PHILIP STRAUB
Art Director, Concept Artist, Illustrator, Author, Teacher
515 Summit Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102
860-830-2131 ~ straubart@aol.com
www.philipstraub.com
www.utherworlds.com
OBJECTIVE
To create and develop beautiful things that entertain
and enrich peoples lives.
SKILLS
- Art Direction
- Creative Direction and Story Development
- Brand Development
- Concept Art and Illustration
- 3D texturing and modeling
- Video compositing and animation
- Storyboards
- Matte painting
- Traditional media
- Photoshop CS 4
- Illustrator CS 4
- Painter 10
- Maya 2009
- Z Brush 3
- Dreamweaver CS4
- Flash CS4
- After Effects CS4
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Warner Brothers Games, Seattle
2009
- Present
Art Director
Lord of the Rings: War in the North(XBOX 360,
PS3, PC)
- Create and foster visual objectives for AAA console title(s) through completion of art bible, visual targets, and concise Art Direction.
- Oversee development of art for 35+ artists
across all disciplines including: world development, character development,
concept development, VFX, UI, and cinematics.
- Establish review process of all art assets to increase overall quality and increase studio visibility of art production progress.
- Mentor artists through hands on training and development of career objectives.
- Create environment, character, VFX, and UI concept art.
- Assess relevant technologies with Technical Art Director and Senior Engineer to improve workflow and increase visual quality of studio products
- Work with marketing and licensing groups on brand development.
- Work with 3rd party developers in the creation of art assets.
Big Fish Games, Seattle 2/09-11/09
Art Director
3 Unannounced Original IP (PC, Wii)
- Create and foster visual objectives for casual game IP through completion of art bible.
- Mentor artists and junior Art Directors through hands on training and development of career objectives.
- Create environment, character and UI concept art.
- Create storyboards and motion graphics for prototyping purposes and for cinematic support of narrative.
- Create finished in game matte paintings and characters.
- Work with team on story narrative and puzzle development.
- Work with engineer on developing pipeline and new particle tools to support VFX goals as defined by art bible.
- Co-ordinate bi-weekly Art Director meetings including agenda, action items, and short and long term goals for studio art development.
- Scope scale and size of art team and overall game to fit budgetary requirements.
- Create art schedule for internal and multiple external resources.
- Work with multiple 3rd party developers in the creation of art assets.
- Work with marketing and licensing groups on brand development.
Unity Entertainment, Los Angeles/Seattle 2008 - 2009
Chairman and CEO
Utherworlds and Secret Places interactive properties (PC)
- Develop company vision, company objectives, operating structure, and implementation strategy.
- Develop strategic business initiatives, creative development initiatives, and visual direction for multiple company owned IP.
- Design, create, produce, and direct third party developers in the creation of multimedia online properties.
- Direct animation development with external contractors for Utherworlds online property.
- Direct soundscape for Utherworlds online property.
- Create and design ground breaking 11 x17 hardcover illustrated novel featuring; over 60 illustrations, original written language, original spoken language, unique world development, character development, and original supporting novella.
- Create screenplay treatments/adaptations for company owned IP.
- Recruit and develop business relationships to support internal and external growth.
NcSoft
2007
- 2008
LA
Visual Studio Art Director
Guild
Wars 2, Tabula Rasa, Lineage
(PC)
•
Oversee visual development for all studio franchise
titles including Guild Wars, Tabula Rasa, and Lineage
Forever.
• Create studio wide visual objectives
for titles.
•
Expand overall studio services available to global partner projects.
• Expand studio project portfolio and
demand of studio services across NCsoft worldwide.
• Effectively introduce 3D/2D prototyping
and concept art development to studio workflow.
•
Train and mentor studio concept artists in new and emerging
concept art techniques and processes.
• Increase overall studio concept artist
speed and efficiency by 200%.
• Significantly increase overall studio
concept art quality.
• Create ongoing artist visual development
curriculum to expand studio services and improve artist skillset.
• Work with studio GM and production
coordinators to define asset creation pipeline.
• Create Concept Art for all studio
titles.
Electronic Arts
Tiburon 2003
- 2007
Studio Art Director
3
Unannounced Original IP, Madden, NCAA, NASCAR 06: Total Team Control (PS2,
Xbox, Xbox 360), NFL Street (PS2, Xbox, GC), Tiger Woods ( PS3, Xbox360)
NFL Head Coach (PS2, Xbox, PC), Superman Returns: The Videogame (PS2,
Xbox360, GC, PC)
•
Oversee visual development
for all studio titles.
