Thomas Jung - Art Director - Concept Designer - Educator
[email protected] - 949.400.5195 - www.thejungkyard.com
SUMMARY
Excellent leadership and communication skills
Accomplished creative team-builder and mentor, adept at collaboration across disciplines and individuals at both the team and studio level.
Extensive experience collaborating with remote creative stakeholders and managing offshore outsource vendors.
Skilled concept designer, visual communicator, and agile collaborator
EXPERIENCE
Zynga - Nov 2015 - Present
Senior Concept Artist + Art Outsource Manager
Responsible for supporting Art Director in extending and communicating product visual style across 4 person internal art development team and 2 person concept team
Managing art content developed with our overseas art vendors, directing asset flow, art style compliance and approvals, as well as coordinating local integration
Spacetime Games - March 2014 – Oct 2015
Art Director - Call of Champions - MOBA for Android and IOS (no longer live)
Responsible for creating and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house Concept and Art Development teams as well as offshore outsource vendors (from preproduction through to final assets for UA/Product Management and Marketing)
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Coordinated across disciplines to achieve collaborative solutions to product requirements
ArtCraft Entertainment - May 2013 – March 2014
Lead Artist/Principle Artist
Seed investor pitch phase for 5 Dragons - unreleased card game for mobile
Solely responsible for all aspects of art production including envisioning visual style, rapid prototyping 2d assets, and hand-integration in collaboration with engineering
Disney Interactive Austin (Playdom) - Aug 2011 – May 2013
Art Director - Dragon Town (Facebook + mobile)
Responsible for envisioning and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house as well as offshore Concept and Art Development teams
Collaborated directly with remote Disney Creative Director to guide his vision to the local development team
Oversaw vetting and contracting of multiple offshore art development vendor studios
Developed content pipeline and Best Practices between Austin and offshore vendors.
Developed a unique 2d concept outsourcing pipeline that was adopted back into Disney Interactive as a standard workflow solution
Directed art outsource content from concept to game integration
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Sony Online Entertainment - Feb 2009 – March 2011
Senior Concept Artist - DC Universe Online.
Worked closely with the on-site DC Brand Managers to define the aesthetics of interior and exterior environments as well marquee player characters.
Collaborated with level designers and story designers on preproduction and iteration of playable spaces throughout an open world MMO
Kitchen Sink Creative - July 2008-Feb 2009
Independent Concept Artist / Creative Consultant
Clients include: EA Games, Stray Bullet Games, Edge of Reality, Redfly Studios, Sony Online Entertainment, and Disney Interactive
Stray Bullet Games - Oct 2006 – July 2008
Art Director - OMEGA (unreleased)
Responsible for creating and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house Concept and Art Development team
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Coordinated across disciplines to achieve collaborative solutions to create functioning prototypes using the Hero Engine for the purposes of pitching to potential publishers and investors
Active participant and presenter in pitch effort to multiple investors and publishing entities
Responsible for studio wide communication to debate, establish, and maintain the integrity of the established style
Austin Community College - Jan 2008 – 2017
Adjunct Professor of Visual Communication - Austin Community College Game Development Institute.
Responsible for curriculum development and teaching 2D Design for Games as well as 3D Modeling.
Point of View, Inc. - June 2005 – Aug 2006
Studio Art Director.
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring across 3 teams and multiple projects via coaching of team art leads
Responsible for quality of all art delivered to clients as well as communicating with client Art Directors
Studio Clients included:
Aspyr Media - The Shield (2007)
EA - untitled Lord of The Rings game (canceled)
EA - NASCAR ‘07
EA - Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘07
EA Los Angeles - March 2004 – June 2005, Aug 2006 – Oct 2006
Senior level modeler and texture artist
The Lord of The Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth and Command and Conquer III.
Art Institute of California- Orange County [April 2003 – March 2004]
Academic Director of Media Arts and Animation/ Game Art and Design.
Responsible for All Academic outcomes across two departments as well as assistance with job placement and student recruitment
Coordinated and collaborated on accreditation visit/vetting by national accrediting body to justify curriculum and academic approach
Responsible for coaching and development of 20-25 faculty
Collaborated on complete restructuring of Curricula across two fields of study
Blizzard Entertainment [April 2000 – April 2003]
3D/Concept Artist
Concept design on The World of WarCraft. Environment and prop design for interior and exterior spaces.
Storyboard Illustration for portion of Diablo II Expansion cinematics.
3D modeling and texture map creation for The World of WarCraft.
Art Institute of California – Orange County [April 2002 – September 2006]
Instructor at the college level of several subjects, including:
Character and Object Design
Animation Layout and Scene Design
Drawing and Perspective
Graduate Portfolio and Reel Preparation and review
Oddworld Inhabitants [September 1996 – February 2000]
2D Artist
Primary storyboard illustrator for cinematic sequences of Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus and opening scenes of Oddworld:Munch’s Oddysee.
Member of digital paint team on Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus.
Kronos Digital Entertainment [January 1995 – September 1995]
Artist
Character development and movement storyboards for 3D two person fighter game Dark Rift.
3D modeling for PC game Meat Puppet.
Education
Art Center College of Design
1996 BS - Industrial Design with an emphasis in Entertainment Design and Technologies.
Publications
Contributor - Concept Design
The Art of The World of WarCraft
Publisher: Insight Editions - 2015
[email protected] - 949.400.5195 - www.thejungkyard.com
SUMMARY
Excellent leadership and communication skills
Accomplished creative team-builder and mentor, adept at collaboration across disciplines and individuals at both the team and studio level.
