Future Game Developers Invited to View Demo Projects
Norco Community College, Calif.,- Game developers can hear from industry leaders on Friday, April 24, at Norco Community College, in the Center for Student Success, Room 217, from 1 to 4 p.m.. In addition to hearing from industry insiders, future game developers will be able to see demos of past and future game dev projects, like the Oculus Rift.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will include a panel discussion and chance for the next generation of game developers to ask questions of six current game developers from some of the top studios in the country.
“You will have the opportunity to meet six professional game developers with wide ranging game development experience including work in both AAA and Indie game studios,” said Judy Perry, professor, Simulation and Game Development.
The experts will demonstrate past and current work in areas including digital sculpting, 3D modeling, animation, cinematic, mobile games, and Virtual Reality (VR) for the Oculus Rift.
“It’s a chance for students to see what successful game developers really do for a living. Learn firsthand what it takes to get started in the game development industry and to be inspired.”
Panelists include:
Ruben Morales, environment artist, Treyach and SCEA — Morales began studying art in high school in Selma, CA. He attended the Los Angeles Art Institute in Santa Monica. While attending school he landed a job with Xbox Live Studio, and just before graduating from college Morales was hired by Sony. While employed with Sony he worked as a cinematic artist on God of War 3 and as a lead destruction artist on God of War: Ascension. He is currently working with Treyarch Studios as an environment animator where he is busy working on the next Call of Duty releasing later this year.
Tayler Brown, character modeler and sculptor, Walt Disney Imagineering, Garner Holt Productions — Brown began her 3D modeling career at Norco College, eventually transferring to the Art Institute of San Bernardino. Brown, whose specialty is in digital 3D sculpting, has been a part of the theme park entertainment industry at Garner Holt Productions for five years. She has created over 130 characters for such clients as Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, and Illumination Entertainment. Her work can be viewed at theme parks around the world from Universal Studios Hollywood to Disney Shanghai.
Juan Nuno, cinematic technical director, Riot — Nuno began his career as a digital artist and technical director at Digital Domain. While at Digital Domain he worked on game cinematics and launched trailers for games such as Borderlands 2, Hawken, and Batman Arkham Origins. About a year and a half ago, Nuno, who holds a degree from the Art Institute of San Bernardino, went to Riot Games as a technical/digital artist. He has worked on promotional pieces for League of Legends in his current job.
Andy Van Dalsem, Lead Animator, SuperVillain Studios — Van Dalsem is a community college dropout. He dropped out of Orange Coast College in order to follow his dream – creating hand-drawn TV animation. After leaving Orange County, he traveled 2,000 miles to Chicago where he landed a gig with StarToons International. After two years he returned home, picking up his educational path by enrolling in the Art Institute in Orange County where he earned his bachelor’s degree in game art and design. Armed with a degree and a noticeable amount of student loan debt, he found employment at SuperVillain Studios as its animation lead. He has been with the studio for nearly a decade.
James Dalby, Game Developer, Founder of French Roast Games — A game developer, Dalby has worked primarily in building games in marketing and online entertainment for mobile and browser platforms. He has worked as a developer for Armor Games and Blind Squirrel Games, where he was the director of mobile entertainment. Currently, Dalby runs his own independent contract agency at French Roast Games, which makes games for mobile, PC and Android micro console. He graduated with a degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine.
Rich Bisso, co-founder and chief technical officer, Hyperkinetic Studios — Bisso is a 15-year veteran of the gaming industry. He has played a critical role in design, production and programming on a number of projects. His studio has developed some of the best-selling AAA titles in history, like Spider-Man 2: The Game to small-team indie projects. An international speaker, Bisso stresses his passion for rational, focused video game development to audiences in Europe and the United States.