• Create studio wide visual objectives
for titles.
• Work with CVO to define EA Sports
brand company wide visual objectives
• Work with Development Directors,
EP's and Resource management group on studio staffing and organization
structure.
•
Mentor and develop career objectives
for studio Art Directors
• Identify, mentor, and develop potential
Art Direction candidates
• Create studio standard workflow for
prototyping and conceptual development.
• Create studio standard style guide
for Art Directors.
• Create discipline specific art clubs
to promote sharing of best practices and artist visibility.
• Create Concept Art for all studio
titles.
•
Create visual targets for studio
titles.
• Create matte paintings for studio
titles.
• Assess relevant technologies with
CG Supervisor and team TA's to improve workflow and increase visual
quality of studio products
• Assess pipelines and partner with
artist's, SE's and Central Tools group to create data drive pipelines
and increase efficiencies.
•
Studio representative for Electronic
Arts Worldwide Pre-Production council.
• Teach studio Concept Art class.
• Create studio standard calibration
rooms for Art Reviews.
• Promote studio through artist interviews
and press features.
Concept
Art Director
•
Create Concept Art for 10 AAA console titles including Madden, NCAA, Nascar,
NFL Street, NFL Coach, Superman
Returns, 2 unannounced titles, and 2 original IP.
• Oversee Visual Development of Concept
Art studio wide.
•
Developed structure for Concept Departments interaction with studio, successfully
implementing the studio's first
centralized client based team.
• Manage a team of 6-8 Concept Artists
including; career development, scheduling, and mentoring.
• Managed outsourcing and Art Direction
for freelance Concept Artists.
• Create and Art Direct matte paintings
for AAA console titles.
• Create and Art Direct marketing materials
for console games.
•
Create and Art Direct look, feel, and functionality
of UI for AAA console titles.
• Create and Art Direct in game cinematics.
• Create and Art Direct logo and brand
development.
• Work with studio Art Directors to
define visual targets for AAA console titles.
• Studio representative for Electronic
Arts Worldwide Pre-Production council.
• Teach studio Concept Art class.
Senior
Concept Artist
•
Create Concept Art for two AAA console game titles.
•
Worked with Art directors on overall visual development of two AAA console
game.
• Lead a team of 8 environment
artists during production of a AAA console game title.
• Created marketing materials
for console games.
Vivendi Universal Games 1997-2003
Lead
Background Artist/Background Department Manager
• Illustrated
backgrounds for over 10 CD Rom titles.
• Textured 3D characters and environments.
• Worked directly with Creative Director
on developing background style and palette on all products.
• Increased productivity and streamlined
workflow of background department through software automation.
• Trained all newly hired Background
Artists and regularly mentored background artist team.
• Worked directly with Producers on
project scheduling, style development and art direction.
• Painted and
designed packaging for CD Rom titles.
• Researched and implemented current
and relevant technologies into background department workflow.
• Worked with concept department on
layouts and style development of CD Rom backgrounds.
• Created backgrounds and animations
for educational websites.
• Designed logo’s for new product
lines.
Mercer Mayer
1995-1997
Children's
Book Illustrator
• Painted cover,
interior, and related promotional material for over 25 children’s
book titles.
• Painted backgrounds and contributed
to the development of characters and storyline for a children’s CD
Rom title.
Philip Straub
Illustration and Design 1994-present
Illustrator,
Concept Atist, Designer, Author
• Experience
in games, film, broadcast, children’s book and book jacket illustration,
editorial, advertising, web,
textile, apparel, brand development, and licensing.
• A partial list of clients include:
Scholastic, John Wiley and Sons, Universal Studios, Cendant, Fisher Price,
Mattel, Utne Reader, RJ Reynolds, National Geographic, Big Tuna Trading
and Mercer Mayer, McGraw-Hill,
Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, TSR, Random House, Draft Worldwide,
Ballistic
Publishing, Golden Books, Harper Festival, Future Publishing, Zoo Publishing,
Corel, Electronic Arts, Magic
the Gathering, Softmotion, Brewster Wallcoverings, Communication Arts,
American Traditional, Satchi
and Satchi, Martin Design, CR Gibson, Wizards of the Coast, Little Brown,
Science Fiction Book Club, David Textiles, Gander Mountain, Sci Fi Channel,
Popcap Games, Synthelabo Global,
Stylorouge, Gelaskins, Murals Your Way, Endless Games, The Canadian
Group, Sunsout, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Toyota, and Nickelodeon.
