\/strong>, Pie for Breakfast Studios\/American American University Game Lab\n
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Fall 2014<\/li>\n
Art director, developer, 2D Artist, level designer<\/em><\/li>\n
Retro 2D platformer developed in 48 hours as a response to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Players control me collecting coins for my donation while avoiding buckets of ice water. Developed for independent release online in 5 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Zup!<\/strong>, Pie for Breakfast Studios\/E4 Software\n
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Summer 2014<\/li>\n
Art director, 2D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
Mobile action game with art produced with craft foam and assembled in Photoshop and Blender 3D. Players tilt their device to guide a man who has filled his head with helium into the sky, avoiding obstacles. Developed in 6 months and released on iOS and Android.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Celestium<\/strong>, Global Game Jam 2014\n
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Art director, 2D Artist, level designer<\/em><\/li>\n
48-hour game project. A fighting game between Greek gods and goddesses trying to control the sky.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Onward <\/strong>and Life Quest<\/strong>, George Mason University\n
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Spring\/Summer 2014<\/li>\n
Producer<\/em><\/li>\n
These two serious games apps were produced for George Mason University\u2019s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence. These games allow probationers to determine their own daily real-life \u201cquests\u201d for addressing their problem areas and track them via in-app calendar systems. Delivered to client in 6 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Swarm!<\/strong>, E4 Software\n
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Spring 2013<\/li>\n
Art director, 2D\/3D Artist, level designer<\/em><\/li>\n
A mobile action game where players tilt their device to guide a spherical character through cartoon environments while luring enemies into traps. Developed in 1 year and released on iOS and Android.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Star Sharks,<\/strong> IGDA DC \u201cTighten Up the Graphics on Level 3\u201d Game Jam\n
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2012<\/li>\n
3D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
Game created for a local game jam in 48 hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
ABC\u2019s Learn and Sing,<\/strong> E4 Software\n
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2012<\/li>\n
Art director, 2D\/3D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
A mobile educational game developed for the Barnes and Noble Nook in 3 weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
A game developed for my book, Game Character Creation in Blender and Unity<\/em>, which readers create as they read the book. I developed my own copy in 1 month before submission to the publisher as part of the book\u2019s downloadable resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Susie\u2019s Summer Home, <\/strong>Global Game Jam 2012.\n
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3D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
48-hour game project. A surrealist horror game created in the Unity engine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
The Nightmare over Innsmouth,<\/strong> independent\n
A 3D horror game based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft and the art of Tim Burton. Created as part of my 2011 GDC China presentation, \u201cDesigning Better Levels Through Human Survival Instincts.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Game Design and Architecture,<\/strong> Catholic University of America School of Architecture\n
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Fall 2008\/Spring 2009<\/li>\n
Designer, 2D Artist<\/em><\/li>\n
A board game developed as part of my grad school architecture thesis that turns the process of architectural design into a board game and guides players through projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
COMMUNITY ACTIVITY:<\/h1>\n
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Smithsonian American Art Museum<\/strong>, Washington, DC,\u00a02014 – Present\n
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Organizer \u2013 SAAM Indie Arcade yearly game event<\/em><\/li>\n
Work with Smithsonian American Art Museum on arcade event displaying independent games created in the United States. Perform outreach to regional game communities for entries. Coordinate competition and selection processes. Manage display of games on site at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Prepare event signage. Design and publish event guidebooks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Global Game Jam, <\/strong>Washington, DC, 2013 – present\n
