Game Art & Design
I've worked in game development as professional artist/animator, art director and game designer for over 20 years. If you have an interest in any of these skills I can be contracted on a work for hire or other basis. If you'd like to discuss this in more detail, I can be contacted via email:
gary@garyart.net
Professional Resume
GARY WINNICK
Game Designer
Product Manager/ Producer
Art Director
BACKGROUND
After graduating Monterey Peninsula College with degrees in Art and Business, Gary
began his professional career at Continuity Associates in New York, where he worked
with comic book legends Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Returning to California he
started his own studio with longtime friend Frank Cirocco. That studio ultimately
became Lightsource, specializing in content and art development for clients such as
Atari, Sega, Nintendo, EA, Yahoo, Playdom and Disney.
Later, during his nine-year association with Lucasfilm/Lucasarts, along with Ron
Gilbert, Gary co-created, designed and developed Lucasfilm's first graphic adventure,
Maniac Mansion, which was also syndicated as a live action series on the Family
Channel. Additionally, Gary was the creator/designer on Defenders of Dynatron City
for the NES. He developed the superhero driven project and was creative consultant
for a range of licensed products, including an animated special that aired on Fox and
a Marvel Comics adaptation.
Soon after, he accepted an offer of art directorship at Spectrum Holobyte to form and
manage the visual development team for Spectrum's Star Trek, The Next Generation
projects in association with Paramount Pictures. Later, becoming a co-founder at
game developer Orbital Studios, he launched a number of projects including
Dinonauts for Virgin Sound and Vision. Recently, Gary was a founder at platform and
game developer Suddenly Social, along with Lucasfilm alumni Chip Morningstar,
Randy Farmer and Noah Falstein. Returning to Lightsource, Gary continued to work
on content for a variety of social gaming clients. Most recently he signed a contract
with comic book company Red 5 to publish his graphic novel 'Bad Dreams' as a limited
series and trade paperback in 2014.
SKILLS
Product Development and Strategy
Concept and development of game title strategy. Line look, market parameters, target
user profile and participation in associated product planning. Identification of
necessary personnel, resources and tools.
Game Design
Designer and consultant for numerous titles (see game development history), from
initial concept to final design. Created key design documents and associated visuals
(storyboards, game flow diagrams, etc.). Responsibilities included scheduling and
budgeting. As project lead, maintained creative vision, managed project resources,
identified and contributed to in-house tool development.
Personnel Management
Excellent planning, communication and management skills. Managed internal and
external game development resources for individual projects, as well as entire
divisions (3-30 direct reports). External contract resource identification and
supervision. Hiring, review and dismissal responsibility. Budgeting, scheduling (P&L),
personnel assignment, office space allocation and associated resources. Milestone
review, asset tracking and organization. Have written and executed numerous
employment contracts and independent consulting agreements.
Art Direction
Determination of visual approach and resource allocation for specific titles. Portfolio/
resume review of potential assets, assignment or hiring thereof, department budgeting
and overall operations management. Liaison between project art teams and engineering.
Strong concept design, traditional and digital drawing and animation skills.
OBJECTIVE
Senior creative and managerial position in a robust game development environment,
with secure funding and quantifiable short and long term goals. Help define divisional
goals and execute product vision, select and direct resources.
WORK EXPERIENCE
1983-1984 Atari Games/ Home Computer Division Sunnyvale CA
Artist/ Animator
Worked on a variety of arcade to home computer ports, including Dig Dug and
Donkey Kong. Development team internal original project: Timegate
1984-1993 Lucasfilm/ Lucasarts Games San Rafeal CA
Artist/ Animator, Art Director, Game Designer/ Project Leader
Fifth employee of Lucasfilm's start up Computer Games Division, hired as the first art
resource. Created art and animation over the first two years for all the division's titles.
Promoted to Art Department Supervisor, built what was considered by many the best
art department in the games industry at the time. Hired and managed internal art
resources as well as independent contractors, developing an average of 6 original
titles per year. Co-designed the company's first animated graphic adventure Maniac
Mansion which met critical and financial success both domestically and worldwide.
Promoted to project leader/game designer as well as art director overseeing three
development groups (computer games, console and educational). Designed division's
first original NES cartridge game Defenders of Dynatron City. Developed ancillary
licensed media including consulting on a live action Maniac Mansion TV series for the
family channel, animated Dynatron City pilot for Fox Kids network and mini-series for
Marvel Comics.
1993-1994 Spectrum Holobyte Alameda CA
Art Director, Product Manager
Hired to revamp existing art department, increase resources and productivity.
Interviewed and hired senior department personnel. Developed new pipeline and
procedures between art resources and engineering. Met with Paramount Pictures Star
Trek production staff to establish visual development for STNG Final Unity title as well
as concept development for planned Star themed location based facilities.
1994-1996 Orbital Studios La Selva Beach CA
Founder, Art Director, Game Designer, Product Manager
Co-founded Orbital Studios with AJ Redmer and Karl Buiter. Orbital was an independent
game development studio funded through a multi-product deal with Virgin Interactive.
Conceived and designed Dinonauts Adventures in Space: a 2D children's title published
by Virgin Sound and Vision. Art directed project Forced Alliance: high end 3D space
combat simulator published by Ripcord Games. Project leader and designer for 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea: The Adventure Continues co-developed with Southpeak
Interactive.
1996-2010 Lightsource Studios San Jose CA
Art Director, Product Manager
Co-founder Lightsource Studios with Frank Cirocco as a contract art development
studio. Initially to create all the visual assets for Electric Communities online graphical,
avatar based virtual world. Contracted with numerous game developers for art and design
content including The Learning Company, Microsoft, EA, Leapfrog, Disney Interactive,
Yahoo, Playdom and Zynga. Responsible for internal management when contracted by
Yahoo to develop their 2D avatar system. Worked with Yahoo product manager to
create content roadmap and dedicated online tools for asset management. Provided an
ongoing pipeline as well as defining all content over the course of five years.
2010-2012 Suddenly Social Los Altos CA
Founder, Art Director, Game Designer, Product Manager
Suddenly Social offered highly scalable real time cross platform server technology for
game development. Gary was a co-founder along with Chip Morningstar, Randy Farmer,
Noah Falstein and Rich Mironov. Gary served as part of the internal development team
to create two proof of technology mobile games: Bad Pets and Dice Club. Worked to secure
funding, also contracted out services for a third party 'Minecraft' style game in development.
2013- Present Stray Pixel Studios Felton CA
Creative Director
Signed contract to produce 'Bad Dreams' comic book series with Red 5 publishing.
Continued contracting for social gaming clients and gaming platform development.
GAME DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
Available on request
REFERENCES
Available on request