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MICHAEL
HUTCHISON |
Austin,
TX - LEVEL ARTIST | WORLD BUILDER | LEVEL DESIGNER |
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SUMMARY |
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Level
Artist with extensive experience leading and mentoring teams and
individuals. Expertise in World Building, Environment Art, and Level Design. Proficiency
in streamlining game performance through map and asset optimizations. Decades
of game development experience across PC and console platforms, spanning
multiple genres and styes. Versatile developer
accustomed to fast-moving production environments. |
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CLOUD
CHAMBER –
Novato, CA (Remote) |
2024 – 2025 |
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BIOSHOCK 4 - (ACTION
RPG) - Senior Environment Artist ·
Collaborated with Level Designers, Combat Designers,
Cinematic Designers, Concept Artists, Environment Modelers and others to
create engaging gameplay and story spaces for BioShock 4. ·
Created proxy models and assembled appropriate period
references to assist internal team and external partners in the creation of
final game assets. ·
Maintained assigned levels through entire development
life cycle. |
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ARKANE AUSTIN - Austin, TX |
2018 - 2024 |
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REDFALL (PC, XBOX, ACTION RPG) - Lead Level Architect
(‘19 - ’24); Senior Level Architect (‘18 - ‘19) ·
Led and managed an internal team as well as additional
contributors from sister-studios through all phases in the creation of the
game’s world environments. ·
Researched, designed, built, and maintained game levels
throughout the production cycle - from initial concept to detailed grey-box
layouts to polished and optimized final product. ·
Produced 3D concepts of assets and architecture and
prototyped game levels during visual development phases. ·
Partnered with Level Designers, who provided narrative
structure, gameplay designs, and scripting, and with
Environment Artists, who provided additional art support and created final
models, materials, and textures. ·
Set dressed locations for richly detailed narratives and
deep environmental storytelling goals. ·
Implemented aesthetic and performant lighting for levels
to highlight player navigation and support mood. |
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PORTALARIUM
- Austin,
TX |
2013 - 2018 |
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SHROUD OF THE
AVATAR: FORSAKEN VIRTUES (PC, MMORPG) - Lead Artist ·
Provided leadership and mentoring to the art, animation,
and world building teams. ·
Guided the visual decision making of artists and
designers throughout an iterative creation process. ·
Created game-play maps, modular kits, environmental
assets, and props. ·
Created world lighting schemes and weather scenarios for
differing biome types. ·
Ensured consistency of visuals and quality of execution
for art and map output. ·
Trained and supported artists in technical implementation
of art into game engine. |
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FREELANCE ARTIST - Austin, TX |
2012 - 2013 |
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VARIOUS PROJECTS - 3D
Artist (Contract) ·
Provided 3D modeling and texturing services for projects
in the Computer Games and Marketing industries. Projects included "Home
Tycoon" for PlayStation Home from Hellfire Games, and
mobile app development for corporate customers at Somnio
Solutions, Inc. |
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VIGIL GAMES - Austin, TX |
2011 - 2012 |
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DARKSIDERS II (PC,
XBOX 360, PS3, ACTION RPG) - Senior Environment Artist ·
Assisted in optimization of maps and assets across two
game zones to meet or exceed performance metrics. ·
Involved in visual development for future downloadable content. |
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WARHAMMER 40K: DARK
MILLENIUM ONLINE (PC, MMORPG) – Senior Environment Artist ·
Sculpted and textured terrain, integrated structures and
props, and set up lighting for highly detailed and richly decorated exterior
and interior environments. (Cancelled by publisher). |
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BIOWARE - Austin, TX |
2011 |
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STAR WARS: THE OLD
REPUBLIC (PC, MMORPG) - Technical Environment Artist (Contract) ·
Focused on identifying areas for environment art
optimizations and assisting with the implementation of environment art
optimizations to meet or exceed scene performance metrics. |
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UTV IGNITION GAMES - Austin, TX |
2010 - 2011 |
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FAXION ONLINE (PC,
MMORPG) - Lead Environment Artist ·
Created models, object textures, terrain textures, flora,
and environmental color and lighting schemes, while directing and overseeing
the efforts of the environment art team. ·
Managed the outsourcing of environment art and character
art assets, providing direction and iterative feedback to four different
external groups involved in the development and completion of concept art and
3D assets. |
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BIOWARE - Austin, TX |
2009 - 2010 |
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STAR WARS: THE OLD
REPUBLIC (PC, MMORPG) - Environment Artist (Contract) ·
Sculpted and textured terrain, integrated structures and
props, and set up lighting for exterior and interior environments across two
game planets - Belsavis and Corellia. ·
Created custom environment models and textures. ·
Analyzed scenes for aesthetics and performance. |
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NCSOFT - Austin, TX |
2004 - 2009 |
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TABULA RASA (PC,
MMORPG) - Lead World Designer ('08 - '09); Senior Designer ('04
- '07) ·
Designed game-play worlds, environments, and creatures. ·
Designed visual points of interest and their related
game-play interactions. ·
Built environments from start-to-finish using proprietary
world editor. ·
Created proxy and finished in-game models. ·
Designed mission scenarios according to story
specifications and game-play needs. ·
Collaborated with Mission Designers on broad mission and
game story arcs. |
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EARLY CAREER |
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PANDEMIC
STUDIOS - Los
Angeles, CA |
2002 – 2003 |
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Star Wars: Battlefront
(PS2, FPS) - Art Director (Uncredited) Spec Warrior (PS2,
FPS) (Unreleased) - Art Director |
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CODEMASTERS
YOSEMITE - Oakhurst,
CA |
1999 - 2002 |
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Dragon Empires (PC,
MMORPG) (Unreleased) - Lead Artist / Lead Animator Navy SEALs (PC, FPS)
(Unreleased) - Art Director |
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SIERRA ON-LINE / YOSEMITE ENTERTAINMENT - Oakhurst, CA |
1991 - 1999 |
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Richard Marcinko’s
Navy SEALs (PC, FPS) (Unreleased) - Art Director Police Quest: SWAT2
(PC, RTS) - Art Director Lighthouse: The Dark
Being (PC, ADV) - Lead 3D Studio Artist Space Quest 6: The Spinal
Frontier (PC, ADV) - Lead Artist / Lead Animator Gabriel Knight: Sins
of the Fathers (PC, ADV) - Animation Director Lost Secret of the
Rainforest (PC, ADV) - Background Artist Freddy Pharkas: Frontier
Pharmacist (PC, ADV) - Animator King’s Quest VI: Heir
Today, Gone Tomorrow (PC, ADV) - Senior Animator Ecoquest: The Seach for Cetus (PC, ADV) - Animator The Dagger of Amon Ra
(PC, ADV) - Background Artist (Uncredited) Police Quest: In Pursuit
of the Death Angel (VGA) (PC, ADV) - Background Artist Hoyle: Official Book
of Games: Volume 3 (PC, CAS) - Animator Leisure Suit Larry 5
(PC, ADV) - Animator |
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EDUCATION |
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RHODE
ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN - Providence, RI |
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BACHELOR
OF FINE ARTS IN ILLUSTRATION |