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Site organizer<\/em><\/li>\n
Site organizer for Washington, DC-area Global Game Jam sites. Organize team selection processes. Reserve facilities. Promote site to local game developers. Showcase developer games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
International Game Developers Association<\/strong>, Washington, DC,\u00a0July 2014 \u2013 Present\n
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Chapter chair<\/em><\/li>\n
Organize professional organization for game developers in the Washington, DC metro region. Perform outreach to regional game communities for entries into indie game competitions. Coordinate competition and selection processes. Work with local businesses for sponsorship and assistance. Prepare event topics and schedules. Organize networking meetups. Advocate for game development to local government and cultural institutions. Coordinate with IGDA HQ to advance chapter presense.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
International Game Developers Association<\/strong>, Washington, DC July 2011 \u2013 Present\n
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Chapter board member<\/em><\/li>\n
Organize meetings for game developers in the Washington, DC metro region. Prepare event topics and schedules. Disseminate development resources. Reach out to potential speakers. Advocate for game development to local government and cultural institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Game Developers Conference<\/strong>, San Francisco, CA\u00a0 March 2012, March 2013, March 2015, March 2016\n
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Conference Associate<\/em><\/li>\n
Volunteer worker at GDC 2012 and 2013. Organized conference materials, provided directions and logistical information to conference participants, and prepared speakers for their sessions. Gained industry contacts and game project collaborators. Attended sessions and developed industry insight into modern technologies, methodologies, and trends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
MAGFest Academic Game Symposium (MAGES) member<\/em><\/li>\n
Speaker for the MAGES educational panel series at MAGFest. Develop panel content and topic areas. Provide feedback on administration of event. Consult on future expansions to the Symposium into other venues and formats. Network with new industry contacts to recruit speakers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
EXHIBITIONS (juried post-review):<\/h1>\n
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2016: Dead Man\u2019s Trail, <\/strong>MAGFest Indie Video Game Showcase, National Harbor, MD<\/li>\n
2014: Dead Man\u2019s Trail, <\/strong>Smithsonian American Art Museum Indie Arcade, Washington, DC.<\/li>\n
2014: Dead Man\u2019s Trail, <\/strong>IGDA DC indie pop-up arcade, Washington, DC.<\/li>\n
2014: Dead Man\u2019s Trail, <\/strong>Baltimore Artscape, Baltimore, MD<\/li>\n
2012: Swarm!, <\/strong>Arts By George, Fairfax, VA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED<\/h1>\n
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Digital Games Research Association\/Foundations of Digital Games<\/strong>, Appointed reviewer. (February 2016 – August 2016)\u00a0I am a reviewer for the DiGRA\/FDG Game criticism and analysis track for the DiGRA\/FDG conference 2016.<\/li>\n
Pixel Art for Game Developers<\/em><\/strong>, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, Appointed. (January 2015 – September 2015)\u00a0Reviewed the proposal for Pixel Art for Game Developers<\/em> by Daniel Silber and quoted on the back cover of the book.<\/li>\n
Video Game Design: Principles and Processes from the Ground Up<\/em><\/strong>, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK, Appointed. (August 2014 – August 2015)\u00a0Reviewing book manuscript on game industry processes and methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
BOOKS<\/h1>\n
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Level Design: Processes and Experiences, <\/em>editor, AK Peters\/CRC Press. 2016.<\/li>\n
Smithsonian American Art Museum Indie Arcade Event Book, <\/em>editor, self-published, 2016.<\/li>\n
An Architectural Approach to Level Design, <\/em>AK Peters\/CRC Press. June 2014<\/li>\n
Game Character Creation in Blender and Unity<\/em>, <\/strong>Wiley Publishing, July, 2012.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ACADEMIC BOOK CHAPTERS:<\/h1>\n
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\u201cDe-coding Games through Historical Research in Art and Design\u201d, in Game Design Research. <\/em>Editors, Petri Lankoski and Jussi Holopainen, ETC Press, 2017 (forthcoming).<\/li>\n
\u201cMoving Forward by Looking Back \u2013 Using Art and Architectural History to Make and Understand Games\u201d, Chapter for Contemporary Research on\u00a0Intertextuality\u00a0in Video Games<\/em>. Editors, Christophe Duret and Christian-Marie Pons, IGI Global, Upcoming 2016.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS:<\/h1>\n
