Biography

Born in London and bred in Yorkshire, I joined the games industry as an Artist/Animator in 1997 having studied computer graphics and design in Sheffield. During which I also worked as a freelance CG artist. I have now worked in the games industry for well over a decade.

Over the last 10 years I have primarily been in roles involving art direction and management, having had my first shot at leading a team in 1999 while working at Inforgrames Sheffield (formerly Gremlin Graphics) and working on the moderately successful UEFA soccer series.
I continued to lead teams and direct artwork on increasingly higher profile titles while working at game development companies, Computer Artworks, Black Cactus, Kuju Entertainment, my own art production company Helium Graphics ltd and the legendary Midway Games Inc.

I have contributed artwork, art direction and management to many projects over the years, most notably the multi Million unit selling title "The Thing" for Vivendi Universal, "Battalion Wars" and "Battalion Wars Wii" for Nintendo and "Wheelman" for Midway where I work as the Studio Art Director (Head of Art) for the UK studio.
I am responsible for the overall art direction/art management for our projects and work as part of the studio management team looking after nearly 100 staff.

My main career goal is to continue to push the boundaries of game art and to provide artistic direction and team management. Delivering titles that look great and are on time while maintaining a happy studio.

I am also keenly involved in activities outside the development studio, such as graduate recruitment, public relations and I also assist the education sector by being on various advisory boards for the digital media sector. I believe in supporting new talent and that the industry needs to play a hand in their education.

Creative talents

Artistic direction for characters, environments, conceptualization, cinematic direction, video production/editing, special FX.
I have a lot of experience in creative development and the direction of artistic style. Including the relevance of artwork in product brand having directed artwork from initial concept right through to the end marketing campaign including POS, Web and TV.

I posses a keen analytical ability gained through directing many different projects and teams for several years, from sales pitch through to final execution. I have strong traditional conceptual/computer graphics skills myself that I often use to illustrate requirements to others.

I have extensive knowledge in a wide range of art techniques and technologies in games and film media, including cinematic direction, video editing and compositing as well as current 360/PS3 game console art creation methods (ZBrush, Mudbox etc).

Technical expertise

As Art Lead/Director I have been responsible for leading the technical art pipeline including rendering technology, tools and animation pipelines. Often creating technical pipeline/tool specification documents, performance profiling and producing “best practice” guidelines.

At Midway I help maintain our shared tech and art assets database by liaising with other teams and studios to discuss tech advances and sharing. I ensure that I keep up to date with emerging technologies and art production techniques which is essential in maintaining my strong background in cross platform development. (recently shipped the “Wheelman” on three platforms simultaneously - 360/PS3/PC).

Management skills

During the last 10 years I have been providing team management across a wide range of project types. Ranging from strike teams of 4-8 members focusing on a single task over a short intense period, to multiple development teams in global locations of up to 50+ artists and contractors working over a period of years.
Due to this experience I am not afraid to get involved and believe in leading by example, fire fighting at low level when needed while also project/studio planning at Exec/Director level.

I pride myself in having strong people and motivational skills as well as providing clear direction through decisive and approachable leadership. I am proactive in developing my staff.
This philosophy, when combined with project planning experience and data management skills, leads to a motivated and focused team with clear reporting at both high and low levels.

Facing outward from the studio I have conducted due diligence visits on outsource and middleware companies as well as introduce and maintain external management process. I have managed outsourcing efforts of up to $750,000 in value spread across multiple creative and technical suppliers.

I am entrepreneurial and involved in business development and developing business relationships, speaking at PR events, selling ideas and services as well as being involved in business planning and strategy. I am well practiced at interviewing and candidate selection and have helped form and develop successful teams.

In all my endeavors, I have proven to be adaptable and proactive using my personal drive, strong communication skills and extensive knowledge of art and games development to get the best from any given situation. I can make things happen.

Personal interests

I enjoy socialising with friends and colleagues, going to the gym, playing games and watching films. I also love cars, having had a number of fast coupes and classics. I am often found under the bonnet of a car when the weather is nice or playing games when its not.

I have fairly recently got into Photography as I find that it allows me a good creative outlet with quick results compared to making video games. I often go for walks in the country and take my camera just in case.

If you would like to know more about me and my work then please drop me an email at info@cumronashtiani.com