Extensive experience collaborating with remote creative stakeholders and managing offshore outsource vendors.
Skilled concept designer, visual communicator, and agile collaborator
EXPERIENCE
Zynga - Nov 2015 - Present
Senior Concept Artist + Art Outsource Manager
Responsible for supporting Art Director in extending and communicating product visual style across 4 person internal art development team and 2 person concept team
Managing art content developed with our overseas art vendors, directing asset flow, art style compliance and approvals, as well as coordinating local integration
Spacetime Games - March 2014 – Oct 2015
Art Director - Call of Champions - MOBA for Android and IOS (no longer live)
Responsible for creating and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house Concept and Art Development teams as well as offshore outsource vendors (from preproduction through to final assets for UA/Product Management and Marketing)
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Coordinated across disciplines to achieve collaborative solutions to product requirements
ArtCraft Entertainment - May 2013 – March 2014
Lead Artist/Principle Artist
Seed investor pitch phase for 5 Dragons - unreleased card game for mobile
Solely responsible for all aspects of art production including envisioning visual style, rapid prototyping 2d assets, and hand-integration in collaboration with engineering
Disney Interactive Austin (Playdom) - Aug 2011 – May 2013
Art Director - Dragon Town (Facebook + mobile)
Responsible for envisioning and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house as well as offshore Concept and Art Development teams
Collaborated directly with remote Disney Creative Director to guide his vision to the local development team
Oversaw vetting and contracting of multiple offshore art development vendor studios
Developed content pipeline and Best Practices between Austin and offshore vendors.
Developed a unique 2d concept outsourcing pipeline that was adopted back into Disney Interactive as a standard workflow solution
Directed art outsource content from concept to game integration
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Sony Online Entertainment - Feb 2009 – March 2011
Senior Concept Artist - DC Universe Online.
Worked closely with the on-site DC Brand Managers to define the aesthetics of interior and exterior environments as well marquee player characters.
Collaborated with level designers and story designers on preproduction and iteration of playable spaces throughout an open world MMO
Kitchen Sink Creative - July 2008-Feb 2009
Independent Concept Artist / Creative Consultant
Clients include: EA Games, Stray Bullet Games, Edge of Reality, Redfly Studios, Sony Online Entertainment, and Disney Interactive
Stray Bullet Games - Oct 2006 – July 2008
Art Director - OMEGA (unreleased)
Responsible for creating and communicating the primary visual style for the product to in-house Concept and Art Development team
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring
Coordinated across disciplines to achieve collaborative solutions to create functioning prototypes using the Hero Engine for the purposes of pitching to potential publishers and investors
Active participant and presenter in pitch effort to multiple investors and publishing entities
Responsible for studio wide communication to debate, establish, and maintain the integrity of the established style
Austin Community College - Jan 2008 – 2017
Adjunct Professor of Visual Communication - Austin Community College Game Development Institute.
Responsible for curriculum development and teaching 2D Design for Games as well as 3D Modeling.
Point of View, Inc. - June 2005 – Aug 2006
Studio Art Director.
Responsible for all Art Team members’ career growth, reviews, and hiring across 3 teams and multiple projects via coaching of team art leads
Responsible for quality of all art delivered to clients as well as communicating with client Art Directors
Studio Clients included:
Aspyr Media - The Shield (2007)
EA - untitled Lord of The Rings game (canceled)
EA - NASCAR ‘07
EA - Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘07
EA Los Angeles - March 2004 – June 2005, Aug 2006 – Oct 2006
Senior level modeler and texture artist
The Lord of The Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth and Command and Conquer III.
Art Institute of California- Orange County [April 2003 – March 2004]
Academic Director of Media Arts and Animation/ Game Art and Design.
Responsible for All Academic outcomes across two departments as well as assistance with job placement and student recruitment
Coordinated and collaborated on accreditation visit/vetting by national accrediting body to justify curriculum and academic approach
Responsible for coaching and development of 20-25 faculty
Collaborated on complete restructuring of Curricula across two fields of study
Blizzard Entertainment [April 2000 – April 2003]
3D/Concept Artist
Concept design on The World of WarCraft. Environment and prop design for interior and exterior spaces.
Storyboard Illustration for portion of Diablo II Expansion cinematics.
3D modeling and texture map creation for The World of WarCraft.
Art Institute of California – Orange County [April 2002 – September 2006]
Instructor at the college level of several subjects, including:
Character and Object Design
Animation Layout and Scene Design
Drawing and Perspective
Graduate Portfolio and Reel Preparation and review
Oddworld Inhabitants [September 1996 – February 2000]
2D Artist
Primary storyboard illustrator for cinematic sequences of Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus and opening scenes of Oddworld:Munch’s Oddysee.
Member of digital paint team on Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus.
Kronos Digital Entertainment [January 1995 – September 1995]
Artist
Character development and movement storyboards for 3D two person fighter game Dark Rift.
3D modeling for PC game Meat Puppet.
Education
Art Center College of Design
1996 BS - Industrial Design with an emphasis in Entertainment Design and Technologies.
Publications
Contributor - Concept Design
The Art of The World of WarCraft
Publisher: Insight Editions - 2015