Experience

• Technical Art Director at Amber Studio

  Bucharest, RO

  April 2020 - Present

  • Artistic Innovation: Advanced multi-platform Unity game integrations and artistically led the transition of Steam games to the Roblox platform. Fostered multi-platform growth by uniting with Xbox, Apple, and industry partners, enhancing company reputation through strategic art direction and pipeline innovation.
  
  • Content Excellence: Propelled Tetris Beat to Apple Arcade's premier ranking through art pipeline refinement and team skill enhancement, leading to sustained player engagement which KPI’s correlated to the high content quality.
  
  • Visionary Leadership: Provided executive-level counsel, catalyzing product development with an art-first approach. Cultivated a culture of artistic and operational excellence, setting new company benchmarks.
  
  • Artistic Workflow: Developed meticulous milestone timelines, guiding seamless transitions to live operations. My foresight ensured art and technical continuity, setting high standards for production and art content.
  
  • Efficiency in Art Production: Upgraded production methods, introducing cloud technology and art distribution innovations. Emphasized continual artistic improvement, fortifying art direction with technological advancements.
  
  • Team Development: Engineered growth through strategic talent acquisition, conducting extensive interviews for new talent, and fine-tuning team dynamics to excel in competitive industry landscapes.
  
  • Fostering DEIB: Pioneered inclusive communication initiatives within a Spanish-speaking team by engaging a language tutor and integrating live translation technology, underscoring the value of multilingual diversity, and affirming that proficiency in English is not a measure of one's capability.

• Chief Product Officer at Bit Fry Game Studios

  Portsmouth, New Hampshire, US

  April 2018 - October 2020

  • Strategic Leadership & Team Development: Orchestrated cross-functional team leads in Animation, Art, Audio, Engineering, Gameplay, and QA, mentoring directors to enhance leadership, while scaling the team fivefold.
  
  • Project & Financial Management: Secured milestone agreements and managed comprehensive production schedules, achieving a 20% cost reduction and meeting all publisher milestones within budget constraints.
  
  • Technical Documentation & Design: Spearheaded the creation of technical design and art implementation docs, style guides, and best practices, contributing to game design and ensuring production consistency.
  
  • Quality Assurance & Training: Enhanced production quality across projects by developing training materials and personally addressing UI/UX redesign to meet high standards.
  
  • Inclusion Advocacy: Fostered a culture of inclusivity by advocating for LGBTQIA2S+ colleagues, initiating gender-neutral accommodations and promoting respect for individual identity, enhancing team cohesion and morale.

• Technical Art Director and Outsource Manager at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive

  Solana Beach, CA, US

  January 2013 - July 2017

  • Animation Mastery: Delivered 200+ minutes of animation and 60+ characters with custom rigs, recreating famous Disney characters and scenes for interactivity, passing Walt Disney Animation Studios approval.
  
  • Pipeline Enhancement: Streamlined the animation process by 60%, maximizing output with no extra resources.
  
  • Asset Optimization: Revolutionized in-game asset sharpness, significantly reducing file sizes while maintaining visual artistry.
  
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Led product teams to close documentation gaps, enhancing communication and efficiency.
  
  • Outsourcing Efficiency: Managed external partners to meet the high content standards of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
  
  • Standardization: Authored Unity technical guides, unifying tools and pipeline processes across internal company teams.
  
  • Consistent Delivery: Coordinated content updates for live ops, ensuring player satisfaction across major gaming platforms.

• Adjunct Professor at The Art Institute of California - San Diego

  San Diego, CA, US

  January 2014 - December 2015

  • Pedagogical Innovation: Reimagined educational models, prioritizing core art and game development principles, connecting theory with industry practice.
  
  • Skill Empowerment: Produced Autodesk Maya educational content, laying a foundation for 3D art, modeling, and texturing expertise preparing future artists to enter the industry.
  
  • Teaching Distinction: Recognized for outstanding contribution to education, underscoring a deep commitment to fostering future industry talent.

• Lead 3D Artist at Jet Set Games

  Las Vegas, NV, US

  September 2010 - December 2013

  • Environmental Storytelling: Crafted immersive player environments for PlayStation Home's "Conspiracy," incorporating live updates for enhanced social interaction and user engagement.
  
  • Data-Driven Design: Utilized player analytics to inform strategic content updates, optimizing asset appeal and expanding user base.
  
  • Pioneering Mobile Experiences: Pioneered with "Highborn," one of the inaugural 3D role-playing strategy games on iOS, setting industry standards for mobile gaming.
  
  • Innovative Pipeline Development: Developed a robust content pipeline for Unity-based games on early mobile devices, balancing ambitious animation goals with technological constraints.

• 3D Artist at Contract/Freelance Projects

  San Diego, CA, United States of America

  February 2008 - August 2010

  Produced a wide range of 3D and digital content for diverse media channels, including video games and digital marketing media. Collaborated with creative, business, and other professional teams to conceive, plan, and execute high-quality videos, animations, and models for client projects. Drove revenue growth by creating and producing high-quality media and interactive experience critical to securing capital, winning new business, and increasing web traffic.

  Key Contributions & Achievements:
  
  ▪ Produced the fly-through videos and animations that secured $250k+ in venture capital for BCV Architects, and recreated 20 city blocks of architectural models from CAD files and blueprints in 3DS Max.
  
  ▪ Drove a 300% traffic increase to 14 Golden Era Productions websites by designing and producing virtual tours, architectural scenes, scene assets, and 3D interactive user interfaces (UI).
  
  ▪ Produced the proof of concept demo for a Digital Mercs title based on the movie Death Race for presentation to Valve and Epic at GDC 2010.
  
  ▪ Improved the quality of Digital Mercs’ in-game assets by creating complex real-time material shaders.
  
  ▪ Generated $200k+ in income by creating and delivering the Skullcandy interactive media experience for the 2010 Van’s Warped Tour, including building a traveling digital studio.