Licenses, Brands, and IPs in Video Games: Tips from LEGO Art Director Emmanuel Valdez | SpeakEasy 22

In SpeakEasy Episode 29, we chat with Jesse Lee, the Concept Art Director at Striking Distance Studios, about how to create horror games and bring terrifying creature design to life. Jesse shares fun stories, and cool tips, and shows us how his concept art for games like Dead Space and Callisto Protocol is so creepy it’ll give you nightmares! We also spotlight some awesome work by Boris Turano. You'll love this episode if you love concept art, horror game design, or visual storytelling in games! Featured guest: Jesse Lee https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseleeconceptart/ https://www.artstation.com/jesse_lee Artist Spotlight: Boris Turano https://www.artstation.com/birez   Topics Covered: Jesse’s start with Dead Space and what makes it so special What goes into creating a terrifying game The process of designing horror creatures and environments Overcoming limitations and finding inspiration A special shoutout to Boris Turano’s art How long does it take to bring horror to life in games? Tips & Tricks in Creating Horror Games

Join us for SpeakEasy Episode 28 The guest of the episode is Cecil Kim, Art Director of thatgamecompany ("Sky: Children of the Light" game) https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecil-kim-ba4985/  https://www.cecilkim.com/  Don't miss to subscribe on our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/45MiTfC  Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 2:17 A Back Story: The Team Behind ThatGameCompany 5:12 Taking the Next Big Step 9:03 Building the Direction of Sky 13:02 Taking Risks to Build A Masterpiece 16:41 Creating an Organic Social Interaction in Sky 17:53 Building Worlds: The Art of Sky 20:01 COZY: The New Feel in Games 21:12 Sky: The Bedtime Game 22:18 Creating Skyfest IRL for an Online Community 24:18 An Interactive Experience 25:25 The Transmedia Evolution 26:48 Creating an Expanded Universe 28:55 Working Across Multiple Projects 31:13 The Difficulty of the Gaming Industry 32:34 Ending In this episode of SpeakEasy, we sit down with Cecil Kim, the visionary Art Director behind Sky: Children of the Light from ThatGameCompany. Cecil takes us through the journey of building Sky—from assembling a talented team to taking bold creative risks that pushed the boundaries of social interaction in gaming. Discover how Cecil and his team created immersive worlds, brought a new sense of coziness to games, and developed transmedia experiences that expanded the Sky universe. Cecil also shares his insights on hiring top talent, managing multiple projects, and the challenges faced in today’s evolving gaming industry. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a game developer, or a fan of Sky, this episode offers a deep dive into the creative process behind one of the most unique games of our time. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful episodes! 📣 Don't Miss Out! 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios   🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios   📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios    🐦 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/devotedstudios_    💬Discord:  https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC   💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com      💬 Tags:  #GamingIndustry #ArtDirection #GameDevelopment #SkyGame #CecilKim #ThatGameCompany #SpeakEasyPodcast #WorldBuilding #GameArt #CreativeProcess

Join us for SpeakEasy Episode 27 featuring Allen Dilling, a renowned Art and Creative Direction Consultant with a 25-year legacy at Blizzard Entertainment. Here’s Allen’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-dilling/ Watch the episode's video version on our YouTbe channel @DevotedStudios https://bit.ly/45MiTfC  Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 0:59 Highlights of a 25 yr career 1:53 Art Styles & Trends 4:44 20 Years of WarCraft  7:57 Creative Freedom 11:05 The Anxiety of Working with Beloved Titles 12:49 The Secret Sauce 14:35 The Key things that make a title successful 16:42 The Transition Period Between Sequels 18:28 RTS Meeting its end? 21:20 Live Service vs Paid Games 23:50 Strategies around Updates 26:09 Tips, Tricks, & Inspiration 28:30 Making Fresh Ideas 30:17 Ending In this episode, we dive deep into Allen's illustrious career, exploring his highlight moments at Blizzard and his work on iconic titles like Starcraft and Warcraft. Discover the evolution of art styles and trends in the gaming industry and learn about the creative freedom and challenges involved in developing beloved franchises. Allen shares his insights on the anxiety of working on high-stakes projects and offers valuable tips and tricks for generating fresh ideas in a competitive field. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a gaming enthusiast, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes magic of Blizzard games, this episode is packed with inspiration and expertise. Topics Covered: => Allen Dilling’s career highlights at Blizzard => Evolution of art styles and trends in gaming => Creative freedom in game development => Managing anxiety while working on beloved titles => Tips for innovative and fresh creative ideas Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful episodes! 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios   🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios   📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios    🐦 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/devotedstudios_    💬Discord:  https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC   💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com

