Brian T

Director of Central Cinematics

Bio

Brian is a graduate of the University of Kansas, with degrees in Political Science and Creative Writing. None of that is particularly relevant to game design, but that's beside the point. He got started in level design making levels for Counter-Strike, before starting at Gearbox in 2001 working on Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. After returning to college to finish his degrees, he returned to Gearbox in 2006 to join the Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway team, where he serves as a cinematic designer.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys long walks on the beach. Since no beaches are to be found around Dallas, he ends up spending his spare time taking photos, mountain biking, road cycling, and injuring himself on the Gearbox softball team.

Length of time I have been employed in the industry

2 years

Game companies I have worked for

Gearbox

Titles I have worked on

Counterstrike: Condition Zero, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

Advice

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

Pick a game you like, see if it has an editor or modding tools, and then read everything you can find on the internet about it. Don't be afraid to make a bunch of test levels with bad lighting or tons of errors. We've all done it. The only way you learn is to screw up, and then figure out how not to screw up again. Most importantly: show off your work. Yes, the internet is a mean place, but you'll learn to filter the good criticism and get better from it.

Favorites

First game I remember playing

Centipede on my neighbor's Atari

All-time favorite game

Goldeneye

Non-video gaming hobbies

Cycling, mountain biking, photography, softball

Favorite bands/music

The Shins, The Decemberists, Bob Schneider, The Format, Nellie McKay, Menomena

Favorite books/authors

Chuck Klosterman, Douglas Coupland (go buy Microserfs and read it right now)

Favorite TV shows