Jim S

Visual FX Artist

Bio

Got a monkey drunk on accident once. Knocked myself out with a golf club when I was 14. I like to blow stuff up.

Length of time I have been employed in the industry

Since 2002.

Game companies I have worked for

Midway Home Entertainment

Titles I have worked on

This Is Vegas (2009), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Wheelman (2009), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
TNA (2008), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Stranglehold (2007), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
BlackSite: Area 51 (2007), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows (2005), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
NARC (2005), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
MLB Slugfest Loaded (2004), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
NBA Ballers (2004), Midway Games, Inc.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (2004), Midway
Ricochet Lost Worlds (2004), Reflexive Entertainment Inc.
The Suffering (2004), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Freaky Flyers (2003), Midway
MLB SlugFest 20-04 (2003), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
RoadKill (2003), Midway
SpyHunter 2 (2003), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Defender (2002), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.

Advice

Resources I would recommend for those interested in getting into game development (books, tutorials, sites, etc)

Be a gamer! Don't under-estimate your education in High School or college. Your portfolio will get you a job, but a solid education will make you excel. Technology changes all the time so you need to be constantly learning. For me the trick was finding out what was important to learn and what wasn't. In a 3 hour lecture, only about an hour of it actually taught me anything.

If you are interested in getting into the Industry don't try to be a master of everything, find something you love doing and concentrate on it. If you are not sure, experiment and try to connect ideas that may seem unrelated. You may think you want to be a Character Animator but discover you love making Effects.

Favorites

First game I remember playing

The very first game? That would be pong.

All-time favorite game

Starcraft, Warcraft, Doom, Halo, CS, and Mario Brothers.

Non-video gaming hobbies

I like to break things, hack stuff, and create strange electronic devices that connect to my Xbox. Painting, Sculpting, Mixed Media, Experimental Art, Motorcycle restoration, sleeping, eating, and cooking.

Favorite bands/music

Dethklok, Slayer, Ministry, Tool, Danzig, Primus, Rammstein, and a few other bands your likely to not know.