Resume

Neil David Carter

NeilDavidCarter@gmail.com
Demo Reel

CINEMATIC DIRECTOR

With over 10 years experience designing playable story driven spaces, scripting video game narrative sequences, and directing both in-game and pre-rendered cutscenes, I’m looking to continue to champion video game storytelling with the best teams in the industry.

SKILLS

  • Skills: Narrative Scripting and Implementation, Cinematic Design, Scene Layout and Assembly, In-game and Prerendered Cutscene Development, Camera Design and Composition, Story and Character Development, Actor Staging and Blocking, Interactive Cinematics, In-game Storytelling, Environmental Story Design, Scripted Events, Vignettes, Pre-Visualization, Post Process, DOF, Scene Lighting, SCRUM and five years prior QA experience.
  • Technical Skills: Unreal Engine, Kismet Scripting and Matinee Cinematic Editor, EA’s Frostbite Engine, Schematics Scripting, ANT and Timeline Cinematic Editor, Blizzard’s Cutscene Editor, Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Bink, Perforce, DevTrack, TestTrack, Jira. Familiar with Maya, 3ds MAX, Motion Builder, After Effects, CryEngine, Unity, SketchUp, Clickteam Fusion, Game Maker Studio and eager to learn more.
  • Projects: Heroes of the Storm, Battlefield: Hardline, Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode Two, Deadpool, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Transformers: War for Cybertron.


EXPERIENCE

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
AUG 2017 – Present
ASSOCIATE PROJECT DIRECTOR

  • Cinematics Director for In-Game Cinematics from concept to final delivery by collaborating with IGC team members, writers, storyboard artists, editorial and Music/SFX/VO audio departments.

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT – HEROES OF THE STORM
May 2015 – AUG 2017
SENIOR IN-GAME CINEMATIC ARTIST

  • Create high quality cinematics in visual storytelling for promotion and industry trade events showcasing all of Blizzards past and future IP’s from Warcraft to Overwatch.
  • Pre-vis camera composition and shot layout, block-in actors and assemble environment art in Blizzard’s proprietary editor and tools.
  • Export cameras and animations from Maya and Max and troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise in the show during the process.
  • Collaborate in an interpersonal and creative team along with other Blizzard game teams to attain a vision from concept to final delivery.

VISCERAL GAMES – BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE
March 2014 – March 2015
CINEMATIC SCRIPTER

  • Implement AAA quality first person and third person in-game and pre-rendered cinematics and script them into the flow of the game, including the intro cinematic for the opening of the game.
  • Export mocap animations from Maya and assemble cutscenes and scripted events with AI actors, cameras, vehicles and props using EA’s proprietary next gen Timeline Cinematic Editor in Frostbite engine.
  • Collaborate in an interdisciplinary team and with multiple EA studios worldwide on the cinematic process and to streamline, troubleshoot and help integrate new methods and tools into the cinematic pipeline.
  • Script polished cinematics under a tight deadline exclusively for use in industry trade events and marketing.

IRRATIONAL GAMES – BIOSHOCK INFINITE: BURIAL AT SEA EPISODE TWO
October 2013 – February 2014
NARRATIVE SCRIPTER

  • Created narrative and cinematic scenes that raise the bar for storytelling in-game by collaborating closely with animators, audio, FX-artists, designers and level builders.
  • Implemented in-game and pre-rendered narrative sequences using Unreal’s kismet scripting language, Matinee cinematic editor, post process and scene lighting from block-in to finish.
  • Narrative Scripter for Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode Two’s opening intro scene.
  • Worked with directors and leads to meet high quality and story goals.
  • Composition, framing and camera work for all of the Death Videos in the game.
  • Crafted exclusive promotional scenes for use in the 2013 Spike’s VGX “Best character of the year” award.


HIGH MOON STUDIOS, ACTIVISION – DEADPOOL
JULY 2012 – April 2013
CINEMATIC DESIGNER

  • Directed and designed the first chapter of the Deadpool game; a player controlled, noncombat, story driven space in which the player is free to explore. It contains multiple scripted environmental storytelling interacts and custom in-game cinematics that serves as an introduction to the Deadpool character.
  • Scripted complex player interactions on cinematics, NPC’s and the environment across several levels.
  • Conceptualized and implemented real-time, interactive and pre-rendered cutscenes.
  • Contributed to the overall story by writing character dialog and scene scripts.
  • Collaborated closely with Leads, Design, Mechanics, Code, Writing, Animation, Art, VFX and Audio departments throughout the development cycles.
  • Optimization, performance polish and bug fixing.