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\u201cA Case Study in Newsgame Creation: Why Game Designers and Journalists are Still Learning to Work Together,\u201d co-author. 66th International Communication Conference, Fokouka, Japan, June 2016.<\/li>\n
“Designing Microgames for Assessment:\u00a0 A Case Study in Rapid Iteration,” Co-author, International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, Iskandar, Malaysia. November 18, 2015.<\/li>\n
\u201cBug-fixing Game-like Syllabi: Evaluating Common Issues and Iterating New Pedagogical Mechanics.\u201d Foundations of Digital Games Conference Proceedings, June. 2015.<\/li>\n
\u201cTeaching Serious Game App Design Through Client-based Projects.\u201d Digital Games Research Association Conference Proceedings, Aug. 2013.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS<\/h1>\n
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\u201cGame Design Primer.\u201d White paper for iThrive Games, July 2016.<\/li>\n
\u201cThings We Teach Each Other: On Specialization.\u201d Indie Game Magazine, May 2014<\/li>\n
\u201c3D Art for Indies.\u201d IGDA Insider Magazine, Jan 2014.<\/li>\n
\u201cSWARM!<\/em>: An Academic Postmortem\u201d, GameCareerGuide.com. March 2013.<\/li>\n
\u201cCG for Games: All-in-One Development in Blender and Unity.\u201d CG Magazine (Chinese Publication), Dec. 2011.<\/li>\n
\u201cDesigning Better Levels Through Human Survival Instincts.\u201d Gamasutra.com, June 2011.<\/li>\n
\u201cWhy are There No Good Bible Games?\u201d VideoGameWriters.com, May 2011.<\/li>\n
\u201cContextual Tales: Creating Better Narrative Environments.\u201d VideoGameWriters.com, May 2011.<\/li>\n
\u201cExtracting Game Design Lessons from Christopher Nolan\u2019s Inception<\/em>.\u201d Game Career Guide, Aug. 2010.<\/li>\n
\u201cGraduate Thesis: Game Design and Architecture.\u201d Game Career Guide and Gamasutra.com, June 2009.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONFERENCE\/CONVENTION PRESENTATIONS:<\/h1>\n
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\u201cGame Academia\u2019s Art Problem\u201d, part of the Game Educator Soapbox, Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA, Feb. 2017 (upcoming.)<\/li>\n
\u201cBuilding a Local Game Community with Cultural Allies.\u201d GDEX, Columbus, OH, Oct. 2016.<\/li>\n
\u201c\u2018It belongs in a museum!\u2019 Showing Games in Cultural Institutions.\u201d East Coast Game Conference, Raleigh, NC, Apr. 2016.<\/li>\n
\u201cBug-fixing Game-like Syllabi: Evaluating Common Issues and Iterating New Pedagogical Mechanics.\u201d Foundations of Digital Games Conference, June. 2015.<\/li>\n
\u201cLevel Design Like An Architect\u201d East Coast Game Conference, Raleigh, NC, Apr. 2015.<\/li>\n
\u201cIs Game Art Art?.\u201d East Coast Game Conference, Raleigh, NC, Apr. 2015.<\/li>\n
\u201cGame Verbs for Change\u201d Workshop presentation at Games For Change Conference, April 2014<\/li>\n
\u201cSerious Games: The Role of the Academic Institution\u201d panel. MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival.) National Harbor, MD. Jan. 2014.<\/li>\n
\u201cUnderstanding Game Environments and Worlds\u201d panel. MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival.) National Harbor, MD. Jan. 2014.<\/li>\n
\u201cTeaching Serious Game App Design Through Client-based Projects.\u201d DiGRA, Atlanta, GA, Aug 2013.<\/li>\n
\u201cTeaching in Level Design Through Visual Communication.\u201d East Coast Game Conference, Raleigh, NC, Apr. 2013.<\/li>\n
\u201cThe Lens of Truth: Real World Adaptive Level Design.\u201d Nanocon Workshop on Integrated Design, Dakota State University, Madison, South Dakota, Nov. 2012.<\/li>\n
\u201cDesigning Better Levels Through Human Survival Instincts.\u201d East Coast Game Conference, Raleigh, NC, Apr. 2012.<\/li>\n
\u201cDesigning Better Levels Through Human Survival Instincts.\u201d Game Developers Conference China, Shanghai, Nov. 2011.<\/li>\n
\u201cNecroludology: Reanimating Our Fear of Zombies Through Gameplay.\u201d Nanocon Workshop on Integrated Design, Dakota State University, Madison, South Dakota, Nov. 2011.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
MEDIA REVIEWS OF WORK<\/h1>\n
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Priestman, C., “iconic 20th century art is being turned into a series of experimental videogames,” Review of Pie For Breakfast Studios\/American University Game Lab, “Lissitzky’s Revenge” (March 2015) in Killscreen (April 9, 2015)<\/li>\n
Meier, A., “Be the Bolshevik Wedge in a Game Inspired by El Lissitzky\u2019s 1919 Propaganda Art,” Review of Pie For Breakfast Studios\/American University Game Lab, “Lissitzky’s Revenge” (March 2015) in Hyperallergic (May 15, 2015)<\/li>\n
Ronan, R., “indie games: Lissitzky’s Revenge,” Review of Pie For Breakfast Studios\/American University Game Lab, “Lissitzky’s Revenge” (March 2015) in Smith Journal (June 10, 2015)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n