Welcome to Devoted SpeakEasy Episode 26! 🌟 This month, we're thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Minoh Kim, the brilliant Art Director of League of Legends maps and modes at Riot Games! 🎮✨ In this episode, Minoh Kim dives deep into his incredible journey in the game development industry, sharing insights from his early days at Cryptic Studios to his impactful role at Riot Games. Discover how he led the art direction for iconic maps and modes in League of Legends and contributed to the character designs for the acclaimed game Valorant. 🔥 What's Inside: - 🚀 Minoh Kim's inspiring career path and industry experiences - 🖌️ Behind-the-scenes of art direction for League of Legends maps and modes - 🎨 Insights into character design for Valorant - 🎮 Expert tips on game development and design - 🌟 Valuable advice for aspiring game artists and developers 📣 Don't Miss Out!

Like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell to stay updated with our latest episodes!! https://bit.ly/45MiTfC Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 1:42 Shaun’s Journey: From a Small Studio to the Big Leagues 4:15 Top 5 Skills Learned from the Call of Duty Franchise 5:24 Building Maps for Call of Duty 10:36 Strategies to Speed Up Map Creation 13:20 Learning to Fix Production Pitfalls 16:37 Maps for CoD BO 4 and the First Battle Royal Map 18:29 How the Blackout Map was Developed 21:15 Iterating Small while Pitching and Developing New IPs 21:46 Cinematics for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Specifics 23:12 The Gear and Weapons in Call of Duty 26:13 Pitching Your Ideas in AAA Studios 27:39 Multiple Experiences in the Same Environment: How to Make Them Universal? 28:54 Diversity in the Video Gaming Industry 31:50 Ending Welcome to Devoted SpeakEasy Episode 25! Join us for an insightful conversation with Art Director Shaun Bell as he shares his experience working within the expansive Call of Duty franchise. Listen in as Shaun provides invaluable insights into the art of map creation, learning processes crucial for game development, and the essential considerations every Art Director in the gaming industry should know. 🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/mycompany 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/devotedstudios_ 💻 Visit the website: devotedstudios.com #DevotedSpeakEasy #GamingIndustry #ArtDirector #CallOfDuty #ExclusiveInterview #StayTuned 🎮🔥

Timecodes for your convenient navigation:00:00 Intro and guest presentation01:59 Key things to know about developing live service games07:22 Release process and release managers11:58 Building the culture of engineering teams 16:26 About the Palia experience: how to grow the team efficiently  18:18 Working at Gardens: what is Serge’s role in the project19:45 Collective performance: what it means22:06 Tech debt. Examples of how to deal with it27:36 Riot experience: what Serge did good and bad30:38 AI tools for engineers   In today's episode, we delve into the intricate engineering world with our guest, Serge Knystautas. With a solid background as a software entrepreneur in the gaming industry, Serge has held pivotal roles such as Director of Software Engineering at Riot Games, Head of Engineering at Singularity 6, and currently serves as the head of engineering at Gardens Interactive.  Gardens Interactive gained significant attention last year for securing $31.3 million in funding to develop a fantasy action role-playing game. Join us as we explore the complexities of live service games, navigate their releases, and delve into the future landscape of AI and engineering environments. Don't miss out on this insightful episode! Tune in now. 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/mycompany  📘 Facebook: facebook.com/devotedstudios  🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/devotedstudios_  💻 Visit the website: devotedstudios.com #devotedstudios #speakeasy #liveservice #gaming #riotgames #leageoflegends #engineering

🎙️ Welcome to SpeakEasy Episode 23! Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/T-CiGIReBxE Join us for an incredible journey through the world of game art development with our host Ninel Anderson and his guest, Artem Volchik. Artem, a self-taught game developer, has over 16 years of experience in the industry and has worked on iconic titles like Valorant, HALO Reach, and Overwatch while at renowned studios like Riot Games, Blizzard, and Bungie games. In this episode, Artem shares his journey of becoming a game art director without traditional training and discusses his transition from creating 3D art assets to leading art teams on major game projects. You will find out how to become a game artist! Artem offers valuable insights into balancing artistic vision with game design development and shares his expertise in shaping stunning game environments, characters, and props. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn from one of the best in the field! 🔗 Stay connected with us: 🔹 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔹 LinkedIn: htps://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios/mycompany 🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🔹 Twitter: https://twitter.com/devotedstudios_ 🔹 Visit our website: https://devotedstudios.com/

