About
Yes, that'd be me...
While I always feel awkward trying to write about myself, this is a section I've always felt should be on any portfolio (how else can you get a good hand on the kind of person that makes the art you're looking at?). Seeing as I cannot stand to be a hypocrite, here we have a page all about who I am.
I'm Josh! Well, actually William, and Joshua is my middle name...family tradition for first born sons to have the first name of William, though most of us ended up going by our middle names.
And yes, I passed the curse along to my own son.
I'm an artist in the video game industry, specifically as a Visual Effects artist now. While I started out as working specifically as a jack-of-all-trades 3d model building and animating maniac, I've since specialized as a Visual Effects artist working primarily with particle systems. I love the work, it's always a great challenge trying to find new ways of doing things!.
I eventually would like to be a Creative Director or (if the industry ever gets it) the equivalent of a Director on a film...I'm the first one to say I do a better job refining and guiding other's work than my own.
Anyhow, on to a little more about me in order (roughly) of importance to me.
Family Man
First and foremost, I'm a family guy. While my career is extremely important to me, I know that when I'm 135 years old and on my death bed (yeah, I'm gonna live that long) it will not be how many games I made or stories I told that will matter...it'll be how my family has ended up as a cause of my actions.
I'm a single father and have two human kids (boy and girl--pure luck) and just one furry kid (our cat, Kyp). I work in Austin, Texas and plan on growing some roots here while working at the best studio that exists, Red Fly Studio.
My kids have been raised a little different than most (their favorite movie at four and five was Resident Evil), I'm very close to them both and definitely strive to stay that way.
I prefer to put my overtime hours in early in the morning and punish myself that way, rather than stay late at night and punish them for it.
We're all Star Wars nuts in my house, which is admittedly my own fault. I name the hairy kids after Star Wars characters.
Storyteller
At first I would have put something more specific, like "writer" or "artist," but really calling myself a Storyteller is the most accurate way to sum me up in one word.
I think I'm like just about any artist or writer in regards to growing up...started out writing and drawing as a child and on up from there.
While I was in highschool I wrote what I call the "Hero trilogy," which I'm currently re-writing with an adult mind having experienced the Marine Corps and other life lessons since (a kid in high school's perspective of the world is very funny to go back and read), which I hope to get published at some point.
I have a few major stories I sort of drift around between in my mind, the Hero trilogy being the first. My other baby--"Destiny" as the generic title--is written from the ground up to be a trilogy of games with episodic content linking them together, while the third is in a kind of limbo between the literary and game experience worlds.
Most of my art (before getting into joint projects and then professional work) was typically a result of story ideas, either from original works or stories set in the Star Wars universe. I remain somewhat active in a writing group that writes Star Wars fan fiction, where we develop interactive stories via forums.
Marine Corps Infantry
Once a Marine, always a Marine. I was in the Marine Corps infantry as a TOW Gunner (I shot missiles at tanks), which bestowed upon me several life experiences and personal developments I'm very proud of.
Having been in the infantry and training for things like how to handle weapons and million-dollar equipment, squad movements, tactical assault in urban terrain, professional and personal development of junior Marines, and mission planning I like to think I have a unique outlook few in our industry have to bring to the table.
It also gave me a great deal of self-discipline, not only my day to day activities and work ethics but also in how I interact with others and approach problems.
I was a Sergeant when I received my honorable discharge, responsible for 32 Marines and a couple Sailors, and look very much to leading men and women in a team environment again someday. I'm very confident I'm a strong and natural leader, which also makes me a competent subordinate.
Just Some Dude
I'm a fairly laid back kind of guy, and when I say that I actually mean that...no secret translations to "indifferent" or "lazy." I'll speak my mind just fine, though as long as I know what's going on and am free to ask questions when I don't understand...I go with the flow.
Born and raised in California, moved to Wisconsin for a couple years after highschool, then back to California where I did a stint as a homeless guy and enlisted in the Marine Corps.
Did my four and some change in Hawaii where I got to go all over the world. Philipinnes, Japan & Okinawa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia and a few pit-stops in other places.
I had always planned on becoming a writer/director for major motion pictures, since I was 12 or 13 I believe. After getting out of the military and realizing I was responsible for an (ex) wife and two kids, that dream's likely years of "starving artist" become somewhat irresponsible.
Eventually I started school at ITT Technical Institute in Green Bay, WI studying multimedia and game development. I had a bit of an unfair advantage with the years of experience already had making models in 3D Studio Max, but it made me popular come final projects time! Outside of a couple of very talented Max users (who went out of their way to teach me new things aside from the regular class), I felt I was wasting a lot of money at the school and dropped out a year and a half later.
I was hired at Frozen Codebase at first as a working-for-free intern to help out with making some videos for their first title, "Screwjumper!" I had caught the eye of the President of the company, Ben Geisler, when I won the "Animation" category in the "Annual Midwest ITT Tech Game Competition" the year before. Free intern turned into a paid position, later to salary and so on.
Now I reside in Austin, Texas...quickly becoming the gaming mecca of the US (around 60 studios I believe here), working at Red Fly Studio as a Visual Effects artist working on games for the Nintendo Wii. Mushroom Men was the first game to come out I worked on there, followed by Ghostbusters and most recently Cooked or Be Cooked. Right now (as of January 2010) we have a couple of projects that have yet to be announced we're churning away on.
I cannot WAIT to tell everyone what game title I'm working on right now, but until the powers that be give us permission...I can say nothing.
The End