Portfolio 01 Summer 2013: Mooney, Ace Deliverables

Business card (front and back)

DVD Cover and label

Letterhead, Budget and Resume

Logo Slick

Screenshot of Website

Pacific Rim Ticket

Signature Sheet

Contract

Degree Audit

Rubric

Artist Statement

When I was a kid, I wasn’t a hardcore gamer. I wouldn't even say I was a casual gamer, barely picking up Pokémon on my Gameboy Color and hardly ever touching the Xbox. However, when I came to this school after leaving my previous college, I decided on a major while applying and chose Game Art and Design. As the classes got more interesting, I started playing more video games and discovered that this was one of the best decisions I’ve made. During my Level Design class, I realized I love the Unreal Editor and creating something that will be challenging for a player. That was around the time I started playing “Gears of War” and “Alice: Madness Returns”, and began to see the application of UDK applied to a game setting. I enjoyed seeing everything I could do using elements of the UDK Editor (Kismet and Matinee) to create an interactive world. That’s when I found that I love level design and that I would love to continue to explore what the UDK had to offer.

Finding something I love doing has made me realize that I would like to continue my education in an Master's Degree program. Ideally, I see this being right after I graduate from the Art Institute but starting my career is equally important to me. In my career, I would like to become the best at what I do, no matter the genre; zombies, kids, educational, etc. I would like to stay up to date on current technology and programs related to my field. I would also like explore architecture and interior design, as these relate to level design by creating the mood and time period with the surrounding environment through buildings and rooms are decorated to show a cohesive piece. To this end, I feel like level design, architecture and interior design go hand in hand, and having a little knowledge in the last two would definitely benefit me in the long run.

When I took my first college drawing class, I was at Gettysburg College. I decided I wanted to study Studio Art but then realized it had no job opportunities and being a broke artist was not what I looked forward to. When I transferred to the Art Instutite of Washington, I couldn't wait to hit the ground running. When I got to my first 3D class, I disliked 3D modeling. However, the more classes I took and learned tricks on how to model quicker, the more it grew on me. Now, I can't see myself doing anything else. While I still have a small urge to create 2D art and sculpture, I feel that my stregnths are in 3D inorganic modeling and level design.

The work I've submitted is levels. My school level is the first level I created. The space museum and shack levels are based on dreams I've had that made impressions on me. The metro level is based on a metro station that any Washingtonian, Virginian, or Marylander would recognize if they went into DC. With my work, I'm trying to show that I can create realistic looking levels using to-scale asset models and items, even with outlandish premises. However, with my Kid's Room level, I'm breaking that rule, to show that I can do something else other than realistic.

General
*Flash game "Class Mouse Game"on my website: http://mace2123.aisites.com/