HIGH MOON STUDIOS, ACTIVISION – TRANSFORMERS FALL OF CYBERTRON
JUNE 2010 – JULY 2012
CINEMATIC DESIGNER

  • Responsible for the narrative scripting, cinematic creation and assembling the storytelling of five out of thirteen chapters for Transformers Fall of Cybertron  with the following characters – Grimlock & the Dinobots, Optimus, Metroplex, Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave.
  • Spearheaded player agency sequences by scripting complex player interactions during cinematics, on NPC characters and within the environment for player controlled narrative play spaces.
  • Conceptualized and collaborated with my artist and designer on building player controlled narrative play spaces.
  • Designed cameras for player executions and interactions.
  • Scripted AI routes and set ambient animations to deliver believable NPC behaviors.
  • Previsualized combat mechanics and narrative scenarios.
  • Trained new cinematic designers and animators on the tech and pipeline.
  • Delegated additional cinematic work to two other Cinematics Designers and oversaw work.
  • Collaborated closely with Leads, Design, Mechanics, Code, Writing, Animation, Art, VFX and Audio departments throughout the development cycles.
  • Selected to interview with Game Informer on cinematics and storytelling.


HIGH MOON STUDIOS, ACTIVISION – TRANSFORMERS WAR FOR CYBERTRON
APRIL 2008 – JUNE 2010
ASSOCIATE CINEMATIC DESIGNER

  • Worked directly with the Lead Designer in creating the first polished vertical slice of the Transformers War for Cybertron game and set the quality standard at which the game needed to achieve in its entirety.
  • Responsible for the narrative and cinematics for the entire first two chapters of the Autobot campaign on Transformers War for Cybertron and was requested to assist on several other levels as well.
  • Set the internal standard for game wide ambient vignettes and in-game scripted events.
  • Previsualized combat mechanics and co-designed player camera framing.
  • Created real-time, interactive and pre-rendered cutscenes for marketing trailers.
  • Stage, capture and edit footage for use in promotional material.
  • In charge of implementing DOF for all cutscene cameras in the game.
  • Co-wrote Achievement/Trophies.

QUALITY ASSURANCE EXPERIENCE

HIGH MOON STUDIOS, ACTIVISION
2006 – 2008
PRODUCT ANALYST

  • Ensured all facets of Unreal Engine 3 were working and stable, tested newly integrated UE3 builds from Epic, worked with publisher QA, offered assistance, addressed issues, and provided feedback as needed to the development team.

ROCKSTAR GAMES
2005 – 2006
PRODUCT ANALYST

  • Worked closely with developer’s on implementing feedback with the design team for gameplay balancing, AI tuning, UI functionality, and art/animation issues. Initiated continuous workflow and communication with the audio department to ensure all facets of audio played and functioned appropriately.

SEGA SAMMY STUDIO
2004 – 2005
PRODUCT ANALYST

  • Tested assigned projects from Pre-Alpha through Final product submission. Delegated daily tasks from the lead, QA Supervisors, and Producer. Provided appropriate feedback through product evaluations and bug write-ups.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA
2004 – 2004
PRODUCT ANALYST

  • Tracked, detected, and isolated game defects for both online and offline titles. Provided feedback on functionality of gameplay and the game itself.

MIDWAY GAMES
2003 – 2004
PRODUCT ANALYST

  • Tested assigned projects from Pre-Alpha through Final product submission. Delegated daily tasks from the lead, QA Supervisors, and Producer. Provided appropriate feedback through product evaluations and bug write-ups.

EDUCATION

PALOMAR COLLEGE
 SAN MARCOS CA
GENERAL & VIDEO GAME STUDIES

  • Game Design and Game History, Art, 2D Animation and Illustration, Music, Cinema.

 

References and Recommendations:
linkedin.com/in/NeilDavidCarter