Gallery
and Trade Shows
•
Licensing International New York City 2008
• Los Vegas Art Expo 2007
• Licensing International New York
City 2007
• Surtex New York City 2007
• Art of Digital 2006
• Lost Art of Superman Returns 2006
•
Art of NFL Street 3 2006
• EA Concept Art Show 2005
• EA Art Directors Show 2005
• Dmac Gallery 2005
• Manor Gallery 2004-2005
•
Creamery Gallery 2000-2001
•
Society of Illustrators Los Angeles 2000
• Courtney Gallery 2000
• Koenig Gallery 1998
•
Society of Illustrators NY 1996
•
Society of Illustrators NY 1995
Lectures/Workshops
CG Workshops:
Environment Concept Art 3
2008
An
8 week course focused on teaching student the fundamentals needed to produce
world class Environment Concept Art for the Entertainment Industry
CG
Workshops: Environment Concept Art 3
2006
A
7 week course focused on teaching student the fundamentals needed to produce
world class Environment Concept Art for the Entertainment Industry
EA
University: Creating Concept Art in the Entertainment Industry 2006
• A 5
week course focusing on the fundamentals needed to create world class
Concept Art for the Entertainment Industry.
CG
Workshops: Environment Concept Art 2005
• The first ever CG Workshop hosted
by CG Networks. A 7 week course focused on teaching student the fundamentals
needed to produce world class Environment Concept Art for the Entertainment
Industry.
Corel
Painter Promotional Event 2004
• A presentation on a variety of
Painting techniques using Corel Painter.
Siggraph "D'artiste, Digital
Painting " 2004
• A demo on digital painting techniques at the Gnomon Workshop/Ballistic
Publishing booth.
Fairfield University "Fundamental Illustration Using Digital Tools"
2003
• A lecture detailing the latest digital illustration techniques.
Paier College of Art "From Student
to Successful Illustrator" 2003
• A presentation
focusing on the tools needed to break into the illustration market.
Housatonic Art League “The Illustration
Process” 2001
• Two hour televised presentation detailing
the illustration process.
Honors
• Expose' 6 , 7, and 8 Advisory Board member, 2008-2010.
• Grand Prize for design in the 2010
Indie Book Awards for Utherworld.
•
Finalist for Fantasy Fiction in the 2010 Indie Book Awards for Utherworlds
• Bronze Medal in the "Society of Illustrators Los Angeles"
47th annual competion, 2009.
• Silver Medal in the "Society of Illustrators Los Angeles"
44th annual competion, 2006.
• Corel Painter 10 Advisory Board member, 2006.
• Illustrations included in "The New Masters of Fantasy"
Volume II and III.
• CG Society Advisory Board Founding Member, 2005-2009
• Judge CG Networks CG Challenge "Steampunk."
• Judge CG Networks CG Challenge "Grand Space Opera."
• Judge for "Painter," the first annual juried
competition for the best arwork produced using Corel's Painter Software,
2007.
• Judge CG Networks CG Challenge "Masters and Servants."
• Painting purchased for inclusion into Electronic Arts permanent
collection
• Illustrations accepted
into Expose' 1,3, 4, 5, and 7.
• Illustrations accepted into Los Angeles Society of Illustrators
39th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, and 47th annual competitions.
• Illustrations accepted into Spectrum, the best in contemporary
fantastic art 4, 5, 8,11,12,13,14,15,16, and 17
• Illustrations accepted into RSVP’s “Dreams” competition.
• Illustrations accepted into RSVP’s “Self Portrait”
competition.
• Illustrations accepted into “The Society of Illustrators 38th
annual competition.
• Finalist in Artist Magazine’s annual landscape competition.
• Illustrations awarded 12 CGtalk Choice Awards.
• Illustrations awarded 2 3D Total Image Awards.
• Illustrations awarded 8 Kota Press Awards.
• Scholarship winner in “The Society of Illustrators” 37th
annual student competition.
• Judge“The Society of Illustrators” 40th annual student
competition.
• Judge“The Society of Illustrators 43rd annual student competition.
• Included in “Illustrators 2000” a traveling illustration
show featuring top illustrators.
Education
Paier College of Art 1995
• Advanced training in computer illustration.
Paier College of Art 1991-1995
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration
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