Are you an artist that is interested in a career in the game development industry?
About this event
Join us for a panel discussion to learn more about roles, experience needed, and career options for artists who are interested in this exciting industry.
Many visual artists, musicians, and other creatives have careers in the game development industry. Are you a composer who wants to learn how your musical talent could translate into game development? Are you a painter who has often wondered how your art could be used in animation? Does a career in gaming visual effects or usability interest you? Now is the time to join the discussion with working artists in this field.
This free discussion is for you if you are an artist or creative who is interested in career paths in the game development industry. Whether you want to learn more about what job roles exist in the industry, what recruiters are looking for, or what the key items are to grow your portfolio, you’ll have a chance to ask our panel your questions.
About The Panelists:
Wyeth Johnson is the Director of Technical Art at Epic Games, Inc. He’s a lifelong gamer who started his career in graphic design, made the transition to video games 12 years ago, and never looked back. He’s worked on some of the biggest game franchises in the business including Gears of War, Star Trek, Counterstrike, and more. Wyeth has managed art teams of all shapes and sizes and found that what motivates artists is identical across all creative industries. Artists want to make art, and they don’t have to give up artistic integrity in pursuit of a dollar.
Forrest Pando is a North Carolina-based lighting artist for Lost Boys Interactive, a studio recently acquired by Gearbox Software. Before becoming a lighting artist, Forrest was a filmmaker for seven years working alongside his wife. Forrest decided to switch careers at the beginning of the pandemic shortly after playing The Last of Us II, a game that made him realize he wanted to be a part of an industry which could tell such inventive and compelling stories. Leveraging his past experience as a filmmaker and the soft skills developed as a business owner, Forrest was quickly hired after grad school as an associate lighting artist and was promoted to staff within the first six months of employment.
Brian Theodore has been in the gaming industry for 23 years and is the Director of Art at Lost Boys Interactive, a studio recently acquired by Gearbox Software. Brian started out his career as an environment artist and has experience in multiple areas of the game development industry including character art, outsource management as well as art direction. From sports games, turn based strategy to MMO's, Brian has seen what it takes to create great games but more importantly, lead great people.
Chris Wells is a Principal Character Artist at Blizzard Entertainment. Coming from a background in Fine Art, Chris has worked on several successful franchises, such as the Gears of War, Fortnite, Rainbow Six and the Division. In addition, Chris has given talks and workshops around the world, and believes an open mind and commitment to improvement are crucial to success in the ever changing Games Industry.
Nina Straccialini (Moderator) is a Lead Technical Artist at Insomniac Games. She's been rigging, scripting and solving game development problems for 22 years. At Insomniac she's worked on a plethora of platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Oculus, Magic Leap, PC) and franchises (Ratchet & Clank, Marvel's Spider-Man). Her department is part of Insomniac's Core Technology department which provides tools and technology for all projects in development.