Speakeasy

Building Compelling Game Worlds: Destiny and Halo with Christopher Barrett. Devoted SpeakEasy E04

Even if you haven’t met Christopher Barrett before this episode, you definitely know the projects he created! He was the Art Director on Halo 2 and Halo 3, the Artist on Halo, the Art and Game Director of Destiny 2, and the Art Director of Destiny. 

Sounds impressive? Then hurry up to watch his interview and find out how to build the world your players will be excited to explore. The other important issues we discussed in this episode are “How to find inspiration”, “How to manage a big team of artists”, and “How to be the Art Director and the Game Director simultaneously”.

Timecodes:

( 00:00 ) — Intro
( 2:18 )  — Building worlds you want to explore
( 5:15 )  — Using the concept of “postcards” to tease an idea of a place you want to visit
( 9:15 )  — Drawing inspiration from beloved fiction from childhood
( 12:20 )  — How to communicate personal achievement through the visual language of gear rarity
( 17:50 )  — The importance of building upon existing, recognizable tropes
( 24:15 )  — The challenge of helping artists in a big team find the common language
( 30:40 )  — The nuances between an Art Director and Game Director in leading a team
( 37:50 )  — Being a social media ambassador for Destiny through its ups and downs

Watch the full episode at the link

Bigger than Games: Character World, Design Kits in LoL, GoW with E.Gonzalez. Devoted Speakeasy E03

Lead Art Director for Catalyst Black Eduardo Gonzalez joined us for a new Devoted SpeakEasy podcast episode. Previously he was a concept artist for God of War, Socom, and Kill Zone. He also contributed to Visual Development and World Building at Riot Games. 

In this episode, we discussed how he built his career at Riot Games and the specifics of building a team of artists worldwide. Watch this episode to get some insights into how to create games with unique identities and provide them with catchy storytelling.

Timecodes:

( 00:00 ) — Intro
( 1:00 )  — Riot: how it all started
( 5:08 )  — Co-Founding World Building Team with the knowledge that the IP will transcend the game
( 11:40 )  — Shape language and symbolism of specific champions in League of Legends
( 17:28 )  — Subcultures within characters to give depth and possibility without touching the game
( 20:40 )  — How does the collaboration between different roles work in champion design?
( 29:00 )  — Surfacing “hooks” or “clues” that will give games their identity
( 35:15 )  — Estimating time spent on assets as a trial and error process
( 40:00 )  — A glimpse into early visual development for God of War
( 45:40 )  — What are the secret ingredients to a successful new IP?

Watch the full episode at the link

Daniel Dociu: Developing IPs; Styles, Techniques & Leading Like a Conductor. Devoted SpeakEasy E02

Daniel Dociu is one of the most famous Art Directors in the industry.

Known for his work for Guild Wars and his incredible style, he is able to create incredible concepts that immediately grab attention. 

We hosted him at the Devoted SpeakEasy podcast to ask about best practices of team leadership; how the teams were built for Guild Wats I and Guild Wars II; what skills and qualities you should have to get hired on his team; what are his favorite techniques and brushes. Watch this episode to find the answers.

Timecodes:

( 00:00 ) — Intro
( 7:50 ) — How to lead a team like a conductor
( 9:20 ) — How the art teams of Guild Wars 1 and 2 were built
( 20:20 ) — Things Daniel looks for in artists
( 33:00 ) — How allowing aberrations in art style builds more plausible worlds
( 35:40 ) — How to develop IPs?
( 39:50 ) — Techniques and brushes
( 42:30 ) — and the differences between original IP development vs movie based

Watch the full episode at the link

From Hobbiton to Stars: Lance Powell’s Journey as a Video Game Art Director | Devoted Speakeasy E01

How it all started – watch the first episode of the Devoted SpeakEasy Podcast and meet Lance Powell. Lance is an Executive Art Director who has made an impressive transition from the movie to the game industry, adding incredible projects to his portfolio such as Lord of the Rings 2 and  3, Shrek 2, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Cloud Imperium’s Star Citizen, and others.

In this episode, we discussed his contribution to the world-famous saga as a Surface & Texture Artist, the working process on Mech Warrior ll, and his experience with the Medal of Honor.  

Timecodes:

( 00:00 ) — Intro
( 4:20 ) — Working on Mech Warrior ll at Activision
( 10:00 ) — Working as a texture/surfacing artist working on Lord of the Rings 2 / 3 and Shrek 2
( 47:06 ) — Working as an Art Director on Medal of Honor: Airborne

Watch the full episode at the link