🎙️ Welcome to SpeakEasy Episode 22! 🎮 Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HaEPtlDfYkc Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro. 0:41 Emmanuel Valdez Introduction 2:16 Working with licenses in video games 6:38 Working with the Lego License. 10:10 Where High Moon Studio came from. 10:45 How to be an Art Director and a Co-Founder. 13:20 A Good Professional Artist. 14:19 Lego Masters anecdote 16:08 The importance of Research on working with Licenses. 18:42 Building a production Pipeline on working with different Brands. 24:45 Mixing Lego with the Real World. 28:00 Feedback sessions with Licensors. 31:00 Ending.  In this electrifying episode, our host Ninel Anderson engages in a riveting conversation with Emmanuel Valdez, a seasoned Art Director with over 30 years of gaming industry mastery. Emmanuel's illustrious career spans from directing AAA console games to founding and leading game development studios. Currently serving as the Art Director at Visual Concepts (2K Games), he brings his artistic genius to life in titles like the Lego 2K Drive. 🚀🎮 Join us as we unravel the secrets behind working with gaming giants, exploring Emmanuel's experiences with renowned franchises. Emmanuel Valdez shares his journey, insights, and the creative forces that drive the industry's most iconic titles, from the intricacies of creative direction to shaping entire gaming landscapes. 🌟 🔗 Stay connected with us:  🔹 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios  🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios/mycompany/  🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios  🔹 Twitter: https://twitter.com/devotedstudios_  🔹 Visit our website: https://devotedstudios.com/Stay Devoted! #SpeakEasyPodcast #GamingIndustry #Licensing #branding #Storytelling #DevotedStudios #LEgo

🎙️ Watch the video version on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/UN6vrhy0yXc Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 00:00 Intro + the guest’s presentation 01:21 Neel’s career journey and the job at EA 04:27 Creating storytelling content for Apex Legends. First steps 06:30 What is transmedia? Neel’s explanation 07:58 Short films for Apex Legends. How were they created? 18:52 Storytelling content for Battlefield 2042 21:38 How Neel produced shorts for the Star Wars franchise 25:39 Work at start-ups vs working at big studios: different approaches to the storytelling content 28:44 Social media channels (TikTok) to promote content for games In this episode, our CEO Ninel Anderson engages in a captivating conversation with Neel Upadhye, a visionary Creative Director and Writer renowned for his expertise in transmedia and storytelling. Neel brings his creative brilliance to the table, having left his mark on legendary franchises such as Apex Legends and Star Wars. 🌌📝 Join us as we unravel the secrets behind crafting immersive narratives that transcend gaming experiences. Neel shares his insights into the art of transmedia storytelling, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his journey shaping some of the most iconic worlds in gaming and beyond. 🎮📖 🔗 Stay connected with us: 🔹 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios/mycompany/ 🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🔹 Twitter: https://twitter.com/devotedstudios_ 🔹 Visit our website: https://devotedstudios.com/ #SpeakEasyPodcast #GamingIndustry #Transmedia #Storytelling #DevotedStudios #EA

In this captivating episode, our CEO Ninel Anderson sits down with Chris Matthews, the brilliant Art Director and Co-founder of Ridgeline Games, an EA first-party studio. Chris leads and mentors a talented team of artists and creatives, crafting the immersive and engaging narrative experiences that have become synonymous with the iconic BATTLEFIELD franchise. 🚀🎨 Join us as we dive deep into the art of photogrammetry and the creative processes that bring the digital battlefield to life. Chris shares his insights, the studio's vision, and what it takes to create gaming experiences that keep players on the edge of their seats. 🌟 🔗 Stay connected with us: 🔹 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios/mycompany/ 🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🔹 Twitter: https://twitter.com/devotedstudios_ 🔹 Visit our website: https://devotedstudios.com/ #SpeakEasyPodcast #RidgeStudios #BATTLEFIELD #GamingIndustry #Photogrammetry #DevotedStudios #EA